Tag Archives: dressing

Let’s Ask: Where do we go for style advice?

After the success this week’s “What do we wear?”, we thought we finish off Style week with a quick survey of where we get our style advice:

Stitchfix.com 

“I never have to go to the mall again. They send me stuff I would never buy and I love it any way. I now have grownup clothes”

“Stitchfix is awesome because they send me clothes every month and I only have to pay for the ones I keep. They assign a stylist to look at my profile, my Pinterest, etc. and try to help me improve my wardrobe.”

Modcloth.com

“Modcloth is awesome because it’s preppy and quirky yet very professional, so it’s easy for me to find clothes that I can wear for both personal and work events.”

What Not To Wear on TLC

“I’ve watched enough What Not To Wear I don’t need style advice websites anymore. What Not To Wear is all about cut and dressing you for you. It’s not about what’s on trend right now so that’s why I feel the tips last forever!!!”

Some others… Style.com or Poorlittleitgirl.com

And, of course, there’s always good ol’ people watching…

Where do you go for your fashion advice?

Photo by Meaghan Morrison

The Best Places for Getting Fancy Online

The internet! The greatest invention ever? If you are a shopping maven, for sure! But at the same time, the Internet can sometimes be just too big to find exactly what you want to wear.  Yes there are the typical flash sale sites like Gilt or RueLaLa.  Or the standard online retailers like Shopbop, Net-A-Porter, or Piperlime. We aren’t going to talk about those though.

Don’t get me wrong, they are great sites. I just find them so overstuffed with subscribers that it’s hard to get something I want there in the size or the color I covet. That said, I still hit them up for holiday gift ideas, but I like to think bigger when it comes to adding that pop of color I need.

Online Garage Sales

Let’s put it this way: if you tend to fall into one of two extremes when it comes to sizing (small feet or giant feet for example), eBay is a really good place for you. You can find shoes, bags, and more. These are often used or vintage but for a great price. Do you have to be wary of knock offs? Yes. Can you return things? Not usually. But I know most of the people my age wearing Louboutins are getting them used with a few scratches on the soles via eBay.

Online Consignment Stores

On the other hand, if you do want to pay a little extra to make sure your Chanel is legit, try The Real Real. This online consignment shop inspects all their items before putting them up for sale. They have great curators, a handbag sale every week, and so. many. shoes. WARNING! This is a dangerous website. No, seriously—I have had to unsubscribe from their email list because I’ve found myself coming up with reasons why I absolutely needed to buy a red carpet Alexander McQueen gown. That said, if you just check it out every once and a while, you can get really good deals (especially on shoes)! (I might have a shoe problem. Obviously, I have no idea what you’re talking about.)

Polyvore

Confession: I’m still not 100% how to use Polyvore. It’s a very powerful tool that allows bloggers/fashionistas/future Martha Stewarts to make collages out of their favorite items. But the best part is that you can click on the items on someone’s collage and it takes you to the site where you can buy it! How awesome! Polyvore can also be used to explore “red trenchcoats” or “pointy toes navy heels” and help you, as a consumer, find different sites to purchase these items. I’ve definitely used Polyvore to help me with DIY Carmen San Diego and Oswin Oswald costumes for next year.

Go Overseas

Sometimes the best way to get great deals is to go overseas! If you don’t know where to start, check out sites like Dorothy Perkins (a UK retailer à la H&M or Topshop) and Yoox.com (an Italian mail-order company). Some like Dorothy have cute, inexpensive dresses, sweaters etc. I like them because their palette and sizing generally is complimentary with my figure. Yoox.com is a really confusing online shopping black hole. No seriously, I had to go actually look up “how to navigate Yoox” while writing this because there is just so much stuff on there. But it has everything and at the best prices. For example, right now they have some $4,000 Balmain dresses and some discounted Alexander McQueen gowns (that I totally need at age 26, right? ) Since they are an Italian company, they have direct relationships with those showrooms, so this is a good bet if you like Dolce & Gabbana.

