Do You and Your Man Look Like a Couple?
Years ago, I wrote a very romantic post about considering your husband’s style idiom, with the recommendation that you take your fashion personality and add a nod to his.
This is something that’s been on my heart again recently. Married ladies, when you go out, do you look like a couple? Are people surprised when they find out the two of you belong together?
For me, that’s an uncomfortable feeling.
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The Bargain Queen on Personal Style
Early in my blogging career, I became acquainted with another blogger, The Bargain Queen. Unfortunately, she is no longer blogging (that I know of) and her old posts appear to have been removed. This worthwhile quote has been preserved here:
“Personally, I know that if something looks a little strange but I don’t want to take it off, it’s set to be a wardrobe favourite.”
Yes. I love it.
That wardrobe will never be stale or outlandish.
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Personal Top 10 Wardrobe Staples
I still enjoy this blog and have some good material buried in the archives; therefore it makes sense to me to re-post some previously written articles. My writing energy has primarily been going toward school (read the 10 page paper I did for Art History Research: chronocentrismincostumes.doc , if you are really bored. lol).
Originally posted December 10, 2007:
Inspired by The Fashionable Kiffen, whose list I’m glad I didn’t read until I had done my own, (and my friend who is reading It’s All Too Much, by Peter Walsh
- dark jeans. I realize it’s boring and on everyone’s list, that’s why I’m glad I didn’t read the kiffen’s post thoroughly before doing my own. Presently I am shopping for a modern looking tapered pair (is that an oxymoron?).
- fitted t-shirts. I prefer scoop necks. Jewel necks and square necks are also good. If you ever see me in a v-neck, know that it is a compromise of some kind. Oh, and I consider pullover sweaters t-shirts.
- sleeveless sheath dresses. Never short, but knee-length or mid-calf both work for me. Since I don’t wear dresses often, this style is a personal staple because it can be worn year round.
- athletic-inspired flats.
- wool or linen trousers. For summer, this bends a little to include short-sleeved pants in cotton sheeting (but no wool!).
- pencil skirts. With my silhouette and style personality, this has always been my skirt shape. Did I mention I’ve never favored short skirts?
- fitted jackets/blazers. Even my favorite coats have this flavor, being tailored and wool.
- Button-front, collared shirts. Sleeveless and long-sleeve are perrennial wardrobe staples, and currently I am sick to death of three-quarter sleeves and craving short sleeves. I especially love a semi-drapy natural fabric like very light-weight cotton or silk. Functionally in my wardrobe, these may serve as a combination scarf and skivvies.
- Cordovan leather. One of the most colorful and versatile neutrals, cordovan is technically a brown that appears almost burgundy or plum. Like black, it can be worn with black or brown.
- Suede, especially in colors. It’s just soft and friendly. What can I say?
(I considered listing skirt suits, but decided #6 & #7 covered that. Actually, I’ve been sort of looking for a new suit for several years, without success.) I have two skirt suits I am enjoying wearing these days: a brown wool birdseye tweed and a black and white silk tweed. Item number 9 is the only look on the list I am currently reconsidering.
Well, there it is. What are your top 10 wardrobe staples?
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Is Your Idiom Retro Fun?
If “Retro Fun” is a decent approximation of your personal style idiom, have you tried Boden? Conversely, if you like Boden, do you like the “Retro Fun” description? All this to say: This week at Boden get up to 19% off with Free Shipping and Returns on our Outfits of the Week - offer valid 8/8/11-8/12/11. Each day there will be a different outfit or set of outfits which will be discounted by 10% on the site - in addition you can then use the additional 10% off + Free Shipping offer! Check back daily to see if your favorites have been added to the mix.
Get up to 19% off with Free Shipping and Returns on our Outfits of the Week.
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The Color(s) of (Your) Style
At Amy’s suggestion, I have been reading The Color of Style: A Fashion Expert Helps You Find Colors that Attract Love, Enhance Your Power, Restore Your Energy, Make a Lasting Impression, and Show the World Who Y
He then goes on to make connections between coloring and personality, defining 24 archetypes. It’s entertaining. IMHO, his “must-haves” and “must avoids” are hit and miss. Throughout the book there are “take it” and “leave it” recommendations, but overall I recommend the book. It will make my collection.
My favorite “take it”: the color of the ring around your iris = your own personal “black”.
Mine is actually one of my all-time favorite colors: deep pewter gray. The hero’s is a lighter, bluer gray. What color is yours?
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Stock Up on Basics for Spring
An integral part of personal idiom is what you consider a basic. Those tee shirts, camis, cardis, or leggings that don’t really constitute a fashion item, but without which you can’t get dressed? Those may need to be replaced annually, and in duplicates. White and black are especially vulnerable to losing the freshness of their color.
