Triple Dare

This next week I:

• Dare you to dress simply. I’m not talking about dressing slutty, frumpy, or dumpy in ripped jeans and camisole. Just don’t spend half an hour piecing together an outfit. Pick pieces and accessories out of your closet that appeal to you when you get up in the morning and look through your clothes, and don’t be afraid to mix and match. Have you always worn that plain skirt with a matching button down shirt? Try it with a bright colored tee or flouncy blouse that you picked up from the thrift store. Be content with what you have and become creative! Don’t worry about looking “funny.” You also don’t have to have a new and ingenious outfit for every day; if your clothing isn’t dirty after wearing it, iron out the wrinkles and wear it again if you want.
• Dare you to add color, even it it’s in the form of a necklace or a bracelet. If you wear brown, or black, or tan, as your primary color then this is for you! On chilly days or in the evening, throw on a pashmina in a vibrant hue. Wear a pair of fun, cheerful flats with your jeans and t-shirt. Even if you are wary of wearing colors right next to your face, there are so many ways of adding color to your outfit using affordable accessories you really have no excuse for looking drab and dreary.
• Dare you to be minimalist in your makeup. Girls and women look best when they let their natural face shine through, even if every makeup advertisement around is bombarding you with pictures of dark, heavy eyeliner and cakey foundation. I’m not suggesting stopping using coverup and foundation to even out your skin tone or to hide blemishes, but put down the eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara and lip gloss for a minute. Groom your eyebrows, and brush your hair, or tame the frizz. Now even out your skin tone, add some blush, a little bit of brown/tan eyeshadow, a stroke of black or brown eyeliner on the top lid only, then some mascara, and a bit of lip gloss, or a light stroke of creamy red or pink lipstick. Think you look funny? Then take a look at this, this, and this.
  These images were taken from Garance Doré, a street style blog. I enjoy going there for inspiration, but be warned, not all the images on this blog are what I would call modest.

Who is going to take me up on my dare?

Shoe Closet

If you dislike shoes it’s only because you haven’t been exposed to them enough. If your favorite footwear is flip flops, then it’s time to slip on pair of lighthearted, red leather mary-janes with a 2.5 in. heel and take an unceremonious walk on a fresh fall day down an avenue with leaves winding crazily down and the wind blowing your hair. If your flat brown oxfords are boring you to death, exchange them for patent flats in a bright vivid color that instantly adds pizzaz to your outfit.

A girl can survive with the following bare minimum of shoes:

• Black Pumps in leather or patent leather, with a 2.5 – 3 in. heel. These pumps will add polish to your casual garb, and match with your skirts and dresses when attending wedding showers, parties, events, and church.
• Casual loafers, or flat mary-janes. Slip them on for running errands. No girl should be caught wearing tennis shoes or crocs while shopping. Another casual option is a pair of comfy Converse sneakers.
• Hide those flip flops in the back of your closet to save for a beach excursion and choose a pair of flat sandals with whatever sort of details appeal to you most! Get a pair of dressy flat sandals, and casual flat sandals. Here are some other options, as well.
• A pair of high-heeled leather sandals. Appropriate for wearing with cotton skirts and dresses during the summertime, and underneath white jeans on hot summer nights when out and about. Pick a sandal with a stable, walkable heel height, 2.5 – 3 in. Again, here are some other options. If you really want stylish stability, opt for a wedge sandal
• For cold, wet, winter months, pick a bootie, or mid calf boot with a shorter, sturdy heel that slips or zips on easily for wearing under jeans and pants.
• Tall boots are striking and comfortable to wear under skirts. Keep your jeans from getting wet by tucking them into your tall boots in fall and winter. Heeled or flat avoid going wrong with tall boots by buying refined looking leather in dark brown, or black, and stable, chunky heels that are 1.5 – 2.5 in. tall.
• Flats are available in a dizzying array of colors and patterns. Spring and fall is the time to break out your Audrey Hepburn like flats for wearing with knee-length skirts and trousers.

