Formal Wardrobe
(Almost) my entire formal wardrobe:
Ball gown: purchased thrift this year for $1, with brand-new tags still attached. I love it! But where will I ever wear it?
Evening gown: not brand-new, although it might as well be. Purchased the same shopping trip as the dress above, and for the same price! Plans to wear this include a fancy dessert out with my daughters and their friends, where we can all dress up. Preferring to precisely embody the epitome of propriety, I probably won’t wear this to my hero’s company holiday party.
Separates: IMO, this look is a little matronly, but apparently that’s okay because when I actually wore it to an event the other night (with silk long pants under!) I received very generous and very genuine compliments from RLFs whose opinions matter. Like my daughter, who said it doesn’t matter if it looks matronly because it looks good. And my real-life fashion hero, the young mom in our circle who I consider the most artistically styled. I’ll leave it to you RLFs to figure out who that is 
Missing from this post: the silver, three-quarter sleeve, silk-and-metallic top that makes the skirt above into a dress. Also a similar, sleeveless, red combo. And a party dress. (But if I ever had the appropriate place to where it, and I could work up the nerve, I’d wear my mom’s wedding dress as a party dress.)
I think part of what makes the formal lifestyle segment such a challenge, and brings about the peer pressure to eliminate it, is the whole cost-per-wear thing. On the other hand, thrifting (or even borrowing) formal-wear can bring it into the realm of reason. BTW, the gunmetal skirt was also $1, with the tags on it still, and I’ve worn it several times, as well as loaning it to a friend to wear with her own sweater.
Cocktail clothes are another subject.
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Wardrobe Therapy Weeks 2 & 3
… the dash-through version. Aka my entire everyday winter wardrobe in a single post. Refer to Convertible Everyday Winter Template for details on my winter uniform template.
Tops (which would have been week 2). Some discussion of the colors of and their combining took place recently back here.
Primarily leisure, three cashmere turtlenecks: light coral pink, light heather gray (my “sweatshirt“), and dark heathery brown. Or melanin hemoglobin color, hair color, and eye color. I also have an ancient merino wool turtleneck, which looks exactly like the brown one pictured here, presently employed as a painting shirt (not like for painting the house, but for attending watercolor class and for painting sets down at the studio).
Exclusively leisure, five pullover sweaters: light fair-isle, brown cotton thermal vee, gray merino vee(mostly for “painting”, see above), black crew (almost scoop), and oatmeal heather vee. Not terribly exciting, are they?
Although when combined with one of these shirts, most of which cross back and forth from leisure to casual, the color combos get a little more interesting. Surprisingly, I have discovered recently that the oatmeal heather is exciting with the white or pink, okay with the print, and downright boring with the brown. Hmmm.
I have two cashmere cardigans, and I’m not certain where they fit in the process. By spells they turn up with dressier stuff, but I wouldn’t be afraid to wear them for knocking around either. Especially the pink one. Purchased at Value Village for $1, it’s already been through several winters with me as a crew neck; but when recently it began feeling a little snug (okay, it was a torture device), I cut the front open, serged it, and … voila! A cardigan!
Bottoms and jackets, week 3.
To qualify to be pictured here, the jacket had to fit. My paisley didn’t qualify on the basis that over any of the blouses pictured here it becomes a torture device.
The charcoal trousers have a matching jacket, but it doesn’t fit well. I am considering paying real money to have it altered, as the trousers fit fabulously.
My winter jean collection, from left: flannel-lined straight legs, really old bootcuts for tucking, less old bootcuts for kneeling on the floor with the kids, and my good dark skinny jeans.
Phew! I feel virtuous, having posted something tangible and fashion-related. And my everyday winter wardrobe’s not in bad shape either. Now, for the sake of discussion, would you suggest one item to add and one to delete from this mix?
Updated to add: Karen outdid herself and sent in a polyvore. I love this stuff! Thanks Karen!
Related Posts:
Convertible Winter Everyday Template
Another one of those ‘duh’ moments, as my friends of another generation say, “I could’ve had a v-8!”
Has winter arrived in your region? (Not you. lol) I know for some of you winter doesn’t necessitate adding many clothes, but here in the Great Northwest the sky has turned gray and my feet are cold. From today on, white takes a backseat and heather gray moves up in my wardrobe.
But the real “aha!” was this: the convertible everyday template (for my personal style idiom, winter 2008/2009).
- around the house: jeans + collared shirt + sweater, pullover wool or cashmere
- out & about town: jeans + collared shirt + blazer, velvet or washable suede or maybe tweed
Upon rising, I can “just get dressed” for whatever I am doing first, knowing that later in the day I need only change my top layer (and shoes) to remain situationally appropriate.
Have you had a convertible template you used successfully?
