A Pulled Together Look in Your Closet

The blog post, about "vote" fashion, inspired more thought about what we choose to wear or in some cases, what we are forced to wear. 

I was in a "box store" the other day and asked a badge-wearing employee where I could find the bundles of copy paper. As she turned toward me, her t-shirt said, "Tell someone who cares." She grunted and pointed me in the right direction. Before I left the store, I stopped at customer service and described the t-shirt. I couldn't help myself. I finished by saying, "It may just be me and I know it's just a t-shirt, but for someone who is representing the company, it sent me the wrong message." Of course, customer service thanked me but I don't know if the employee will "get it". If a command is given from above, with no explanation of why then this young person will not have learned anything. Rightly or wrongly so — what we wear tells the world who we are and what we think. "It's just a t-shirt," is the defense one uses when rationalizing for wearing something objectionable to parents, bosses, and teachers. 

There are many sayings or symbols on clothing that are meant to shock. Fine, do it on your own time. If I had seen the same t-shirt on the street, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Worn on an employee in the service industry, it sent the wrong message.

Being forced to wear something for your job that you find objectionable is quite another story. The classic is what some refer to as the "monkey suit". It originates with the monkey on old-time movies who was dressed in a vest, bow tie, and hat and performed tricks to make money for the man playing the tune on a crank-turned organ grinder machine. The monkey was obliged to wear the suit to collect money in a tin cup and so any "uniform" required for work became a "monkey suit". 

"Monkey suits" vary from the classic suit requirement to standardized uniforms to skimpy outfits for waiters and waitresses. I suppose one doesn't have to apply at that place of business. But in some desperate situations that won't be an option.

Most of us are left to make our own choices. For the past 40 years, clothing for work has been evolving to easy understated sportswear-styles. Even though you can dress casually, you should still look pulled together.

The following guidelines can help you create that "pulled together" look:

1) 3 Base Colours - Have at least one base colour - we'll use navy for an example. Navy is a good summer and winter colour. For winter add grey and beige. In the summer add white and another bright colour. Build your accessories around at least one of the base neutral colours. In summer I follow the colour scheme of sea, sand and sky — blue, beige and white. My winter colours are black, beige and grey. I add colour with fashion jewellery, scarves and shoes.

2) Update your wardrobe each season with accessories or one or two new pieces that fits or ties your base colours together. This year it was a plaid blue, white and black Smythe blazer for me. (Mind you, I'd never wear the dress the model is wearing with it.)

Spend more on classic pieces so that you don't feel obligated to keep wearing an outdated article. When your favorite pair of shoes starts to look shabby, look for a similar or identifcal pair. Don't settle. If you know what you like and were pleased with it, search until you find it. You will feel most satisfied if you are able to add to and build a solid base. As well, you will spend half as much as you did when you bought every new fashion fad or settled on less.

3) Stay away from colours that drain you or that make you feel uncomfortable. I have never been happy in orange. Some reds, definitely not those that are orangey, I enjoy wearing. I will always temper red with accessories. Brown, olives or anything muddy will never be base colours for me. I just don't feel comfortable in them. Yet I love camel, but again with an accessory combining the neutrals with other colours.

4) Perfect Fit. A tight fit will always accentuate therefore a tight t-shirt with tight pants will accentuate all of the body parts you don't want to accentuate. My rule is to never buy pants in clingy fabrics. The pants I buy have to be narrow through the thighs and knees without any pleats or gathers at the waistline. Set up your criteria for the best fit and follow it. Buy the best you can because quality clothes keep their shape and will look better longer. When you find the perfect fitting t-shirt, buy them in multiples.

5) Choose a signature accessory whether jewellery, scarves or ballet flats. For me it's stacked bangles and bracelets. 

What you feel you look best in will also be what you will be most comfortable in. For most of us, that means separates. I'm short and I like my legs, so in the summer skirts are easier to buy than pants, which have to be hemmed, adding yet more cost to the item. Separates may take more time to organize, but once you have your colour combinations in sync, you don't have to think about what to wear. There will always be a comfortable pulled together look available in your closet.

