THE UNIFORM AND THE CREATIVE WALL

Outfit Ideas

Maybe it's because I used to wear a school uniform. Maybe it's an upgrade from jeans and a tee. Whatever the reason, skinny jeans and a button down shirt has become my go to. Silk shirts have the best drape, better than cotton (although there's nothing wrong with cotton), it just depends on how you want the shirt to hang.  

I was on Pinterest the other day looking at my Style board when I realized I was not in fact on my own board. I had been looking at someone else's board. She (I assume) had pinned almost the exact same images I had. It was a sad and sadly horrifying discovery. The realization that you are in your heart a style cylon. Then I came to terms. This simplicity is what I sincerely enjoy. It helps me meet my daily pleasure quota. I no longer have to check myself out in random store windows to appear as if I am browsing when in fact I'm just making sure I still look the same as I did in front of my closet that morning, or if something has gone terribly wrong in the interim.

I have found my peace. 

The Fashion Cuisine

STYLE INSPIRATION: EMMANUELLE ALT

This picture of Alt just never gets old. I look at it to get a sense of the level of organic cohesiveness I want to project in my clothes. The clothes act like skin. They comes together in this perfect harmonious balance. Ah...how I dream.

WRINKLED, RIPPED UP, AND LIVED IN IS BETTER THAN NEW

Shoes from Garance Dore via this post

My shoes are my friends. Of course, the shoes above are not my shoes, because mine are in a worse state and she has better floors. 

Part of the minimalist thought process is to value what you have. There are articles of clothing that I have worn for years. I trust them, I know how they will stretch. I know what will happen when I have worn them for an entire 24 hours, and then the next day when I am too lazy to put together another outfit. Because I don't want to expend valuable mental energy thinking about what to wear anymore. Or because I want to adopt a European lifestyle - whichever rationale sounds more sophisticated. 

Have you ever gone into a dressing room to realize that what you're already wearing is better than the shiny new thing you're trying on? It makes no sense.

There's a certain anxiety I carry with me when shopping, because I have realized that new clothes, particularly new shoes, will f*** you. They will ride up, they will make you look like sausage, they will pinch. There is never a convenient time for any of these things to happen. The clothes you have, the ones waiting faithfully in your closet, they are like friends. You have broken them in properly. They are trained. They will treat you well. 

Every time I think about some new purchase, I think about it in terms of friendship. Do I already have a good friend that I can rely upon - then I should refrain. However, if there is a gap, a death in the family, then there will be a transition period that cannot be rushed, where I will have to carefully sort and vet this newcomer. As I would any new relationship.

STYLE INSPIRATION

Image Via

Black. All black. Head to toe in different textures. It's comfortable without being boring, so there is a fine line you have to walk. How to look sleek and sophisticated instead of safe and uninteresting? Here's one way to do it.

STYLE MINIMALISM: ALL YOU NEED

According to The Pocket Stylist, all you need is... by stractstyle featuring a lined jacket

As December begins, it's time for all the shallow posts I've been hoarding all year long. Here's a nice template to have to cull your wardrobe down.

THE UNIFORM

Pinterest

One of the ways to save time, I've heard, is to have a go to uniform. That is, an outfit you wear every day, without having to think too hard or too long. You save your creativity for other endeavors, assuming your creative energy is finite. 

So I've been thinking, if I had a uniform, it might look a little bit like the above: black, beautifully cut, not too studied, a touch casual, a touch sleek. And of course I would have to exercise like the devil to maintain that streamlined physique, so that I wouldn't look ridiculous. What would your uniform look like?

FRIDAY BITS AND PIECES

Sacramento Street

Simple and basic, but not stiff. Not boring. It's so easy to be boring with basic. Too classic sometimes equals boring. But this isn't. It's soft. It's perfect.

Pinterest

DIY anyone?

Just a few things culled down for inspiration purposes.

TRENCHCOAT AND COFFEE: MINIMAL STYLE UNIFORM

Leather by trenchcoatandcoffee featuring short sleeve t shirts

I really like what's going on here. Most of this is stuff I already own, so I could pretty much live out my life like this and be happy. It captures a certain elusive chic.

As an aside, I like using Polyvore images sometimes instead of pics of real people, because it struck me recently after reading this post that most images circulating on Tumblr and Pinterest, where people pick their own content, are celebrities and models who are young, thin, and white.

I'm not sure if what I'm doing is a move in a better direction, but it's a decision made with awareness. 

WHY I LIKE EMMANUELLE ALT

Photo Via High Heel Times

Emmanuelle, if you don't know her, is the editor-in-chief of Vogue, Paris, and I'm a little fascinated by her style. And then there is something else. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. That is, until I saw this picture. 

She is the woman on the far right, and the only woman wearing jeans. There are many pictures of Emmanuelle floating around in the internet universe, but most of those are of her standing by herself. I prefer this one.

