Frugal French Fashion
Going along with the new EuroStyle theme around here, as well as Frugal Upstate’s Fashion Week, Jenn’s sister has written a guest post in which she references Paris:
The women in Paris always look fabulous. If you’ve never been to France, just trust me on this one. But Paris is also notoriously expensive. So what gives?
Parisian women have mastered the basics. The trick is to pay a little more (I know, on a frugal website!) and get a few basics that will last you for years and that always look crisp and good.
To choose your basics keep these things in mind: buy things that never go out of style; spend more on items that will work in two or more seasons; and keep it simple when it comes to colors or patterns. Navy, cream, white, tan and gray are my basics colors. I almost never spend on basics that aren’t a standard color. Okay, sometimes I whip out a red item”.
And here’s something fun: Tricia wears shorts with leggings! Note: with this unconventional outfit she achieves both my favorite silhouette (which I guess is basically a narrow hourglass, kicking back in at the bottom) and the 60/30/10 principle!
So what’s on your mind these days?
hey, thanks for the kind words and the link!
though i’m older, i do try and have fun with my clothing. that’s the point, right? haha.
it’s interesting you mention that particular silhouette…and my use of it. my top half has broad straight shoulders and a disproportionately large bust, and my bottom half is narrow, very slim hips. so i probably fall into that shape almost naturally, and unavoidably. i almost always lean toward making the bottom half seem slim in comparison to the top half, because it’s so big, favoring slim cut pants, pencil/straight skirts or skirts that are fitted well around the waist/hips.
and being an artist…i think about the golden mean/ratio all the time! though when it comes to getting dressed i suppose it’s become somewhat ingrained. until you pointed it out, i didn’t realize that was what i was doing, but it’s so clear! haha. getting dressed, for me, is sort of intuitive as well as trial and error.
anyway! heh, thanks again! have a great weekend!
On the topic of buying more expensive/quality basics, as referenced in the Frugal Upstate post, does anyone have tips on how to *keep* those items looking good? I can’t afford even a small wardrobe of expensive clothing (think $70 for pants at Ann Taylor - unless we’re talking for a suit), so my “expensive” is a lot less quality than others’ “expensive”. Unfortunately, I often bu items that I think are classic and nice, and because I don’t have as many of them, they end up looking worn very quickly. (I don’t dry clean, and don’t see the sense in it for most clothing - if it’s “quality”, why shouldn’t I be able to handwash it?) Any tips?
I know what you mean about you and Angie. I have a list of ideas that I’m working on at any given time and then I have all my RSS feeds that I keep up with. I usually see someone else post on the same idea right before I publish. I hope no one ever thinks that I’m trying to copy them, although of course I do get inspiration from other bloggers sometimes (in which case I do try to give credit if it’s a recent enough post that I can remember who wrote about it). I just try to make it personal where possible and remember that so many things are really worth repeating.
I think it’s just what’s going on, not that anyone would think anyone was copying. Besides, we all have different readers, although I’m sure there’s some overlap.
Btw, Oxanna, I noted your question and am thinking about it. But perhaps one of the other ladies will post on it before I get around to it.
Oxanna,
I try to avoid dry clean only things, but I don’t handwash stuff either. I wash all my clothes on delicate in cold water and hang dry. (I do separate out whites, put real delicates in delicates bags, and wash jeans separately.) Hanging saves time and energy, and my clothes last longer. The dryer is your clothes’ worst enemy. That lint comes from somewhere! Plus it takes the stretch out of clothes. The only stuff I don’t hang is knit sweaters and anything else that should lie flat. That way they don’t get misshapen.
Also, I take my clothes off when I get home and change into gym shorts and old t-shirts. That way I can play with my kitties without worrying that their claws are going to put a knick into my good clothes (small knicks become big holes quickly). Sometimes I wear a piece of clothing for so few hours that I can easily rewear it before washing. I hang almost all my clothes in my closet, so things air out very well. Also, I use good, friction hangers and I take care not to stretch the necks out when hanging.