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.