😃Spring 2021 Update: Does dis-order in your life overwhelm you? Changing Spaces by Design has recently published a guided journal with inspiring affirmations, suggested daily strategies to create clutter-free spaces, time management recommendations, and charts to record your project. Shirley B says, "I embarked on the process and am pleased to say that it really does work. I put my stuff in order, found stuff I had forgotten I owned, and got rid of stuff I no longer need (that is somebody else’s stuff now). The result – I know what I have, and where to find it. Amazing!"

You can check out their launch page at 30 Day Journal to Triumph Over Clutter.

2014 Style Resolutions Review

Now that it is the end of September, I thought it a good idea to review my 2014 style resolutions. I did in fact do one post demonstrating one particular resolution that was essentially only partially filled and that was my #2 wear a smaller handbag resolution. My objective then is to analyze my resolution status in this post.

Stacked cuff, bracelet, bangle, watch and medic alert bracelet -

my signature. Photo by JoyD.

Number 1 was to wear more statement jewellery. I wore statement necklaces for awhile, and that "while" was during the time I was working at the Polytechnic in Canada. It was easier to do then, than it is now, when I am not employed outside the home. As well, here in France, my jewellery cache is not as extensive as the one in Canada. Therefore, because I have less to choose from, I am wearing fewer items. That pretty much goes for my entire wardrobe. However, I am wearing my stacked cuffs, bangles and bracelets and it is here where I may have developed this fashion signature.

My number 2 resolution has already been recorded and so I shall let you read about it by clicking here for the post.

Number 3 was to dress up more. This takes more analysis than I care to give it at this moment because there are so many factors to consider. First, "dress up more" has to be defined and described. Essentially I was dressing up more, until the end of May, because I was working in a professional environment. Now "dressing up" could mean wearing long pants instead of shorts, putting on a blazer over a t-shirt and jeans, wearing loafers instead of sandals . . . so you see, this resolution too can be considered only partially fulfilled. But then again, even my casual summer clothing here is more "dressed up" than when I am in Canada, so this resolution may have been fulfilled "relatively speaking".

Resolution 4 was to review my clothing and see what could be re-created and updated. I wrote of a loose mermaid-style skirt that hits below the knees that I thought I would have re-made into a pencil skirt. The more I think about it, the more I think not. So far I haven't attacked the skirt because I am considering that it was made in a particular style so let it be. Re-making it could cost more than I want to pay and it might not turn out well. This resolution is pretty much on hold because most of the clothing this resolution applies to is in Canada.

My fifth and last style resolution was to create a clothing budget. Now why would I have even entertained that thought? I am not an out-of-control shopper nor do I have the motivation (work) to shop often. I do tend to spend a tad more on clothing because of my "trademark" preferences but . . . here I go rationalizing, which is probably the reason I made a budget resolution in the first place. As of September 27th, I haven't made a budget and so I anticipate that this resolution probably will not be fulfilled.

I'll keep making resolutions since they keep me on track, whether I actually keep them or not.

Jewellery Trends Fall 2014

Closet Content Analysis: Beads, Baubles & Links

Choices: All the Big Stuff

10 Observations of What's Happening with Jewellery for the Fall of 2014 

1. Jewellery is still big! It's been that way for a good while now - at the very least, 5 years and going on 7 since I've been keeping track.

Photo Source: MichaelKors.com

2. For the fall of 2014, chains are still big! In the designer collections, Michael Kors has big links, no not big, but giant links in his accessory collection for fall, 2014. Even at Chanel the pearls were still there, albeit with hanging tassels, but the chains were dominant. Even Swarovski is showing big links.

3. Over the past few seasons, we have layered bracelets and necklaces in multiples, but fall 2014 has us wearing rings in multiples - one for every finger! Pick a colour and then quadruple the same coloured stone on each of your fingers. This was the "tendance" at Dior.

4. Balman is still showing chandelier earrings which makes me think that, if you like it, wear it and never mind the trends. Ralph Lauren is also showing them, not much different, but he's calling them pendant earrings.

