One-Dollar Wonders

14 Comments

• qfbrenda replied 10 years ago

  I really like both on you, especially the 3rd picture.  The first looks awesome but more like fall/autumn.  I'm curious... are you still growing your hair into a bob?  It's looking really great in these pictures.

• goldenpig replied 10 years ago

  I love both of these outfits. #1 is particularly awesome--you look like a female James Dean! You're seriously tempting me to keep my Spiegel jacket, it looks so good on you. I don't think this looks too ALGO at all, I love it with the striped top. I like the colors of your outfit yesterday, but I might have chosen a bag with more similar warm colors instead, maybe that would keep it from feeling too ALGO. I like the way your style is growing. I also love your hair too!

• ManidipaM replied 10 years ago

  Mmm. I like the last outfit lots too. But I think I understand what you mean...

  And I wonder if some of it is to do with your hair? Does crisper hair go with a crisper overall style? I rather suspect your first outfit would have been softened and casualised/dressed down by the long flowing locks of yesteryear. There's much more focus on every item below the neck now that your hair isn't sharing space or unifying them.

  Another reason may be visual, aka your work environment. You see much more high fashion now in your everyday. Is that causing a saturation of sorts? Or to an extent you perhaps like to stand out from the herd? And when your environment/herd changes, so must you?

  Just musings... bottomline is that there definitely is a style shift happening. And no matter how fab you look to the outsider, you will have those niggles looking at yourself in photos until that shift is completed and locked in. Will be fun to see where you end up!

• Adelfa replied 10 years ago

  To me #1 doesn't look ALGO. It looks like just the right amount, like what I'm trying to learn to try for because my fallback position is so plain. Among other things, I like the brown with the black.... I'm trying to learn to do that, too. Anyway, love the outfit.

  To me #2 looks not tied together.  The top and shorts are soft and warm, and the bag is extremely crisp. I would be interested to see your idea of all one color--even a soft warm one--maybe that would play well with the bag. Or--I'm thinking your hair bookends the black stripes, as well as the sunnies, so maybe some white somewhere? In sandals or belt? Just wondering, you are an expert at outfit creation.

  How do I handle a style shift? Ask me when it's over! It cracked me up when a colleague said that some of my recent outfits had been "unexpected." I know that I like taking the edge off my modern classic, but haven't figure out if that's with cowboy, with prairie girl, or with tough girl!

• Caro in Oz replied 10 years ago

  I see what you mean about the jeans & the colours - replacing them with your suggestions would make the looks much more refined in some way (no judgement I like both kind of looks). So maybe it's the urban part of UWP, as in more a more minimalist look, that is taking centre stage.

  For my shifts/changes taking note of how I feel after wearing something all day usually works. As does going through my Pinterest boards to see whether all my pins still speak to me.

• replied 10 years ago

  I don't mind he stripes and the distressing, but I would always choose less distressing in jeans (I have said before I have a poison eye for it).

  I kind of like the colour blocking by item in your second outfit! (But I tend to dress in tonal outfits so I hear you there)

• Janet replied 10 years ago

  You don't look ALGO in either of these, but I understand. I am having a similar shift myself -- not towards minimal but definitely simpler than what I was doing a year or two ago. I rarely wear earrings other than my diamond studs (gift from hubs) anymore, I don't always fill in necklines of tops with necklaces, I'm getting choosier about prints and tricky details, I don't want to wear too many trendy pieces at once, etc.

  But as it relates to these two outfits, I'd have to say that #2 comes off busier to my eye only because of the color mix of the top and bottom along with the striped bag. The first has more pieces, but seems more coherent to me because it's so neutral. At any rate, you look great in all of these!

• Lyrebirdgully replied 10 years ago

  Hi Rae! Both the outfits really show your great eye for colour, proportion and fit. I especially like the T-shirt, belt and shorts combo in #3 - you can SO wear orange and lime (sigh of momentary envy) -- I could look at this combination you've created all day.
  I do see what you mean about the ALGO aspect, and  I agree about simplifying outfit #1 by swapping out either the striped top or the jeans. These 2 are worlds apart in terms of texture and colour impact- one is soft and fuzzy (ripped jeans) the other is sharp and bright (B &W striped top). Not that you can't ever wear them together, but the combo would feel less complex if you kept to, say, white sandals, plus no jacket.
  #3 -- for me the only ALGO item is the sandals- everything else I would leave as is. The lacing and leatherwork detail on the sandals gives them a dainty soft feel that seems overpowered by the larger, bolder proportions of the design on the bag. With this bag, I would try sandals with bigger and plainer lines, possibly? something with a "big black stripey" feel :), e.g
  http://www.wittner.com.au/shoe.....black.html
   

