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| Combined Teal & Grey uniforms with grey accessories |
In the last post we reviewed and revisited the initial steps in "curating the closet" for a new fashion season. Those steps were the quantifying and defining of the clothes we needed for the roles in our lifestyle and removing any closet clutter that may reside from last season (believe me, there is always something). The third step in the process is determining what garments are available for planning and designing the costumes for our roles. It is assumed that those garments already match our personal fashion personality (romantic, dramatic, sporty, country, whatever). Hopefully, we will also know what garments we will need to replace any necessary garments that were no longer serviceable or lacking and created a "needs" list. (Don't forget to make any alterations or repairs to existing garments). It also assumes that all garments left in the closet are ready to be worn.
A stylinista must have an idea of the fashion looks she wants to create for the new season. Ideally, she has created a style book based on pictures from fashion magazines, fashion store windows, street style, etc. or has mental images of what looks she wants to develop (style book will be more effective, trust me on this!) that she can refer to when "shopping her closet". ( I usually have the book with me when I am trying to mix and match for combinations I can make with what I already have. it is a great feeling to create authentic personal style by pulling together garments and accessories that I already have!). I keep a note pad of these combinations for future reference and to remember what the combinations were so I can take pictures of the ensemble for my stylebook). You do not have to take pictures, you can just make a chart of what garments you have matched to make your look. ( I find taking a picture with my smart phone is faster initially, but the uploading, printing, cutting and pasting takes a lot more time).
One word of caution in designing combinations of garments; it is imperative to take your body type into consideration when making these matches. Several style articles talk about having "30 days worth of Outfits", etc. That may be true for a clothes model, however, most of us have body types and design considerations that must be taken into account to flatter our figure. Every figure does not look good in the same combinations. For example, I might have a bold white and black horizontal striped short sleeved tee that could be combined with a pencil black linen skirt; that combination would make my body more top heavy than it already is! I would never wear that unless I could reduce the look of the wide top, maybe with a black silk 3/4 length sleeve sweater. My caution is to remind you that you may be able to wear a certain combination of clothing, but should you? If you decide you should not, obviously, you cannot count this as an outfit.
After we have shopped our individual closets and made our lists of the items we need to replace, we will undoubtedly discover that we need to purchase two or three items to develop our desired looks. To make the most of our clothing budget, we need to evaluate our intended purchases; We evaluate the needs and wants based on how much money we have budgeted for our update. (a science in itself). If they are classic garments or additions that you will wear for many years or seasons (the perfect LBD, new jeans, a classic pair of pants or skirt, etc.) plan to budget accordingly. If it is a fad or "trendy" item, budget accordingly. Personally, I budget $1.00 per wearing. You will be amazed how well this strategy has served me. I take this step before I leave my house to shop. Of course, each fashionista has her own sense of what she wants to spend per wearing; the principle is a budget conscious fashionista will evaluate the cost per wearing before making the purchase. (saves a lot of buyer's remorse-been there, done that!)
I don't like to wear exactly the same outfit more than three or four times a season. I estimate any trendy garment that I buy is likely to be "in style" for about three years, give or take a bit; a "fad" may not last one season. Basic math says I can spend about $9.00 to $16.00 and get my money's worth out of a trendy garment; less if it is a fad. Naturally, many of these garments can be combined into more than one outfit and I adjust my anticipated spending accordingly but it gives me a baseline of spending. For example, a couple of years ago, transparent blouses with heavily embellished collars of crystals, etc. were in retail stores for about $40.00 per blouse. No way was I going to wear such a blouse 40 times so I bypassed that adorable blouse for a similar but much less expensive garment.
In the next post we will discuss how you can effectively purchase your looks within the budgeted price point.
Happy Stylin'.............Geneva..............Rockmyages@aol.com
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