You see, clothes (a dress, shoe, bag, etc) each give me a certain vibe. I mean there are the obvious attitudes of preppy that is sensed in an argyle piece, or rocker in a ragged band tee, but I find every vintage dress has its own delicate personality. When pieces have a similar vibe they will work; when they don't your outfit tends to feel dysfunctional. To me not every pair of black shoes will go with every printed dress, sometimes their structure is just wrong paired with the style of the dress. Same with bags, obviously a giant tote bag doesn't really work with and elegant and streamlined silhouette...
Am I making any sense? Of course, this whole style theory might just be effective for me. I feel all of my style "vibrations" are in tune although to someone else my outfit might seem very schizophrenic. In the end, of the day these pairings feel natural and pleasing to me, but it doesn't do to project onto others.
So, what helps you make your style choices? 
Outfit details: dress- Pretty Trashy, shoes- Blowfish via Urban Outfitters, scarf- my mother's
Outfit details: dress- Pretty Trashy, shoes- Blowfish via Urban Outfitters, scarf- my mother's
63 comments:
I pretty much view it the same way. All clothes have a certain genre/category/vibe that they fall under. The only difference for me is that sometimes I like to break that rule. I'll put two different vibes together. I feel like it works, but maybe other people don't. Well written post my friend!
I'm really happy to see the harlequin dress make another appearance. :)
The process of getting dressed is very hard to describe. Usually the weather is the most important factor in my wardrobe choice for the day. Beyond that, it's just what I plan to do and what I feel like wearing. I take about 2 minutes in the morning to rifle through my dresser and pull stuff out, but other times a great styling idea (like layering a certain top under a dress) will come to me just as I'm falling asleep.
I really adore your style. You have exquisite taste!
My clothes, on the other hand, are inspired by my room, vintage postcards, food and movie soundtracks. I guess you can say those give off a vibe too.
I think I know what you mean, with the 'vibrations' bit. I sometimes will get a whole new view on my wardrobe by introducing one new item of clothing, because the way I will use my other items to style it, will change the way I looked at them before.
i love that dress... i wish i could find something that great. And I would love to see you at the back of my teen vogue issue on the snapshots page!
Love your dress, its a real beauty.
i love the dress and your headscarf, so 1930s :) great shoot on the stairs!
I wear what i feel like. And what 'clicks'. I have a certain style and taste. And aren't sooo affected by trends & fashion. I get inspired of catwalks and other stuff. But I never just copy it right of. That just ain't me.
yeah i get what you mean, i haven't really thought about it much but i guess what music i listen to in the morning has a lot to do with the outfits i put together.
Gah, I want that dress. I love the scarf, too--I really must try scarves in my hair. This is really interesting insight into how you create outfits. My only worry with matching vibes would be that one might get stuck in a rut and not combine things that would work. I'm not saying you would do that (you have great style), but I think that if I tried to think about clothes in the same way, I 'd never come up with any thing interesting. I guess I just need to think about vibes differently. As to how I make style choices, I just think about color combinations and silhouettes. I think most of it is actually subconscious, since often an outfit just comes to me randomly.
i know what you mean! i generally put my outfits together based on levels of attention. if a certain item of clothing calls alot of attention to itself then i'll put other "quiet" items in the mix to balance it out. it's all about the balance. but if a certain day (or event) calls for me to turn up the volume then "quiet" goes out the window!
hi lady!
what a wonderful + thought provoking post.
I guess I never really thought about it that way or have given it too much thought. But now it has made me think...
I simply just go on what I LOVE, my mood, the weather..etc. But mostly what I love. If it makes me feel good then its a go. I start with a key item then work myself around that. I don't really have a "style" so to speak...but most of my clothes are similar and mesh.
I LOVE playing around and my passion for fashion and clothes bubbles inside of me everyday.
thanks for such a insightful post.
