Interesting Idea

I was reading a book today, a guide on fashion, that is actually not a vintage book (mid-eighties, I believe) but it was written by an older woman who was attempting to offer a cost-effective way to acheive a look she stresses is "timeless" and "classic" - it works very well with a lot of what I see here.

In it, she is very strong on building the basics of your wardrobe - pointing out that pretty party dresses are fun, but you can't live in them all the time, and the more exotic pieces are not incredibly re-wearable. Which, fair enough, I thought.

She has a list of things you need (at least two skirts for day, one ankle length and one to somewhere within an inch or two of your knee in either direction) a plain button down white shirt, a silkier shirt that can go from day to night, etc. And she stresses building on accessories, which I find very appealing because it lets you change it up more, and it's a less expensive look.

She also says that one of the best things a beginner can have is a colour scheme, which makes buying new things and mixing and matching much easier - she recommends 1) White/Ivory/Cream 2) One bright or strong colour 3) One light or pastel colour (including grey) and 4) Either brown or navy or black, allowing for the multitude of shades of brown and navy, and including charcoal within black. That was when I realized you rarely see navy pushed as a staple anymore like you do in the Golden Era.

I wondered what you ladies thought of building a "shopping list" around four colours, and what four colours you would personally choose? I thought for myself I might go with something like this, bringing in other colours with scarves and belts and whatnot, and it might help me branch into wearing more vintage-infused and vintage looks on a daily basis, if things sort of go together and form whole outfits and looks.

Or is it all nonsense, ladies? Or do you have a different article/book to post bits of? I love vintage/classic-style guides for style, you could say I need all the help I can get.

I think that the idea of having a color scheme and sticking to it is a good one...For me, I tend to buy navy and brown, and stay away from black, which is too harsh for me (I'm very pale, with blue eyes and ash blond hair).

I had to replace ALL of my clothes in the first year after my gastric bypass surgery, and I knew I wanted to go back to vintage/vintage style, and also had a VERY limited budget. I decided then I wanted to wear white/black/red/gray. So my wardrobe is primarily these colors. I have a few color pieces, mostly in sweaters or shirts, and am adding some beige as a neutral this year. I try to keep my "pops" of colors in my makeup/shoes/handbag.

I don't dress true 100% vintage, but I do have some vintage pieces, a few reproduction pieces and this year I am focusing on sewing from vintage patterns more. I also need to work on my casual wear and have bought some high waist denim and plan to make a lightweight denim skirt from a 1942 pattern for summer.

I know there are some threads here for 30's wardrobe, 40's wardrobe and 50's wardrobe basics that could be useful for you to peruse.

Those are great threads. I don't really have a particular decade yet (except, unfortunately, I can't really wear '20s stuff) so I was looking for sort of personal rules of general classic style. And I love hearing how different people might both do the same decade but they do it in a totally different way, wearing totally different colours.

Especially with all the amazing, crafty, talented people here who knit or sew. I really want to learn how to do those things just because I'm so inspired to create vintage looks to go with "my" colours or things I already have.

For me, I still need to pick a basic palette, but the two colours I KNOW I need are green and black, which fits with pretty much everything I wear, not just vintage. I like that ability to mix in repro and new stuff, because I don't have nearly enough vintage to wear all the time.

It was funny, though, I said something about blue, which is a colour I've never worn much of, and my sister (who is also my best friend) looked at me funny and said "that's MY colour!" lol

Some people have colours that are them, or particular patterns (I know a girl who's a fiend for all things cherry print) or ones that They Just Don't Do, and I'd love to hear what people here think.

The best thing you can do for yourself is trust your judgement as far as colors go, and it sounds like you're already on the track there. The next trick is to figure out how to *use* those colors -- boldly or subtly, prints or solids, big prints or small prints, etc.

As for me, I find big and bold to be too much. I'm tallish, and I already stand out enough in a crowd, so I build my wardrobe around shirtwaist dresses in small prints, mostly in shades of green, brown, maroon, tan, and occasionally black. I look good in blue, but I save that for suits mostly, which is about the only time I wear all solid colors. I have a few dresses in blue cotton prints, but blue cottons fade into a dingy grey if you wear them a lot, so I don't.