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My Coat Wardrobe
(Sadly, necessitating the re-run of this post was getting the heavy winter boot - in the behind - from Eddie Bauer. That’s right, no longer can you contribute to my “never have to re-enter the paid work force” fund by buying through Eddie Bauer links on the blog. In fact, the links were only permissible because of the affiliate relationship and have now been removed.)
In my lifestyle segmentation pie chart, only two slices are really worth serving: casual and leisure. Living in a region with four distinct seasons requires more coats, to my practical mind, than would seem necessary. But they are.
Here’s the run-down:
- Casual winter coat: If I could only afford one coat, it would have to be a topper-length wool. And if I could only afford one coat, it would have to fit better than mine does. HOWEVER, this coat fits perfectly over a wool suit or a velvet blazer, which makes it perfect to throw on over smart casual winter ensembles or for church.
- Leisure winter coat = a puffy down jacket. Primarily worn for sledding and dog-walking, I am currently using a black one (for which I paid a single dollar), which will naturally be replaced when I happen on something in a great color.
- Casual spring: even though it isn’t a spring color, I will have to wear my new sateen trench.
- Leisure spring: the pink puffy thing pictured back here?
- Casual summer: All summer long I carry a cardigan around in my purse. Comes in handy at restaurants, the grocery store, basically anywhere air-conditioned.
- Leisure summer:
a white jean jacket. What else?Something else. Now’s not the time to think about it, though. (I do have a windbreaker, in case I go to the beach with my parents.) - Autumn casual: Again, the wine sateen trench.
- Autumn leisure: the burgundy quilted pictured here. I also wear a chamois washable suede jean jacket.
One little hiccup in my system: what color gloves, etc., to buy. For the most part my coats are all similar colors: burgundy, wine, aubergine. My purse is that color too, as are most of my shoes. Perhaps I have painted myself into a comfortably colored corner. What color gloves would you suggest?
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Just Get Dressed
What I have called “everyday leisure“, Jennifer and drwende have aptly renamed “just get dressed“. How many days out of the week does that describe your wardrobe needs? And what activities might those days include?
For me, “just get dressed” (for which I have the option, in my geographic region, of wearing “outdoor leisure” or “everyday leisure”) encompasses most of my Mondays and Tuesdays, and approximately half of my Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Maybe more. On any given day I could be cooking, picking up after the dog, grocery or thrift store shopping, walking for exercise, or … ? And what’s easy for me to forget is I am always representing my own level of fashion authority. 
Here’s what I’m wearing today.
- old black “bowling shoe” style flats, resurrected because they are comfortable and they blend with my jeans (too old for the cost of them to signify, they were moderately priced, purchased on sale at JCPenney)
- dark skinny jeans ($15, Shopko clearance)
- white oxford button-front shirt, which - due to the fantastic flying collar and the perfectly placed darts- is becoming such a favorite that if I can find another I will be willing to pay real money for it (hand-me-over-for-$1 from a daughter, originally Costco’s Lady Hathaway brand)
- v-neck, cable-knit, cashmere sweater in oatmeal heather ($15, TJMaxx). Worn with the white shirt this illustrates the question I asked Imogen on her post “How to Choose Your Perfect White”.
- reversible belt, worn animal print side ($5 clearance from Wilsons leather), held in place by lingerie straps pinned onto the side seams of the sweater. he hee.
Since I’m an accessory retard, please tell me if this belt works. I know one thing: if I had added a necklace to this outfit, one or the other (belt or necklace) would have had to go.
Related Posts:
The Pie Chart
I’m re-running this, one of my very early posts, because I think the concept is basic. Whether you have a mental pie chart or actually use one of the links here to build one, you need to know how much of your life you spend in which kinds of clothes.
Recently the trend in fashion advice books has been to draw yourself a pie chart, based on some form of lifestyle segmentation, in order to visualize the level of need in each category. What I found for you: a web-site that will do your pie chart for free. You can even choose the colors! I also found a web-site where you can download applets to make pie charts and graphs for use on your site.
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to build your own pie chart, based on your own lifestyle. Decide first whether you need to split any of my suggested categories into two or more; say, if your office has Casual Friday every week and you want to add a business casual segment. For the value of each segment, enter the number of times per week you dress for that lifestyle. I mean, each time you get dressed (every time the baby spits up or … ). That’s really all there is to it!
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Polly Solves the Shoe Dilemma
What’s a girl to wear on her feet when there’s work to be done, and the day is punctuated by errands and public appearances?
Isn’t that the question? My life, as with most “at-home moms”, is an awkward mixture of physical labor and professional interactions. Polly addresses the temptation to rely on sneakers and presents a better alternative in her post Be True to Yourself.
First, consider: does it matter whether you are wearing jeans, trousers, or skirt? I don’t think so. A casual skirt worn in a casual setting demands a casual shoe, and jeans can be dressed up or dressed down. So what we’re really looking for is a shoe which is fully functional (it doesn’t limit what you can do) and commands respect (which in many settings relates to stylishness).
