Plain and simple: Fashion is an expression of yourself therefore in order for your fashion to develop, you need to develop yourself. Here are the ways I find inspiration:
1) As often as possible I create "lists" on 1 sheet of legal-pad paper of words, images, ideas that pop in to my head (usually at night before I go to bed). For instance, my most recent list included: Bolero! with RUFfles!, Blue eyeliner-shadow lower lid-reverse cat eye, black lace, leather/lavender, The Perfect-T, octopus, fringe necklace, fish bones, and a few sketches of skirts and what I think a reverse cat-eye eyeliner should look like. Sometimes these things mean nothing, sometimes they inspire me to create/try new things. It's basically a daily exercise in being creative--tuning in to what I'm feeling day-to-day.
2) Magazine cut-outs. This is the oldest trick in the book. If you see a great pair of thigh-high Chanel patent stiletto boots that you LOVE, rip the picture out at put it on an "inspiration" board. Even though you could never afford the real thing, having the image close at hand trains your eye to be on the look out for similar styles.
3) pictures. I'm bad at this one, but really, carry a camera with you everywhere. A street sign might inspire you in a moment. It's beautiful that every moment is new and individual and if you don't have a camera to catch it...it will never be caught.
4) search the web! Seriously, it's lame but important to know what's going on: looking at what other people are wearing, knowing trends, knowing designers, knowing Ebay, knowing Gap/Old Navy/BR, knowing low and high, high and low...KNOWING KNOWING KNOWING. And that good ol' saying, knowing your body!
Afterword: This entry was not so much a tip, but rather information on one approach I take to the vast realm of fashion. I'm transforming this into a tip by saying this: INSPIRE yourself, constantly constantly constantly. Not only in fashion, in LIFE. If you find something that inspires you every day, every day is successful. Life is inspirational. Bring that inspiration to the stores. Every now and then buy things on a whim. That's the beauty of shopfrugality, you are spending relatively small amounts so there's no such thing as buyer's remorse; buy the magenta dress because it makes you happy, even though it's three sizes too small and will only hang in your closet. Fashion is art. Fashion is life. Fashion is inspiration.
Showing posts with label shopfrugality tip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopfrugality tip. Show all posts
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
shopfrugality tip: body type
Well dear readers, it has been a while since I've posted a tip, so here's a basic one I hope most of you already know: know your body type and what works on you.
My basic rules of fit:
1. If it's too small, don't buy it, wear it, go near it. I know it's tempting to buy the one-day-I'll-fit-into-them jeans, buy most likely you won't and it won't help your self-esteem staring at them. There's nothing more unattractive than a woman busting out of too-small clothes. Don't be disillusioned...if it doesn't work on you, it doesn't work on you. There are some things that only Kate Moss can wear.
2. Learn the art of illusion. If you have a bit of a belly, don't buy clothes that show off your stomach. Learn to highlight parts of your body you love (collar-bone, tiny waist) and camouflage the areas you don't love (arms, belly, thighs). If you're a bit on the heavy side, the best thing to do is create a waistline, not hide it.
3. Too-long on too-short is not good, and too-short on too-long is not good. Fashion is always in favor of the taller woman (that's just the way the industry works) but remember, it's always about proportioning clothes to the proportions of your body. Women with long legs but short torsos need to think about proportions just as much as women with short legs and long torsos.
4. You have a top half and a bottom half. Again--proportions. Throwing on way too many things that busy up the body will only turn you into a blob. When dressing, make sure you can tell where your top ends and your bottom begins (think strategically placed belts and hemlines).
5. God (or whoever you believe in) made your body the way it is. Don't dwell on what you don't have, be happy with what you do have and make the best of it. The easiest way to learn to dress your body correctly is by understanding it and appreciating it.
6. Break the rules. I'm 5' tall, but lord help me, I'm going to wear tent dresses that overwhelm my frame if I feel like it! If you absolutely love it, go for it! No one became a fashion icon by following the rules all the time.
My basic rules of fit:
1. If it's too small, don't buy it, wear it, go near it. I know it's tempting to buy the one-day-I'll-fit-into-them jeans, buy most likely you won't and it won't help your self-esteem staring at them. There's nothing more unattractive than a woman busting out of too-small clothes. Don't be disillusioned...if it doesn't work on you, it doesn't work on you. There are some things that only Kate Moss can wear.
2. Learn the art of illusion. If you have a bit of a belly, don't buy clothes that show off your stomach. Learn to highlight parts of your body you love (collar-bone, tiny waist) and camouflage the areas you don't love (arms, belly, thighs). If you're a bit on the heavy side, the best thing to do is create a waistline, not hide it.
3. Too-long on too-short is not good, and too-short on too-long is not good. Fashion is always in favor of the taller woman (that's just the way the industry works) but remember, it's always about proportioning clothes to the proportions of your body. Women with long legs but short torsos need to think about proportions just as much as women with short legs and long torsos.
4. You have a top half and a bottom half. Again--proportions. Throwing on way too many things that busy up the body will only turn you into a blob. When dressing, make sure you can tell where your top ends and your bottom begins (think strategically placed belts and hemlines).
5. God (or whoever you believe in) made your body the way it is. Don't dwell on what you don't have, be happy with what you do have and make the best of it. The easiest way to learn to dress your body correctly is by understanding it and appreciating it.
6. Break the rules. I'm 5' tall, but lord help me, I'm going to wear tent dresses that overwhelm my frame if I feel like it! If you absolutely love it, go for it! No one became a fashion icon by following the rules all the time.
