Style Goals
I'm interested in so many things! It sounds arrogant, but I think I have the ability and knowledge now to be a rockstar costumer. But I don't have the dedication to be one. And that's because - aside from the lack of time that everyone deals with - I'm still interested in too many things. Obviously, singing in choirs is a big one. Family and friend time is another. And then there's reading, and decorating the house, and personal style, and cooking, and being in shows, and knitting and crocheting. Some of these are semi-necessary (family time and cooking) but I enjoy putting extra effort into them. And others I just do enjoy. Sometimes I feel envious of rock stars in their respective fields (fashion bloggers, costumers, musicians, decorators, etc), but then I consider what I'd have to give up. And so far, it's not worth it to me.
Sometimes these interests get concurrent exercise, like with the choirs that don't really stop, but some are just "as the whim takes me." This week, the whim has been personal style. As I've gone back to some favorite fashion blogs, my mind's started working along that track again. This post on style goals for 2014 at You Look Fab was a good starter for me:
Today is as good a day as any to think about your style goals. An in depth analysis is a worthwhile exercise if you’re stuck on where to start or what to do next. On the other hand, if you have a good handle on your current style and like the direction you have chosen, a more intuitive, incremental approach will be just fine. Either way, your style goals should always be flexible.
The goals can capture ANY part of your style journey. From shopping, editing, outfit creation, budget and closet goals, to a new grooming and skincare routine. It might be about where you shop, when you shop, or which colours, silhouettes and patterns to wear more frequently than others.
My thoughts:
1. I have a huge wardrobe of clothes. I wear lots of them. I don't wear lots of them. I can still give away quite a few clothes; but I tend to regret giveaways a year or two later. So to decide what to give and what to keep, I will sort out the candidates, and then make a concentrated effort to wear them - probably one piece of a time. Instead of reaching for the current round of staples, I'll do my best to make each piece work. Those that I just can't style satisfactorily, or that I don't like wearing, will be the ones to go.
2. Lose some weight! I'm dressing with better awareness than ever for my shape; but the mirror shows me how much extra I'm carrying in my hips.
3. Related to #2: Don't wait to fit the 1940s clothes to my lowest weight. That's a dressmaking stress I don't need, and it takes a lot of the enjoyment out of the wearing down the road.
4. Keep trying to find a good place/method for taking outfit pictures. Then take daily pictures. Then upload and post them, even if it's once a week. I go through dry spots when I could really use some inspiration, besides the chance to critique my ideas over time.
5. Similar to #1, but taking place later: Time to thin out the shoes. When I turned 25 I became a total brat about wearing heels that are 3" or over: I don't wanna. It's tiring. And now it's starting to hurt, and I'm tired of it hurting. I've also found some amazingly comfortable, cute summer shoes that have further lowered my tolerance for anything equally cute but not quite as comfortable. I also have a LOT of tanish/brownish shoes that are practically never worn, since I've not been successful in 5+ years at accumulating brown neutrals in my wardrobe. Result: a lot pairs of shoes that aren't being worn, not including the vintage ones. This goal needs to wait until after #1, however. I need to have this wide selection because I might need a particular shoe to make one of the #1 outfits really work. And even if that shoe in particular is hideously uncomfortable, I'll be free to shop for a replacement that has the same color/styling.
6. Save for an awesome heavy winter coat from Modcloth. I got a medium-weight coat there in November that I adore; it's solid black, but with a very full, high-low hem skirt, and a high stand-up collar. It's basic enough to work with everything, has enough cut detail to be interesting, and works over ALL my clothes. Full skirts are the very hard to layer with. But that coat isn't heavy enough for real winter temperatures, so I'll save dollars and hope they have some amazing things in the fall.
7. Save for several pairs of shoes/boots. After #1 and #5, I'll have a better idea of what I can and do need, but I know now I need some more red shoes, and I'd really like some different gray ones.