5. Pendants on necklaces and bracelets - aka - charms and anything dangling are still going strong. This has been a favourite way for women to create a "signature" for themselves. I know a woman who loves keys as her pendant of choice, another hearts, a third has chosen the butterfly and so it goes. If you're  interested in making that kind of a statement this could be the year to do it.

Whereas in past years we saw key pendants with no locks, now the locks abound, especially at Chanel. As the Fall 2014 Chanel fashion show progressed the locks and links became bigger.

6. Tribal necklaces are still appearing and I believe will be a perpetual occurrence.

7. Crystal necklaces in the same tone as the clothing you are wearing.

Keys to My Heart
Asymmetrical heart and keys earrings created by JoyD.
Photo by JoyD.

8. Here we go again - "grunge revisited" and punk nail earrings - ear nails - accompany Versace on the runway. Also showing in this genre was a single big earring on one ear. If that's too radical, I can see an asymmetrical look happening for those a little less adventuresome but still daring.

Statement Turquoise Necklace created by JoyD.
Photo by JoyD.

9. Oscar de La Renta is touting big turquoise pieces - turquoise too can become a fashion signature.

Multiple bracelets camouflage my watch and medic-alert bracelet.
Photo by JoyD.

10. Oversized cuffs - been there, done that, still doing it and will do it as long as I am able. Speaking of fashion signatures, I think this has become mine. 

Check out another one of my posts on Making a Statement with Jewellery.

Black is a Canvas

One Choice: Black

Closet Content Analysis: An Eternal LBD

Note-Worthy

Jessica Quirk wrote in a post on her blog, What I Wore, "I am a firm believer that nothing is the new black. Black is the only black . . . " I agree with her 100%. To call any colour the "new black" is wishful thinking at most, particularly when colours like orange or lime green are professed to be this "new black". Black is the perpetual "basic". So to say that orange is the "new black" is ludicrous. Everyone can wear black; not everyone can wear orange or lime green or would want to.

Black is a canvas, a base - with a solid base, you can put anything on it.

- JoyD Gulas

Insofar as basics go, I have tried to move toward navy and camel in the summer or pastels and grey or khaki and brown but I always return to a combination of black, white and beige accessorized with the colour of the day. This comfortable, easy combination got me through traveling between continents at any time of the year, summer weddings in Canada and abroad, and just day to day living in Canada and in France.

Photo by JoyD.

Black is a canvas, a base - with a solid base, 

you can put anything on it.

- JoyD Gulas

Note-Worthy: I can only guessimate how old this LBD is. It was the one item I kept when I was too big to wear anything in my closet. I have been wearing it again for three years now, add that to the three years it sat in my closet and the two or more I had it before then, the dress has to be at least 8 to 10 years old. I still feel good in it and sheath styles similar are still being sold. It also acts as a measure when it is becoming a tad tight . . . of course, you know what has to be done then.

I have had other LBDs but this one has been eternal and I don't have any intentions of buying a new one.

Here are the ways I have worn this LBD:

1. For work - with a blazer style jacket, from floral to plaids including melanges of colour and solids.

2. For evening and more formal events - with a statement necklace or stacked bracelets and cuffs and the highest heels I can manage.

3. For casual lunches, brunches or other events - with a cardigan, scarf, black tights and flats, ballet or oxford style.

As you see, my LBD is a canvas and I create as need arises . . . 

I have written about my LBD in previous posts . . . here they are:

The Dress – The Sheath – The LBD
Closet Requirements Relative to Lifestyle

Traveling Europe: Clothing Observations in France Italy andSpain

Spring 2013: The Necklace or Sunglasses?

How does black function in your closet, or rather on your body?

2014 Casual: Separates and Flats

Closet Analysis: Mix & Match Your Separates

Photo Source: Glamour Magazine UK

Ines de la Fressange, former French model and present-day author, is featured in this photo wearing my most favourite casual look - skinny pants/jeans/or bootcut, simple shirt/t-shirt, blazer and flats/either shoes or boots/although heels are certainly an option. Whether male or female you can never go wrong at work (at least at most work places) or going to the market on Saturday. Love it, love it, love it.

