Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual

Photo courtesy of Wardrobe Oxygen

 Allie's Classic Elegant take on blue and yellow uses sophisticated shades of those colors, shiny and matte textures, and clean-lined 'dressy' accessories.

 In trying to organize my thoughts about this post,one thought kept popping into my head: "I just hope i can get these ideas across somehow....." With that encouraging beginning, let's jump in, shall we?

After reading the comments to my last post, i want to point out that i never found out 'which style type i am' by reading Emily Cho. I'd take the mutiple choice tests and end up with scores all over the place. Fortunately, 'finding your style personality' isn't the only thing for which Emily Cho's image types are useful.

I used to find my self constantly battling two situations. In one i would dress as expected for the situation, which would make me feel like i was wearing a costume. I'd feel awkward and distracted, like i was undermining myself by being so fake. So next i'd try 'the opposite approach' and dress strictly according to my own aesthetic lights, in which case i'd stick out like a sore thumb and other people would be distracted from me by my appearance. Which would also make me feel like i was undermining myself.

Photo courtesy of RAGS Against The MACHINE

  Terri's Sporty Casual take on blue and yellow uses bright and clear shades of those colors, matte textures, knit fabrics, looser fit and casual accessories.

By understanding Emily Cho's image types i had a better grasp of what other people expected to see in various situations. I was able to choose the characteristics i loved from the various image types - colors, silhouettes, cuts, details, items of clothing - and combine them in outfits that i loved wearing, that felt like me, and that didn't alarm the populace at large. I gave up trying to 'find my type' and instead found out what i loved in each type, what that said about me, and what i wanted to say with those elements. As a bonus, i really increased my range of style expression.

So, may i suggest that you set aside 'finding out what you are' as read the rest of this series, and think about what you want to say with your look.

Emily Cho's six essential image types fall into three pairs - Romantic Feminine and Sexy Alluring, Exotic Dramatic and Arty Offbeat, and Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual. The two types within each pair have certain relationships to each other, and these relationships help you to expand your range once you know which type(s) you naturally feel most comfortable in wearing. Today we'll tackle Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual in order to demonstrate how you can use the pairs to expand your style range.

Photo courtesy of Wardrobe Oxygen

 Allie shows how to do stripes Classic Elegant style. Perfect fit, shiny, tailored accessories, and a silky fire engine red skirt demonstrate that classic is far from boring!

Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen has graciously agreed to let me use her work day outfit photos to illustrate Classic Elegant style, while Terri of RAGS Against The MACHINE is providing our Sporty Casual examples.  The first thing to notice is that Allie wears many fabulous Sporty Casual looks, while Terri creates lovely Classic Elegant ensembles. Ms. Cho's types may be viewed as a person's 'style', but they also (and more so) describe a particular archetypal image - a pure idea of a certain woman, how she dresses, what she is doing, her personality, education, profession, etc. It is completely possible to 'put on' and 'take off' these 'personas' with a change of outfit, hair, and makeup. Both Allie and Terri do a great job of wearing Classic Elegant when it suits their activities (as a professional, as a college teacher) and 'dressing down' to Sporty Casual when on vacation, out at a club, etc.

This reflects the similarities between Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual. Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual styles both favor clean lines, classic pieces (pencil skirts, button down shirts, khakis, penny loafers, pumps, trench coats), solid colors, simple silhouettes, neutrals and primary colors, simple accessories in traditional cuts and materials. Both types favor classic, simple hair in a natural color and texture, as well as minimal, flattering makeup. No green hair or purple glitter eyeshadow for these types!

They also differ in certain respects. Classic Elegant favors sumptuous fabrics like wools, silks, linens. Pure Classic Elegant is also a stickler for perfect fit and quality construction, and will gladly pay more to get that quality. Classic Elegant is not afraid of the 'Dry Clean Only' label, whereas you'll be hard put to find one of these in the pure Sporty Casual wardrobe ('it's not practical'). Classic Elegant is Ann Taylor, Sporty Casual is Land's End.

