To Dress or Not to Dress in Comfortable Casual

Closet Analysis: Dress the Part

The "comfortable casual" post has received many visitors and it's about time that I re-visit the topic especially since so many people are working from home during this pandemic. 

Over the past year, I have fallen into a slovenly routine. Here I am at 10:50 A.M. on a Sunday morning, still in my pajamas, writing this post. I change into regular clothes about noon, very often something that I wore the day before. Sigh. This has got to change. I rationalized that today was Sunday, not a day I would choose to deviate from this routine. Tomorrow.

A television commercial has embraced this phenomenon by having a suited torso of a man sitting in on a zoom meeting while his bottom half is still only in his underwear. Actually, there are several variant advertisements on this theme. 

No matter how casual, no matter how comfortable, you still want to look good and be productive. Looking good is a matter of opinion. Being productive is what counts. Are we more productive when we are "dressed up" even marginally better dressed than sweats? Speaking for myself, I would say yes. It's easier to play video games in my pajamas than it is when I am dressed, even in blue jeans and a t-shirt. I walk differently in my flip-flops than when I put on a proper pair of shoes, even my soft suede loafers. When I'm in my pajamas, I am not motivated to write, except when I'm writing about writing in my pajamas.

Noteworthy: 

It's not so much a direct correlation. Apparently, those who "have to" dress formally for work claim to be more productive when they dress down a bit. Those who can wear what they want to work usually "dress up" when having to prove their productivity to someone else. Hmmm?

It always comes back to appropriateness. And just about anything is appropriate in 2021. Factors you might want to take into consideration are:

Age   

Sorry. I don't want to be accused of ageism but there are some styles that older folks just cannot pull off. At the same time, older folks cannot look stodgy in a work environment. Contemporary classic (that's another blog post) is always the way to go no matter what the age. If your classic is dated because of shoulder pads, colour trends, or lapel widths, you are no better off than wearing ripped knee jeans.

Company Culture 

Yes even at zoom meetings. The suited realtor can forego the tie and button down shirt for a t-shirt, sport jacket and jeans but the jacket is still important. Even someone in a techie industry can put the jacket on over the t-shirt. Same outfit — t-shirt with jacket and jeans means dressed down for the realtor, dressed up for the techie.

Photo by Avigail Alfaro on Unsplash

Meeting with Clients 

Basically, the more money and trust a client has to relinquish the better dressed the salesperson has to be. Hence, realtors, insurance agents, and bankers dress in suits; whereas those in car sales don't have to because you will buy more cars in your lifetime than houses. Sales associates in designer stores can't be dressed like Wal-ly-Mart-ian greeters.

In conclusion, the suited techie at work is inappropriate in the same way the t-shirt and jean-clad realtor is inappropriate. Know your workplace culture, know your clients and keep things classic. You'll never go wrong with that formula (more to come on that topic). 

It's 11:48 A.M., this post is finished, I'm still in my pajamas. And no, pajamas are not comfortable casual — they just mean I'm procrastinating.

The day I decided to post is Tuesday, it's 10:46 A.M. and yes I'm still in my pajamas, but I'm ready to jump into the shower so that means I'm an hour ahead of my pajama pattern. Things are looking up. Since it's laundry day, I can't wear what I wore yesterday, so I am ahead of the game. With the start of the pandemic, I've noticed my expectations have become lower than usual. 😉 Time to change that!

So Many Pairs of Shoes, So Little Space

Closet Analysis: Choose the Right Tools

For those of us who have more pairs of shoes than is reasonable, this post is for you. For those like my husband, who has six pairs of shoes — a pair of Geox black leather loafers, a second pair of same style Geox caramel beige leather loafers, a pair of running shoes, a pair of leather sandals, a pair of Merril sandals, and a pair of Oxfords — don't bother reading this post.

Brian Davis, my ballet flats guru, tells me that he kept his Keds in their original boxes for years. "But as more and more pairs were added I realized I don't have enough room. My Keds are stored in the plastic tubs with no real organization method at all (embarrassing I know). I have several of these plastic tubs with Keds in them."
We've all been there, done that and many of us are still there, doing that.
He did tell me that his brand new vintage 
Keds are kept in their original boxes in a closet as are his Puma flats and sports flats and his Michael Kors flats are in a trunk in a spare rooom. The spare room and extra closets have become his shoe repositories.
Now where are his Tieks and his Tory's?
Brian tells us, "My Tory's are the most organized of all my ballet flats.  I keep them in what I refer to as "The Tory Vault."
I recognize a couple of "what looks like Tory boot boxes" at the bottom of that closet.
Even though Tieks are his newest ballet flats passion, they are the most unorganized, according to Brian. Tieks come folded in half in a tiny blue box but Brian has an issue with the presentation. "Since it drives me nuts to see them folded in half like that, I don't store them in the original box." 