• unfrumped replied 10 years ago

  Wow, it's all just tweaking --YLF as- is. #1 is great but you can trade parts and take it to more refined if you want. The pieces themselves are such great basics. # 2 is great colors for you. I agree that to use the bag to best advantage, you might see if you could do citron& white or black or the rust plus white or black( & could have another color in a small pop somewhere) so it's not all tonal warm colors. Footwear, I'm a rube, but like the idea of a " bolder" sandal with the bag. I'm impressed that the bag can go with warm or cool colors & dress up or down with the right supporting parts.

• Karie replied 10 years ago

  I like both outfits, especially #3, but then I am a card-carrying member of team ALGO (but starting to shift out of that myself). 

  I can't really speak to a style shift because I'm still trying to define my style. I think taking a look at your FFBO and evaluating that is a good place to start.

• Lisa replied 10 years ago

  I really like #1 and think it's "just enough" going on for interest with the stripes and texture from the ripped jeans.  But I do understand when something that once was a key outfit suddenly isn't as thrilling anymore.  I'm revamping my fall wardrobe this year.  For my own style, I am keeping and wearing outfits that are core me, but I am mixing in lots of new looks to feel refreshed.  This way when I wear an "old" look, it will feel "fresher" because I'm not wearing that look every single day anymore.  I also used the style shift to pass on outfit combinations that were "ok" but just never made me smile.  I am only keeping the real "key" outfits.  By reducing how many of them I have, my wardrobe will be more varied this season.

  For an outfit such as this, I would keep the pieces, and just remix how you wear them as you already mentioned.  Striped top with simpler jeans and ripped jeans with a simpler top.  That's a nice way to mix in a style change with what you already own.

• Sona replied 10 years ago

  I love both outfits. Let the style shift happen subtly. don't overthink it. you have great style and will ease into your new direction. Let fashion be your therapy- you have a lot going on. just enjoy and let be...... the butterfly will emerge...at her own pace...in whatever new avatar....from UWP to .....unknown as yet. (UAY).

• Day Vies replied 10 years ago

  I love both of these outfits. Especially the first one. I love the touches of brown which softens the whole look to a degree. I love the distressed jeans (organic) and modern black jacket. This is a lovely juxtaposition that NEVER gets old.

  The second outfit is a lovely color combo and  is really given a kick with the graphic stripes on the purse (which I love and adore and if you lived close to me I'd beg to borrow it!).

  I am dealing with a shift but not so much from an internal preference perspective just more because of my circumstances since I am no longer working. I realize the more feminine whimsy side of my style preferences can run free and become a little more developed and polished. The funny part is I realize I invested more of my wardrobe budget in work clothes. I mentioned on the forum in January I am trying to achieve more integration between my professional and casual looks.

  I have dealt with this by working one or more pieces from these separate wardrobes into the same outfit.  I have also tried to see my closet as a whole as partitioned separates (these are "work clothes" and these are "play clothes" and never the two shall meet!)

• rae replied 10 years ago

  Thank you for your wonderful insights, ladies!

  Brenda, yes I'm still growing it. I want at least to have a longer front to frame my face more. I seem to lose my chin into my neck a lot with it this short (just a weird quirk that I see it I guess).

  I hear you guys on the graphic bag with the earthy outfit. I think I would have done a plain gray tank next time... I think the olive and rust is a bit too earthy for me. I tried to tie in the bag hardware with the gold shoes and necklace, but it just added too many elements, you are right. 

  Manidipa, the hair did change some things, for sure! Needing more femininity in the outfits, that was the big one. I will have to ponder whether or not it also begs for crisper clothing. I suspect that may more be the job... too many things to fuss with while working starts to irritate me, because I move around so much now.

  Lisa, I like your idea of outfit "refreshers!"

  Sona, good advice! I will try not to stress about getting dressed, let it happen organically. Then I can reflect. Analysis is too forceful, but reflection is calm and hopefully will grant clarity.

  Day Vies, I hope your own style shift is fun for you! You've done a lot lately and had a big change - can't wait to see where you go.