Friday, August 15, 2008
shopfrugality tip: getting through the racks, fabrics
Familiarizing yourself with different fabrics and patterns is a key tool to wading through racks and racks of clothes quickly and successfully.
1) Colors: If you know you look bad in a color, skip it all-together. This can save you tons of time, especially at stores that sort by color.
2) Fabrics: Learn the different textures of natural and synthetic fabrics so your hands can “sense” them out as you rifle through the racks. My fingertips know the minute I’ve hit 100% silk and the difference between a polyestery knock-off (not to say the knock off isn’t worth looking at also).
3) Patterns: While this is tricky, it’s not impossible; learn to differentiate between “timeless” and “trendy” patterns (the aim is timeless, not trendy). For me, patterns are probably the easiest way for me to immediately “veto” certain garments. My trick: If it reminds me of a very specific time period or person (in a bad way)—VETO. This doesn’t apply to vintage (late 50s early 60s brocade will always remind me of late 50s early 60s brocade in a wonderful ecstatic way). Rather, if I remember seeing my mom in that print on mother’s day 1992, that usually means VETO. This motto helps me scan through 10 hideous floral print sundresses in about 2 seconds.
But perhaps the best advice I can give about fabrics is this: Trust your instincts. If you are for some reason drawn to the purple dress with yellow lightning bolts in differing sizes (which, by the way, I TOTALLY would be) then grab it—your inner fashion sense is trying to tell you something even if you don’t always understand it.
1) Colors: If you know you look bad in a color, skip it all-together. This can save you tons of time, especially at stores that sort by color.
2) Fabrics: Learn the different textures of natural and synthetic fabrics so your hands can “sense” them out as you rifle through the racks. My fingertips know the minute I’ve hit 100% silk and the difference between a polyestery knock-off (not to say the knock off isn’t worth looking at also).
3) Patterns: While this is tricky, it’s not impossible; learn to differentiate between “timeless” and “trendy” patterns (the aim is timeless, not trendy). For me, patterns are probably the easiest way for me to immediately “veto” certain garments. My trick: If it reminds me of a very specific time period or person (in a bad way)—VETO. This doesn’t apply to vintage (late 50s early 60s brocade will always remind me of late 50s early 60s brocade in a wonderful ecstatic way). Rather, if I remember seeing my mom in that print on mother’s day 1992, that usually means VETO. This motto helps me scan through 10 hideous floral print sundresses in about 2 seconds.
But perhaps the best advice I can give about fabrics is this: Trust your instincts. If you are for some reason drawn to the purple dress with yellow lightning bolts in differing sizes (which, by the way, I TOTALLY would be) then grab it—your inner fashion sense is trying to tell you something even if you don’t always understand it.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
shopfrugality tip: where to look
For some, the hardest part of secondhand shopping is knowing where to go and what to expect. Here are some basic guidelines broken down in price ranges. Hope this helps!
High-level Price: Specialty Stores, "High-end" Consignment, Buy Sell Trade Stores
Local (seattle) examples: red light, buffalo exchange
Expect to pay, average for a dress: $15-20
Pros: Almost always gauranteed to find something in a selection of "on trend," high quality clothing. And, at a buy, sell, trade, you can unload some of your oldies for store credit aka new clothes!
Cons: Prices are higher, and it's not as thrilling of a hunt
Mid-level Price: Chain Stores
Examples: goodwill, value village/savers
Expect to pay, average for a dress: $8-12
Pros: HUGE selection to hunt through
Cons: HUGE selection to hunt through
Low-level Price: Mom and Pop Thrift Stores
For Local Examples: thumb through yellow pages under "Thrift Stores," or "Second Hand Stores"
Expect to pay, average for a dress: $3-6
Pros: cheap, cheap, cheap, and usually the least picked-through selection
Cons: sometimes strange hours, locations, owners, experiences (but that's half the fun, right?)
Insider tips:
High-level Price: Specialty Stores, "High-end" Consignment, Buy Sell Trade Stores
Local (seattle) examples: red light, buffalo exchange
Expect to pay, average for a dress: $15-20
Pros: Almost always gauranteed to find something in a selection of "on trend," high quality clothing. And, at a buy, sell, trade, you can unload some of your oldies for store credit aka new clothes!
Cons: Prices are higher, and it's not as thrilling of a hunt
Mid-level Price: Chain Stores
Examples: goodwill, value village/savers
Expect to pay, average for a dress: $8-12
Pros: HUGE selection to hunt through
Cons: HUGE selection to hunt through
Low-level Price: Mom and Pop Thrift Stores
For Local Examples: thumb through yellow pages under "Thrift Stores," or "Second Hand Stores"
Expect to pay, average for a dress: $3-6
Pros: cheap, cheap, cheap, and usually the least picked-through selection
Cons: sometimes strange hours, locations, owners, experiences (but that's half the fun, right?)
Insider tips:
- I didn't list Salvation Army under the chain stores because their prices tend to be ridiculously low for a chain (which makes it my personal favorite).
- Garage Sales belong in a category all their own because it's ALWAYS hit or miss--just be sure to go with lots of energy, and low expectations.
- Go outside the "big city" and be prepared to be shocked. I'm talking items for pennies! PENNIES! I recently went to Deer Lake, WA (30min outside North Spokane) and purchased a perfect conditioned red clutch for 10 cents! 10 CENTS!
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