It's hard to capture inherent qualities in a photograph, the ones that flow from inside a person, but I think this one does a pretty good job of it. If you look at Emmanuelle, there is an integrity there. It doesn't matter where she is or who she's with, she does't alter herself to suit the occasion - I really didn't notice that until now. You don't notice these things until you look at her next to other people. I gather from the other ladies that this is a dressy event,* and they have made themselves up for the occasion. From Emmanuelle, she just looks like herself: glowing, relaxed, calm. Not too much makeup, not too much fuss with her hair. I love that. 

*Do you ever notice, when a bunch of dressed up people stand together, it can add up to too much? When you have one person, dressed up, standing alone - that's okay. Two people - that's stretching it, but still not visually offensive. Three plus people, all dressed in to kill - really is murder on your eyes. Too much stimulation. Too many alluring expressions. Too much competition for your attention. It means to draw you in, but ends up kicking you away.  

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: MIX AND MATCH

The White Button Down Shirt

Wardrobe Essentials: The White Shirt by coffeestainedcashmere featuring cashmere sweaters

I found these sets from Coffeestainedcashmere on Polyvore and thought they would be a good template to have around for those days, you know?  When you wake up, open your closet door and WTFF, it has turned overnight into an unforgiving abyss.

STYLE ESSENTIALS: BASICS

Untitled #135 by kristin-gp featuring leather shoes

Remember basics and keeping to a clean color palette? I came across Kristin-gp's outfits on Polyvore recently, and she just puts pieces together beautifully, and then she remixes pieces into different outfits. I thought I would share her outfits as a reminder of how well basics can work and how simple styling yourself can be. I sometimes forget that I don't need all that much to look put together, and this is a nice reminder. I also didn't link to the actual clothing items because 1) most people probably have a version of each item, and 2) let's just say I would have to whore myself out to afford them, and that's not quite in line with my priorities. 

Untitled #285 by kristin-gp featuring rag & bone boots

I added some more outfits after the jump, just to look at, for those times when I find myself staring at my closet wondering where in the hell everything went so wrong.

THE SNEAKER CONUNDRUM

Images Courtesy of Stockholm Street Style

How to jump on the sneaker train? It always seems so odd to me - I'm more of a ballet flats person myself, so I studied up on some representatives from Stockholm Street Style.  The trick to this seems to be so flash a bit of ankle.  Maybe a looser fitting pant to keep the illusion of a clean line. 

WINTER LAYERING: ELEMENTARY STYLE

I know that Elementary is pretty good show for plot, characterization, and the emotional rapport between Sherlock (Jonny Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu), but damn if I couldn't just watch it on mute just to check out Watson's awesome winter layering technique. She wears some really kickass coat/dress/tights outfits.  And although they aren't visible in this picture, she also gets to strut around in some really great shoes.  

It had to be said.  I don't think I'm alone on this. 

IT'S THE HAIR

Just Jared

Do you look at pictures that you like, and then try to figure out what exactly it is that appeals to you about them?  No?  Well, I do.  So here goes.

I like to look at things people wear to the airport because, thanks to crippling TSA regulations and cramped seating, everyone is forced to limit their crap accessories.  Yet, some people still manage to look amazing, and I'm convinced it's all because they bothered with their hair.*

There is nothing in the above photo that makes me think - I should buy a scarf/black t-shirt/sunglasses.  I might even have those.  The picture just makes me think that Giselle looks amazing.   And confident.  That may be a part of it too.  But what makes her not boring for me, is that her hair looks great.  There's nothing the TSA can do about arriving with great hair - they can't make you take it off or put it in a plastic bin filled with germs.  I swear - she's probably not even wearing makeup.

Source

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley also has great airport looks.  Basics + Great Hair.  Done.  

* And perfect genetics, but I will put that aside for the moment. 

WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE?

Kate Bosworth: Nylon

You dress to reflect who you are, or who you want to appear to be.  Am I making sense?  I don't want to be Kate Bosworth, but I do want to dress like her in this picture.  It's a study in contrasts.  She looks at ease, but sharp.  The colors are basic, but put together there's an edge to it.  If I could, I would find some version of this to wear all over the place.  

I've always liked the rocker edgy look, but too much eyeliner, leather, and grommets and it becomes a costume, like I'm trying too hard (I'm sorry, she's young, but Taylor Momsen comes to mind).  Here, the clothes just seem like a natural extension of her.  Like good makeup, it enhances the person.  

IDEAL V. REAL: WARDROBE MALFUNCTION

Wardrobe Essentials by coffeestainedcashmere featuring ann demeulemeester

Full disclosure time!  I have none of these staples.  Either that, or I have the shittier version that should not see the light of day (but does).  In short, I am not going to share a picture of the inside of my closet.  It's too shameful, eyes will burn, etc.    

This all harkens back to the Lululemon v. American Eagle yoga pants debate that I have been having with myself since the dawn of time.  Ideally, I would open up my walk in closet, and it would look like the above.  But in that world, I would also be taller. 

This is not to say I don't shop, don't get me wrong, but I have clearly been buying all the wrong things - like 4 sets of floral jeggings or something.  I don't mean for this to be mean spirited.  I drool over at polyvore like everyone else, and then I work with what I have.