Here's what they look like freshly unpacked. Yes, these cute flats came out of that little box! 

Thank you Brian for the providing the reveal through your photographs. You are braver than I!
There are so many alternatives out there to organize your shoes and I'm sure you will be able to add another idea or two to the list that follows. 

Necessary: Now, let's take a look at what tools are available out there for shoe organization:

Nice: The only advantage clear plastic shoe boxes offer over the original cardboard box is that you can more readily find what you are looking for. They still take up a lot of space but if you want to invest the money (around $2.00/box or so), the plastic shoebox is a good option —stackable, easy to label, and transparent. When you no longer need them, they can be used to store something else. Original cardboard boxes don't hold up and vary in size thereby making it difficult to stack properly. The problem is, if you are like me, you haven't kept the boxes. If you like the idea of the transparent alternative, you will also like the "heeled" shoeboxes that come in three different height sizes.

Noteworthy: Then there are all forms of . . . 

Boot Hangers and Boot Racks

Hanging Shoe Shelves

Over-the-Door-Shoe-Bags or Racks I personally don't like things hanging on my doors. Opening and closing doors with stuff on them just doesn't cut it for me. If it's a good idea for you, choose one with clear pockets making it easier to identify the shoes you want to wear.

Cubby Shoe Organizers or Shoe Cabinets Some shoe cabinets are combined shoe cabinet/storage benches or shoe ottomans that look like a piece of furniture

Under the Bed Shoe Organizers For the shoes you don't wear on a regular basis. No Thanks. I like to see what I have. 

Floor Placement Shoe Racks That's what I have right now and it serves the purpose in the space I have allotted for them. My shoes are visible, on the floor beneath my hanging clothes, and easily accessible. Those shoes I don't wear often are in cloth bags piled in a corner shelf and this is a No Thanks for me.

Tiered Shoe Shelves/Racks multiple shelves high, shoe shelves can vary in size, from 6 pairs to 48 pairs — the more shoes it accommodates, the higher the shelf. Made of wood, bamboo, plastic, or chrome-plated steel. 

 

Nicer & Noteworthy: Shoe Slots/ Shoe Space-Savers

I found this photo of the shoe slots on eBay. I love the design and can imagine my shoes organized in this way. Unfortunately, I don't have any open shelving in my closet. It just might be worth giving up some of my hanger space for a narrow shelving unit. But for now, I'll put up with my floor placement shoe rack.

If you are lucky, you may have built-in shelving in your closet. I can imagine shoe slots in the shelving on the right side of this closet. Where two pairs of shoes lay, 5 pairs could be accommodated with shoe slots. 

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Finding shoe organizers for 6 to 12 pairs is fairly easy. If you want something for 48 pairs, the best strategy is to start your search, be patient, but you will eventually find them online.

Or if you need a guide on the side to help you de-clutter and organize, check out my latest project in collaboration with Janet Parkinson, an interior consultant, and owner of Changing Spaces by Design.

Click Here to Visit the Launch Page for

A Box a Day: A 30 Day Journal to Triumph Over Clutter 

Your Personal De-Cluttering Guide

Or

 Click Here for my page on this blog — help me out with some organic marketing.

 

 

 

Two Decades of Wearing Ballet Flats

 Brian's Passion for Ballet Flats  Timeline

Brian's passion began when he first noticed, then coveted, the white leather Ked running shoes "all" the cool girls were wearing in high school. From that moment he wanted a pair. He discovered Keds also made ballet-flats and soon he began collecting different patterns and styles. Here began close relationships with sales associates who made sure to inform him of new styles and colours. The Keds sales gal was the first of many who helped Brian out with finding the perfect ballet flat. Coinciding with his Keds discovery was the fabric Chinese-influenced brown-soled Mary Janes. The Mary Janes are long gone but the Keds have continued to be a wearable choice in his closet.

During this developing passion for ballet flats, he was not loyal to any one brand but he did begin showing a preference for particular fabrication, decoration, and comfort. Nine West, Puma, and Michael Kors progressively became favourites during this period. 

As with any collection, once you have everything you can get locally, you want, no you need to expand your collection by exploring what is available out there. When he mentioned Tory Burch to the Michael Kors sales staff, the gal who got to know him well, told him to check the next time he went back to Arizona where he vacationed every year. Brian had one of those smack yourself in the forehead kind of moments. But of course.