Photo courtesy of RAGS Against The MACHINE

Terri's Sporty Casual take on stripes shows how casual looks can have tons of style and flattery power..Relaxed fit, knit fabric, and matte texture brown leather accessories keep the look pulled together without being fussy.

From the social aspect or how each type is perceived by people around them, Classic Elegant is seen as 'the boss', as wealthier, educated, formal, authoritative, someone who you should listen to, 'in charge' of themselves and others, capable of mental work, appropriate for business settings, someone who commands respect and honors social norms.  Sporty Casual is seen as (obviously!) more casual, more practical and down to earth, approachable, a 'hands on worker', friendly, easy to talk to, appropriate for family and social settings, 'good with children'.

Again, i'd like to emphasize that these are stereotypes, that may or may not have anything to do with the person inside the clothes. At the same time, people do make judgements based on how a person presents themselves, and if you feel like people misjudge you, that you are wearing a costume when you're dressed up or dressed down, or can't figure out how to dress for your life roles and still feel like you, thinking through some of these concepts can be helpful in resolving these conundrums.

For example, many Sporty Casual ladies aspire to promotion at work. Or need to make a presentation to the city council. Or want to walk their daughter down the aisle at her wedding. The first two situations call for a more authoritative, formal, 'alpha female' who commands respect. The third calls for a formal persona, who also commands respect and honors societal norms and familial bonds. These qualities are projected by the Classic Elegant image type.

Photo courtesy of Wardrobe Oxygen

Classic lesson in how to dress up a basic black dress. Allie adds black patent heeled sandals and a glitzy bracelet to 'dress things up' for a professional vibe while the leather-raffia belt shows off her waist and lends an unexpected 'summery' vibe. Subtle makeup and great hair add polish to this look.

Conversely, a Classic Elegant lady may want to make a good start with the other parents in her son's play group. Or she has volunteered to cook weenies for her daughter's soccer team fundraiser. Or she finally has some vacation time and actually wants to relax.  These situations call for an approachable, down to earth, friendly, and practical (hello weenie splatter!) approach to dressing - the essence of Sporty Casual.

The 'ickiness' of these mis-matches between your image and the situation comes in two flavors - you either dress like you 'should' and feel awkward and distracted by your costume, or you dress like yourself and feel like everyone's staring at you because you stick out like a sore thumb. Neither approach is satisfactory.

Now, as it happens, the Arty Offbeat image type is also seen as friendly, approachable, and practical....but it shares far fewer aesthetic and practical qualities with Classic Elegant than Sporty Casual does. A Classic Elegant woman can ease into a Sporty Casual look by determining the key elements that her style has in common with the Sporty Casual type and building her casual look from there.

Photo courtesy of RAGS Against The MACHINE

Here Terri shows how Sporty Casual can start to merge into Classic Elegant. The matte knit fabric, clean face and natural hair and white tee are all Sporty Casual basics. But the breezy scarf and red leather accessories (more often found in Casual Elegant's bag of tricks) add polish to the look and kick up fashion quotient.

Let's say the Classic Elegant lady feels comfortable in her work uniform of woolen straight skirt, silk crepe shell, cashmere cardigan, pumps and pearls (strand and studs), all in dove greys and camels. She could trade the wool skirt for the same shape in khaki colored cotton, replace the silk shell with a nice quality white cotton tee (classic piece in classic color, so she can make the leap), and a cotton blend cardigan in the same silhouette as her beloved cashmere. To emphasize the 'friendly and approachable' vibe she could pick a cardi in a nice bright yellow or blue. Loafers or driving mocs are casual but 'classic' enough that a person used to always looking perfectly polished won't experience the mortification of wearing running shoes while not actually running. Pearl studs are great for casual looks, nice neat and out of the way - if they're kind of big, just say they're costume ;)

Ideally, by comparing and contrasting her Classic Elegant look with known Sporty Casual interpretations, the Classic Elegant trending type can dress more appropriately for casual occasions while still feeling 'herself'. This can involve using the same pieces but in different ways (as with the pearl studs) or it can be done by carrying through certain style characteristics such as color, silhouette, or outfit formulas (skirt + short sleeve knit + cardigan) while changing up details, pattern/color or fabric. The Sporty Casual type can 'dress up' without feeling like an impostor by using the same method and raiding the Classic Elegant's closet for inspiration and ideas. Again, the mere thought of going from Sporty Casual to Exotic Dramatic (think Frida Kahlo) would give the Sporty Casuals i know an aneurysm! With Classic Elegant, the silhouettes, the way you put looks together, the accessories and color are much more understandable.

