An old friend reminded me that I once bragged I could take any single piece of clothing, and, no matter how hideous, find some way to redeem it in an outfit. To a certain degree, I believe this to be true. Not in the sense that I think I am the clothing guru, and anything that touches my body will magically become couture. But I believe that you can make *almost* any piece of clothing/accessory work as long as you understand the great powers of balance and illusion.
I share this little anecdote, not to encourage you to seek out the ugliest thing you can find and try to make it wearable, but I want you to see that even old clothing can be recycled, and worn like new. For example, adding fancy buttons to an old cardigan, as mentioned in one of my earlier posts. Work with what you already have. Seriously, I still wear shirts, sweaters, and other plain pieces that I have had since high school. Making a good outfit doesn't have to be about buying all the latest, trendiest clothes. Over half of my wardrobe is either from a thrift store or is clothing that I have owned for over 10 years. Unless you have a special event to attend, a good outfit should be about 3/4 well-fitting basics, and only 1/4 prima donna.
Here are a few tips I live by:
Tip #1: Update a classic pattern. Tartans, herringbone, houndstooth, etc., don't have to be confined to the rigid rules of the country club.
Specimen 1: Here is a classic houndstooth blazer I picked up at a thrift store about 4 years ago. Notice the fine balancing act happening here. The cranberry & mustard give it a trendier, more contemporary feel, and in turn, the black & white houndstooth tone down the explosion of color.
*Note: Mix and match your colors, but keep your cools with your cools, and your warms with your warms. If they are in the same color family, YES you can wear them together.
Specimen 2: In this case, the houndstooth is the piece that is jazzing it up. Chambray shirts are the new white Oxford, and every bit as versatile as denim pants.
Tip #2: Color is great, but if you don't have the confidence to wear it boldly, stick to appropriately placed pops of it.
Someone (who was clearly in love with the 80's) decided that bright colors and neons were back in style. I am all for this trend, so long as it is tamed, and not causing any traffic accidents. I'm sure you have heard the trending term "pop of color."All this means is, rather than making yourself a walking rainbow, you choose a piece (or two) in bright colors, and use them to liven up a neutral-heavy outfit. This could be a brightly colored shoe, accessory, or make-up. Whatever you do when working with bright colors, make sure that they are proportionately spaced. For instance, if you chose to wear khaki pants and white shoes with a lime green knit tee AND lime green earrings AND a lime-green headband, you are in serious danger of looking like a lime green lollipop. Consider wearing a white polo underneath and switching out those green earrings for pearl studs, just to diffuse the bright color palette a bit.
Personally, I like my color schemes like I like a good kindergarten seating chart, but instead of boy-girl-boy-girl, it's neutral-color-neutral-color. My bright colors stay sandwiched in between the neutrals to keep them behaving. *You can't see it in this picture, but the shoes are neutral bottom piece of the sandwich.
Tip #3: Animal prints are now considered neutrals.
*Notice, I used a more dull green scarf up top to add to the balancing act. If I didn't have the scarf, I would suggest using something else, like a neutral colored blazer or cardigan.
Specimen 2: Because I chose bright green as my pop of color, I chose everything else in neutral. White collared shirt, animal print, black loafers, black belt, black hair... JK. God chose that.
I have much more to say on the topic, but it is almost 10 p.m., and being the sad teacher type that I am, that means bedtime was half an hour ago. So until next time dear reader.
-Miss C