Polly recommends Me Too ballet flats, which she found at Marshalls and I have seen around here at TJMaxx (unfortunately they didn’t have my size in the brown patent leather last time I was there). Here are some of the styles currently available from Zappos.com Women’s Shoes (click on picture for more info or to buy):
These are a great everyday option for casual shoes, especially in a climate where socks aren’t needed. (Question for you: do you think I can comfortably go straight from sockless flats to flat boots? I’m going to give it a try this year and I’ll let you know.)Finally, under what circumstances would you consider these styles appropriate for wearing to work?
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Fall Wardrobe: Three Levels of Leisure
Scenario:
It’s a wintery Saturday. Somehow you’ve been able to arrange child care for the day to attend a watercolor workshop, Painting the Landscape, held in an historic mansion surrounded by pine forest.
Yikes! What to wear?
Three levels of leisure-wear:
- Active Leisure = sport-specific athletic clothing (track or yoga pants, runners, ski-gear, etc).
- Outdoor Leisure = clothing inspired by outdoorsy sports (i.e. flannel and polar fleece).
- Everyday Leisure = sportswear separates worn informally (jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers, no jacket).
Honestly, although necessarily many people spend the majority of life in the dressier - and more fun - clothing categories, IMHO, a vast number of offenses occur in the leisure categories. Offenses like: wearing clothes with big holes in them - EVER, wearing “slob casual” when one of the above classifications is called for, or wearing one of the above instead of professional clothing. Do I harp on this topic too much?
(The above category breakdown was developed by me, inspired by Sherry Maysonave’s Six Levels of Casual and my own ideas on lifestyle segmentation.)
Back to our scenario. What would you wear to such an activity?
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Fashion Lab On Location: Blending vs Contrasting Shoes
What a wonderful surprise! Taking a surprise day of vacation, my hero agreed to accompany me to the Nordstrom rack to look for shoes and take pictures on location. He even bought coffee. 
More about my fall wardrobe needs later, but I should mention that foremost on my mind today was needing walking shoes. Over the last week or two, I’ve been very disciplined to get out and walk nearly every day and I’m noticing the strength in my back returning (some of you may remember I experienced a very serious back injury this past January). Lately I’ve been wearing sandals, but that won’t continue forever …
The first picture is from my before pictures post. Noting that my legs are shorter than my torso, Imogen suggested a shoe that blends with the color of my trousers. Which I don’t dispute. However, shopping being the experience that it is, having a wardrobe full of the right things is often easier said than done. Grumble. Out of the three pictured, plus several others, nothing better than my old blue ones materialized.
But all was not lost! I have tried, with no real success, several trenches during the run of this blog. Do you like this one? (Unfortunately, the picture of the front was no good. But the look on my daughter’s face when I tried it on for her was very promising. The collar is wide, with softened points which my husband says go with the lines of my face. Not the lines in my face. LOL)
And is this the kind of hair cut y’all were thinking? This lady was as kind as could be to allow me to take her picture. And so pretty! Most interesting, though, was her story: she just recently cut her hair and is really loving it. Before that, all she was able to do with it was wear it in ponytail!
Anyway, keep leaving me your input and suggestions. And keep us posted on what you’re up to. Remember, this week we are talking about weight loss and physical fitness. How’s that fitting into your life?
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How I Discovered My Need of a Better Casual Outfit
Recently my friend Lori asked:
I was just wondering if you’ve always been so intentional with your style and fashion choices. I wish that I put more thought into what I wear, but with 2 little kids I usually find myself getting dressed at the last minute, wearing whatever is clean ( and sometimes things that are mostly clean :). Is there hope that as the girls get older and more self-sufficient I’ll be able to devote some time and thought into clothes? When your girls were little were you as into fashion as you are now?
My answer: 
When my girls were the ages of yours and my boys were in elementary school, I was just coming off a fashion/retail career. I had loads of nice suits and little else. I had discovered the need for a better casual outfit, but I never had more than one. And I didn’t have near enough “gardening & dog-walking clothes”. I remember despairing that one day I would be out puttering in the yard in one of my suits because nothing else was clean. lol
Gradually I settled into a simple “what to wear” pattern: long-sleeved tee shirt and jeans in the cool months, short-sleeved tee shirt and (short-sleeved) jeans in the warm months. The weather was alot simpler there.
My girls were in mid to late elementary school when we began studying The Triumph of Individual Style
My bad (or how I discovered I needed a better casual outfit):
Showing up to an event inappropriately dressed is always dreadful, but I guess my worst episode happened when I had recently been transferred by my (former) company. In those days, I had power suits and I had grubbies but I had nothing in between. My husband and I went out looking at homes and then, without changing clothes, I went to the store to do a “competitive shop” (at Nordstrom) with the bosses — wearing jeans and pumps, with a BA TEE-SHIRT (yes, it really pictured a cartoon character flipping the BA).
Biff your message tees. Before you embarrass yourself like I did.