When you organize your closet you have a greater overview of what you have and what you can mix and match. The following process will help you see the big picture of what you already own and be better able to mix and match:

1) Group your separates into similar item groups. Tops/t-shirts/blouses/shirts/pullovers are organized first into colours. Once in their colour category, organize from sleeveless to longsleeved. Now organize your pants/jeans/skirts and jackets/cardigans/blazers in relatively the same way.

2) Bring all your flats/shoes/heels out and position them under the clothing you have organized. 

3) Hang all scarves, jewellery, belts and other accessories in a common area for easy access.

Now you're ready to bring it all together. If you do only steps 1 to 3, deciding what to wear in the morning will be easier. However if you take an afternoon or evening to play around with step 4, dressing becomes a pleasure and not a pain.

Valet Photo by JoyD.

4) Using a valet stand or your bed with a neutral background, you can begin styling your outfits. Choose a pair of pants and place them on the valet or at the edge of the bed. With the pants hanging over the edge, place the blazer open above the waist of the pants and add the top. Lay your accessories in an arc, over the clothing, on the bed. Place the shoes on the floor adjacent to the bed. Now play. Put pieces together that you would never think to actually wear. You might surprise yourself. 

The following example is a safe bet but it is difficult to break particular habits. I'm talking about myself now and I am trying; however, first I have to play at being more adventuresome. And maybe I will never get to the point of actually wearing orange and turquoise out in public.

Photo by JoyD.

5) Example: grey blazer with red/burgundy pin stripe, grey pants, grey heels, red sleeveless tank  - bring those colours together in a scarf or statement necklace. This vertical monochromatic look is always appropriate for those of us who are height challenged but adding a pop of colour and an accessory that brings it all together makes the look your own. 

Perhaps trying unconventional colour combinations should be a style resolution for 2014. It is a challenge for me.

Making a Statement with Jewellery

The acceptability and perpetuation of fashion/costume jewelry has been attributed to Gabrielle Coco Chanel. Those faux pearls have been combined, altered, minimized, maximized, modified, put to many uses, and rearranged in the creative design process over the decades since the 1920s. Chanel was making a statement with those strands of pearls and essentially opened the door for us to do the same.

Photo Source: http://cocoat5.blogspot.fr/

When you want to make your statement, choose your medium - do it with turquoise or some other semi-precious stone such as rose quartz, crystals or metal; yes, even with feathers.

Millicent Rogers, the American oil heiress socialite, who fell in love with the American south-west and collected turquoise, coral, mother of pearl, onyx and silver jewellery crafted by the Indigenous people of the area, provides us with a model for creating our own "look". Her admiration developed into philanthropic work and so her adornment had nothing to do with trends. Others have done the same in India, Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Central and South America. Clothing and jewellery was a means of regional and ethnic identity for Indigenous peoples and now for us, their creativity provides a vehicle for our individuality.

Millicent Rogers, American socialite and fashion icon, 1902-1953. Photo Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Millicent_Rogers.jpg

You don't have to be an oil heiress. I know a woman of Native Canadian ancestry, Ojibway specifically, who wears, has worn and will wear feather earrings all her life. It is her statement jewellery choice. Hers is a choice based on ethnic background and not on trends. Whether it is a cause, ethnic background or an obsession, making your statement with jewellery relieves you of the burden of trends. By laying claim to your own ethnic identity and with a little historical research, you too can make your statement with jewellery.

If you are interested in the history of costume jewelry check out The Clothing and Fashion Encyclopedia for a sourced overview.  

My friend Cathy, who lives near Lyons, France has some of the best statement pieces I have ever seen. She is particularly fond of bracelets and rings and because of her work and travels to Africa and India, she has some very stunning pieces. She has mixed the ordinary with the precious and it works. These bold ethnic pieces have become her "mark".