Photo courtesy of RAGS Against The MACHINE

 A more classic Sporty Casual take on dress-dressing. Take off the cap and flip flops and add the scarf, belt and pumps from the outfit above and Terri will find herself in Sexy Alluring territory - it's the power of red! DH will be pleased.


Choosing elements from varying image types and blending them into a total look also allows you to present many different sides of yourself at once. I especially enjoy looking at dressing myself from this perspective - i feel it clues people in to who they're dealing with. I also feel that i'm coming across as more of a 'whole person' when i dress with these ideas in mind. Sheila of Ephemera is the past mistress of this pursuit.

I'd also like to point out that Allie and Terri show that even though both Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual are typically thought of as safe, boring, predictable, and unflattering - that isn't so at all! These two image types are the most popular in the US and it's possible to see truly uninspiring interpretations of them all over the country. These two ladies blow those ideas out of the water, not only that but they show you don't have to be sixteen years old, six feet tall and size zero with a fat wallet to do it, either. Check 'em out!!

It's You! Looking, Working, Feeling Terrific 24 Hours a Day!

Sporty jacket and denim skirt fabric....romantic embroidery and lace on the cami-top.....classic, sexy strappy sandals......clean and dramatic silhouette, all put together in an offbeat manner. Emily Cho's ideas helped me learn to express all of these sides of myself in ways that are true to who i am, where i live, and what i do.

Today's post title is a mash-up of a couple of Emily Cho's book titles. Loyal readers will already have a grasp of why i love Ms. Cho's philosophy - she very much emphasizes the importance and opportunity of fully expressing your personal style through all aspects of your life. I only had one book of Ms. Cho's, It's You! Looking Terrific Whatever Your Type, published in the 1980's.  The plentiful, very well done illustrations became dated over the years, but the insight into building a wardrobe and especially understanding and developing your own style never went out of date.

There's a ton of style advice out there on the web. I find that the vast bulk of it falls into a few categories: how to find/express your aesthetic tastes, how to flatter your face and figure, how to make current trends work for you, how to put together stylish outfits, how to use accessories, and shopping tips. Much less popular but still available is advice on how to build a wardrobe suited to your particular needs, dressing for your professional life, and dressing from certain practical angles (Angie's Mom On The Go looks, for example).

Emily Cho approaches style and clothing from these angles, but her focus lies elsewhere. She discusses style and clothing from the perspective of society, your 'audience', social occasions, and the community at large. In other words, you don't just get dressed to shield yourself from the elements or strictly to express your aesthetic creativity. You dress in order to tell the world, and particular people in your life, who you are.

This may well sound stereotypical, and it is. This type of categorizing and pre-judging happens in our society, for good or ill. Emily Cho's system provides one way to become conscious of this stereotyping so that you can make a decision about how you want to participate in it. For me, working with Ms. Cho's ideas helped me to make my peace with all of this and dress in a way that feels honest to me while not undermining my own goals or creating needless strife with family, co-workers, etc.

