Personal Style Etc.

[sundaymorning]

i cannot remember if i thanked you guys for the advice in my earlier post on this thread, how rude!! thanks for all the help and replies that i got, its been most helpful!

 

[ATM1985]

Glad you were able to figure it out YoninahAliza! It sounds like you looked casual but still nicely put together. It's hard when the weather is crummy, isn't it?

 

[softgrey]

i'm itching to wear this outfit...

+J khaki safari type shirt, blk stretch EF pencil skt, balenciaga blk stiletto biker bootie...
i need the weather to cool down already!!!
...

 

[softgrey]

wearing a lot of black these days...
feels good...

 

[lightningfields]

As someone who's worn nothing but black since birth I must say I'm getting tired of it. I really want to go the complete opposite and go for an all white look but it's just so hard to get out of the black hole that is my closet.

 

[Lapin de Lune]

Does a perception crisis qualify as a fashion tragedy? If not please feel free to delete this.

Lately, I have come to the conclusion that I simply do not suit clothes. And by this I mean clothes in general.

At first glance, this might appear to have something to do with self esteem issues, which I have certainly explored, but I'm not quite so sure. I am quite accepting of the way I look, and have a pretty average (height/weight), if small body shape, which I am relatively happy with. I just simply don't feel at all well put together lately, regardless what I wear, whether it's high street or designer, causal or smart. Although I do possess a certain style of my own, and feel quite comfortable with my choices, the clothes themselves always tend to look 'wrong' when I actually wear them.

Could this be a common issue? In fact, it is something that I have never mentioned out loud before and am quite curious as to how prevalent this sort of thing is. I simply feel as though I make the clothes look ungainly, shabby, badly put together. Several high quality pieces which I have acquired over the past 4 months literally swamp me, even though they are the smallest size, and were not described or intended to be worn oversized or loose fitting. I have almost grown tired of shopping for this reason alone, and am developing a fair amount of distrust of my choices. My style is reasonably minimal, and I am attracted to more classic, timeless garments, items which ought to at least work decently for anybody, but alas not for me.
Luck may come into it, i admit: one pair of trousers feels slightly too tight, the next size up overwhelms me. Coats unreasonably bury my shoulders, almost any cut of jeans makes me look disproportionate, and skirts are either too short or hang too low on the hips.

I wonder if my ability to dress myself is deteriorating, or whether I am simply choosing the wrong stuff. And as much as I adore fashion, I am starting to feel a little bit fed up. Several months ago I made a pact with myself to ditch fast fashion and to concentrate upon owning less yet higher quality pieces that I loved. Unfortunately, the situation hasn't actually improved anything, even though I have been careful with my recent selections.

The only clothes which I feel comfortable wearing at the moment are shortish skirts and loose fitting tops/shirts. Perhaps I simply don't suit my other choices (pants with smart shirts/jeans/tee's) and have to accept my limitations. I am actually confused by this issue, and wonder how so many other people manage to look so well turned out, whether they're sporting just a tee and jeans or more elaborate ensembles.

 

[amour_amour363]

I'm sorry to hear you feel this way, it can't be very fun.

Perhaps your style has developed and changed, yet your wardrobe hasn't caught up yet. There's nothing worse than trying to get dressed for the day and finding nothing in your wardrobe that matches your mood or the vision in your head. Being comfortable with choices may inevitably lead to you wanting to push yourself a bit further and want something more from how you dress yourself. Maybe try new silhouettes, or push to wear a piece different than you'd normally feel comfortable wearing.

Sorry I can't be of much help.

 

[amour_amour363]

I have a question to ask. Sometimes when I'm getting dressed I have a hard time putting different designers together, and often get the urge to wear an almost 1-designer outfit. I don't know whether it's because my wardrobe is still being built up, whether I buy pieces that don't go together, or something else. I try them on together and feel like it doesn't look right, but maybe my head just hasn't adjusted to looking at something different. A lot of designers have very strong visions when it comes to their clothes. I just am struggling trying to form my own personal style. Any advice?

 

[aldn]

lapin i feel you might need a tailor. and explore what really works for you. i almost always wear shorts cause i hate the way jeans fit my legs. i have to make sure all my plaid button ups are oxford not spread collar. and as much as i love knitwear i usually have to stick to cardigans.