Thank you for linking me :D. Hey, I see you've got teenvogue -"sticker", congrats.(Or then I just haven't noticed it before)
juliet xxx
I'm loving the dress! And I really understand what you mean about each peice in your wardrobe giving off a different vibe, I usually go by that, but sometimes I'll mix things that don't "go together" in my mind, and it will look surprisingly cool, so I'll wear it.
lovely pictures!
well normally i have one item that i really want to wear, and i build the look up from there - considering shape/colour/pattern of the other items and whether or not they look right together. sometimes it depends on the weather (boooo). but i can literally wake up really wanting to wear a certain pair of earrings and then have the whole outfit centered around that - even though no one probably even notices the earrings!
i agree with you completely. There are black shoes and there are black shoes. Anyway, cute look today with the red shoes. very savvy!
That printed dress is lovely on you. I totally understand about the 'fashion vibes' and I think like most people, I too pick my clothes based on how I feel that day. After all, fashion is just another way of expressing yourself right?
I can definitely see where you're coming from and I also take shape into consideration quite instinctively. Another thing that helps me to make my mind up on an outfit is that I require a mixture of different elements. I want quirky but sophisticated, I want to scream vintage but not totally sacrifice modern. If I'm too much of one thing then it just looks like fancy dress and I don't like that. Plus, I don't want to pigeon-hole myself for a whole day. I'd get bored!
I can definitely see where you're coming from and I also take shape into consideration quite instinctively. Another thing that helps me to make my mind up on an outfit is that I require a mixture of different elements. I want quirky but sophisticated, I want to scream vintage but not totally sacrifice modern. If I'm too much of one thing then it just looks like fancy dress and I don't like that. Plus, I don't want to pigeon-hole myself for a whole day. I'd get bored!
very nice dress!
you always manage to look so amazing! fabulous dress xo
I think what helps me put outfits together is color. Like, if I have one piece of clothing and need to decide what else to wear with it, I automatically think of a certain other item that I'll wear because of the color. I just know that's the color combination I want.
I certainly understand your theory, but I don't think that works for me because I am a bit of a schizophrenic dresser.
I covet that dress.
oh I love your dress so much!
I pick an outfit the same way - I can picture in my head what goes together and the main criteria is normally a similar "vibe" which IS hard to explain.
I can tell if what I'm wearing isn't working for me. It's sort of like when I buy some new piece of clothes, I have to just get that feeling that I want it and have to have it.
Interesting, I try on pieces until I have an outfit usually it's not planned out at all. When things don't look right I change it for something else, that gets me my vibe. :-)
interesting way of thinking about it. i definitely get what you mean about some things having a certain vibe. i've never really said it out loud, but that is kinda the way i do my dressing.
that dress is fantastic!
-issa
you're a fairytale :) i'm new to the blog-o-sphere and i've linked you if that's alright!
This is what makes fellow fashionista bloggers so awesome: being able to pull an outfit together in a way that best works for them.
You look gorgeous as always- love that scarf!
i think i feel the same about the whole 'vibe' thing. when i find something, i can immediately tell if its something that would be 'me' or work with a lot of my other clothes. it is very intuitive indeed.
i think i feel the same about the whole 'vibe' thing. when i find something, i can immediately tell if its something that would be 'me' or work with a lot of my other clothes. it is very intuitive indeed.
i agree, especially about the 'structure' part. sometimes you think of an outfit in your head that seems to go wonderfully together, but when you try the pieces on they kind of suck. haha. and it's usually because the length or cut or general look of each item just don't mesh together.
and gawd i really love your dress! i've also always wanted to wear a scarf on my head like you did, a la underbaraclara, but it feels kind of goofy whenever i have one on. sigh.
First at all, I love your dress!
Answering you questions I´d say what inspire to me are: the weather, the place where I go, the people I go with... I like mixing items. I like to wear something that make me feel different and special: a vintage bag, a grandmother´s scarf, a second hand jacket... I try everyday is a party to get dressed... a very special meeting with fashion and more more things...
kss from Spain
;-)
your diamond print dresses are so envy-worthy. i think you put into words very succinctly what makes an outfit work and not work - it's something i feel out intuitively.
The dress is awesome and I love the setting of your pictures.
So many approaches you can take depending on the style of clothes...obviously if you tend to go for one style of clothing, then it makes things easier but I think there isn't one specific approach I take...
Hmmm i usually go about in similar fashion. Some pieces speak really clearly how they should be paired/matched. But of cos there are some pieces that allow you to play with and those, those leave me with all my belts and shoes and whatnots all over my room!