At your workplace your dress tells your boss if you are hard working, dependable, and ripe for promotion. At your sister's first baby shower your dress tells her how you feel about her and if you're willing to put your rivalry aside to support her at this time. How you dress to meet your boyfriend's parents for the first time lets them know if you're 'the one' or if you're too flighty, slutty, or bohemian to be 'wife material'.

equestrian boots add a touch of the dramatic for my am walk

I'm sure all of you have vivid mental pictures of 'Do' and 'Don't' looks for each of the above situations. The trouble comes when your goal is to impress the boss, but your free spirit feels like you're wearing a straight jacket in 'corpodress'. Or when your tomboy self feels like a clumsy impostor in a managerial-grade suit (even though the fabric and cut are so lovely......). The beauty of Emily Cho is that she shows you an honest way to wade through all this mess and contradictory signals.  You start by recognizing in which 'essential image type' your heart lies. Then you experiment with how to expand your range through the casual, formal, pure, and creative expressions of this type. Part of this involves understanding the relations between the image types. Finally, you expand your range through all the types to see how you, individually, can express your own truth about every image type. At this point you have developed the flexibility to dress for all the occasions and situations in your life, and have confidence that your audience feels respected and generally 'gets' you.

I'll close out today's post by naming the six type: Classic Elegant, Sporty Casual, Romantic Feminine, Sexy Alluring, Exotic Dramatic, and Arty Offbeat.  Chances are excellent those of you who've never heard of Emily Cho before already have a good idea about who and what make up these types.....next up, discussion of these types and how they relate to one another.

Some Links About Emily Cho:

Great take on Ms. Cho and 'Seventies Adult Style' in Peculiar Beauty

Short blurb on image consultants in 1986 L.A.Times

TIME Magazine on Looking Good in 1985

Emily Cho's books on Amazon

Have Fun With Your Clothes!

Double outfit post today....actually triple outfit (including the one i posted on Monday).  Recently i've been focusing on my Europa Geisha Blouse,which i made out of cotton Geisha printed fabric using La Fred's Europa Blouse pattern.

my Europa blouse - pattern by La Fred

I've worn three pretty different outfits which each feature this blouse over the last 2-3 weeks, and it got me thinking about what made this blouse so versatile for me.  After all, while it's not completely over the top in pattern, fabric, or styling, it's not a plain black tee shirt or button down blouse.  Flexibility is the key to avoiding boredom with a small wardrobe, so how to pull off this type of manouevre?

First, color.  I've explained before about color in the small wardrobe. My two 'foundation' colors are black and beige, so the parchment/tan of this fabric fits right in. I chose beige as one of my colors precisely because there are so many variations of beige: taupe, khaki, tan, ecru, dark ivory, eggshell, on and one. They all play nicely together and all play just as nicely with black.  Grey could play the same role in a person's wardrobe: charcoal, ash, cobweb, pearl grey.........although for me grey falls under the 'watered-down form of black' category.   Any other colors in my wardrobe have to go well with both beige and black in order to make it in.  As it happens, that's not much of a restriction, so how do i choose?

Secondly, choose only pieces that flatter your particular physical form. We all know the many many items out there that we can't wait to get our hands on - they're so cute, it's the color of the season, vinyl is so fashion forward, i've always wanted to rock a PVC corset ever since i saw one on Sarah Jessica Parker, it looks just gorgeous on my kid's first grade teacher, Tim Gunn says every woman needs a trench coat, if i just belt it and hem it and wear that scarf near my face to 'take care of' the color.......blah blah blah.  You don't want these type of clothes, as fun as they may be.

 Then there's you standing in flourescent light wearing two-sizes-too-big grey sweats, with a 102 degree fever, and you put on the floppy aubergine paisley blouse and all of a sudden you look like a million bucks. It's not in style or out of style, no spectacular 'features' to it. You can ball it up in your hand and it's nothing special there. But when you put it on, you just look fabulous. 

You want those type of clothes.  The 'you look like a million bucks' clothes.

Certain colors, fits, shapes, textures, types of patterns, sizes of patterns, and hem lengths will flatter your form while many others will not.  You can determine these characteristics by actually trying on a bunch of different items and taking pictures or notes, then studying them. Look for clothes that you don't have to 'work with' in order for them to make you look great.  There are plenty of looks you can pull off - with work.  This exercise is about finding the effortless pieces. You don't have to buy anything, especially before you've nailed down what really flatters - it may take time to determine how to work what flatters in with your lifestyle, comfort requirements, etc.

