Tuesday, December 21, 2010

No Repeats W & W: Day Eight


 This outfit isn't anything to 'write home about'. It's fine, comfy, and with appropriate footwear would be fine for running errands, a trip to a cafe, etc. The real story of this outfit, for me, is how easy it was to get dressed on a day when i felt pretty creepy in the morning.

Unfortunately, i've spent years of my life bed-ridden and/or house-bound. Needless to day, this doesn't do anything for a person's emotional outlook. I have found that taking care of the little stuff - keeping your self and your surroundings neat and tidy - helps a lot to keep your head on straight. In other words, getting nicely dressed is important to feeling better. But it takes effort and energy to do this, and when you're feeling crummy energy and effort can be in short supply. It turns out that thinking through my 'workaday capsule' took care of the bulk of the 'getting dressed' energy up front, and putting this outfit together was a snap. A blessing on a low-energy day!

yep, that's a stegosaurus
I'm coming around to the conclusion that getting dressed nicely everyday takes a certain amount of energy and thought - there's no getting around it. You can put that energy in before you need to get dressed, by planning what needs to come into your wardrobe, which items are appropriate for which areas of your life, various ways you can combine different items, etc. and making a few lists or notes or taking pictures. Or, you can put in some high-energy brainstorms five minutes before you need to be out the door for that important meeting, or find yourself battling the crowds on December 30th to find a dress for that great party, blind date, etc. One way or the other, you're going to be putting in the time and effort. Personally, i prefer the less dramatic, more methodical approach.


Along those lines, here's a few accessory sets i put together and photographed for future reference. My idea was to have a 'library' of accessory looks that are already thought-out to look put together, that i can add to a number of outfits when i lack inspiration or time. The right accessories can really make a look, so it's an important area to think about when planning a wardrobe.

These first sets are created around color or finish.

Silver or brass toned metal with a large amount of 'black tarnish' or 'antiquing' finish.

Metal, stone, or leather with a strong  yellow undertone.

 Orange! The belt's leather is very orange-yellow toned, and this overpowers the silver of the buckle.

The next sets were put together based on what i think of as 'themes'. The different accessories depict the same or similar objects, or are related by a widely recognized style (nautical, punk, etc.).

Roses!

Flowers!The pearl necklace echoes the shape of the roses on the chain belt. The earrings and scarf are orange, so adding the butterfly made sense from a color perspective.  Butterflies and flowers are thematically related as well.

Southwest theme - belt, pin, earrings are all in this theme. I felt a bracelet was needed, and this one has strong silver to pick up on the silver in the other three items.

Tomorrow i'll post a few more of these sets and some thoughts on how i put them together. I hope they give you some ideas on grouping accessories in new ways, even if you don't want to go the way of documenting your own accessory sets.





7 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear you are feeling creepy. I went to sleep with a migraine last night so I'm having one of those days too. I like your accessory sets though!

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  2. oh Cynthia, i hope you are feeling better by now. migraines stink and they can be pretty tenacious. TY about the accessories, and for stopping by! steph

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  3. I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling crappy. I find it really hard to pull clothes together when I feel crappy, I have a few stock outfits that I rely on for those days.
    I really like how you're planned out accessories - good idea!

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  4. Stef--it was great to see you sitting up and I love the many layers in the outfit!

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  5. Hi Allison! thank you. having a few stock outfits is a really smart idea - look at us, so organized!! : )

    Hello Terri! i'm feeling a lot better today, mostly it was just something moving thru my innards....(last nite mr. e was just staring a my bloated abdomen-i could tell he didn't want to say anything, but it was out there!). always nice when the guts settle down.

    & those were layers for warmth, as well as fun - double duty!

    have fun all, steph

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  6. Sorry to hear you're not well today. I agree completely with you, although I don't always take the time/energy to dress for the days I'm low/at home/bumming about. Thanks for the great reminder.
    Also, I'm digging the belt with the sweater.

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  7. Thank you Rad! i'm definitely on the mend. it's true that how you dress can affect your mood, but it's easy to forget/disregard. have a great day! steph

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