Where I like to use solids is as an accent: I'll top a small-print dress with a cardigan or suit jacket in a coordinating solid color. This is a good basic look that can be casual or businesslike depending on what I'm doing and what other accessories I'm using.

I make all my dresses, so I have control over what colors and prints I use -- but I buy cardies and jackets, and I won't buy something unless I know it goes with the dresses I already have. Likewise with accessories -- I never buy anything unless I know it's going to fit into the color combinations I usually wear.

I really admire the balance you have of store-bought and hand-crafted, Lizzie. I think that gives a wonderful range of flexibility and control.

It means you're not at the mercy of the shops carrying the right colours or cuts, but you can still work in a new sweater at a moment's notice if you feel like it, and a new bolero or cardigan can change a whole look.

Ooh, prints. I must say I don't wear many at all. Actually, more and more I'm leaning towards thinking I don't have enough. Did you edge in slowly or has that always been a staple for you?

I've always liked prints -- when I was a little girl I'd wear cutdowns made from my grandmother's house dresses, so I had a lot of vintage-looking print blouses and such. A lot of the fabrics I use now are actually vintage-style prints intended for quilters -- not all those fabrics are suitable for clothes, but a lot of them are, and I tend to gravitate to those.

Because I'm tall, I find that top-to-bottom solids make me look a bit authoritarian -- that's fine when I'm giving a presentation on stage, but too menacing when I'm greeting people before an ordinary show, so the prints make me more approachable. This is what I mean about thinking beyond just colors and figuring out how the general arrangement of your clothes works in day-to-day life.

You know, that bit about prints flattering your height makes perfect sense - I just never thought of it.

I'm very short, so I didn't think of the authoritarian bit, in fact I think I originally gravitated to mostly solids under the premise it would lengthen, etc. It might, I suppose, but I don't know how much lengthening solid colours can reasonably be expected to do for a person five-foot-not-a-damn-thing. lol

I even found patterns that worked in ways I was told they wouldn't - a skinny horizontal stripe being very slimming, for instance.

Besides, nothing says vintage like some of the small-scale florals and polka dots. So charming. Modern cool clothes often seem oddly humorless to me.

Calico and small quilters plaids are great starting prints for clothes. Im a bit of the opposite of Lizzie, Im wide and average hight, and although I tend to gravitate to plaids (I dont really know why :eusa_doh: ) I feel more approachable and comfortable in solids.

Integrating solids into a wardrobe is a difficult thing, Im finding. I have so many prints, I find that making staples of solid white, yellow and light blue shirts, solid wool skirts, and dark solid colored cotton dresses to be a challenge.

I accessorize with flowers in my hair or the occasional brooch. I too buy my sweaters, and heavier coats. I find I would rather make my dress and spend a bit more on a real NICE cardie than get two cheapo cardies for 'variety'. Im learning mixing and matching and quality over quantity.

As far as colors I gravitate to warm golds browns reds and such. I use cream as my 'white' when putting together an outfit most of the time. I dont really like jewelry, so I add flair with buttons.

You should try picking up a vintage sewing book, most any era. They all have tips on how to dress for your shape, height, and some even have color charts for skin and hair hues.

LD

Yes, it's a good system

This is exactly how I've built my work wardrobe, as far as colors go. My four colors are tan, dark brown, navy and gray. Mostly, I wear white tops.

Men's suiting colors work well for the office. If you do that, red is a good accent color, and oxblood shoes will go with everything, as Marc Chevalier has said.

Using this method, I've found that I don't need a ton of clothes. Everything I wear day-to-day fits in a 3.5 foot wide closet and a dresser.

A suggestion about prints: decide whether you want to wear printed tops or bottoms. It's hard to wear them together if they don't match. At work, I wear printed jackets, mostly; for dancing, it's printed skirts.

A final suggestion: choose clothes with simple designs. A jacket with a wide portrait collar might be stunning, but it may look dated in a few years. Buying pants in the traditional length should go without saying.

i was reading an article about dressing with the same idea as the 80's... where you have 2 suits, 5 shirts, and 2 dresses (or something along those lines) and you can make 35 different combinations...

let me see if i can find it....

Dress for success in tough times
March 26, 2009 - 3:30PM

The popularity of dressing down for the office is shrinking about as rapidly as the GDP. And the casual-Friday concept? Gone the way of CEO bonuses.

