Sometimes it is hard to reinvent the clothes in your closet and Mix it Up even if you follow Mix and Match. That is the beauty of the Mix and Match philosophy but also its downside. It's easy to fall in a rut, you wake up, it's Thursday, you're working 11 to 12 hour days, and so you fall back on a tried and true combination.
One of mine is a pair of Rebecca Taylor black and white tweed pants (circa 2007) and a black boiled wool Caractere Jacket (circa 2006, purchased in Amsterdam) . I usually pair this with a long sleeved white T-shirt and a Hermes scarf "Faubourg by Night" (circa 2008, purchased in Paris) that has blacks, greys and blues. Dreary and boring especially on a gray January day. I've got to come up with a new combo!
Here are two of my favourite links that I hope will inspire you to Mix up the Mix and Match!
Fifi Lapin, the furry fashionista, is a blog spot that I discovered this morning while I was reading the Globe and Mail newspaper. Although she is an "Har-ess" it is so cute I couldn't resist. It reminds me of Hello Kitty but Fifi is quite a bit more sophisticated. More inspirational and aspirational than anything else but then sometimes you need to be inspired to rework what you have.
My other favourite link is The Sartorialist- this is a great site! The man who is behind it takes pictures of real people who he finds fashionable as he wanders the streets of whatever city he's in and he does not discriminate. Great ideas and a unique perspective not to mention that the last time I went on there were several photos of people from Toronto.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
MY CLEANING LADY MAY SABOTAGE MY GOAL
In anticipation of this year I bought a whole bunch of socks in November. However since then some of them have gone missing! And why is this you ask? Well they seem to get eaten by the dryer and since my cleaning lady does my laundry I have no way to check. I am totally reliant on her!
So far, I seem to be making due although yesterday I had to wear an old pair of Topshop fishnet type black socks that I bought in 2005 on a trip to London. They've lost their ability to stay up. That was interesting!
Today I found, luckily, a rather nice pair at the back of the sock drawer.
Wonder what I am going to do tomorrow....
Let's hope I make it to next December.
I'd post a picture of said socks so you could judge for yourself the dire straights I am in but I don't have a digital camera yet.
So far, I seem to be making due although yesterday I had to wear an old pair of Topshop fishnet type black socks that I bought in 2005 on a trip to London. They've lost their ability to stay up. That was interesting!
Today I found, luckily, a rather nice pair at the back of the sock drawer.
Wonder what I am going to do tomorrow....
Let's hope I make it to next December.
I'd post a picture of said socks so you could judge for yourself the dire straights I am in but I don't have a digital camera yet.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
WHY DO I THINK THAT I CAN DO THIS?
As I have previously indicated, my objective is to go a whole year without buying anything new... So why do I think that I can do this?
The answer: I follow some very simple rules for buying clothes for my wardrobe...
These are:
1. Mix and Match Rules.
90% of what I buy must go with everything else in my wardrobe.
How does this work?: Imagine blindfolding you eyes and then standing in front of your closet to an outfit. Would the items you picked actually make a wearable outfit? If the odds aren't good you are in trouble.
By the way this goes for shoes and handbags too.
2. Choose neutral colours for your key pieces / investment pieces :
suits, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets, formal wear and sportswear.
Neutral colours are black, grey, beige, brown, Navy blue or white.
Plaids, tweeds, checks are acceptable if they have your neutral colours and possibly one accent colour.
There is nothing that dates more quickly than that purple suite or the weird Green one!
3. Chose 3-4 accent colours for shirts, tops, sweaters and the like.
Even patterns should conform. You can choose any colours but they should be colours that you feel good wearing and look good on you. Mine are pink, blue and purple! A bit of white doesn't hurt either.
4. Avoid to being trendy.
No matter how trendy the piece is if it doesn't look good on you, you won't look good
5. Less is more.
6. Classic.
You know you will look good, you won't need to update your wardrobe as often and you won't need as many pieces. The pieces we tend to wear over and over again are the ones that we love and actually look good on us! Think vintage-would you wear it again in 10 years? 20 Years?. I'm sure many of us would wear a Vintage Chanel suite if we could. Apply this principle to your wardrobe.