 Even if, to begin with, the really flattering items might seem a little all over the place, with time and observation you will begin to find the common threads. Clothes that truly flatter you will tend to 'go together' because they will have so many commonalities. These commonalities are determined by your own physical aesthetic. The Triumph of Individual Style by Carla Mason Mathis and Helen Villa Connor is an excellent explication of this concept. (Click 'show more formats' to see the really cheap older paperback versions - the information is just as good.) It will instruct you on everything you need to know about color theory, proportion, art history, and how all this relates to dressing your body beautifully. 

 

Thirdly, clothes that have 'built in' flexible styling options will be easier to style in multiple ways.  That's why so many 'top twenty' lists feature the white button-down shirt with collar. White goes with all colors, you can button it all the way up, leave it open, tie it at the waist (buttoned or open), tuck it in, belt it out (buttoned or un)....all with the collar turned up or down.  Not to mention what you can do with the addition of scarves, necklaces, camis, tees...

the geisha ladies on my Europa blouse

A crewneck or turtleneck sweater, for example, is just inherently more limited.   There's no way to change the neckline without scissors. You can try wearing it backwards, but it basically looks the same (except for the stitching holding the tag on). These types of items are great for base pieces in layerings, but they tend to always look pretty similar.  You can't rely on them to provide a variety of looks. 

Pieces with removable collars, fastenings up the front or back, different necklines back and front (so you can wear it backwards for a different look), loose fits in thin fabrics which can be belted in or layered over, pieces with ties which can be tied or bowed in different ways, skirts which can be pulled up to look shorter or pinned up at the hem - pieces with these types of features allow you a lot more room to play.

me having maybe a little too much fun with my clothes

That's why i sliced up the front of this olive drab turtleneck to turn it into a cardigan. I've worn it more in the last month than i ever did in the previous six years i had it. 


So, my dear readers, do you have any tricks of guidelines for getting more 'looks' out of your clothes? Is it possible to have too much fun with your clothing? Tell all!


Europa Geisha Blouse: La Fred Europa Blouse
Plaid Sundress: Liz Claiborne
Olive Drab Turtleneck: Macy's mens store, rapidly becoming vintage
Shoe Boots: MaineWoods
Belt: old


Sage Crochet Sweater: April Cornell
Tee: Merona at Target
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Shoes: Bass Lacey Heeled Oxfords
Belt: vintage Coach


Monday's outfit post

Getaway Weekend Tips: Part Two

taming the savage beast

In this second of my getaway tips posts, i'll show you a couple more outfits created out of the capsule wardrobe,  my makeup kit and how i get it so compact, and reveal my secret to attractive yet functional travel knickers (that's 'panties' for you non-Brits). Unfortunately, my camera wigged a bit (i admit, it very likely was me wigging!) so i missed some outfit pictures. But i hope you enjoy these views of Green Gables Inn!

green gables sitting area by the fireplace - original stained glass

 Again, the capsule consists of a skirt, one pair jeggings, two tunics, two tanks, a lace camisole, a cardigan, a jean jacket, and a leather jacket. One pair 'walking compatible' dress shoes, one pair hiking shoes.  I've shown around six outfits in these two posts, but the possibilities are much greater - especially if you take along larger scarves that can 'double' as tops or skirts.  While on my late-nite walk the other evening, i calculated that this capsule could yield around 20-24 different looks (not counting the power of accessories). My calculations included each individual top paired with skirt and jeggings, then adding in all various layering combinations (cardi over tank, tunic over cardi, jean jacket over cardi over tank, and so on).

napping in a window seat with a view of the ocean.....while wearing heels, of course.