"And that's when my passion for Tory started — November 23rd, 2001." For seventeen years, he was loyal. How loyal? Imagine, additional pairs in every shade Tory Burch offered (in those seventeen years) between each of the base colours in this photograph.

"I still love my Tory's but in 2018, I decided to try a pair of Tieks." He actually anticipated hating them but Tieks has a free shipping and return policy within the United States and so he thought, "Why not?" He ordered a pair of the blue Tieks called Sapphire. He loved them and four days later, ordered another two pairs.

His transition from Tory to Tieks was influenced by two practical factors — the sales people at Tory Burch (with whom he developed relationships) had moved on and he already owned every pair he wanted. I imagine after awhile it becomes more of the same. I have never had the good fortune to test out that theory. Brian feels both are similar in comfort but his Tory Burch selections have a classier feel style-wise. His Tieks have become his ballet flat of choice for everyday wear. 

Relationships continued to be a part of his ballet flats experience. Tieks has an organized social media following numbering 40,000 members, male and female, from all over the world. Brian now belongs to the group and has become f2f friends with some of them. TieksMeets, when Tieks "fanatics" (that's Brian's word) and Tieks in the Wild when you see someone wearing Tieks nurture the Tieks phenomena. I know how the TITW people feel because when I'm out, carrying a Lancel bag and see someone else with one I want so much to go up to them and ask them about their Lancel. With the number of ballet flats Brian has and with spring organizing on my mind, I'll soon be talking to him about the content of his closets.

What's not to love?

Changing a Cluttering Habit

Closet Fashion Analysis: A Place for Everything . . .

No Thanks: I have the unfortunate habit of leaving my shoes wherever I settle. So that there will be flip flops adjacent to the chair I am sitting, under the table at my place, and at various entrances to and from the house. I know this exacerbates my husband but for some reason, he's never gotten into a snit about it.

Nice: However, the other day, I found the various pairs of shoes that were laying around the house all lined up and positioned to be entering our closet. I began to laugh and continued until I came downstairs to thank him. I'm getting better, at least for the last couple of days, at putting my shoes where they belong.

Note-Worthy: A friend, décor and colour consultant, Janet Parkinson, is working on a de-cluttering guide eventually to be featured on her website. Many who hire her for decorating, staging or move management services need to de-clutter their spaces first and so we have collaborated to create a guide that will help anyone and everyone through the process. She'll be making it available on her website. I'll update this post when it's ready to go.

Obviously, I must practise what the guide preaches but it got me to thinking about the strategy my husband used. It made both of us laugh and I learned my lesson. How much nicer is it to remind people to put things back into the places they belong with a giggle rather than a grimace?

I'd love to read about how you have helped someone change a habit in a light-hearted way rather than in an agitated way. Leave a comment to help us all develop better habits especially when it comes to de-cluttering.

😃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!"

Buy my Guided Journal 

A Box a Day: A 30 Day Journal to Triumph Over Clutter 

Your Personal De-Cluttering Guide

Brian's Choice Re-invented

Closet Fashion Analysis:

Ballet Flats with a Conscience

Nice

Brian, my ballet flats expert has turned his allegiance from Tory Burch to Tieks – In an email last week he told me, “2 years ago I bought myself a pair of Tieks ballet flats. Today I now own 22 pairs. I still like my Torys but I'm more of a Tieks guy these days.” 

Considering the Tieks motto is “the ballet flat reinvented”, I think it an appropriate choice. For those of you following this blog, you know that I prefer subtlety when it comes to wearing “marks”. I like Tieks because their signature is the teal blue sole and vertical heel strip whereas Tory Burch emblazons her TB in almost a garish way. Now you know how I really feel.

Tieks has also endeared me to their product with Operation #SewTogether: Their ads tell us, “We’re giving a $50. Tieks Gift Card to anyone who stiches and donates 25 masks, or a $100. Tieks Gift Card for 50 or more masks.” They are distributing these masks in the Los Angeles area and as this promotion expands, I am curious if Tieks will expand their donations elsewhere. The Tieks web page for #SewTogether also keeps a running tally of how many masks have been produced. On my last visit (April 16, 2020) they have provided 260,167 lower-grade homemade masks to free up the medical-grade ones for doctors and nurses who deal directly with COVID19 patients.

Not only this but the Gavrieli Foundation maintained by Tieks provides financial resources for women entrepreneurs around the world “in the broader fight against global poverty”. Nice.

