Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Revising My Uniform for Spring?

Drafts:

Composition:
eyeglasses (Kate Spade)
turquoise beaded necklace (Kohl's)
red and gray beaded necklace (NY&Co)
black and white camis (Old Navy)
black cardigan (H&M)
snake print belt (Kohl's)
black and white print trousers (Express)
black almond toe wedges (Lauren by Ralph Lauren via Zappos)
brown blur (my dachshund, who thinks he belongs in these photos but can't stand still)

Usage:

Katie and Anne-Marie have already addressed the ways in which they transition from cold weather styles to warm weather styles, so I thought I would weigh in on the issue.  I also thought it was about time for me to introduce and acknowledge my standard "uniform."

Especially in the colder months, I'm often wearing an outfit something like this.  I own quite a few cardigans.  Underneath the cardigans I alternate between pairing plain tops with interesting necklaces and wearing more visually interesting tops alone. Oftentimes I belt the cardigan, but sometimes I do not.  On the bottom, I'm always wearing one of my several pairs of Express Editor trousers.  The tags on these pants usually tout them as "the best fitting pant in America," which always makes me laugh.  How could you possibly go about proving the validity of that statement, Express?  I can't deny, though, that these pants fit me better than any other pair I've ever put on.  Everyone to whom I've recommended them loves them, too.  Let me know if you want the secrets to getting them for less than full price!

I also recognize that I'm more attracted to the black/white/gray color palette than most women.  I love the versatility I get from buying pieces within this "color" scheme.  The pieces all go together, I don't have to put a lot of thought into mixing and matching, and black/white/gray always looks very polished to me.  I often try to add pops of color here and there, like the red detail in the necklace I'm wearing above.  I took the photo on the right to serve as the sort of "winter" version of today's look.

I have difficulty translating the black/white/gray look into the warmer months, however.  Red doesn't really feel like a spring color, and black and white often feel too harsh in comparison to everyone else's fun spring wardrobes.  Generally, I try to make this transition by wearing more white and gray and less black, which helps to make my ensembles feel a little less stark.  This year, though, I have been on the hunt for a bold turquoise necklace that would serve as a summery substitute for my red accent pieces.  I finally found one I like!

I'm still not sure this outfit on the left is working as a spring look, though.  I tried a gray cardigan, but since these pants look gray rather than patterned from a few feet away, it looked like a terrible head-to-toe gray mess.  Now that I'm looking at the photos, I think the belt is the problem.  I imagined the necklace as the focal point of the look, but I think the snake print is drawing attention to the belt instead.  Thoughts?

Prompts:
  • Any suggestions for transitioning my black/white/gray pieces into the warmer months?
  • Do you have a general "uniform" that you revert to when you don't have time or energy to dress creatively?  If so, what is it?
  • Do you ever find an item you love and buy it in multiple colors and styles?

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think the photo on the left works better because the white shirt balances the belt and pulls the eye back up to your face. the punchy colour and simple shape of the turqoise necklace also balance the snake belt better than the red does.

awhere i come from we wear black all year round so cant help on the colour questions! but in terms of uniform, i throw on shift dresses all the time for work and T shirt dresses for casual. and because i love them i do have multiples, although i try to mix up the labels...