I am still searching for my statement, for my "mark"; but it is a learning process. Necklaces have never been my favourite, although I have worn many that I have made (perhaps more for promotion than making a statement). Earrings I like but somehow I prefer a simple classic design and will wear one style for months. Bracelets have perhaps been my favourite statement pieces since I like to wear multiples at one time with or without a watch. I have done this without paying any mind to trends.

It's time to make your "mark".



 

5 Summer 2012 Fashion Jewellery Guidelines

Call it what you want, fashion or costume, jewellery for the summer should always be fun. In the summer, beachwear influences our daily wear so that colour, size and texture abound and we tend to go brighter and bigger.

Very often, when a trend is introduced in the spring, it appears bolder in the summer and then evolves through the fall and winter. The following spring another trend will appear and develop in more or less the same way.

The following five 2012 jewelry trends are based on a collection of viewpoints online (from yahoo to squidoo and several others in between).

Apparently the tiara is a fashion trend that is picking up speed (as suggested by a yahoo writer); I'd like to suggest that you forget the tiara (unless you're 8 years old) and go for . . .

Sterling connects faux elements and clear quartz into a chunky choker necklace.

1 The Chunky Choker Necklace - it is not a "choker" in the true sense of the definition, that which wraps around your neck, but rather one that sits higher on the collarbones.
  




 

Oversized round turquoise beads form the basis for this choker.

2 Blue - choose semi-precious stones from turquoise to deep dark azure.

Turquoise cross beads form the base of this choker featuring Italian silver.

3 Crosses - were introduced in the Spring of 2012 but will gain momentum as we move to the fall. And so you have here the chunky choker necklace with turquoise crosses. Of course, this is an interpretation of how one might bring together two of the trendy elements into a signature piece that could be worn for more than one season. The asymmetry in this choker makes it just a little edgy as it sits on your collarbone.

Byzantine cross pendant with black onyx.

4 Stacking - bangles, bracelets, cuffs and watch bracelets is particularly "in" for the  summer of 2012. For a summer colour "pop", add white or some bright colours to your black, brown and metallics for a variety of colourful and metallic mixes, contrasts, and matches.













5 Feathers? - some (ie. at least two Squidoo contributors) are saying feathers are all the rage for the summer and fall of 2012; while others (ie. Huffington Post) are saying they are done. The feather craze began in the spring of 2011 and reached its peak in the fall and winter. The celebrity types, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, have now abandoned feather earrings so that may be our first clue. The spring and summer of 2012 saw a decline in the display of feather earrings in the shops so I can't see how they are going to bounce back for the fall. I'm speculating that those who got on the bandwagon late want to continue capitalizing on them or those who have hundreds in stock have to sell them; therefore the online promotion. But like shell jewelry bought on the beach, they are whimsical and can be abandoned after a short time of "frivolity and funnry". However, that being said . . . do you love them? . . . then continue wearing them.

. . . Necklaces featured on this post were made by JoyD. . .

Fashion Jewelry Shopping Tips: 

Hold back the urge to buy at the beach or in touristy spots, unless of course you are on Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy (famous for its jewellery shops). On those summer vacations at beach or seaside resorts, many of us have come home with earrings, necklaces and bracelets made of shells or braided raffia, yarn and ribbon. What possesses us to buy these poorly made tourist trinkets?

When it comes to semi-precious stones, whenever you buy at a market or "on the beach" you do run the risk of buying "fake". Before you buy, take the stone and touch it to your cheek, if it is stone it will feel cool or even cold against your skin; if it is synthetic, it will be warm to the touch. 

You will undoubtedly come across jewellery makers in the markets and at summer exhibitions and shows. If you are traveling and see something you like but it is too long or too short, ask to have it altered to your specifications. For the most part it can be done, but perhaps not on the spot so be prepared to take it, if you love it, and have someone at home do it for you. But remember that may add as much cost as the finished product depending on the work. If someone tells you it cannot be lengthened or shortened, it usually means that it will be too laborious, perhaps needing to be re-strung. If it was handmade by the person, they can tell you exactly what needs to be done. I once had a vendor "shoo" me away and tell me I asked too many questions - she obviously was not the jewellery maker, although she was passing herself off as such.