The con is that you have to then pay to ship your stuff from god-knows-where and it’s a lot of money to return things. But if you pull together 2-4 friends and put in a big order, you can split the shipping.

Another con is that some deals are actually too good to be true. If you find yourself buying an item for a ridiculous discount, take a look around the site. Is there a customer service number? Call it. Make sure it’s a real person. There are tons of web scammers out there who build legit enough looking shopping sites, take your money, and never ship your goods.

Rent It!

If you always need to be up-to-date or if you feel like you keep getting invited to special occasion after special occasion, consider renting your pieces. If I want a work-appropriate Tory Burch bag for spring, I can rent it for $75/month from Bag Borrow Steal or if I have to work or attend a black tie event, I can rent an evening gown from Rent the Runway. It’s pretty cool because usually they send one size up or down so you don’t order the wrong size and find out it doesn’t fit the day before. The bad news is that I find a lot of their styles a little prom-y, overly sexy, or all kind of the same.

Facebook

Do you have a seriously fashionable friend? Or a friend of friend? This isn’t exactly “online,” but I know some serious fashionistas who clean out their closet every 4-6 months with an online garage sale. For example, one girl at my university would sell designer stuff at a big discount just to always be in season. She needed to excise the old trends to get the new ones and would do so by selling off designer items for $40-100. Some were barely used, but only the lucky few people who wore her size could take part.

Whether you’re updating your own wardrobe, hunting down the perfect piece, or fulfilling the addictions of your shopaholic boss, these are all very, very dangerous places… but also the best places to get styles online! (I’m serious about The Real Real… No, I can’t afford you, Jimmy Choo’s, but you are 50% off!)

Just be sure to step away from the computer for a bit before clicking “Submit Order.”

Photo by Andy Sutterfield

Photo by Andy Sutterfield

Let’s Ask: What Do We Wear?

For our Let’s Ask this week, we asked members of the UE community to answer the question: “What do you wear?” Here’s what they told us:

Where do you shop?

Physical Store

Kohl’s

Buffalo Exchange

Urban Outfitters

J. Crew

Local military surplus

H&M

Madewell

TJMaxx

Marshall’s

Topshop

Gap

Goodwill

Buffalo Exchange

Crossroads

Anthropologie

Online Site

Modcloth

Stitchfix

Gap

Amazon

Old Navy

Asos

Uniqlo

Nashbar

Rebecca Taylor

Dorothy Perkins

Nasty Gal

Forever 21

Roozt.com

theclymb.com

Piperlime

What are your favorite brands?

Tops

BDG

J Crew

Gap

Brooks Brothers Non-Iron Oxfords

Rebecca Taylor

Urban Outfitters

ModCloth

Target

Old Navy

Bottoms

Levi’s

J Brands

American Apparel

Uniqlo

Military surplus stores

Levi’s

Madewell

Rag + Bone

Zara

Target

J Crew

Forever 21

Gap

Old Navy

What is your favorite outfit?

“Even though I’m currently obsessed with mint, I think my absolute fav outfit is a deep red mandarin collar blouse (Modcloth) with black skinny jeans (Levi’s)! My comfiest black patent flats are from Target, and I prefer to wear a silver elephant pendant that I got from Kohl’s. Currently marathoning a pair of brushed-silver owl stud earrings that I purchased from a boutique in Tahoe.” 

“Dark wash skinny jeans (J Brand) with one of my standards: a pair of chucks or a pair of worn brown leather lace-up boots (Steve Madden). On top: a pale blue button up (Old Navy or Gap) or a white v-neck (Forever 21) with a grey blazer (Gap).  Sleeves always rolled up. For accessories: silver rings, a silver watch (American Eagle), messenger bag (J Crew), and–when I want a pop of color–a red checkered scarf (Borrowed! Originally from Lebanaon.)”