Like any other mark, Tieks has an enthusiastic following and Brian has become part of that as well, “I've met lots of great people thru the Tieks group I'm part of. A few have been real life meetings in Arizona and Calgary.”

“Women seem to love this brand,” Brian reiterates, and from the website, I can see why “. . .  and there's a handful of guys that also wear them . . ." 

Tieks . . . a perfect spring choice for anyone who has a social conscience (and an aversion to showy marks) ". . . and they come in a rainbow full of colors” . . . and they're foldable!

Photo Source: Tieks

Spring Choices: Sandals or Flats

Flip Flops and Flats: Summery Choices

Closet Content Analysis: the Best Shoes for a Carefree Summer

NEW

Brian Davis is ready for spring and summer. If you do not know, he is my resident male ballet flats expert and he not only knows Tory Burch flats, he owns more than I can keep track of. But there are three new acquisitions in Brian's flats closet and he is definitely ready to strut.

Tory Burch Sandals and matching Polish. Photo Source: Brian Davis

First on the list for spring footwear is not so much the footwear as the foot. Get a pedicure or give yourself a pedicure. Of course it is much nicer if you book a relaxing pedicure, at least the first one of the season. I had one a couple of weeks ago and I am usually happy but this time, the little details were just off. It cost me $99.00 + taxes (the sale price for a $130.00 Thai pedicure) and I was not so impressed with this salon's interpretation of the procedure or with the technician. My goal this summer may be to experience the perfect pedicure.

Brian did the same but he was much more adventuresome than me. Sometimes, Brian does what I only think about doing - in this case, lime green polish would have been a passing thought for me. Good on you, Brian.

Of course Brian's sandal choices come from the Tory Burch collection and I have lusted after these particular sandals but had a hard time getting over the price. To me, no matter the designer, sandals should not cost that much. Brian is a diehard for Tory Burch so the price of the flip flops doesn't seem to be an issue for him. In fact he bought two pairs, red and green.

Red Tory Burch sandals. Photo Source: Brian Davis, 2017

But there is another pair of ballet flats in my favourite colours for the summer, blue and white, that Brian bought this spring.

Tory Burch blue and white logo ballet flats. Photo Source: Brian Davis, 2017

Now these would be perfect for me and I wouldn't even mind paying full retail price. 

Spring Thoughts on Shoes for a Comfortable Casual Look

NICE     NOTE-WORTHY     NO THANKS

I received an email from Stewart Weitzman Canada and was enamoured with the variety of flats.

Photo Source: Stewart Weitzman Canada

I loved the colour of these blue ballerina style flats and I can see myself wearing them with my casual summer wardrobe that includes a lot of blue, white and beige. However my No Thanks on this pair is that they are suede. I do have several pairs of suede shoes although I opt for dark colours such as black, purple . . . a darker blue. The beige ones I have, I tend not to wear often or have restricted them to "inside" shoes just because of the difficulty of cleaning suede. Stewart Weitzman has them in black but I have also made a Note-Worthy resolution and that is not to buy another pair of black shoes in 2017. These do say that spring is in the air.

Photo Source: Stewart Weitzman Canada

My other passion are metallic flats and they too are often restricted to indoor shoes. This habit has evolved after the first pair of Geox metallic flats I owned. The metallic finish wore out quickly and I do not believe that I was harder on them than any other pair of shoes. These loafers come in an embossed leather that appears to be a mottled grey and beige. That might be Nice. 

Besides sandals these flats seem to be the only styles I wear.  Ballerinas and loafers are my preferred comfortable casual shoe to finish of that particular look. 

Metro in High Shine.
Photo Soource: Stewart Weitzman Canada

No Thanks for me but Nice for others. When it comes to shoes, the chunkiest I get is a wedge heel in the summer. I don't do the sport luxe look often but if you do, these Metro in High Shine tie-ups are very cool. I defer to proportion and I just can't handle a chunky shoe owing to my height and size. If I could I would be looking seriously at these. 

Just like the fall when my "back to school mentality" kicks in, I experience "new shoes for Easter" thoughts and this year there may be more than one pair in the plan. Thank you Stewart Weitzman for the email. 

Six Ways to Achieve the Sport Luxe Look

Sport Luxe has been defined as "fusion between fashion and fitness" (Retrieved on February 20, 2017 from Jasmine Howell's blog, RebelInsider, post dated May 13, 2016). Comfortable casual has embraced elements of sport luxe, but sport luxe is more specific than comfortable casual. Therefore sport luxe can be part of comfortable casual but comfortable casual does not have to include sport luxe. Perhaps categorizing clothing is not a necessary function for one's closet. 