7. Have something for every occasion.
Most are not living in a snack bracket where we attend more than 5 formal / special events a year that require a long dress. These are expensive - choose wisely and update/ change with accessories which means you need to wear it again. This is where the "classic" principle really comes into play.
Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. That black dress is still a knock out and is incredibly versatile..... find your own twist and make it unique
8. Plan ahead.
It is OK to buy inexpensive items for a quick update but for the important pieces plan ahead. Review your wardrobe, identify the gaps, keep a list and pounce when the price is right.
What are the benefits?
1. Your wardrobe won't be outdated so quickly. It is amazing what one new well thought out piece can do for something that is 3 years old.
2. You can update / alter something that is well made
3. You will save money
4. You will have something for every occasion.
The answer: I follow some very simple rules for buying clothes for my wardrobe...
These are:
1. Mix and Match Rules.
90% of what I buy must go with everything else in my wardrobe.
How does this work?: Imagine blindfolding you eyes and then standing in front of your closet to an outfit. Would the items you picked actually make a wearable outfit? If the odds aren't good you are in trouble.
By the way this goes for shoes and handbags too.
2. Choose neutral colours for your key pieces / investment pieces :
suits, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets, formal wear and sportswear.
Neutral colours are black, grey, beige, brown, Navy blue or white.
Plaids, tweeds, checks are acceptable if they have your neutral colours and possibly one accent colour.
There is nothing that dates more quickly than that purple suite or the weird Green one!
3. Chose 3-4 accent colours for shirts, tops, sweaters and the like.
Even patterns should conform. You can choose any colours but they should be colours that you feel good wearing and look good on you. Mine are pink, blue and purple! A bit of white doesn't hurt either.
4. Avoid to being trendy.
No matter how trendy the piece is if it doesn't look good on you, you won't look good
5. Less is more.
6. Classic.
You know you will look good, you won't need to update your wardrobe as often and you won't need as many pieces. The pieces we tend to wear over and over again are the ones that we love and actually look good on us! Think vintage-would you wear it again in 10 years? 20 Years?. I'm sure many of us would wear a Vintage Chanel suite if we could. Apply this principle to your wardrobe.
7. Have something for every occasion.
Most are not living in a snack bracket where we attend more than 5 formal / special events a year that require a long dress. These are expensive - choose wisely and update/ change with accessories which means you need to wear it again. This is where the "classic" principle really comes into play.
Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. That black dress is still a knock out and is incredibly versatile..... find your own twist and make it unique
8. Plan ahead.
It is OK to buy inexpensive items for a quick update but for the important pieces plan ahead. Review your wardrobe, identify the gaps, keep a list and pounce when the price is right.
What are the benefits?
1. Your wardrobe won't be outdated so quickly. It is amazing what one new well thought out piece can do for something that is 3 years old.
2. You can update / alter something that is well made
3. You will save money
4. You will have something for every occasion.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
ANOTHER RULE
Rule Number 7: Is is possible that I could make things? Sewing is not my strength but I can knit and I can make jewelry. Should this be allowed? If not, I 'll hav to give away the mittens I am knitting...
Sunday, January 2, 2011
NEW YEAR, NEW RULES
Welcome to my blog! I'm hoping to save a lot of money this year by not buying any new clothes. Maybe in 2012 I can then splurge on something really nice!
I've been thinking about this for a whole year so I have to admit I did bit of stock piling in 2010-10 pairs of shoes, all on sale though, or was it 11 pairs? Some new underwear ,and some new peices from Theory for work. I even bought a new pair of runing shoes on December 28th to get them in under the wire.
I'm feeling a bit relieved and liberated by the thought that I will not be making any clothing purchases this year.
My plan is to post twice a week and recount what I wore, observations about what makes it possible to go a whole year without buying anything new and not feel unfashionable or frumpy.
I've been thinking about this for a whole year so I have to admit I did bit of stock piling in 2010-10 pairs of shoes, all on sale though, or was it 11 pairs? Some new underwear ,and some new peices from Theory for work. I even bought a new pair of runing shoes on December 28th to get them in under the wire.
I'm feeling a bit relieved and liberated by the thought that I will not be making any clothing purchases this year.
My plan is to post twice a week and recount what I wore, observations about what makes it possible to go a whole year without buying anything new and not feel unfashionable or frumpy.
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