GRAND Fashion: Every Outfit Tells A Story, And Yours Is Already In Your Closet. Here is how to pull together outfits that look and feel fresh.
“If you throw on your favorite pieces, you’re bound to come up with an outfit you love.”
—Leandra Medine, creator of Man Repeller
The above quote reflects a logical theory when you think about it, right? Why wouldn’t this form of making fashion choices work? I mean, think about it…all of us have items in our wardrobes we absolutely love. So it only makes sense to believe that by throwing on our favorites we’ll come up with something cool, at least we hope so. Rather than gambling in a game of fashion roulette, let’s dissect this idea:
Fashion Hypothesis 1:
This theory would prevent the annoying feeling of having nothing to wear, when what we really mean is: “I’ve worn this before” or “I’m not in the mood for that right now” or “I want to wear something fresh.” The idea of wearing something fresh doesn’t have to mean choosing new with tags (NWT). It can also represent a new and clever way to wear your favorite pieces, and the opportunity to spend a day revisiting your closet and playing dress-up. It’s always fun to shop your closet!
Fashion Hypothesis 2:
And here’s where the theory can go terribly wrong. In The Icing: Minimum miniseries, I mentioned a fashion faux pas I call “The Story Sabotages.” This happens when your outfit and accessories aren’t cohesive and fail to tell a complete story. Well, the same faux pas can occur when selecting your garments. Unless you’re striving for a purposeful, mix-associated look, there should be congruency to make getting dressed in this manner soar. By congruency, I don’t mean matchy-matchy. What I mean is putting individual pieces together that tell an interesting story.
Let’s get specific
For today’s style story, I’ve decided to put Leandra’s quote to the test. Each piece I’m wearing falls into the “my favorite” category: my favorite pair of light-wash, cropped jeans, a wide-brimmed fedora, tie-up sandals, an organic accordion bracelet (courtesy of Chico’s), and finally, a pretty lace peplum I purchased on a celebratory shopping trip. The look is most definitely a wink at my love for Southwestern inspired fashion. At the same time, I bring in an organic element (my love for nature and my feminine prowess).
Outfit Details: Floral Lace Peplum Top: Banana Republic (on sale); Cropped Jeans: Calvin Klein via Marshalls (Option: Slim Vent Crop Jean in Light Wash at Ann Taylor Loft); Tasseled Ankle Tie Heels: Ann Taylor Loft; Bianca Coil Bracelet: Courtesy of Chico’s; Wide-brim Fedora via Marshalls; Polish is Imported Bubbly by Essie.
So what do you think, did my look pass the test? In my opinion, the outfit makes sense. I’ll call this look The Southwestern-Romantic. In this case, I believe the theory worked. I managed to coordinate some of my favorite pieces to create an interesting style story. I hope you agree [wink].
Now check this out!
Now let’s analyze another outfit. Again, each piece falls into the “my favorites” category: beaded sandals and handbag, both of which give a nod to the Southwestern/Native American culture; a simple off-the-shoulder top, and the perfect midi skirt. In this look, the theory works: When all the pieces are worn together, they make a congruent ensemble, telling a complete story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Glenda K. Harrison is the creator of two blogs: her style blog, So What to Twenty and BLOOM, a blog where women can flourish and feel inspired to live their best lives. Her style stories can be found on Vibrant Nation and Midlife Boulevard She is also the author of the inspirational memoir, A Place Called Peace.