Of course, people's tastes and needs in clothing vary widely.  You could take a pair of dress pants (wide legged silk trousers, lined wool pinstripes) instead of the skirt and take jeans or khakis instead of the jeggings.  Skirts are so varied - gabardine pencil, floaty floral, khaki safari, mini denim cargo....it all depends on your taste, your itinerary, and the weather.

cardigan loosely buttoned over black lace cami for breakfast our last day

 If you're a big sweater fiend, switch out one of the tunics for another cardigan that you can wear as a top, buttoned up the back, or the traditional way over the other cardi, a tunic/blouse, or tank.  You can switch out the tanks for tees (short or long sleeved). Just make certain that they are easy to layer in order to increase your possibilities.  And bear in mind the casual/dressy scale. Tossing in a couple of pieces on the other end of the scale from the bulk of your items will definitely increase your flexibility.

another view of green gables sitting and dining area and carousel horse

On to Makeup!

 

The rest of this post focuses on makeup and underwear, so 'fashion-only' readers can stop right here! I pretty much wear makeup every day.  Above you see what i take traveling.  For day to day use i only add in a couple of bigger brushes, for powder and blush.

top compact (start at top left, then go clockwise): cream concealer, eyeshadow, face powder, blush
lower compact (start at top left, then go clockwise):shimmery pinkey-taupe shadow, sheer taupe shadow, ELF Moondust shadow (dark greyish shimmer), darker matte brown shadow

These ELF compacts are my 'big secret'.  I'm not a huge fan of ELF cosmetics (except for their Moondust eyeshadow), but these compacts and pans are a fantastic deal because you can clean out the pans and fill them with any powder or cream product you desire.  (M.A.C. pans fit these compacts - i'm not sure if you have to put a magnet on the bottom). They cost one dollar each, are nice and sturdy, and have a mirror big enough that you don't need to take another mirror along.  ELF also sells pop-in, magnetized pans with eyeshadows, blushes, etc. for one dollar each.  You can use these ELF pans to re-fill with your own cosmetics.Or, as in the top compact, you can take out the insert and put in any size or shape of pan that's not too thick.  The one drawback is that the compacts don't come with a liner to keep the mirror clean. But you can easily make one of an acetate sheet, paper protectors from a binder, parchment paper, etc.

they even have internet access, so i was able to keep up with all of you!

Cream products are pretty straightforward - just use a small knife, spoon, etc. to fill you pan and smooth over the top.  But, what i only found out a year ago, you can also re-press any pressed powder (not loose!) products you want.  The basic process is to crush the powder, pack it into the alcohol-cleansed pan, put in a few drops of rubbing alcohol, and then press it down hard with a quarter wrapped in old tee shirt material soaked in rubbing alcohol.  Let it dry, and you're good to go! Of course i didn't think this up myself - i learned it by watching this video by Kandee Johnson on YouTube. The one thing to remember is that this won't work with loose powders, as they don't contain a binder to hold it all together.

top row left to right: mascara (warm water removal), blush brush (doubles as powder on the road), lid brush, wash/blending brush, crease brush, liner/smudge brush, slant-edge brush (for brows and lining eyes), clear mascara, Prestige eyeliner, HB pencil (for brows).  bottom row: poly-con with liquid foundation, carmex tin with gel primer

 The other idea you can use to streamline your makeup is to focus on multi-use products and brushes. My foundation doubles as concealer and eyeshadow base, and can be mixed with moisturizer for a sheerer look. Sheer, mid-tone eyeshadows can be used as lid, contouring, or all-over shadows.  Dark, matte brown shadows can be used to fill in brows, as contour, or as a sharp or smoky eyeliner (depending on application). Mascara that comes off with warm water or your regular cleanser means no need for makeup remover.

As you can guess, i get a lot more flexibility out of a few neutral shades and multiple brushes for my eyes than a bunch of different colors with only one or two brushes. And since i go light on powder and blush, i can get away with using the same brush for both (i wipe it briskly on a rough washcloth between the two). Take a look at every product in your routine with an eye to double-uses and see where you can pare down your own makeup bag.


The Grand Finale

We've all seen those horrifying 'around the world in one pair of undies' online or, even worse, in travel stores. Can you say bulky, unflattering, sucking all the fun out of being in some gorgeous international location? Talk about taking visible panty lines to a new level - these things are braille-compatible. Yuck!