“I basically live in oxfords (Uniqlo) and jeans (Barneys). I can throw it on quickly when I inevitably hit the snooze button too many times, and it’s comfortable enough that I won’t hate my life by the end of the day. I’m really drawn to the idea of not having to think about what I’m wearing while still looking good. I’ve literally got my favorite button-down in 13 different colors, I just switch it up whether I wear it with a hoodie / sweater / cardigan (Opening Ceremony) to keep things from feeling like a uniform. (Leather boots; Guess wool military jacket; Polo scarf)”

“Cargo shorts from Old Navy and a t-shirt from any of several dozen places. I wear it every day.”

“Skinny jeans that I can safely sit down in (Levi’s), interesting tanktop (stolen from my cousin), slightly heeled boots (Steve Madden).”

“Oof. A favorite outfit is so hard! I have a navy dress with a Taj Mahal pattern (Dorothy Perkins) and knee high brown boots (Nordstroms) that I really like. The dress had great swing in the skirt and is sexy without trying too hard, and has a tie in the front so you can make it like a big bow too. I also love wearing a teal maxi skirt that is very big and dramatic (Laundry by Shelli Segal) paired with something simple like a black v-neck t-shirt (Target).”

“I can’t ever put together anything but, every once in a while, I’ll do okay. I like combat boots and Chuck Taylors, skinny jeans, a graphic tee and a leather jacket (Zara, H&M, Top Shop).”

“Gap jeans, Forever 21 sweater, and Toms!”

“I’m a New Yorker, so all black, all the time is in my DNA. I like to mix up classic lines with boho pieces, maybe with a pop of color thrown in with accessories. But my favorite, favorite outfit? Probably just a pair of black skinnies with a black-and-white striped top, some flats and fun jewelry (Gap, Loft, J Crew).”

What’s your best tidbit of fashion advice?

  • You’re most confident when you’re comfortable.
  • Just because you like it, doesn’t mean it looks good.
  • Don’t be afraid to wear bold colors… and lots of them!
  • Find a comfortable type outfit you like enough to wear most days and use layers to play with the look.
  • Anticipate the clearance sales.
  • Basics and statement pieces are all you’ll ever need.
  • Don’t be scared of prints—they are your friends, they make everything fun!
  • Great hair is so important.
  • If you wear leggings, make sure the top covers your ass!
  • Dress for your shape and weight!
  • Fit is key: I’m petite, so I love that I can get decent basics in petite cuts from Gap/Old Navy online.
  • I have no fashion advice to give, I just wear clothes that function well and are comfortable
  • It’s amazing what you can find at a good clothing swap. Some of my favorite items of clothing have come from swaps…and they can be great chances to try out new styles that you’re curious about but wouldn’t want to actually buy.
  • Everything is better in black.

We want to know what you wear! Tell us in the comments!

Graduating from Jeans

I am fairly certain that in every single photo of me from age 8 to age 22, I am wearing jeans and a t-shirt. (Except for maybe my prom pictures…maybe.) I always wore 100% denim flare jeans, since I had some strange vendetta against stretch denim—which I’ve since learned is, in fact, forgiving and magical when done right, but that’s another article. The t-shirts were fairly uniform, I was a fan of the “girl-cut”—despite the ridiculous name for this style—with cap sleeves and slim silhouettes. Maybe they were band t-shirts, or maybe they were surf company shirts, or maybe they were just solid colors. It mattered very little to me. I would don a hoodie if it was chilly (I grew up in a place without recognizable seasons). And lastly, I wore low top Chuck Taylors until the soles wore through, at which time I would replace them with an identical pair.

I didn’t follow fashion or really try at what I was wearing, beyond not wearing black with brown or navy blue with black. This was my formula, it worked for me. That was until I realized that I would have to step it up when I entered the professional world. I quickly found myself lost without the comfort-blanket of my old “uniform.”

