Monday, September 13, 2010

Wardrobe Workhorse Week Wrap-Up



We had such a great time with Wardrobe Workhorse Week!  Thanks to all of you for reading along and commenting, and thanks especially to Sara of Orchids in Buttonholes, Iris of 260 Days, No Repeats, E-Jo of In Professorial Fashion, Miss Studious of O Miss Studious, Plummy of Plummy: Developing Style, Katie of Interrobangs Anonymous, Anna of The Belle and the Bear, Rad of The Cohabitating Closet, Ana of Toil and Trouble, E., A., and L. of Academichic, and Caitlin of Frosting and Bows for contributing their own wardrobe workhorse posts!
We started the week with one main question in mind: What items of apparel and accessories do people who are concerned with style most frequently wear?  The answers were so fantastic that we wanted to consolidate some of them for you in one place.  We certainly haven't covered all the posts, though, so please visit these great blogs to see what else these women can't live without!

Composition: Jeans
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Usage: 
Not surprisingly, quite a few bloggers shared Liz's love for jeans! Sara sings their praises even though she doesn't often wear pants, Miss Studious shows us that hers are, indeed, perfect, Iris demonstrates the benefits of trouser jeans, and Anna proves "mom" jeans can be super chic!

Composition: Classic Dresses
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Sara wrote a great post in defense of the dress as "comfortable," and several other bloggers proved that a staple black dress doesn't have to be boring.  Anna's looks classic and comfortable, Katie spices hers up with a trademark scarf, L. adds dramatic flair with a wide belt and a flower pin, and Miss Studious wears one with great details that make it stand out.

Composition: Versatile Footwear
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Though most of us could never own too many shoes, WWW showed that if you love a single pair enough, you can wear them with anything.  Anne-Marie makes a case for the versatility of nude shoes, Plummy demonstrates a range of styles with her black boots, and (from her enviable shoe collection) Sara identifies her black flats as a workhorseOur Katie maintains her affinity for colored shoes, IA Katie shows she's on the same wavelength with her red flats, and E-Jo chooses style and comfort with colored flats, too.

Composition: Statement Neckwear
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These entries show how big of an impact one piece can make, especially when it's near your face. Anne-Marie relies on this bib necklace to transform her summer wardrobe, Miss Studious plans her entire outfit around her statement necklace, Caitlin lists hers as key pieces for fall, and Iris wears hers while celebrating her great accessoriesPlummy favors scarves them for their warmth, and Katie also celebrates scarves for their fashion and their function.

Composition: Un-Boring Basics
Drafts:
These items frequently show up on "wardrobe basics" lists, but with good reason! Katie's pencil skirt gets major mileage, and A. loves hers so much she has it in three colorsSara offers her own definition of a wardrobe workhorse, citing this white skirt, and this neutral skirt has been very good to Anna.

Drafts:
Usage:
Liz loves her cardigans, Rad demonstrates how stylish a chambray button-down can be, E-Jo shows that great neutral skirt can come in a shade of green, and Miss Studious looks effortlessly chic in her white button-down.

Composition: Unexpected Workhorses
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WWW also showed that plenty of items that do not make their way onto wardrobe basics lists can work hard in your wardrobe.  Anne-Marie makes the case for going bold on the bottom, E. recommends replacing that LBD with an LND (little navy dress) and she also wears this mustard blouson top every which way, Miss Studious's geometric print is anything but basic, Ana loves this polka dot top so much that she bought a back-up, and Caitlin turns her unique thrift store find into a signature item.

Thanks again, ladies!  We're thrilled to know you, even if it's just online!

Prompts:
  • We're planning to share our individual thoughts on WWW in upcoming posts, but we're curious-- what is your "take-away" from this theme week?
  • Were you surprised by any of the trends that emerged in our various workhorse posts?  Did you notice any commonalities that we didn't document here?
  • If you decide post more of your own wardrobe workhorse looks, please feel free to paste your links in the comments so we can pay you a visit!

7 comments:

Plummy said...

Thanks for doing a roundup! I loved seeing the main trends. I think it's interesting how the majority of the workhorses seem to be the perfect marriage of form and function--I did not see any uncomfortable shoes, statement items that are hard wear, or even very many 'frivolous' items that have the appearance of a function without being able to perform (think: a coat that looks like down but isn't actually warm, or a thin sweater that looks pretty but doesn't keep in heat). This reinforces my plan to have my essential wardrobe items be comfortable and well-made, as well as being my style and something that I truly love. I'm glad I had the chance to participate in this WWW!

Plummy said...

*hard to wear

Miss. Studios said...

Great synthesis ladies! I admire your efforts and hard work dedicated to this event. I am honored to be a part of it. I like the fact that the mix of basics/classic and unexpected/accessory items appeared as workhorses altogether.

Alterations Needed said...

I'm so sad to have discovered this project at the very end. This looked like fun!

Raquelita said...

It was a great project, and I hope you do it again! I'm sorry I didn't participate this time, but I have been completely swamped between teaching my classes, committee work, and marathon training. I've even neglected my own blog(s) lately.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for organizing Wardrobe Workhorse Week! I enjoyed participating, but I just love seeing this round up - it's fantastic seeing together the workhorses of different bloggers. Thanks for including mine!

Anonymous said...

I have a hard on for the girl in the black skirt