Let me take you on a little tour of photos collected on my last Goodwill foray:
That’s a lot of leopard. And I’m not even including all the non-traditional takes I found, like this: Continue reading “The Search for the Perfect Leopard Print”
As I’ve been retooling my off-season wardrobe, I’ve been tempted to double down on the one sweater I kept from this past winter’s wardrobe – my snow leopard print beauty:
Here is some photo evidence of my apparent obsession (and/or sartorial laziness) regarding animal print: Continue reading “Why You Shouldn’t Duplicate What Works (and a sneak peek at my winter wardrobe restyling)”
I’ve never been in love with sheer clothing. It looks sexy on other people, but for me it feels like something I’d have to be 15 and going to the beach to pull off, or at the very least headed out clubbing. (Nothing against clubbing, you’re just more likely to catch me bowling.)
I have a couple of tops that are juuuuust sheer enough to require a layer underneath to qualify as office appropriate, and I was excited last year to thrift a silk camisole that would serve that purpose grandly while breathing and holding up decently.
But honestly, it’s just annoying. Continue reading “I’m Breaking Up with Sheer”
Do you have a signature accessory?
I’m talking about the piece you always wear – or the specific style of accessory from which you never deviate.
They add that recognizable detail to your look, save you time and money – no dithering about what to wear or whether you should buy new stuff! – and, hopefully, they put a smile on your face.
Mine are, in no particular order… Continue reading “Signature Accessories”
This post should really be called “The Style Magician…” because that is what my friend called the process when she talked about it to her spouse. But I don’t think magicians pay house calls, and “The Style Magician” sounded a lot more hokey than “The Style Doctor.”
A few weeks ago my friend Caitlin asked if I would come hang at her house and help her evaluate her style (and her closet). I couldn’t say YES! fast enough. Continue reading “The Style Doctor Pays a House Call”
On Tuesday I talked about where to put your prints, arguing that the simplest way to a streamlined closet was to pick just one place for your patterns.
Where’s the fun in that, you say??
Well, if you’re a print lover (or you want to be), this post is for you.
Tips for Mixing Prints (from dipping a toe in to daring)
A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on
Speaking of monochrome…
What are your tips for mixing prints? Do you love to live on the leopard/zebra/tiger stripe wild side, or are you print-mixing shy?
*Apologies to artists everywhere. Saying more blue/yellow/red instead of warmer/cooler is pretty confusing for us non-artists.
Have you ever looked at your closet and despaired at the mish-mash of prints that rarely go together in wearable combinations? Or do you have a gigantic wardrobe with too many pieces because you bought those solid pants to go with that printed top and that solid top to go with that printed skirt, ad infinitum?
The solution is elegantly simple, but it requires a little bit of discipline: Put your prints in ONE PLACE.*
Pick bottoms, for example, and go nuts with printed pants (so fun!) or skirts. Stay more simple on top and you’ll never worry about patterns clashing.
Or do what I’ve done and keep all your patterns in your shirts, leaving the bottom half solid…and then firmly tell yourself to walk away from all the amazing lobster pants out there.
OR concentrate your prints in your toppers – cardigans, jackets, etc. – and let your tops, dresses, and bottoms take a back seat. (The reverse with dresses/toppers works, too – if you have a love affair with patterned dresses, go for solid toppers.)
Wherever you put your prints can also be home to solids, of course – solid pants + print top OR solid top – since solids play so nicely together.
And wherever you put your solids can also usually stand subtle pattern, like pinstripes, a tiny polkadot, or a finely textured weave.
Also, feel free to change up where your patterns live between work/casual wardrobes or hot/cold weather wardrobes for a little variety without major wardrobe exponential crises. See what I did there?
(For example, as mentioned above I’ve given center stage to prints in my tops and let my pants/skirts/dresses/blazers/cardis do the supporting work. But I’ve just figured out that sticking to my solid winter turtlenecks underneath the toasty patterned toppers I love will keep my eyes from bugging out on print overload.)
If you just can’t resist ALL THE PRINTS, check back Thursday for some ideas on how to successfully mix prints.
*I have Janice over at the Vivienne Files to thank for this brilliant concept. She illustrates it beautifully here (scroll down to the 2nd and 3rd templates). Check this out especially if you are a visual person.
In her role as sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen Greene in The Sessions*, Helen Hunt doesn’t wear a whole lot of clothes. But a few of the tops she does wear caught my eye when I watched the movie a few years ago. Why? Two words: popover tunics.
To be fair, Ms. Hunt’s film wardrobe was more 1980s-embroidered-kurta (especially the only one I could find a decent picture of, below) than straight up popover tunics. And we can get into a whole ‘nother discussion about whether white lady Helen Hunt wearing them is cultural appropriation.