However if you want to incorporate sport luxe into your closet, you may need to consider these factors.

NOTE-WORTHY

How to achieve the "sport luxe" look:

1) Fitness - You have to be fit to pull it off. Yoga leggings and contoured body-hugging t-shirts show off every muscle, along with any lumps and bumps. Camouflage may be necessary. If you have the body or the self-confidence to wear leggings outside of the gym, make sure they are thick enough to obscure the colour of your underwear. It's an unfair category; you look better in this item of sport luxe clothing when you are in great shape.

Brain's Keds Photo Source: Brian Davis

2) Flats or "flat fats" are all generated from a variety of sports, from jogging to skateboarding. Save your expensive joggers for jogging but do wear lighter weight sneakers, such as Keds. They give you the "sport luxe" look without the functional chunkiness, although there are those who like that fat shoe look. Think about proportion relative to what you are wearing and your size when you want to wear a clunkier shoe.

Photo Source: Unknown

3) In the sport luxe category, clothing items are both functional and fashionable in and out of the gym. This does require some self-judgement. Of course it is ok to wear what you are comfortable in at the gym. If you like lifting weights in a t-shirt blotched with bleach stains and oversize torn sweats; fine; but that is not the look that functions outside the gym. Sloppy and slovenly is not sport luxe.

Photo Source: ZAPYLE
8 Cool Ways to Wear a Sports Jersey

4) Balance your look. There's oversize and there's balanced oversize. Thinking you can wear your boyfriend's or husband's XXL rugby shirt when you are a size small or medium will not pull off the "luxe" part of sport luxe. An XXL football jersey with XXL sweatpants will just make you look dowdy at the least, and a puff ball at worst, in addition to being really clumsy and awkward to wear. Make sure you choose something oversized that is proportional to your size. If you are choosing a large full top, balance it with those opaque leggings or a pencil skirt. 

5) Head to toe sport-oriented clothing is overkill on the street. Minimalism is a criteria that applies to the number of sport theme items of clothing you wear at any one time. This is why you see heels with track pants or sneakers with a cotton t-shirt style dress. Take another look at the Zapyle photo - that is sport luxe minimalism.

Stacked bracelets and cuffs add luxe to comfortable casual or sport luxe looks.
Photo Source: JoyD

6) For extra luxe, add cuffs, bangles or Swarovski sparkle on your wrist while wearing sneakers and a sport brand t-shirt. Earrings are great, especially if they are big, but never those cutesy little soccer balls or sport shoes or hockey sticks - that's just "kitsch". Necklaces can be iffy so keep it simple. It is the sport-oriented item of clothing that is your statement, so don't have a big statement necklace compete with your sport luxe look.

Sport luxe is very different from wearing your team's colours and insignia on play day. Think minimalism and balance, both males and females, and you will never lose no matter what the look.

What About Pink?

Pink has been a difficult colour in my life. When I was little and had to choose a dress, I recall conscientiously staying away from pink because it had too many princess connotations and I did not want a princess persona. I was 8. I remember shunning pink when I first began my professional life, thinking that it would be considered "too feminine" or rather "too girly". I was 28. I choose yellow or white instead of either pink or blue for baby gifts. Ongoing from my 20's to my . . . not yet but probably until my 80's. However, pink is evolving in my life as simply a colour, a colour that I don't mind anymore. I still do not have many, actually just one pink item in my closet.

When I asked Brian, this blog's ballet flats expert, about pink in his flats collection, he too was hesitant, for exactly the same socio-cultural reasons.

It was 2012 when Brian wrote, 

I love pink flats but as a guy I just can't get through what it takes to wear them out in public. Maybe some guys can pull them off but I'm not one of the (yet!). I've bought lots over the years only to return them later on. Don't get me wrong they are high quality flats but not quite right for me, so - NO THANKS.

YET! has come. After four years Brian is wearing pink in public and I bought a pink sweater. Never say never. I guess that is why I chose "no thanks" as a sub-category rather than "never" since it does really mean "no thanks for the moment".

Brian now tells us,

I guess in the four years since I said, "No Thanks" about pink, my answer has obviously changed to "Yes, please". I'm not sure if I felt I had enough other coloured flats that pink was the next obvious colour to get or if it's more that I think pink is a good colour for me.

Here are a few of Brian's pink choices in and out of his closet. I won't bother showing you my pink sweater since it's just a pink sweater and not nearly as interesting as Brian's flats collection in pink.

A sampling of Brian's Pink Flats Collection Collage created by befunky.com