One-Dollar Wonders

25 Comments

• Carole replied 12 years ago

  All fantastic outfits, Rae! I can't rally pick a favorite, but I love 1 and 4, that coat is killer! Thanks for sharing your fab style with us today!

• Emily replied 12 years ago

  I look forward to reading your rubric! I also adore the yellow top in 3 and how your shirt sleeves peek out in 7. *Is Inspired*

• cheryl replied 12 years ago

  You always look fantastic. To my eye #5 is killer with #3 being my second favorite :)

• Transcona Shannon replied 12 years ago

  Rae - you may feel like your struggling, but you certainly don't look it. These outfits all work - in particular I love 3, 4/5, and 7. These to me really have the UWP mix in the outfit. That layered grey skirt BTW is fantastic!

  I've figured out with my rubric that I don't always have all five elements in each outfit (structure, colour, retro, urban, classic - I've recently added classic as it is a huge part of my style) but as long as I have a minimum of three of the elements, I feel like "me". Somehow defining this has made me feel much more confident in what I'm putting together. Even the slouchy pants purchase/outfit I posted yesterday, although overall a style departure for me, has my structure (blazer), colour (blazer), urban (slouchy pants) and classic (fit of blazer) elements within so still felt good on.

  I look forward to seeing what your rubric consists of!

• Elly replied 12 years ago

  I love 1, 3, and 5. Three is probably my favorite while five is a great work look. You do the half-tuck slouchy thing so well, and the 5th one is definitely UWP goes to the office in spring.

• texstyle replied 12 years ago

  Rae, these are ALL great outfits! I really like your bag in #1 and #3 and wonder where you got it?

• catgirl replied 12 years ago

  Rae, this is how I felt while you were gone! Just sort of floundering about with work looks that seemed like ME. You certainly look amazing, but how you feel is important too...

  I adore #5 which has a sassy UWP vibe to my eye, and the trench is TDF. All the other outfits are great too - perhaps they just lack that extra bit of edge that we crave? I find it harder to feel UWPish in warmer weather - don't know if that is a transition for you as well.

• rute replied 12 years ago

  Love all the looks! nice legs!

• kellygirl replied 12 years ago

  LOVE every one of these, Rae. You don't look like you are struggling in the least. Totally digging 3,5 and 7 the bestest! Woohoo, so nice to have you back!

• replied 12 years ago

  I hear you about floundering for style in the transitional weather, but you look great. I was going to gush about the *skirt* in 5, but I think it's actually a dress? I love it as a skirt! Brilliant! I'm loving the blazer in 7 too! How great that you're enjoying your trench and wearing it everyday. That'll give you some UWP edge!

• nicoleb replied 12 years ago

  Great outfits Rae! And of course i love your ring!! I think my favorite is..........#5 because i cannot get over that skirt. Super awesome!

• catgirl replied 12 years ago

  Rae, I was thinking about why my outfit today doesn't feel too femme-y, uptight, prissy, whatever - given that it has PINK and TAILORED and CLASSIC elements.... I realized the boots are the key. They have been indispensable in making me feel tough and more like myself.

  This made me think about you and me and our struggles - perhaps that one strong UWP statement element is better than trying to cobble together an amalgam of less-strong pieces into a overall UWP look. Don't you think this is why we love boots in particular? They speak for themselves and keep me from feeling like I'm in drag somehow.

  A few people suggested this idea in my whining thread while you were gone, and I'm thinking they were right. One strong UWP item needs to be integrated into every work outfit somehow! At least that's what I'm going to try to do and see if it helps.

• ManidipaM replied 12 years ago

  I think you've hit bullseye with #3, #4-5, and #7 though, Rae --- very UWP! And what a cute little kitty clawing itself on to your hand there!

• rae replied 12 years ago

  Una, I very much agree with you on your outfit today - love. The black jacket helps keep it from being overly femme, too.

  Ironically, the pant outfits are the ones that look least UWP to my eye. Yup, I'm pretty sure it's because they cover up my boots! Hm, this brings up the question: what to do for a strong UWP statement topper in S/S?? The jewelry helps a bit, but it is not strong enough...

• Amy replied 12 years ago

  All great looks, Rae. #1 is cute, but lacks a certain "pow" that your others have. I'm struggling to put my finger on it. I love, love, love #5. That skirt is killer. Would you mind sharing with me where you got it?

• RoseandJoan replied 12 years ago

  These may not be UWP but they are fantastic outfits. I hope you nail your rubric!

• Jonesy replied 12 years ago

  Hmmm, well, I don't see any *evidence* of struggling, but I'll take your word for it :). I think you look fab, as usual, but I know that feeling of things being slightly off or something.

  I agree about the boots being so key. I am no UWP, but I realized a while back that I really like/need that rugged, edgy element that boots can provide. For example, I realized that I don't really feel comfortable wearing dresses in the summer, vs. the colder months, because I always like to pair dresses with rugged boots (and in the summer I can't do that, typically).

• cciele replied 12 years ago

  My favs are 3 and 5. Love the half-tucked insouciance.

  Interesting point about needing one strong UWP element Una. I can totally see that.

  For S/S UWP topper -- do you have any UWP vests? I should take a pic of one I got recently -- a friend described it as "one of those things a bomb squad wears X mad max X space."

• rae replied 12 years ago

  Ooh, Cathy, a vest sounds great - I do have a leather one, though I'd still love to see your Mad Max version!

• Beth Ann replied 12 years ago

  3, 4 and 5 say both Rae and UWP to me -- all excellent outfits. #7 is more conservative, but still has excellent proportion and a little fun in the shirt. #2 is the one that looks the least like you -- lovely, in many ways, but more like you were dressing for others' expectations rather than your own. #1 is fun --- what about a little more structure on top? Say that UWP vest or a leather or dark denim jacket (column of denim?).

• Sara L. replied 12 years ago

  I love #3 with the yellow shirt! Your kitty in the last photo looks almost exactly like my cat that died of old age a couple years ago. He was such a great cat and I still miss him.

• Nadya replied 12 years ago

  Our mojo looks like it's ALL there, even if you feel like it's not. I love 3 and the skirt in 5 knocks my socks off. I'm looking forward to your rubric: it will be great to see how you quantify UWP.

• christy replied 12 years ago

  Rae, you may feel like you're struggling but you CERTAINLY don't look like it! These outfits are all great. I love that citron blouse in 3 and the skirt in 5 is really amazing. I really love #7.

• goldenpig replied 12 years ago

  You are killing me with #5! UWP perfection and the trench in #4 is the perfect topper! Where is the dress from? I love #3 too with the sunny yellow shirt. I wish I could do trousers like you! You certainly don't look like you're struggling--you come across as happy and professional looking.

• rae replied 12 years ago

  Texstyle , the bag is the "shimmer" style by B. Makowsky. I got mine off Ebay, but they also still have them on QVC:
  http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp......61-012-000

  Natalie, the dress was from a YLF swap party! But it is by Calvin Klein. :)