8. Sew summer dresses. Thanks to Aubry, I know that the Crepe pattern by Colette is lovely; and I have 3-5 dress lengths of modern prints that need to be used.
9. Show more control with eShakti. I've over-spent my budget this year, mostly because of that site. It's so marvelous to have things that fit me perfectly, even when I'm way too busy to sew them myself.
I think that's enough for now! I may re-write it in a little bit, as I keep thinking.
Sometimes these interests get concurrent exercise, like with the choirs that don't really stop, but some are just "as the whim takes me." This week, the whim has been personal style. As I've gone back to some favorite fashion blogs, my mind's started working along that track again. This post on style goals for 2014 at You Look Fab was a good starter for me:
Today is as good a day as any to think about your style goals. An in depth analysis is a worthwhile exercise if you’re stuck on where to start or what to do next. On the other hand, if you have a good handle on your current style and like the direction you have chosen, a more intuitive, incremental approach will be just fine. Either way, your style goals should always be flexible.
The goals can capture ANY part of your style journey. From shopping, editing, outfit creation, budget and closet goals, to a new grooming and skincare routine. It might be about where you shop, when you shop, or which colours, silhouettes and patterns to wear more frequently than others.
My thoughts:
1. I have a huge wardrobe of clothes. I wear lots of them. I don't wear lots of them. I can still give away quite a few clothes; but I tend to regret giveaways a year or two later. So to decide what to give and what to keep, I will sort out the candidates, and then make a concentrated effort to wear them - probably one piece of a time. Instead of reaching for the current round of staples, I'll do my best to make each piece work. Those that I just can't style satisfactorily, or that I don't like wearing, will be the ones to go.
2. Lose some weight! I'm dressing with better awareness than ever for my shape; but the mirror shows me how much extra I'm carrying in my hips.
3. Related to #2: Don't wait to fit the 1940s clothes to my lowest weight. That's a dressmaking stress I don't need, and it takes a lot of the enjoyment out of the wearing down the road.
4. Keep trying to find a good place/method for taking outfit pictures. Then take daily pictures. Then upload and post them, even if it's once a week. I go through dry spots when I could really use some inspiration, besides the chance to critique my ideas over time.
5. Similar to #1, but taking place later: Time to thin out the shoes. When I turned 25 I became a total brat about wearing heels that are 3" or over: I don't wanna. It's tiring. And now it's starting to hurt, and I'm tired of it hurting. I've also found some amazingly comfortable, cute summer shoes that have further lowered my tolerance for anything equally cute but not quite as comfortable. I also have a LOT of tanish/brownish shoes that are practically never worn, since I've not been successful in 5+ years at accumulating brown neutrals in my wardrobe. Result: a lot pairs of shoes that aren't being worn, not including the vintage ones. This goal needs to wait until after #1, however. I need to have this wide selection because I might need a particular shoe to make one of the #1 outfits really work. And even if that shoe in particular is hideously uncomfortable, I'll be free to shop for a replacement that has the same color/styling.
6. Save for an awesome heavy winter coat from Modcloth. I got a medium-weight coat there in November that I adore; it's solid black, but with a very full, high-low hem skirt, and a high stand-up collar. It's basic enough to work with everything, has enough cut detail to be interesting, and works over ALL my clothes. Full skirts are the very hard to layer with. But that coat isn't heavy enough for real winter temperatures, so I'll save dollars and hope they have some amazing things in the fall.
7. Save for several pairs of shoes/boots. After #1 and #5, I'll have a better idea of what I can and do need, but I know now I need some more red shoes, and I'd really like some different gray ones.
8. Sew summer dresses. Thanks to Aubry, I know that the Crepe pattern by Colette is lovely; and I have 3-5 dress lengths of modern prints that need to be used.
9. Show more control with eShakti. I've over-spent my budget this year, mostly because of that site. It's so marvelous to have things that fit me perfectly, even when I'm way too busy to sew them myself.
I think that's enough for now! I may re-write it in a little bit, as I keep thinking.