Composition:
eyeglasses (Kate Spade)
black cami (Old Navy)
black and white top (Charlotte Russe)
purple cardigan (NY&Co)
watch (Fossil)
polish (OPI Pamplona Purple)
black pencil skirt (NY&Co)
black gladiator heels (Vera Wang for Kohl's)
Usage:
When I was reading Katie's post about fashion rules on Thursday, it brought to mind the scene in The Blind Side in which Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Sandra Bullock) says something along the lines of, "If you don't love it in the store, don't buy it. You'll never love it more in your closet than you do in the store." I was thinking of this as a fashion rule that I generally follow, but then I decided it's more of a shopping rule than a fashion rule.
I also realized that though I generally think it's good advice, there are several items in my closet that defy its logic. I own several items that I've grown to like better as I wore them or found new ways to style them. This black and white sheer printed top is the best example of this tendency of mine. I bought it last year on clearance when I was trying to find tops to wear to celebrate my sister's 21st birthday in Las Vegas. It was outside my style comfort zone because of all the ruffles, a weird tie at the neck that I ended up cutting off, and its pseudo-animal print. I didn't even wear it on my sister's birthday weekend, but I started wearing it when I got bored with my wardrobe. Initially, I wore it under cardigans to temper the boldness of the print. Because I started getting compliments on the top, I felt more comfortable stepping outside my comfort zone and embracing the ruffles.
For the past year and a half, I've been wearing it regularly alone and layered under cardigans. It's become one of my most versatile tops! The cut is flattering to my shoulders without showing too much skin for the office, and I also like how it flows away from my body without looking bulky. As it turns out, it wasn't a bad way to spend $4!
Prompts:
- Do you have any useful shopping rules or guidelines that you're willing to share?
- Do you find Ms. Touhy's advice to be true for you, or do you also begin to feel differently about items of apparel as you wear them?
- Does the way others react to your clothing influence how or how often you wear certain items?
Posts
7 comments:
When it come to shopping I agree with Ms. Touhy's adivce because that rings true for me everytime! It's not about clothes being new because vintage or thrifted clothes can be just as gorgoeus as brand new things. It is about me feeling a strong attraction twoards them. If I don't feel it then they will sit in my closet when I get home and I'll probably end up giving them away to friends or donating them.
I also have to agree with this philosophy. If you don't absolutely love it in the store, it's not worth purchasing. My main shopping rule for right now is that I'm trying to buy at least half of my clothing at thrift stores or second-hand on ebay.
If you peruse my blog archives, I'm sure that you'll notice that I wear some items all the time. I probably wore my Fluevog Bond Girls three or four days every week in the winter, and right now I'm really into my pink Steve Madden flats.
That top is fantastic!
I agree with the "love it or leave it" philosophy, but I also have to be careful that I don't work myself into a rut. It's easy to go, "Well, I love all my other solid-colored cardigans, and this is another one, so I'll love that one, too." I very well may, but then I can also end up with a closet of clones.
So for me, my shopping reminders are: Can I make at least 5 outfits by combining this with pieces I already own? and Is there at least one quality (fabric, color, length, etc.) in the clothing that I know I already love, and the rest can be an experiment.
I love this top. I think that every time I see it.
I absolutely agree with the "What can I wear with this?" rule about buying things. If I have nothing to wear it with, or I have to buy something specifically to go with the item, I always have to weight whether or not it is worth it.
Also, I'm embarrassed to admit that I always have to strictly remind myself that if it doesn't fit perfectly (or wouldn't fit after hemming it in the case of pants), I shouldn't buy it. Sometimes, I'll really love something so I'll tell myself "Sure that fits" even if that means "It would fit if I lost/gained five pounds" or "I really need a half size smaller for the shoe to fit."
-Katie
Thanks for the feedback, ladies!
I also also think about an item's versatility in my wardrobe before purchasing it. Interrobangsanon, I really like your suggestion about "experimenting" by buying items that have at least one quality you love. Maybe I'll try this next time I go shopping-- or maybe it would help me to become a more successful thrift shopper. I'd like to thrift more, too, LHDM.
-Liz
Love that pretty top!
Love jacking off to these pictures
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