I’ve been asked to re-post some thoughts about what basics are needed in order to get dressed. Clearly this is only one method, and sort of a minimalist one at that.
Step One: analyze your life by wardrobe “lifestyle segment”. That is, how many times per week do you need to get dressed into any given category of clothing? Basic lifestyle segments include social, business, casual, and leisure.
Step Two: decide what you like to wear for each segment. The concept of a “uniform template” may be helpful.
Step Three: calculate, based on your lifestyle and laundry cycle, how many of each item you need.
Step Four: shop your closet first!
Step Five: create a shopping (or sewing) list. Having at least one great outfit in each category you wear on a regular basis should be your first priority. For example, presently I have nothing I like to wear to church this time of year. That is my priority.
There you have it, Tina. Hope that helps!
I have nothing to wear to a mayor’s inaugeral. I’d rather wear a dress or skirt and jacket.
But it’s January and cold out so the legwear problem stops me from figuring out an outfit. I realize it won’t be cold inside the building but not only do I have to walk several blocks but psychologically it’s obvious I came in from the cold, even if from a parking lot. Bare legs in the cold seem stupid. I don’t want to wear a boots and skirt look. i only have flattish boots anyway. I don’t want to wear tights. I think sheer black hose are a bit tawdry in the morning. I would never wear fishnets. I don’t own any patterned hose nor do I feel like it. One “can’t” wear nude sheer hose, though I’m mightily tempted. There are no good solutions anymore. This used to be the easiest “segment” for me but then I wore hose all the time.
Can a person get real silk stockings anymore? I was thinking about that the other night. I admit it: I went to a really fancy event, which I’d never been to before, and wore a nice knee-length silk skirt with tights and boots – and silk long underwear pants under! It was evening, though, so not at all comparable to mayor’s inaugural. Next year, if I attend same event, I will wear something nicer; a ball gown wouldn’t have been too fancy.
I agree that bare legs just don’t seem right. Nude sheer hose are sort of out of style these days, but surely they are still worn to events such as the one you’re going to. What do the women TV reporters wear?
I had also mused about silk stockings. Though the point of them once was to be very sheer, no?
Nowadays they seem to come in white or black, bridal or pinup.
Loved your question about tv reporters. I watch almost no tv and seem to remember reporters out in the field shot mostly from waist up. The print reporters covering city here were male in my time of being out at a lot of events.
I’m thinking that what I want to wear is the equivalent of conservative business dress and those women still do wear stockings. I guess I’ll amuse myself seeing if I can spot another pair. Mayor is a woman and so is one of the new city council members. And then there’s wives of council members.
Hm…I know nude hose are supposedly not to be worn EVER, but I wonder. At a recent convention there were a lot of businesswomen without hose and at best they looked freezing..you could see red blotching and signs of cold. And not just on me! I had brought a pair with me, so I went and put them on. They were warm, and they covered my not so attractive in the cold legs, and I felt more polished. All the men were stil wearing socks, after all.
I don’t have the need to wear them often, but sometimes I think they’re just the only thing that works. Cold legs and exposed veins, bruises…none of that looks great either.
So I’d wear them Vildy and Rebecca…they can always be removed in the ladies room.
Happy New Year to all!
Christine
Nude sheer hose are not out of style, just rather ‘lady’ or conventional. And if one “doesn’t want to” wear tights, patterned hose or boots, there is nothing wrong with them. I live in a cold Canadian city, and see lots of nude hose on women executives- because, as Christine says, you cannot keep your legs naked, and tights don’t work with all outfits.
You can buy silk stockings (go to http://www.thestockingstore.com), Stay-ups are about $65 pair plus S&H. They are most usually sold for wedding attire, are not warm- and quite fragile.
TV reporters are dressing for the camera, so you see lots of jewel toned clothing, which often looks garish in natural light. Modeling one’s attire on most TV anchors is not advisable.
I like your simple wardrobe analysis steps!
Thanks Duchesse!
I guess I was thinking silk stockings would be warmer than nylon, but I guess not?
I got bamboo tights in my Christmas stocking this year and expect them to be warm, since bamboo socks are warmer, at least than cotton. But I’ll be wearing them with casual skirts and/or dresses, and probably boots, not formal businesswear.
Happy New Year!