In the current economic climate, women in the workplace need to make more effort, says Martinette Mitchell, manager of the Personal Touch personal-shopping service at Nordstrom in Orlando's Florida Mall.

"Dress not for the position you're in, but for the position you're striving to get,'' she says. "Dress to impress."

That is not new advice. It is simply an approach to business dressing that was overlooked during the anything-goes, boom-time atmosphere of the last two decades.

Piece together a winning wardrobe "The new chic is conservative. It's no longer fashionable to be wasteful. It's fashionable to make smart investments - to build a wardrobe where every piece works with every other piece,'' says style consultant Marie Johnson.

"You should be able to go into your closet with your eyes closed, grab three or four pieces, put them on and look great,'' says Johnson.

Because we're in an economic downturn, "It's more important than ever to dress well. It empowers you. It makes you stand out,'' she says.

In other words, women should dress for success in 2009 the way they did (or their mothers did) in 1989 - in suits, tailored separates, classic accessories, closed-toe pumps.

It is key to invest in quality items for their longevity, says Mitchell. "When building a career wardrobe, she should consider neutral colours that are easily interchangeable in order to accomplish different looks. Neutral colours ranging from black, navy, gray and tan to nudes.''

In trying times, a woman must take charge of her wardrobe, says Jamie Yasko-Mangum, president of Florida company Successful Style & Image.

"When she presents herself to current or potential employers, she should reflect confidence and intelligence - and that means wearing a suit,'' she says.

In addition to a couple of suits, her basic business wardrobe should include about four pairs of slacks, four blouses and one or two jackets, says Yasko-Mangum.

But no matter what the state of the economy, "I do not recommend investing in just one expensive piece. You want to invest in a small variety of good pieces so you have more than one smart choice,'' she says.

Johnson's plan for a basic wardrobe is similar to Yasko-Mangum's.

With two skirted suits, two pairs of slacks and five tops, she says, "you can create 30 different outfits.''

FASHION MATHS

It is time to revive a dress-for-success formula popularised in the 1980s, says Marie Johnson. It goes like this: 2+2+5_30.

Johnson explains: "By mixing and matching two suits, two pairs of pants and five tops, you can create 30 different looks.''

To illustrate, she selects a black suit and a black-and-tan chequered suit. She chooses black pants and tan pants, then adds a khaki safari jacket, a cream tank and cardigan set and a black set.

All the tops, alone or layered, can be coordinated with all the skirts and pants. The variety of combinations will astonish you, Johnson says.

Obviously "fashion maths'' is more creative than accurate. But the basic principle applies: mix it up.
PIECE TOGETHER A WINNING WARDROBE

Can't afford to buy a complete business wardrobe all at once? Not a problem.

Here are some tips for gradually acquiring the pieces you need, or building on items already in your closet:

- Update your old suits with new tops.

- Rely on statement jewellery, shoes and handbags to freshen your basic outfit every day.

- Try monochromatic dressing. It always looks chic and businesslike - and it visually elongates and slenderises the figure.

- Choose all-season fabrics such as featherweight wool and cotton-silk blends to avoid the expense of separate summer and winter wardrobes.

- Keep in mind that a chic haircut and polished makeup are part of your business wardrobe.

http://www.theage. com.au/news/executive-style/style--grooming/dress-for-success-in-tough-times/2009/03/26/1237657052187.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

That's a great article, Miss Elise! I like the way they actually posted a specified list of the outfit components that build the 30 looks instead of leaving me with the vague "colours that go together, mix and match" kind of thing, which I DO grasp the concept of but... grah...not the execution apparently. Yet.

I like the idea of making the hair-flowers or brooch the stand out accessory, Lady Day. Especially because that makes low-key blouses very rewearable in a reasonably tight timeframe, because I'm not wearing the same attention-getting accessory. I don't have a lot of good pieces at this point. I've changed sizes and stuff.

I'm reassured by this, and by Paisley pointing out she DOESN'T fill huge closets - I mean I dream of doing that some day but it's not practical right now, for me.

I'm going to make a list, I think, of stuff I need, and plausible versatile accessories, and build up. It's not that I ever bought expensive things, but I don't always stick to things that work with a lot of stuff I already have.

