Fashion sense without breaking the bank?

[suchacutie]

So yesterday Tina couldn't figure out what to wear. She has this wonderful boucle sweater and asked her gf what it might go with. The response, "why not give me a fashion show of all you have and we can see what might work!"

Now was that ever fun! I ordered the clothes in some kind of logic and then walked out for an evaluation! I got to show off each outfit, spin around a few times, and then we talked about what went with what!

The end result: One outfit is on its way to Goodwill! The rest mixed and matched NOT AT ALL! It seems that in trying to find out what looks good on Tina and what she likes, the various tops and skirts and dresses and leggings were so varied that mixing them just didn't work.

So, how have you all handled your wardrobe? Have you, like me, just generated an eclectic mix and then had to work your way out of it as you understood your sense of style and what you wanted to present? Or do you, like me, just buy what seems good at the time?

I'm trying to generate a "look" that's versatile without filling up my closet with clothes that won't mix! Shoes...well that's another issue :)

thanks and I hope you have fun with this!

tina

[AllieSF]

Well Tina you had me confused there for a bit, I think, or I may still be confused. I am assuming that you are referring to your femme self as Tina and therefore modeled your outfits for your male self and femme self (Tina). I.e. no one else was present. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Now on to your topic. I am a thrift store junky and go in, look around and buy whatever strikes my fancy. I also shop and only buy new things when they are on sale. I have had excellent luck in getting some great bargains and some wonderful clothes, some top of the line brands with matching quality. Generally, I do not go into a store looking to put together an outfit, though that is changing now that my wardrobe is coming together. As I try to put together outfits for a day or night out on the town I try on a lot of different combinations to find the look that I want for the planned venue. I have found I have been extremely fortunate to have only had to "recycle" back to the thrift stores a very limited quantity of my previous purchases. I am sure that more will be recycled in the future as I continue to refine my styles. I have found that because I have a large resource of tops, skirts, jackets, shoes and accessories, I have a lot of interesting and wonderful options every time I start experimenting with my next outfits. I really love this part of preparing for my next time out. I not only find the outfit that I will wear, but also develop great ideas for the future. So, I say thrift shopping is just that, thrifty, and it also enables us newbies to develop our own styles quickly and economically.

[DonnaT]

I usually buy while keeping in mind what I already have that will go with what I'm buying. One great thing about jean skirts, most anything will go with it.

Other times I'll buy a complet outfit.

But I buy on sale so as not to break the bank.

[Ms. Emily]

Well Tina you had me confused there for a bit, I think, or I may still be confused. I am assuming that you are referring to your femme self as Tina and therefore modeled your outfits for your male self and femme self (Tina). I.e. no one else was present. Please correct me if I am wrong.




She did say. It says in the second sentence she was showing off to her Girlfriend.



As far as clothes that go well with different outfits. I just buy lots of solid colors. You can mix a basic white or black shirt with most anything.

[cherry]

I find dresses such a safe option, that the majority of my non working gear are dresses.

Actually the majority f my working gear is also dresses, now that I have looked. :)

[suchacutie]

Ah, life is complex. My wife is Tina's girlfriend, and at times I'm sure that I slip back and forth from one gender perspective to the other.

The whole idea of that part of the evening was that of managing a wardrobe (vs. just buying what seems like fun!). To do that, Tina's terrific gf watched as Tina went through outfit after outfit, commenting and separating. It was an incredible learning experience, besides being just fun!!

I can see that we need to start to build a wardrobe with some thought instead of just randomness, and I was wondering how everyone handles this?

:)

tina

[Ms. Emily]

Ah, life is complex. My wife is Tina's girlfriend, and at times I'm sure that I slip back and forth from one gender perspective to the other.

The whole idea of that part of the evening was that of managing a wardrobe (vs. just buying what seems like fun!). To do that, Tina's terrific gf watched as Tina went through outfit after outfit, commenting and separating. It was an incredible learning experience, besides being just fun!!

I can see that we need to start to build a wardrobe with some thought instead of just randomness, and I was wondering how everyone handles this?

:)

tina


If your gonna speak in the third person you might wanna tell people. Your posts actually are kinda confusing.

[noeleena]

Hi..

Having some one with you is allways good as you did & being a woman will have a better sence of knowing what looks great , good , or way out . or for many just clothes to wear . & being sloppy .
12 years ago i was picking clothes that i knew would not date so with my age in mind then i was 50 so now i wear them & really its a mix of,
some are stand alone complete out fits , & many others are mix & match so i would have more than enough for 2 months of not wearing the same every day .
yet i still wear some every other day & depending on where we are going or what the event is .

Now of cause i have other clothes that are only for our edwardian group outing s , plus some i have & can get for our grandchild who loves being dressed up ,
Skirts are my best choise as they can be mixed & matched . with many different tops .
Pick colours that match your skin, height , & makeup & hair . dont over dress & stand out . unless its a fun night & any thing goes ,
Look at others & think how you would be looked at then dress accordingly .
ask at your local fashon shop they will have some nice looks & not to dear . or like me the second hand shops & yes my size 14 to 16 skirts & tops 18 many times , worth a look .
& i have allso been over the years buying clothes & looking out for some for Jos my s o .
happy buying & do have fun doing it or as we say out & about .