If you want something cheerful, in a variety of colors and styles, tiny to pack and quick-drying, just look for nylon lace undies.  You can find them at any price point (i've purchased well made ones for $4 each at Target). Just look at the fiber information and check for a cotton crotch. Nylon is soft and very very long-lasting, and nylon lace dries in an hour or two if you roll it in a towel first. I have ones from Victoria's Secret that i've used as everyday undies for around seven years that are in perfect shape.

per innkeeper Honey, once a month a letter arrives from a visitor saying that the profusion of teddy bears creeps them out.   for goodness sakes, teddy bears?

You'll be pleased to hear that that's all i'm going to say about THAT.  I hope you found this useful - please ask any questions and i'll do my best to answer.  Hopefully you'll be able to go on a getaway trip of your own soon!  Maybe Vegas?

The Alders

I love alders in any case, but this group just knocked my socks off. Talk about elegance and presence. These driftwood logs have formed a little dam and made a pond behind them. This is a perfect 'migrant trap' - a spot providing water, food and shelter which attracts birds and insects on the move. These trees are so cool they even have their own groupies!

My third outfit, featuring my new cargo pants. I ripped apart the old pair to use as a pattern, modifying the waist/hi hip to conform more to these capris. I also trimmed down the legs to give a skinnier vibe, inspired by the one and only style underdog. My thighs/aka appetite aren't getting with the 'skinny cargoes' program so much.....but que sera, sera, i suppose. There's just too much 'yum' out there.

For whatever reason, i was just really into the 'gibson girl blouse knotted right under the bust' this trip, so i did it until i got it out of my system! (okay, almost out of my system...) But the three tops i wore could be worn a number of ways and would make a nice capsule for a trip where you'd be going different places and not necessarily seeing the same people. Two button-down-the-front blouses and a long sleeved sweater or tee. Let's see:

Each item can be worn alone.
Each blouse can be worn over the tee with a couple buttons undone.
Each blouse can be worn over the tee or over the other blouse
open and belted (belt or scarf).
Each blouse can be worn over the tee or over the other blouse open and knotted.

That's thirteen different looks right there, without even considering accessories (using different belts, scarves as belts, tying/belting scarves so as to cover much of what's underneath.....). If you choose a thin cardi instead of a tee/sweater, your choices only increase. Thinner pieces will layer better and dry reliably overnite. And if you only wear two pieces each day, the other piece can be drying/in the wash.

You could choose two oxford style shirts and a cashmere crewneck; a dot patterned blouse, a striped blouse and a solid tee; a floral blouse and a lace-trimmed blouse with a waffle long-sleeved tee..... you could have all pieces in the same color; or choose three colors that go together (coral, sap green and navy); or go with three versions of one color (light coral, canteloupe and tangerine). My pieces here are all very similar in color and style, so they are easy to mix but there isn't much variety in the resulting looks. If you want more variety, then choose pieces with different colors or different patterns, or take a lot of accessories. Just make sure that each piece will 'work' with both the others. I stumbled on this formula by accident, but it's a great way to travel super-light.

Here's a couple of pictures to give you a feel for why anyone would want to live at Sea Ranch. It's also possible to rent a house at Sea Ranch. It's really affordable if you go as a group, and a lot more fun than staying at a hotel. (Full disclosure: i can't recommend any of the rental agencies i linked to , i just wanted to give you a feel for how many there are. Only about 10% of the homes are lived in year round by the owners. Also, i don't care for the 'Sea Ranch' style of architecture, though it could be worse.)

Click on the pictures to get a larger view.




And here's a sunset view from Gualala Point park - that gorgeous misty seaside air....

Passing for Normal

I put together this look on a day when i planned to walk down the street and talk to the owner of the local florist shop about temporary holiday work. I went with something very simple because every once in a while that type of look is refreshing to me, after so many baroque outfits. As it happened, the day got away from me and got a lot hotter than the weather-people predicted (pretty early in the day, too). I didn't want to make my first entrance in a pile of sweat. So i went the next day and wore the outfit below.

