Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Style Wednesday - what I REALLY wore this summer....

Well today is August 21st.  Our favourite retailers, via the web and big thick glossy magazines, are wooing us with their wares, tantalizing us with their stylings, their colours, their vision for us.

And you KNOW I am not immune to the siren calls of the fashionistas, who loll upon the rocks in their burgundy lips (which is apparently the NEW! look every fall..), camel coats (INVESTMENT SHOPPING!) and IT bags.  If Summer is bohemia, Fall is Christian Dior New Look.

You just KNOW that this, or a variation thereof, is the sartorial catnip of our Septembers:

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Virevolte suit, Christian Dior, Autumn/Winter 1955

Source 
Put it with booties and patterned tights, and away you go!

But I cannot move to Fall yet.  I am not yet done with Summer.  Not because of the fine weather that still is with us.  No - I am not done with Summer yet as there are lessons still to be learned from the Wendy Summer 2013 collection. 

I remember the heady early planning days, when I imagined how I would wile away my summer, resplendent in so many delights....


Remember this red Lauren shift?  I wore it twice so far.  It seems that I forgot that I was no longer working and would therefore not search out a shift dress regularly...

How about the black linen dress? 



Wore it once.  Ditto the reason...

Bought this blazer from J Crew - wore it twice:



Mint sequin cami?  Once

Factory sequin v-neck tank


Now some of this you could blame on my current state of transition.  You would be right.  Some of this could be blamed on an overly-optimistic image of drinking in trendy clubs or dining in fine restaurants.  You would be right.  Some of it could be blamed on a rainy summer.  Yup, that, too.

But the reality is that I am still a work in progress in defining my stay-at-home style.  I still have an extra 15 lbs on my body, and I refuse to feel uncomfortable in anything.

So what did I wear this summer?

Well, I wore this little Theory jersey dress quite a bit, along with the Michael Kors black Tstrap sandals:


A Navy J Crew tshirt and a Gap linen skirt recommended by Ema.


And the following two piles of clothes:

1) pink/white pile:


And Navy/Blue/Black pile:


All in all, it turns out I wore about 30 articles of clothing in June, July, and August...

I was captivated by light pinky or white/creamy hues, which I only spiked with my Nougat London dress in the watermelon shade.  The light nectar J Crew lightweight cashmere cardigan was worn constantly.
 


As was the little top of unknown origins with its sweet birds that reminded me of a happy painting...

 
 My nougat London top, white J Crew linen skirt, ivory café capris, pink glittery sweatshirt..


A little cotton H&M top..


 The Blues were pale as well - my pale blue blazer, my jeans, my nougat London boho top, my floral A line cotton skirt...
 

Blue sweaters, silk top...


Black café capris, gap silver maxi skirt, grey and black jersey skirts and tops from Fig and Horny Toad...


Oh sure, some others things were worn - like tees and tanks.  The VERY odd pair of pants, my Anthro moto cardigan.

But really, if you happened upon me at all this summer, this is what you would have seen me in. 

30 items (plus work out duds and the odd jackets and of course loads of little shoes and necklaces and earrings...). 

I looked at the rest of the things in there and divided them into reasons they were never worn:

1) too dressy/corporate
2) didn't feel like "me" anymore
3) slightly tight - I refused to wear anything that didn't fit perfectly
4) didn't have any "occasions".

Then I looked again at what I did wear against the recently completed Style Statement that I mentioned last week, and picked out a couple of key points that I thought related best to clothing:

Creative:

They live to express themselves in their own way.

Nostalgic:

They put creative thought into their home and appearance and love trying their treasures and good finds together with contemporary basics.  Attracted to the whimsical and the precious, Nostalgic had a great eye and hear for detail and seeks to fill life with the small pleasures that matter most.
And while everything shown above may not EXACTLY fit into those descriptions, they are certainly REMINSCENT of them. 
 
 So now, I believe I have a sense of what worked and what my mistakes were this summer.  Many things I got rid of along the way - some things I will put away at the end of the summer and see what next year brings.  Some of the dressy or fun things will have their place in the sun at some point no doubt, and a black linen dress is always a lovely thing for the inevitable sombre summer event.  But in the end, I still basically only wore 30 items. 

So in addition to the colour story that we discussed yesterday, my fall purchases, and decisions as to what to keep or not keep of what I already have will be based on:

1) does it fit?
2) is it comfortable
3) is it flattering?
4) do I love it?
5) am I actually going to wear it or have I just seen someone I like wear it or a jcrew/anthro/whatever label model wear it and think I need it to?
6) does it fit with my style statement - which in the end should be linked to #4....


Sorry to be long-winded!  Hope this little exercise has helped someone else as well as they think about fall.

In the end, we must style ourselves. This review has helped me realize what my new style is.

Tomorrow is J Crew's September roll-out, and I am sure I am going to have something to say about that....

 Have a great Wednesday and stay safe out there!!!