...noeleena...

[eluuzion]

ground control to Major Tom...

I too was and actually still am lost as to "who is who" in this thread...the third person approach always gives me a bit of a feeling I am in a schizophrenia ward in a psych facility...:D:eek::D

anyway, I approach my "wardobe" much the same as the rest of my life...eccentricly systematic...hehehe.

I buy what glows at the moment, and worry about compatibility and coordination issues later...lol. As long as I have black 5" pumps, it all seems to work out in my world...:thumbsup:

[tamarav]

I was never once confused, someone had clothes that were shown to someone else. Priorities were developed.

As for me, I buy at thrift stores one piece at a time and when I get ready to go to work, (Yes, I work dressed) I pull somehting together, not always on the first try but it eventually comes together.

I think sometimes we totally overthink our outfits to the point that they hold us up. "I am putting together the perfect outfit for my outing" seems to be a very common statement. Remember, we are the stars and we creat our own fashion, so whatever you wear will possibly fly no matter what others may think.

Now that I have totally confused myself, I have to go find something to wear to work..

[kimdl93]

I have to admit - I borrow a lot of ideas from my wife. If a certain combination looks good on her, then I'll try it myself. I also tend to buy complete outfits from on line vendors - same principle.

[joank]

How many times have I stood in front of the mirror and said no, yes, maybe, not with those shoes, maybe with that purse and this will go really nice with the skirt I just saw a Kohl's last time I was shopping. It is the fun of being a girl.

[Chari]

Start with the basics - black skirt, denim skirt, LBD, jeans, blouses (plain & patterns), sweaters, short sleeve or T tops. Add to this jewelry, scarfs, belts, and of course shoes - from ballet slippers to high heels to boots! If you wear a patterned top - then wear a plain skirt in a color from that top. Try to dress in your age group and for the event. Notice what GGs in your area are wearing, or what is being shown in fashion mags, but always be comfortable & confident in what you are wearing!

[docrobbysherry]

I USED to buy whatever looked good to me at the time. :eek:

So, lots of dresses have gone back. But, I've discovered that keeping ALL skirts and blouses is a good idea! :)

For St Pat's, I picked out a few skirts from my GREEN stack. Didn't have the rite tops for all of them. One trip to Goodwill, and I had matching tops for next to nothing!:brolleyes:

Of course, my sense of taste is all in my mouth, as u can tell from my pics!:doh:

[suchacutie]

Sorry about the third-person problem. I'll fix that from here on out!

Thank you everyone for your posts. As a guy I thought I had some pretty good fashion sense but now I realize that I know what looks good on a woman, but not how to make it look good. I was just so delighted that my wife saw the issue and immediately suggested the "fashion show". There are just so many things to learn about being a girl, and this is one that I thought I already knew...so wrong!

tina

[girlygirl152]

Ill admit my wardrobe is pretty small and not very well coordinated. Im hoping to buy a new skirt suit from the online catalogs :) i havent decided from where yet. let me know what you suggest. p.s. i want to get a nice pencil skirt and white blouse.

Samantha

[dilane]

At first (way back 20 years or more ago), I just bought stuff that I liked. Over the years, after making many dumb mistakes buying things that didn't coordinate with much else, I'm very conscious of how a new article will fit in with what I have.

When I buy a dress, I think -- what shoes do I have that go with this, what sweaters and coats, purses, etc. Same process for tops and skirts and shoes.

I also try and coordinate new jewelery purchases with what I've got.

[Sally24]

It helps to buy some things in solid colors, especially blacks and whites. If you have some solid color tops and skirts, they can coordinate with many other pieces.

Jeans are great because they'll go with almost any kind of top, dressy or casual.

I prefer dresses and they are easy in that you only have to coordinate jewelry, shoes and belts to match them.

If you want a good guide to help you learn what your mother should/could have taught you about fashion, pick up "40 over 40", it's great!
http://www.amazon.com/40-Over-Things-Getting-Dressed/dp/1885171420

[suchacutie]

Thanks, Sally. I'll look for that book!

The good thing is that I have almost all black. The bad thing is that we found quickly that my inverted triangle shape makes bow necklines terrible for me .... yuck! Makes my shoulders even wider!

So that came down to style and texture.

Girlygirl, I want a pencil skirt too but then I need a top. I probably have shoes to match ok, but I bought a white top (shirt) and forgot to add the "girls" to the measurement for my bust size...stupid! So, it's a bit tight and I need a new white bra or I "show" a little too much!

For example, I have a bit of a bow-neck top but they have doleman sleeves so they are ok with a long/narrow necklace. But then my wife/fashion consultant said that I really needed some jeans/pants with a wider leg to match. It's that kind of stuff that I'm still clueless about!

But it is fun learning, no?

tina