To care for your shoes, store in the original boxes that you buy them in, but don’t store them all in one container unless they are laid flat and not jumbled together which will crease the leather or fabric. Brush off dust, and dirt, with a soft cloth after wearing, and avoid wearing your shoes more than two times in a row, unless you want stinky feet. Usually, after a year of hard wearing, your shoes will be ready to retire, unless you pamper them and walk only on soft carpets. Styles and colors are unlimited when it comes to shoes! You can never have too many, unless of course, one day you look in your closet and find boxes of shoes stacked up that you have never even worn.

Basically the Basics

This is the beginning of a series of posts that I’m keeping short, sweet, and to the point, which will contain a degree of useful information on how you can craft your wardrobe into a classic, creative, and functioning wardrobe that IS affordable. Shopping at thrift stores, Target, Ebay, and sales is not the easiest of tasks, and often, careless purchases lead to expensive mistakes for our purses; $5, $10, and $20 purchases quickly add up. Shopping for your wardrobe is not a hobby, though, that doesn’t mean that there is not room for being creative or artistic. Not everything I post links to reflects the exact thing I suggest buying, I just post them so my readers can have an idea of what I am talking about.

Foundation Garments. Panties, bras, and layering camisoles ought to be replaced after a few months of being worn when they are stained, stretched out, and fraying.

• 2-3 bras to be worn on a daily basis; 1 sports bra for exercising.
• 5-6 panties.
• 2-3 cotton/spandex blend camisoles in black and white/cream for wearing under shirts, and dresses.
• A short slip, essential for wearing under skirts and dresses that aren’t thick enough to keep the sunlight from filtering through and showing the outline of your legs and the color of your underwear.
• A pair of black and or brown opaque tights for transforming your outfits for fall and winter.

Tops. T-shirts and knit tops are my casual top of choice, but I love to put on a white shirt, maybe with ruffled details around the neckline and bodice, to dress up a pair of dark denim jeans along with a scarf, or refine a plain brown skirt along with a simple pair of pumps. Once tees and knit tops start stretching out and pilling it is time to throw them out; a word of advice, wash these only as much as they need them, a spin in the washer and the heat of the dryer every time you wear your tee or knit top will give it a very short life span. When you do end up having to wash it, then turn it inside out, wash it on gentle, and let it hang dry. That requires a few more steps than just casually throwing it in the washer or dryer, but the wee bit of extra time is worth it to make those t-shirts last.

• 4-5 T-shirts for wearing casually. Brown, black, white, ink blue, and signature color of your choice will offer a wide array of options when putting together casual outfits. I usually like to wear my t-shirts around the house with jeans, sometimes layering them with a vest, or adding funky jewelry. Experiment with adding different accessories and layers to your t-shirts, if you’re just wearing it around the house then it doesn’t matter if your combinations look “funny!” Develop your own personal style of wearing a t-shirt. You should own a set of tees with long sleeves, too. T-shirts should hit at your hips or a little below as shorter lengths make you look like you have a larger stomach than you really do, and you run the risk of showing something every time you bend down or kneel over.
• This is a knit top. I know that the difference is sometimes confusing between knit tops and tees, but the difference is that t-shirts, most of the time, have a high cotton content, 95-100% cotton, less styling, and a closer fit to the body. That’s what I am looking for when I specify t-shirts. Knit tops will be a blend of man made materials; rayon, tencel, viscose, spandex, and a small amount of cotton usually compose these tops. A little more dressy than tees, knit tops are great for wearing with skirts, trousers/pants, and dressy jeans. Pick your favorite colors, or patterns, and buy 1-2 knit tops both long sleeved and short sleeved.
• 1-2 shirts. I would set down as a premise a white, black, or cream shirt, but there my requirements end. I don’t care if it is a button down shirt with no frills or details, that fits without any gapping or wrinkling, or a blouse with a cascade or ruffles falling down the front. A shirt in a basic color will take you from shopping for groceries to attending wedding showers with little sweat. Wear it with converse sneakers, jeans, and a piece of statement jewelry, or wear it with a pencil skirt, boots, and a cardigan for a dressy look. If you want to, then invest in a second shirt/blouse in a patterned cotton or silk and wear it however you like!
• 1 pullover sweater, in long sleeves or short sleeves. Fall is the time to add some texture to your wardrobe, and one of the best ways to do it is in the form of a pullover sweater, preferably in a flattering v-neck style, finely knit, and in a “muted” fallish color.

