Question for the fashion savvy!

amother

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 8:41 pm

How do you shop every season and pull together great outfits? Do you buy just a bunch of random tops and skirts and hope to make outfits for them? Do you only by a skirt or top if you know you have a match in your closet? I find myself buying things I like but not finding something to wear with it and then it just sits. Should I start with tops or skirts??

Dolly Welsh

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 9:19 pm

Do you mean it's hard to get the colors to work together?

Black to the rescue.

If you have an interesting skirt that doesn't go with any of your tops, just put a black top on with it and you are fine.

If you have an interesting top and none of your skirts work with it, just reach for your trusty never-fail black skirt, with black stockings and shoes, and you are fine.

One half of you can be correct but un-amazing, to allow the other half to be interesting without competition.

But your black stuff should be simple in design. Not a million details all over, buttons, flaps, epaulets, and who knows what. As detail-free as possible, to let the other thing get the attention.

The black color should be rich and dense. Wash inside out in cold water, and air-dry.

Excellent fit is necessary for anything black. Think carefully. When you find black stuff that really is quite exactly right, don't get one. Get three or four. Or more. They run out of them and too bad for you. A perfect black garment will work like a horse for you for years; spend what it takes.

fmt4

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 9:23 pm

I get tons of colored skirts (talking spring and summer). Very in right now To pair them with denim shirts - I have a couple in different shades. Also patterned shirts, colored t'shirts. Most colors look good together and you can add accents with belts, jewelry, purses... Summer is fun!

Rutabaga

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 9:28 pm

I'm not a fashionista by any means, so feel free to disregard my advice.

I have a rule. I will not buy a top or a skirt that will only match an esoteric color or specific shade of color unless I can get the matching top/bottom in the same store at the same time. It's not worth my time shopping around for an exact match that is never going to materialize because different stores use different dye lots. I will buy something that matches a basic color that I already have or can easily acquire. This is probably why I end up wearing mostly black skirts with assorted tops, but it works for me. I have a couple of patterned skirts that I either wear with a black or white top or that I matched to a colored top according to the above rule.

Another way to go, although I'm not stylish enough to pull it off, is to wear a solid colored top with a solid different colored skirt and pull the two colors together with accessories.

Hope that helps!

aniri

Wed, Jul 30 2014, 9:52 pm

If you are having troubles with matching tops and bottoms my advise to you is to go with dresses as a first step. That should make it very easy. Once you get comfortable with dresses try to use dress as a skirt by wearing an appropriate top with it.
Belts also help a lot to "marry" tops and bottoms.
Start reading some fashion blogs and getting an ideas from there.
Also, you can make a chart of colors that go well together .
Let's say I personally like blue and orange combination. If I want to wear blue skirt that day, chart will help a lot by providing information on what color tops to try with this skirt. So if you have this kind of chart in front of you it will be easier for you to narrow down your choices.
Good luck! Wink

HonesttoGod

Thu, Jul 31 2014, 11:01 am

I like to buy things that can go for all year round.
I do have some very summery outfits and some wintery ones. The rest are mix and match.
Especially skirts.

I usually buy nice skirts that I see. Then I find a top or two that can go with it but most of the time they intermix (so I have a skirt that only goes with one top but that top goes with 2 skirts).
It is useful to have a basic denim and a basic black skirt. Also some basic tshirts/plain tops and then acssories to mix it up.

MamaBear

Thu, Jul 31 2014, 11:17 am

I have a knack for mixing and matching but I acknowledge some do not. In that case, pick one interesting thing to wear and keep the rest simple. Amazing wide belt? Pair with all black or any other monochromatic outfit. Great skirt? Wear a solid top and a statement necklace.

Also, I think I often look put together because admittedly, I have a lot of clothes. Lots of accessories, shoes, etc

I know the author of this blog posts on here - maybe try copying a few looks

http://frumfashionmaven.blogspot.com

granolamom

Thu, Jul 31 2014, 5:48 pm

MamaBear wrote:

I bookmarked that, thanks for posting, mamabear. now maybe I can move beyond my denim skirt/black t shirt uniform.
great topic, OP. I am reading with interest...

33055

Thu, Jul 31 2014, 6:01 pm

amother wrote:

I buy a bunch of random things and then pull it together. Since the manufacturers use similar colors each season it works. Very rarely do I have to look for match. Today I wore a cardigan from J Crew which coordinated with Banana Republic skirt. Both colors are in the same tone. My current shoes and bag completed the look.

amother

Thu, Jul 31 2014, 7:03 pm

I doubt this will help you much but this is what I do. I am not thin and self conscious about it. I feel that colors will make me look heavy. I have a few black skirts and many tops to go with the black skirts. Before I gained weight I had a few "shopping days" at the start of each season. I bought random things and once it accumulated I tried to figure out what would look good with each piece. The I would take that left over skirt and just shop for a top to match it.

amother

Fri, Aug 01 2014, 8:22 am

I don't buy something unless I know it already matches something in my closet. As a result, I own a lot of black skirts and lots of beige, grey and black tops (I'm slowly experimenting with color). A neutral color palette is classic, understated and always looks polished. You can mix it up with brightly colored accessories (scarves are great) or my personal favorite- leopard, which is many ways can be a neutral as well.

rachel91

Fri, Aug 01 2014, 8:53 am

I love matching outfit's and colors together! I could buy a skirt and will always find a top in my closet that will match the skirt, then I could buy a top and match it with an old old skirt and belt and it looks great!

Nowadays more and more color combinations go together!

Black and white stripes go with almost any color, denim aswell.

I personally don't like the black (straight) skirt- colorful shirt combo that much anymore, I feel like it lacks individuality.

This season I have been focusing on the skirts, meaning my tops are usually plainer than my skirts, I have more skirts than tops etc.

And accessoires add alot!

Dolly Welsh

Fri, Aug 01 2014, 10:29 am

Fine.

But one wants to look gooood not necessarily different from usual. There is no obligation to amuse the neighborhood. Important feminist principle. The neighborhood can amuse itself if it wants. (There IS an obligation not to ruin anybody's view or day. That's different.)

It is perfectly fine to look the same all the time, if that same is very, very exact. Precise, and very correct, and gooood. It is fine if you always look like you, and very good. As in, excellent fit and intelligent choices. THAT becomes your signature look, your individuality.

If one woman looks terrific but the same all the time, and another one is constantly offering new spectacles, none of them are exactly right, the first one will have more prestige.

An elegant woman I once knew had the same dress in several colors and wore that all the time, mostly. Her makeup was always the same. Nobody overlooked her.

I once knew another woman who looked cute in small gold earrings. She wore a different pair every day; she had a million different little designs. It didn't help her; it made her look small-minded.

A girl I knew had the exact right little gold earrings and wore only those at all times. If she had changed her earrings, you would have felt a national monument had been defaced.

Perfect is better than variety.

Just my two cents.

rachel91

Fri, Aug 01 2014, 10:46 am

Dolly Welsh wrote:

If this was written in response to my post, I just want to say that I don't dress as colorful as possible, or to get attention LOL

, I just stated my opinion, but I wouldn't force it on anyone, my style is actually more to the classy side.