Old Navy Semi-Annual Stock-Up Sale is here with basics starting at $4! Offer ends 3/17.
I’ve been thinking for some time about suggesting a basic accent color based on personality. In addition to one’s eye color, these are my top personality-based color recommendations for those pieces that tie the rest of the wardrobe together:
- expressive: white
- gentle: gray
- dynamic: red
- reflective: black
Because I wear jeans alot, buying some of these kinds of pieces to blend with jeans makes sense too.
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Color Temperature: Psychological and Relative
When discussing color “temperature”, are we all talking about the same thing? There are, in practice, two different ways of understanding color temperature; that is, warm versus cool colors. I will attempt to oversimplify the explanation and uses of each.
Psychological Color Temperature
This is what you may have learned in elementary school: red and yellow are warm, blue is cool, and so on.
Best use: to convey personality. Generally speaking, warm colors are energetic and eye-catching; cool colors are peaceful and soothing. Cool colors are also significantly more associated with professional clothing.
Relative Color Temperature
This is what color analysts are talking about when they mention “undertones” and talk about things like “a warm blue”. The easiest way for me to think of it is to think of each hue having two versions (of course, in reality there are infinite versions, as well as shades and tints): one closest to the hue to one side of it on the color wheel, the other closer to the hue on the other side. For example, purples are red-violet or blue-violet; yellows fall into green-yellows or orange-yellows.
Best use: complement your coloring. Within the color families appropriate for your personality and activities, some colors will be more flattering to your own personal coloring. Wear those.
Color theory is a complicated topic, and subject to fashion cycles as well. Wearing all cool versions of all cool colors, or all warm versions of all warm colors, is flattering to only those with the most extreme coloring (most have a combination or more middle-of-the-road coloring) and can wind up looking dated.
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Strategies to Avoid Being “Out of Style”
Most women, I believe, care little about keeping up with every passing fad. What we DON’T want is to be “out” of style, right? Recently I’ve been ruminating on two common strategies:
One: Buy only timeless styles.
Two: Buy new styles that really work for you.
As you can see, these two approaches are not dichotomous, but can easily be combined into a blend specific to your own idiom.
Two additional thoughts that I have written about in the past:
- Flattering clothes have greater staying power.
- Getting in on the front of a flattering trend is frugal.
One other thought concerning timeless styles: we have, in our household wardrobe-building philosophy, a concept I call “the permanent wardrobe”. Even true wardrobe classics cycle to a degree; that is, there is an ebb and flow to their popularity. Since I don’t know which way is “ebb” and which is “flow”, allow me to suggest simply that a classic piece which is also flattering and in good condition is a good candidate for exception to the “if you haven’t worn it in a year” rule.
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Somatotyping and Myers-Briggs
The very first thing I have written in my notes for Nonverbal Communication:
What are you saying and do you mean to say it?
Nevertheless, I have found our study of somatotypes slightly disturbing . The idea that people would draw conclusions about our personalities from body-type seems somehow un-American or something.
Somatotyping is the system of body typing and constitutional psychology based on research by William Sheldon in the ’40s. Most of us have heard the terms endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph. What we troubled me was research showing the following characteristics related to body type:
endomorphy
softer, shorter, old fashioned, warm-hearted, less strong, amiable, talkative, dependent, trustworthy
mesomorphy
stronger, more masculine, better looking, adventurous, younger, more mature, self reliant
ectomorphy
very thin, very tall, very ambitious, suspicious, tense, pessimistic, stubborn
Yikes! How many of us would fit these descriptions? And do we tend to get grumpy and difficult when people assume things about us that are not true?
But look at this chart I found at mySomatotype.com, overlaying somatotype with myers-briggs personality type.
At first glance, this fits at least myself and the hero fairly precisely. How about you?
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Following My Own Rules
The main reason I write about all this stuff is to help myself. While sometimes I wish I was one of those people who could just buy and wear what they like, I never have been. So I invent rules for myself. And share them.
One of the”rules”, or perhaps I should say “guidelines” or “proverbs”, I have adopted is this:
If a coordinating piece is available, buy it.
Yesterday I had an opportunity to employ it. With my mind sorta set on bts and another sweatshirt, I stopped at Target and scanned the clearance. I by-passed a pair of workout/weekend shorts at $7, until I found the coordinating jacket at $9. Even if I never wear the set together, I have that option and the same other pieces will coordinate with both. Coincidentally, the one tee-shirt I chose from the rack of $2 tees and tanks turned out to be the exact same color: a tint of tomato red that is almost coral.
The moment I got home, the hoodie pictured back here went in the biffer bag. I just really dislike hoods. For me.