 

40 comments:

  1. I love your reflective wardrobe posts!
    It's interesting how many items that we buy at the beginning of a season hold so much promise, and yet end up worn so little!
    I think my biggest mistakes are usually due to number 5 above. I do manage to convince myself I need things when I really have enough clothes to last me forever!!! Well not really, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

    I'm very bad at culling stuff, but your ruthless analysis of what got worn and what didn't is a good model for me to follow. I can think of about 8 tops that fit the 'throw out' criteria right now....

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    1. Hi Ruth!

      As I said - I am not tossing anything - however, I am very conscious of what I wore this summer. I see a few things this a.m. in the new JCrew rollout that will be nice additions to my colour story and needed to wear with my fall boots!

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  2. Hi Wendy, great analysis of your summer wardrobe. I wore my Lands End polo dresses quite a bit at home, although they can be a little warm when it's really hot outside. I also wore my pale pink ankle-length chinos often, with navy and pale blue t-shirts. I have to say that one outfit that impressed me was the black peasant top, black shorts and straw hat that you wore on your trip - I found that so so chic! A perfect tourist outfit.

    By the way, I ordered the Style Statement book from Amazon and have started reading. I'm enjoying the style stories. Not quite sure how I will do with the work part as I'm not too prone to introspection. And right now I just can't fathom how you whittle it all down to two words!

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    1. HI Patricia!

      You are right - I forgot that top - it was down in the laundry room - make that 31! and the navy shorts 32!

      You must do the work part - just take your time as it is a LOT of navel gazing! I felt quite daunted in the beginning as well and am so glad I did it! I still have more to do but will get there!

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  3. Love love your collection of items that you wore the most! Thank you so much for sharing your retroflection with us. Your journey has inspired me to take stock in a similar manner which has in turn brought me a sense of calm and quiet confidence.
    Looking forward to seeing your thoughts and plans on fall. Have a good Wed!

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    1. thanks Anon! I must say - It has even impacted my looking at the new fall jcrew rollout! So much better looking today than normal as it all has to answer the questions above!

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  4. I can't wear anything tight anymore, my navy J Crew peacoat has to go, I really need a size 6 if I want to move my arms, I rarely wear dresses during the day unless they are super casual stretchy numbers or my beautiful white one which is super comfy! I finally know what I wear and it's just pointless going beyond that.

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    1. Tabs - I am absolutely with you! If it tugged at all or bound me at the waist I put it aside to see where I was next summer! I find it very hard to find those super casual stretchy numbers - those are things that if I do I will buy in multiples!!! I am looking forward to what the shop downtown gets in for jersey!

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    2. Check out Calvin Klein. They have a ton of comfy jersey dresses that are cute - summer staple.

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  5. Did you do this all on your own or do you have a personal stylist you are hiding away somehwere!! I think moleskine have a great wardrobe notebook and I think you should look into it - it would be really useful for you!

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    1. CSW - I WISH I had a personal stylist - the hundreds of dollars in clothes I gave my friends or have donated in the last year would all still be with me!!!! Will definitely look for that moleskin notebook!

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  6. You are so good! I think I did well this summer...I said i wouldn't wear shorts and for the most part I did wear my dresses and wide leg linen pants with tees. I do need to break myself from buying blouses because I hardly wear. We are packing up Em today, talk about a clothes horse...and she wore a uniform to school!

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    1. And it is hard to pack for fall where you are, I bet - it will be hot still for quite awhile?

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    2. oh and ps - I am good for blouses, too - I hardly wear them, so have decided that the key is to really limit! I did buy the keeper shirt and am pleased

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  7. I will post your 6 criteria near my computer monitor to stop me from making unnecessary purchases. While I do not have a style statement, I sort of know my look. Just looked at the new Jcrew fall rollout and nothing is fitting the criteria. Thank you for saving me money and time for returns.

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    1. Hi Marie - funny - I actually ordered 3 things to try (will post about that tomorrow) as I loved them and they fit the criteria (potentially...) We will see and I will be quite ruthless when they arrive!

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  8. You did a fab job at being your own stylist. No one knows you better! And I know that red dress will be just the thing when you have an event to attend, perhaps even in the fall.

    I don't have any fall mags yet as I am postponing the inevitable, too. That said, I ordered a few things from the Nordstrom's friends and family sale-- EF tank in teal, ballet T in orange blossom, NYDJ Alina grey stretch jeans ( great! read about these on someone's blog) and some black knit pants, all in planning for a fall of lots of travel.

    Love my keeper shirt, too. Isn't it comfortable?

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    1. I think it is comfy, though it has been warm and I haven't had much chance to wear it yet - not complaining - the cold will come soon enough! I did order some things this a.m., but I think they are thoughtful purchases and all can be returned if they turn out not to be true to my criteria above! I think I will be like Marie and I post it by the computer!

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  9. well done!

    Back-to-school is always tough for the Constant Consumer (my autumn mom de guerre. If I were a logical rational shopper, I would realize that I'm not having summer growth spurts any more, and I really don't care what the cool kids will be wearing when school starts. Working on overcoming years of training and patterning. But still - change the windows, dress the floor - there's me, drooling like Pavlov's pup.