 

[RedandNavy]

amour: Hmmm, first of all I don't think it's because you are still building your wardrobe. There were times when I thought my wardrobe was pretty good and I could live with it for some months without adding, but truth is: you will always be building your wardrobe. Fashion evolves, you evolve and the pieces in your wardrobe wear out, too. So: Don't think you'll ever stop building your wardrobe

I personally think combining designers should be easy. I always do. I don't even have pieces from one designer that I could dress in head to toe. If you only wear one designer at a time because of his idea of esthetics that sounds to me like you still need to develop your own eye for your personal style. Maybe you buy things that aren't that easy to combine.

What has helped me lately is to use wishlists on online shop like imaginary wardrobes. I put in pieces that I like and than I start to sort out until I have a set of collections that are truly easy to combine and that all fit one style. There is still a lot of variation but it looks like it all fits together, regardless of the designer. Unfortunatelly I only have the money to buy my 4-5 pieces a season but having a clear vision helps me to stay focused on the looks I want to achieve.

 

[MimiV]

Lapin De Lune, I used to have a similar problem. Mine was due to the fact that I bought clothes simply because I thought they were beautiful and not so much because of how they looked on me. It was very hard for me to accept that some of the things I find most beautiful, the first things I will be attracted to in any given store, aren't the things that suit me best. I found my way by swapping wardrobes with my best friends over the years, but aldn's suggestion of going to a tailor is probably a better and faster solution!

 

[softgrey]

amour-
depends on the pieces...
some things are designed in a certain way so that you almost have to wear something else from the same designer in order for it to work...
marni can be like this i find...

so it may not be you...
it may be the pieces themselves...

just keep experimenting and wear what feels right...

*you might try taking pics of things while you are trying them on...
it can help to give you some perspective as to whether something is really working or not...

 

[aldn]

yes. that's the bigger problem mimi. i used to buy hoodies like a crazy person and had to stop cause i never wore them! lol.

 

[Lapin de Lune]

Thanks for your input! A tailor would be ideal, although I can't imagine locating one around these parts, and imagine this might be quit expensive? I don't know. I am riding with it at the moment, just feeling my way forward.

 

[Tinetush]

Wore sandals with no socks yesterday. I have a feeling that was the last time this year, it was way too cold. I'm ready for autumn. Knit, tights, scarves, hats - bring it on

 

[aldn]

lapin depending on the items and what you need done to the garment it's quite inexpensive.

 

[YoninahAliza]

I'm starting a new part-time job working in a retail shop. Apparently we have a strict wardrobe requirement of which we can only wear black. So black dress, black pants with a nice top, black skirt and top, etc. We can wear a colored shirt if it's under a blazer though. Basically I was told that if my back was to the customer then all they should see is black clothing. It's to make us easy to identify for the customers I guess. However or accessories and shoes can be any color. So while I love the color black I've come to realize that I don't have much of it in my wardrobe apparently. I have three black dresses, one black skirt, one black cardigan, and one or two appropriate black shirts. So it's quite limited I suppose. Which means it looks like I'll have to purchase a black blazer and another shirt at least.
Anyways, my question is how do I spice up my work look without breaking the rules? I want to look professional yet stylish so that customer will want me to help them. This is my first retail job and I guess I just want to make the right impression.

 

[MimiV]

When we had an all black uniform at work I used to "cheat" by putting a colorful thin belt (sometimes matched with my socks ) and always colorful nail polish.
If you're allowed to wear colorful tops I'd buy colorful t-shirts and blouses in silk. Also, I'd recommend investing in a few tailored black trousers! For me that's what I ended up wearing the most even though I normally prefer skirts and dresses.

I personally put the most emphasis on jewelry since that's going to be the only personal touch to the professional look.

 

[ShoestringTravel]

Does a perception crisis qualify as a fashion tragedy? If not please feel free to delete this.

Lately, I have come to the conclusion that I simply do not suit clothes. And by this I mean clothes in general.

At first glance, this might appear to have something to do with self esteem issues, which I have certainly explored, but I'm not quite so sure. I am quite accepting of the way I look, and have a pretty average (height/weight), if small body shape, which I am relatively happy with. I just simply don't feel at all well put together lately, regardless what I wear, whether it's high street or designer, causal or smart. Although I do possess a certain style of my own, and feel quite comfortable with my choices, the clothes themselves always tend to look 'wrong' when I actually wear them.