Admittedly at this point I have hardly anything. Especially if you count "actually fitting."

i've been going through my wardrobe and organising "outfits", wearing and then assessing them (with some photos and some friends) to work out if they look okay or how they can be improved. I've realised I have quite a few nice things... although I've also realised I need a heap more accessories :eusa_doh:

Tim Gunn has a pretty good list, and it's not from the 80s, which is always a plus


they go as follows:
* Basic Black Dress
* Trench Coat
* Classic Dress Pants
* Skirt
* Blazer
* Classic White Shirt
* Day Dress
* Cashmere Sweater
* Jeans
* Sweatsuit Alternative
* Bonus: One Indulgent Trendy Item Under $20

Lady Day said:

Calico and small quilters plaids are great starting prints for clothes. Im a bit of the opposite of Lizzie, Im wide and average hight, and although I tend to gravitate to plaids (I dont really know why :eusa_doh: ) I feel more approachable and comfortable in solids.

Integrating solids into a wardrobe is a difficult thing, Im finding. I have so many prints, I find that making staples of solid white, yellow and light blue shirts, solid wool skirts, and dark solid colored cotton dresses to be a challenge.

I accessorize with flowers in my hair or the occasional brooch. I too buy my sweaters, and heavier coats. I find I would rather make my dress and spend a bit more on a real NICE cardie than get two cheapo cardies for 'variety'. Im learning mixing and matching and quality over quantity.

As far as colors I gravitate to warm golds browns reds and such. I use cream as my 'white' when putting together an outfit most of the time. I dont really like jewelry, so I add flair with buttons.

You should try picking up a vintage sewing book, most any era. They all have tips on how to dress for your shape, height, and some even have color charts for skin and hair hues.

LD

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I love plaids too. It's almost a sick obssession. I choose plaid fabrics (for home decor) to sew with and 10 million pieces of clothing, that are all plaid. It's just classic.

Black is my winter staple. I tend to avoid navy, even though it's a good color on me, because you can't mix it with black. I love brown but it's horrible on me. Can't do reds or yellows either, and I hate khaki.

So that leaves me with a rainbow of blues, purples, greens, and carefully selected pink, and black and white and some ivorys. And I love metallics as neutrals for handbags and shoes. (oh, I do have some red shoes, but it's not near my face )

My summer wardrobe is far more colorful than winter- in winter I frequently do all black and add a colorful scarf. Summertime I bring out the fun print dresses!

I cannot do it. I am a color freak. I have everything under the sun. Depending on my haircolor, some things may get pushed to the back. But I will always love green though. I work in an industry where the nuances of color are always being changed and celebrated and I get suckered into it I suppose.

My guidelines for my wardrobe are though, buy pieces I cannot live without. Those that call your name in your sleep. I have items I wear that I bought 10 plus years ago because I still love them. Know what shapes work on your body and buy those - forget the trends. New color trendy items I tend to buy cheaper inexpensive items from say Target. I already have a pile of vintage stuff in every color under the sun because I scour for deals. I'm not good with neutrals, and I very rarely wear "safe" things. I actually am a bit befuddled by the fact that nearly all the designers I work with who are so good with color in spaces only wear black on their bodies.

I tend to keep to a few select colors: brown, black, ivory, orange, green, and red. They all work together and I do mix brown and black; it can give an almost monochromatic look with but with some interest.

In working up my vintage SWAP, the rules stated that there be 4 bottoms, 6 tops, and a jacket. All of the tops have to go with all of the bottoms and the jacket has to go with everything. It has been a challege to make all eleven pieces coordinate but sticking to a 4-color pallette made it easier, in this case orange, green, blue, and brown. Okay, there is some black in there too but it doesn't count because black goes with absolutely everything. I may be crazy, but I contend that green and orange go very well together. Maybe it's the Irish in me.. .

Rachael said:

I may be crazy, but I contend that green and orange go very well together. Maybe it's the Irish in me.. .

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Rachael, I don't think you're crazy at all!!! As a matter of fact, I wore an orangey-coral colored skirt with a white blouse and my fave green wedges yesterday and got compliments. Other times, the olive green linen dress I made gets paired with an orange and silver beaded necklace/earring set. I'll try to dig up a photo to show the colors, but I personally think it's a winning combo. Then again, I'm Irish, too, so...