    A while back, during a research project of no significance, I came across an article that was published in Esquire magazine about In and Out - sort of an Americanized U and Non-U. Lots of do's and don'ts, very funny. What stayed with me was this: "The In way to dress is as if you had better things on your mind."

    What delights me about this post is that after the admission of not using this, not wearing that, not thinking forward, you tell Lane (above) that you just ordered a few more things!

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    1. Oh My God - yes - it is so true! I did place an order but am totally rationalizing in my mind! Too funny! I would like to have only about 40 things in my fall wardrobe, but 40 things that are absolutely me. The stuff on the bed fits that criteria. Of course we never know what will fit our criteria for sure, do we? What I realize is that if I have no sense of either excitement or peace when I pull something out of the closet it is not supposed to be there. Which is why I am unsure if any of my order will actually stay! Will be fun to see!

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    2. And oops yes, my next resolution is to turn off autocorrect before it causes a SERIOUS INCIDENT. That was meant to be NOM de guerre. Sigh.

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    3. mom de guerre has a certain john cassavettes tinge to it..

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  10. Wendy, don't be too tough on yourself. I think most of us do not wear much more than 30 items out of our closets on a regular basis. I mean, your red shift dress is fabulous (you look great!), but it's not the sort of thing you can wear constantly. Remember that Seinfeld episode where Jerry's new girlfriend wears the same dress to all their dates? :)

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    1. Oh MW - the books would tell us that if we were French we would gladly wear the same thing all the time, but I don't believe it!

      Yes, those items will stay but they are not likely to see a whole lot of action on a regular basis and are taking up room in my day to day closet. I need to pull a Dani and move some of the things that I need "in case" to the back closet. Still having said that, there was no reason to buy 3 summer dresses. It was silly and expensive!

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    2. Not sure why you don't wear the red dress more. Throw on strappy flat sandals, big shades, hell, get that huge sun hat, your off white purse and take Barry to lunch. In the fall, a long cozy cardigan, scarf, knee high boots, and your caramel bag...this time Barry's treat.

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    3. I don't know why - I just leave it there - I will wear it tomorrow - promise!

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    4. Okay. Try to wear tomorrow. If it just doesn't feel right, ya know what that means?! Hopefully you'll at least get lunch out of it, or shoot for dinner.

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  11. Both BB and WMM should be my stylists! I ave maybe 80 things altogether in my closet including shoes, and still feel that's too much. I have this gorgeous lace dress that I bought at Anthro for $10, but don't have much of a chance to wear it but can't let it go. I would love to only have 30 things! But the consumer and clothes lover in my wants to keep buying stuff. Oy.
    You are doing really well, WMM. Oh, and can we also make that bird top "my top" alongside the navy polka dot? I'm nuts about it and would buy it in a heartbeat!

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    1. Ps, that suit in the picture is right up my alley :)

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    2. It is nice shirt - just something from one of the local shops!

      Well I still had a LOT more in my closet - probably another 50 things, including tees, of which I might have worn 5 or 6 other things (white tees, thanks, etc)

      Well I like to buy, too - see my note to Lane above!!!

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  12. That red dress is just perfection on you!
    And that classic suit.. how stunning!

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    1. Isn't that suit amazing! I have promised Lane I will wear the red dress tomorrow - I actually have event so I will do it!

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  13. You were really loving the neutrals this summer! Neutrals are so sensible and make getting dressed easier, but then I get bored with them. I think my goal should be to jazz up the neutrals with accessories instead of buying (more) bright clothing. I need a punch of color somewhere, though, or else I start to feel neutral and blah.

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    1. Well here is what I have also found out - with a funky earring and bright red or pink lips, I always feel great! Oh - and the right pair of shoes.... and the odd scarf... and, and and...

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  14. Very good post Wendy!
    So interesting what colors you wore the most.
    What happened to your banana shirt? Did you wear it this summer?

    For me i wish i could go down to 30 pieces,but i enjoy adding to my closet.I have gotten better with deciding if i really love it though.
    I love you in the red dress,too bad it didnt make your list:)

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    1. HI Ina - I maybe wore it twice. In defense of the banana shirt, it really wasn't hot - although it is again this week!

      Never fear for the red dress - it stays - it just isn't really in the day to day stuff. However, folks are right - I may pull it out in September..

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  15. Oh Wendy, I am right there with you. Like I said, were 20% of my clothes 80% of time. In some ways I think this is inevitable but I realized that it would really save me some money and closet space if I curbed down my just-in-case, aspirational-style purchases. When I was traveling for couple of weeks in May I was perfectly fine with only limited amount of clothes becasue they were all my favorites. My favorites happen to be simple neutrals but I also know that I do need some new shiny things or I get bored quite quickly.

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    1. I hear you and your post really made me think the other day! I agree - I think you still need more than the basics and that's why I liked some of the pieces and the colours that made me feel special or a cut that was good on me. I think it is about balance, isn't it?

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  16. You look absolutely fabulous, as always!!!

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