Could this be a common issue? In fact, it is something that I have never mentioned out loud before and am quite curious as to how prevalent this sort of thing is. I simply feel as though I make the clothes look ungainly, shabby, badly put together. Several high quality pieces which I have acquired over the past 4 months literally swamp me, even though they are the smallest size, and were not described or intended to be worn oversized or loose fitting. I have almost grown tired of shopping for this reason alone, and am developing a fair amount of distrust of my choices. My style is reasonably minimal, and I am attracted to more classic, timeless garments, items which ought to at least work decently for anybody, but alas not for me.
Luck may come into it, i admit: one pair of trousers feels slightly too tight, the next size up overwhelms me. Coats unreasonably bury my shoulders, almost any cut of jeans makes me look disproportionate, and skirts are either too short or hang too low on the hips.

I wonder if my ability to dress myself is deteriorating, or whether I am simply choosing the wrong stuff. And as much as I adore fashion, I am starting to feel a little bit fed up. Several months ago I made a pact with myself to ditch fast fashion and to concentrate upon owning less yet higher quality pieces that I loved. Unfortunately, the situation hasn't actually improved anything, even though I have been careful with my recent selections.

The only clothes which I feel comfortable wearing at the moment are shortish skirts and loose fitting tops/shirts. Perhaps I simply don't suit my other choices (pants with smart shirts/jeans/tee's) and have to accept my limitations. I am actually confused by this issue, and wonder how so many other people manage to look so well turned out, whether they're sporting just a tee and jeans or more elaborate ensembles.

I agree with the others who recommended a tailor. It's very affordable here in the U.S. (usually $10-$20), and if your clothes are on the large side, it's easier to size down than do the opposite. Taking in the seam at the back of a pair of pants or a skirt can make a huge difference in how the garment sits on your hips and appears, as can hemming a pair of pants for exactly the pair of shoes you want to wear them with. This sounds a bit complicated, and no, I am not one of those people who has a huge wardrobe of clothes and shoes, but I try to buy and think of my shoes in the category of heel heights--I know I have a few shoes that I can wear with the pair of pants hemmed this way, and a few pairs of shoes with the pants that are hemmed at this other length. That way, when I buy more pants and get them hemmed, I know which shoes I'll wear them with before I even take them home.

Blouses can be taken in along the darts in the front or back, for a more fitted look. Buttons can be moved over one way or the other for a little more or less room, usually up to about 1/2" or so, but that can make quite a difference for certain garments.

I imagine it's fairly similar in the U.K., but clothing manufacturers have different body models that they use for fitting their clothes (I had a friend who was a fitting model for Columbia Sportswear who explained this to me one time). So you may find that some brands just never fit well, and others fit great. For instance, the Banana Republic brand here just fits me terribly, but I can walk into the GAP, and most things fit fine. I've found that BR clothes are generally cut for someone with a shorter waist and a smaller chest size; the GAP has a shoulder-to-waist ratio that fits me much better. It's very individual. So if some brands just don't work, don't sweat it! Find the ones that do. I've found that the more expensive brands seem to be better cut in general--I can't find a Banana Republic blazer that fits me perfectly without alteration to save my life, but a Hugo Boss size 8 fits like a dream.

Shop a lot and try a lot of different clothes on from different manufacturers/designers. It takes a lot of time, but once you know what works, it will save time in the end.

 

[Lapin de Lune]

ShoestringTravel - thanks so much!

I have been feeling much more positive recently, and hope to be stumbling out of my sartorial malaise!

I think that most of my issues arise due to me purchasing online, which is pretty much the only way that I can obtain what I feel to be quality garments at present. My home town is rather small and most of the high street stores are a little too trend led for my tastes, and the stores which I would like to visit are located in cities much too far away for me to visit on a whim. (or even for less than £100 train fare).

A recent disaster was my new APC coat: gorgeous, exquisite thing, but the XS literally swamps me. I was so upset by that, but was aware of the risk when purchasing it from Sweden. I have missed my return date, too, so am hoping to sell it for at least something close to what I paid (which was an insane amount for me, admittedly).

Still, I shall learn from this, and persevere. I will also do a bit of local research into alterations.