I over corrected. At first, I tried to wear skirts, ruffle-blouses, little blazers, and heels every day. This was exhausting and frustrating. The only way I could make this work was to lay out outfits for the entire week on Sunday night, accessories and all. I quickly got bored and ended up wearing the exact same outfits week after week. But the bigger issue was that it was just uncomfortable. I felt like a fake, like I was raiding my mom’s closet. You know those photos of little girls flopping around in their mom’s heels? That’s how I felt. Instead of focusing on my work, I was preoccupied with my clothing. So, after careful observation of what folks in my office wore, I revamped. I am now much closer to my original M.O., but am still “office appropriate.”

Here is my uniform for my business casual office:

1) Plain Top: There are about as many different dress tops as there are stars in the sky, but there are a few things I am not flexible about: I need my tops to be a solid color, washable, with some subtle but elevating detail, and a flattering shape that can be worn under a cardigan. The top that fits these requirements for me is from Banana Republic. It is cotton, with a tiny little satin ribbon around the neckline, and it is a super flattering shape. I have it in like 8 colors, so I don’t always end up wearing the white on Monday, black on Tuesday, etc. It is extremely comfortable and I don’t have to buy a new thing every season. Plus, and this is really the biggest thing, they’re not dry-clean only, so I don’t accidentally destroy all of my shirts when I forget to check the care tags yet again on laundry day!

2) Cardigan / Jersey Blazer: Again, almost all the same requirements as above (especially the washable part), but if there is a pattern or a more striking detail, that’s fine by me. Cardigans are great because they are super comfy and versatile. Jersey Blazers, a blazer made from jersey or another stretch fabric but with the same tailoring details, is amazing because they look even more professional but they are extremely comfortable. And have pockets. My aim here is to be able to mix and match so that I have the maximum number of outfits with the minimum number of potential opportunities to walk out the door looking like I got dressed in the dark.

3) Chunky / Splashy Necklace: This is my not-so-secret weapon to make an otherwise casual outfit feel much more formal or interesting. The bigger or more interesting the necklace, pin or fascinator (why not?), the less likely someone else is to notice that this is my regular Tuesday shirt.  My go-to spots for cheap but fun costume jewelry are Forever 21, the Anthropologie sale rack, Claire’s and Target.

4) Pants: This is the trickiest part for me, since jeans are my favorite thing to wear (though yoga pants might be edging them out). I wish I could wear jeans every day to work. But since I can’t, the only thing that works for me is to make friends with someone who works at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Ann Taylor Loft or Banana Republic. When I talk about what I want with the experts at these stores, my focus is always on comfort and versatility. Yes, they are more expensive than some of the other options, but I can get away with only a few pairs, instead of a million from H&M that wear out instantly. I have a pair of extremely plain slacks in black, dark grey, navy blue and brown. My bases are completely covered. And since they are so basic, I feel no remorse whatsoever about wearing them more than once in a week (after doing laundry, of course).

5) Finally, ballet flats: These are my favorite things in the entire world. I like knowing that if I need to run, I can, but I will still look good while doing it. Plus, I won’t end up with an aching back or side eye from a supervisor. Perfect black ballet flats (simple, plain, comfortable, not matronly, and not exceedingly expensive) are a little bit of a unicorn sometimes, but it’s worth looking for the perfect pair and wearing them until they’re totally done because they go with virtually everything.

My workplace is pretty consistently business casual, so while I still hate dressing up every day, at least I know it could be worse. Whenever I get a little bored with my wardrobe, I search for inspiration from people who actually enjoy getting put together and who do it well. Check out Broke-in-Boots’s Instagram, Jennylee always has a killer outfit. You can also always search the hashtags #fashiondiaries or #instafashion, #workflow, #ootd, #outfitoftheday, or #workchic on Instagram for inspiration.

But I’d also love to know your go-to formulas for werkin’ it at work—even when you’d rather not?

Photo by Andy Sutterfield

Photo by Andy Sutterfield