The time is approaching for me to invest, or not, in another two years of blogging; my hosting agreement for The Space Between My Peers needs to be renewed. Since I graduated university and became an empty-nester, the desire to blog has resurfaced; the challenge has been to devise a reasonable schedule. While it may not look like it, full-time blogging is a full-time commitment. Physically, I cannot blog full-time.
Some of the topics of focus I have in mind:
- Identifying the best advice from which to draw each element of one’s personal style idiom.
- Continuing research into connections between personality traits and stylistic expression.
- Tying in practical applications of technical data; for example, how do we respond sensibly to the historical rhythm of fashion cycles?
- Reviewing books about fashion and beauty.
The tagline on this blog – from the bottom of the fashion food chain, a conversation about what to wear – will remain. When I was posting daily, it was a more lively conversation; recently I have been ruminating on the value of maintaining the perspective. “From the bottom of the fashion food chain” means something in terms of values, and I am happy to speak from that place.
With that in mind, I am going to try to track my own 2014 spending. Consider this practice.
- Bright navy Jones sporty zip: $1
- Pepsi tee (NWT): $1
- Not pictured: size 16 pink suede pants, which I am planning to use as fabric: 50 cents
Glad to hear you are considering to continue. I don’t always comment but I do read. Perhaps you would do well with a set schedule – 2 or 3 times a week – then people would get in the habit of knowing to expect to drop by and find new material.
Looked up a young Drew Carey to see the lines of his features. Wow what a hunk. Did not in any way anticipate that! 😀 Recently was reading a blog new to me – perhaps Allways in Fashion by a former Glamour mag employee – who emphasized that “everyone” likes to wear black no matter who advises against it. I think that’s true. It’s easy and useful, why fight against it. I recently showed a friend who thought she couldn’t wear some color that if you scoop out the neckline, you can wear pretty much any color. I believe fervently in this. 😀 Moreover, and part 2 of this idea, I’ve been considering the typical advice to put a barrier between yourself (face) and an unflattering color. This never works for me. Putting the color at a distance from your face doesn’t always work, either. Depends, I think, on how much of your skin is showing, if any. A skirt in a “bad” color is still going to fight with your leg color if bare legged. A top piece with a scoop neck or that barrier color, if less than long sleeved is still going to be ghastly against your arm color, particularly since so many practice sleeve scrunching. What is up with that? 😀 So I’ve been noticing that, for me, I’m thinking that the inside color is almost irrelevant but the outer garment – cardigan or jacket – seems much more important if the “wrong” color. And I am getting lots more mileage out of wearing blues that intensify my eye color if they are that outer piece.
Also rethinking accessorizing. When I read enough material, things begin to bubble up. Yes, shoes are vital for mobility and I will leave it just at that. Everything else is not crucial. I seem to really resent having to add extra pieces, even a handbag, despite all the advice pertaining to how important accessorizing is, how it shows off or creates your personal signature, how it extends your mix and match outfits. I took one of those little quizzes and it asked about
having to choose to spend on clothes or accessories but not both. Hmmm. Lately I have been shopping my closet, mostly to cut down on the confusion of choice. I haven’t acquired any new clothing items for about 5 or 6 weeks but I have more recently acquired some shoes and handbag. So I see I was thinking along the lines of accessories being so useful, etc. But on examining my thinking more deeply, I have a bias toward wishing my pieces worn to be fewest possible – why am I not wearing my marvelous collection of blazers more often? Then I read a blogger’s entry flogging the use of accessories again. She posited how a simple outfit of, say, a pink sweater and black slacks could be transformed. And scales fell from my eyes. I’m convinced that no matter what you do with accessories, no one is perceiving anything beyond pink sweater and black slacks. If the scarf is full and long and wide enough then, to my eye, you are then wearing a different color or print plus the slacks and the original pink layer is hidden and accidental. She went on to show several variations of this change up with accessories and I am saying to myself, the emperor has no clothes. Or just the very same clothes. Accessories change nothing, you ask me. How’s that for controversial and contrarian.
Lol. I think so much the same! If you are wearing a pink sweater and black slacks with an orange scarf, you are really wearing black slacks and an orange top, the pink so just so you are not arrested! 😉
My daughter and I were talking the other day about how wearing your clothes out is such a victory. And I always tend to think that if I had the right pieces, I would not need accessories. I do like a metallic belt in my belt loops, though, to repeat the look of my hair. So accessories should be used, perhaps, to tie back to the person.
I agree that everyone likes to wear black. And what else are you going to get for shoes? For myself, though, I am trying to find more color. But I do think wearing black with lots of skin near the face and with a flattering color further away can work for pretty much anyone.
I also notice that, even the color consultants who advise against black always claim to be the one type who can wear it 😉
Oh, and what I am trying to do as a schedule: I am trying to schedule posts ahead of time. Would like to do Monday thru Thursday, but that may not be workable. So I am playing with it, but I accept your advice and will try to settle down within the next couple of weeks 🙂
” So accessories should be used, perhaps, to tie back to the person”
Yes! This is my thinking, too, so far. See? I’m still influenced by your long ago post about focusing on the face!
It is a really important concept. As I renew my strategy going forward, I need to figure out a way to reach back to those things too 🙂
Great discussion here. I’m with both of you on wanting my accessories to be more minimal these days. I haven’t given up the bag, but most jewelry is out these days. I do love a belt – it’s usually black, to tie with my shoes. But I have a brown one that matches my hair well – I’ll have to play with it some.