Great post!
I'm pretty much like you when it comes to dressing; I usually get a certain feeling of a dress and then I combine it with stuff that give me similar feelings! Feelings and vibes are very important in fashion and style!
Amazing outfit again, and so very you. Indeed you have a very distinct style, and the pieces are always corresponding to one another. I mean, your point does come to life with your choice of clothes, shoes, accessories. I have to say, I love how your mind and imagination are always at work!
Wow..your post is right on target with how I choose an outfit each morning. I also rely on instinct to guide me in my choices, not necessarily what matches the best. For example maybe I'll be wearing a yellow dress and while technically my brown shoes match better, I'll choose my white ones instead b/c the brown just don't "feel" right.
Layering and accessorizing is pretty much natural for me too. I think it has something to do with understanding you figure and caring for the pieces of clothing. When you love something, it'll feel comfortable wearing it.
i love your dress! and yeah, your post makes so much sense. <3
oh dear u make whole lot of sense!
isnt that why we all need a black shoe in MANY designs? hehe.
and that dress is such a darling.
That dress is so beautifull! Looks really great!
I love that dress!
I love the dress which also illustrates what you are referring to to. The mix of the argyle pattern which evokes wooly Scottish sweaters used to make a sun dress would in theory seem quite schizophrenic but the end result is actually really lovely.
PS. I sent your shirt out a few days ago (and totally forgot to let you know) so keep a look out for it, it usually takes 7-10 business days. Thanks!
Nice post! I dress by emotion too. I like how you pulled the red out of the dress with the shoes
I feel exactly the same way with how I dress, certain pieces of clothing have different feelings. I pair my clothing with my emotion for the day!
I enjoyed reading the comments on this post. I simplify my life by often wearing the same "uniform" almost everyday. I almost always wear black jeans and t-shirts, but have interesting and colorful jackets and high heels to wear with it.
It might sound boring but I seem to get many compliments on my style. I'm not sure that other people can really tell how I'm doing it.
I know what you mean about clothing vibes. At the same time, I have a completely different way. I pick things that don't go together at all and try to work them back to something that isn't expected. Sometimes it works, sometimes it goes horribly wrong!
I have strict, old-school notions of what works, and I stick with 'em. I admire the girls who branch out and try new things. Sometimes it gives me ideas.
It is a pretty intuitive process. One thing I keep in mind is to go baggy on top with tight on bottom and vice versa...
You're so right about how not every pair of black shoes go with a certain outfit. I would start with a piece that I want to wear as the focus piece, then work around it. The sillouette and color depends on the mood I'm in--darker and more slim for a sophisticated look, and brighter colors and slouchier profiles for playtime.
Beautiful outfit, looks like something straight from Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 08 collection!
Glad you went with the red shoes...makes the whole look that much more interesting <3
I love your dress and the shoes are so cute! I'm impressed of how you manage to make your outfits look great every single time!
I love the print of your dress!
I'm not quite sure how I figure out what to wear yet..
I love how you've put this into words. It's like every piece of clothing has it's own personality and just like people some personalities just click, don't they?
For me, choosing an outfit is based on a combination of mood and also how the proportions and shape make me feel. Some days I'm wanting something more figure flattering,other days I'm feeling baggy or loose...the worst thing is getting out and about and feeling "wrong" or uncomfortable about what you wore. I often change a few times to get it right!
I never really thought about it as a "vibe" thing, but it sounds very right to me. As for your example with the black shoes: sure not each fits to everything, this is why a girl needs so many different black shoes which usally are not at all alike, in contrast to what many men tend to say! ;o)
Personally I start an outfit often from one single piece, very often an accessory and build the rest around it. Or I feel like wearing a particular color and then see what I got in wardrobe. The biggest problem is often not having enough time. How can you feel a vibe if there's only 10 minutes left for dressing in the morning?
I feel the same way. Each item has has it's own personality, and to pair it with something or wear it to something that isn't right would be just plain rude. Disrespectful to the piece's history.
I absolutely adore that dress, by the way. Every time you wear it, I bump you up on my list of people to mug.
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