Both looks worked for me and my purpose because i chose elements that overlapped between my regular style and a standard business casual style - between the style i feel comfortable with and the style i wanted to project. My palette is neutral, which is the classic 'business' look, so i didn't have to make any changes there. I paid attention to grooming (wore makeup and gel in my hair), wore my classic jewelry pieces and traditional style, low heeled shoes. I didn't show too much skin and kept the silhouette neutral. Since this is a production job, working on your feet all day, a suit or office-type wear would have been inappropriate. And the flowing skirt, old-fashioned details on the blouse and hat, neutral palette and natural fibers made the outfit enough' me' that i wasn't distracted by my clothing and could concentrate on the conversation. The owner took my information, we'll see what happens - it's just to help out during busy times. But it would be fun to see behind the scenes in the floral industry.

If you have an occasion coming up where the image you would like to project differs greatly from what you usually wear and you're feeling stuck, try the method i used above. Sketch out a list of adjectives and attributes of the look you'd like to project - colors, shapes, fabrics, type of metals in the accessories, textures, even particular articles of clothing. Then, take this list with you to your closet and pull out any pieces which match any items on the list. See if you can make any outfits from this group. You will then have a much better idea of what outfits are possible using your current wardrobe and if you need to do any shopping. Also, any shopping you do will be much more focused, since you will know what you need in order to complete your look. You will also feel more comfortable basing a look for an unfamiliar situation on pieces which you know reflect your style and flatter your body.

Tee: Target
Skirt: own design
Sandals: Naturalizer
Blouse: own design, based on some girls wander
Capris: Royal Robbins
Flats: old Borns
Belt: vintage Coach
Hat: ?

Thank You Erin!

A while back Erin at Work With What You Got posted an outfit where she wore two 'mis-matched' earrings, to mixed reviews amongst family and friends. I thought she looked great (as usual), but got more excited when i realized she's just solved a vexing problem of mine.

Almost a couple of years ago, i lost the mate to one of my favorite pair of earrings. They are little acorns with leaves in sterling, very finely worked. They work like a pair of studs - throw them on with anything and they won't call too much attention to themselves. But anyone giving a closer look finds them captivating. And they symbolized my love of the oaks in California.

For some reason, most likely because i lost the mate at a very upsetting time in my life, i focused on the loss instead of how i could still wear the earring i loved so much. But when i saw Erin's post, the penny dropped and i remembered i have had a perfect match to the little acorn since i was 22 or so:

A sterling and marcasite salamander. And as it turns out, the arboreal salamander loves to live in the arms of our oak trees.......this will be a perfect pair of camping earrings!

Just an around the house outfit - i belted the dress and only buttoned a couple of buttons around the waist, so it read as a dress over another, frilly undies dress. I'm getting better at my outfit pictures, but i still have a ways to go!

Here's some tips to get you started on 'matching mis-matched' earrings. Try out pairing different earrings that are similar in:
size, shape, color or color scheme, pattern, where they sit on the ear (post vs. dangly), material (wood, sterling, gold and so on), subject depicted, or aesthetic style (punk, victorian, etc.)

Earrings with similarities among more variables will look more like you did it on purpose. I've found that the most important variables tend to be overall size and where the earring sits on your ear. For example, two earrings shaped like anchors, in similar sizes, both dangling from a post, one silver and one gold, one in a clean modern style and one with an 'antique' feel will most likely look great. But if one is a 1/2" long clip-on and the other a 4" long dangler it will be harder to pull off. However, experiment and go with what feels right to you! If you're nervous, choose a more casual occasion to try out your new pairing to see how you like it. (You can even follow my example and just wear them around the house.) Good luck and Happy Mis-Matching!


Dress: own design, inspired by Work With What You Got
Tank: Jockey
Petticoat: own design, inspired by Alisa Burke
Belt: vintage Coach
Sneaks: Converse via T.J. Maxx
Earrings: vintage salamander, acorn from Tail of the Yak in Berkeley, CA