Sweaters. A sweater, if it is kept unstained, unsnagged, unpilled, and unstretched, should keep for a good 2-3 years.

• I already talked about a pullover sweater which is perfect for adding texture and refinement to skirts and jeans.
• 1-2 cardigans. Again, a fine knit cardigan, with 3/4 or full length sleeves, will add a touch of refinement to your outfit when the weather gets chilly. On a day to day basis, though, a chunky knit cardigan is my choice. The styles are unlimited. Do you like funky buttons? Ribbing? A hooded version? Speaking of hoods, a hoodie is one of my favorite ways to ward off the cold, as one of my readers can attest.

Bottoms. Jeans, pants, and skirts. This post could easily be too long, so I will try to keep it short. If your jeans are badly frayed at the bottom, and starting to acquire holes in the rear, throw them out!

• Jeans, 1-2 pairs. Choose, embellishment free, boot cut, or straight styles, with a length that almost touches the floor when you are wearing it with your favorite heel height. A casual pair for wearing around the house and running errands, and a dark denim, dressier pair for wearing to events and functions with a blouse and jacket.
• Pants, 1 pair, in black. A 2nd pair in a wool sound ideal, but for basic functions, a pair of slimming black pants are dressy, comfortable, and classy. You don’t like black? Then acquire a pair in dark brown, or slate grey. Cream, and white colors are best left for warmer months.
• 2-3 pairs of skirts that fall to the universally flattering knee-length. A pencil, or straight skirt in denim, black, or brown is about as versatile as can be. In the winter months, wear it with boots, and opaque tights, and in the summer months, laid back sandals for a cool look. Choose a second skirt that is fuller than the first in any pattern or color that you want, though, I would suggest choosing a pattern/color and weight that is versatile for summer and winter. Ideally, two skirts would be wonderful, one for summer and one for winter.

Dresses. A tolerable dress should last for a couple of years.

1-2 dresses in the universally flattering knee-length. A knit dress in a solid color is a casual investment that can again be dressed up and down in a wide array of fashions. Basic, solid colors are more refined and less “cheap” looking, usually than prints, and are more versatile. A 2nd dress in cotton is just another option for wearing in spring, summer, and fall, to functions and events. Really, there is no limit for how many dresses or what sort of dresses you can have. If the dress fits, flatters, and you can afford it, then why not add another one to your wardrobe? Dresses are the epitome of the word feminine, and evoke graceful movements and actions when one is wearing them.

Coats and Jackets A good coat and jacket will last for many, many years, as many years as you can squeeze out of it, really.

• A mid-length trench or wool coat in a bright color will make any fall or winter outfit stand instantly on its feet and cheer you up! I highly recommend Christa Taylor’s fine collection of coats for choosing a winter coat. The prices and quality couldn’t be better matched.
• A jacket or blazer easily thrown on over jeans and a shirt refine fall/winter outfits, and when adding a scarf, jewelry and heels, you are arguably the best dressed person in the room.
• Denim Jackets or puffer jackets and vests are a great, casual way of keeping warm.

Well, that pretty much covers the “basics.” Unless you’ve been wearing a bathrobe all of your life, you probably have a lot of these basics already. Not everything is absolutely necessary to have in your wardrobe considering your personal style, and lifestyle. Those of us who are in the public eye less tend to have a more relaxed, bohemian style. While those of us who have to deal with activities and people day in and day out are more de rigueur about what we wear. But all of us have our own personal preferences and like and dislikes.

I will gladly answer any and all question about styling, fit, fabrics, and what not, that any of my readers might have. Ask away! What do you find indispensable for your wardrobe?

Visions in my Head

No not sugarplums.

An apology to all my readers. Work has had me tied to the computer 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, literally! I’ve had time to sleep, eat, and work, and that is it.

But, thoughts, and visions have been populating my head, despite my intense concentration on work!

Wool dresses. Knee-high boots. Bright colored scarves. Ruffled shirts. ‘Boyfriend’ cardigans. Red leather pumps. Pencil skirts. Wool trousers.

Anna