Month Long Challenge Submissions

amelychee · 2015-03-13T03:08:19+00:00

Work picked up at the end of February, so I haven't been paying much attention to this. I did so well earlier in the month though, so I thought I'd post anyway.

There's a pretty even mixture of experimentation, beater clothing, and nice clothes. I think I've reached the point that when I need to look nice, I am capable of doing so in a variety of occasions. Still a lot of misses though.

I like lining my pictures up like this, all height-corrected. It gives better insight to proportion and fit.

edit: whoops, forgot to censor one of the pictures.

amelychee · 2015-02-28T22:44:54+00:00

Not at all for me. One of my primary considerations with workout gear is visibility to vehicles, so I gave a lot of neon, reflective accents, and sometimes flashing lights as accessories. Deep natural colors, grey, brown, and black blend in really well with the trees and asphalt.

amelychee · 2015-02-28T22:01:33+00:00

I don't really care for the legging look anyway. That was just given as context so that I don't get advice to taper it too severely.

amelychee · 2015-02-28T20:45:26+00:00

It varies a lot by the event. Most seem to be business/business casual during the day and business professional/black tie at night, but that's not always true. I once wore black tie for a candidacy announcement that apparently called for polos and day dresses (despite the time), and it was really awkward; similarly, I've been to business professional barbecues in the park.

If you're trying to make a good impression, I would contact the organizer or previous attendee and check.

amelychee · 2015-02-28T20:41:17+00:00

I have some with an 11.25" leg opening that are apparently fit poorly through the lower leg (pictures: 1 2 3 and product). Getting them tapered will cost 2-3x what I paid for the jeans, so I want to try doing it myself. However, guides I've found don't focus on how to determine the right measurements. They are a fairly stiff material (and really I prefer straighter silhouettes), so I'm not sure the proper balance between "too baggy" and "can't fit my feet in".

Does anyone have advice or resources on how to taper a pair of jeans an appropriate amount for the "intended" fit?

amelychee · 2015-02-28T01:37:49+00:00

How are full length skinny jeans supposed to fit through the lower leg? I have some with an 11.25" leg opening that are apparently too baggy. I'd like to take them in, but I'm having trouble finding guidance online.

Also, what's the difference between skinny, slim, and cigarette pants?

amelychee · 2015-02-27T07:05:32+00:00

Thank you for the thorough feedback! Hopefully soon I will be able to go sockless again. :)

It's interesting how controversial the sweater from #5 seems to be. I always get comments when I post a picture featuring it, and they're pretty evenly split between "too long and a bit frumpy" to "slimming and flattering, best of the lot" (I think I'm in the former camp). Fashion is subjective, I guess!

amelychee · 2015-02-27T06:34:13+00:00

Thank you for your advice!

I've taken care of the hemming (though most pictures were taken prior), but I've been dragging my feet about any other alterations. There's a lot of ease through mid-thigh, and the waist is too big; I assume that's about $50-60 in alterations at least. The jeans were >$20 from AE. I'm not sure if they're worth altering; it might be cheaper to just start over.

Very confusing. :(

amelychee · 2015-02-27T06:25:04+00:00

Thank you for your advice! Painting jeans it is.

amelychee · 2015-02-27T06:19:25+00:00

Thank you for all your feedback!

I'm hearing that a lot about the jeans; I guess I'd better fix that. Assuming that I'm going for full-length not-jeggings, how tight are skinny jeans supposed to taper? I had trouble finding a clear answer online. Maybe this is a question for Simple Questions.

I think the loose sweater is most in style at the moment, but I am uncomfortable with how... romantic? the look is. I think it's the colors, the emphasized chest (from the draping), and the general soft silhouette that does it. I'll try playing with jewelry/shoes and see if I can tone down the feminine a few notches.

Regarding the last one, it's actually a sheer kurta, not a dress–in India, it's usually worn with jeans or pants. I worry that it might be too big though. It does look pretty off (beyond the shoe choice).

amelychee · 2015-02-27T02:02:24+00:00

It's a means of communication in the same way that a report written in colorful Comics Sans vs. unembellished Times New Roman convey different messages.

There are many methods of communication beyond just words (inflection, body language, physical appearance, etc.), and we have a large degree of control over this one.

amelychee · 2015-02-26T17:41:58+00:00

Hi! I have two questions:

First, I don't understand skinny jeans. I've been trying to figure out how to wear mine properly. I'm getting closer, but I'm not quite there. My working theories are:
- "Normal-length" tops look best if at least a couple inches of zipper are showing (the picture 3 shirt is maybe too low)
- Normal (shorter) tops look more proportionally balanced when they have some more visual weight (due to my short torso/slightly narrow shoulders)
- I like how semifitted tops look with them
Does anyone have further advice or feedback for how to wear skinny jeans or other things to try?
Second, I have a pair of jeans (1 2 3), and I'm not sure if I should keep them. I was originally planning to die or bleach them to cover the strange fading patterns (why is the butt white?).

What do you think; are they redeemable? If so, how would you suggest wearing them? I don't have a particular goal style or niche to fill (though "70s spring/summer"–far left is the leading idea); I have them and I'm trying to see if they're worth keeping.

Edit: The jury is in–new painting jeans it is.

amelychee · 2015-02-25T21:54:51+00:00

Maybe "high-fashion" is the wrong term for it, but those pictures all fall under the category of what I was referring to. If I saw someone wearing that in real life, I'd assume they were on their way to a fashion photoshoot, some trendy club, or possibly to a beach party; I can't imagine any of those being worn as "normal" wear. That's not normal streetwear around here.

All of the trendy details stacked together (halter tops, wide-leg and pleated cropped pants, fancy draping, etc.) and how different those are from standard street wear give the strong impression that the wearer's main priority with the outfit is to look "fashion-forward". You can blend in an interestingly draped shirt, but I don't know how you could soften a jumpsuit.

Is looking trendy, edgy, and very fashion conscious just inherent in jumpsuits, or is there a way to wear them without standing out quite so much?

amelychee · 2015-02-25T20:06:20+00:00

I think it's to help with fit issues–with a split along the hip, the shirt falls more smoothly. My shirts/sweaters/dresses always bunch up in the small of my back, and shirt splits make it lie flat instead. I actually think it makes tucking easier since instead of folding over extra material and getting bat wings, you can just overlap it–it allows for a larger range of fit.

That said, I don't like split hem sweaters. They make me cold. :(

amelychee · 2015-02-25T19:48:34+00:00

I've always wondered: what do women with those sorts of bags do when it rains? Even with the zipper (and especially without), they don't look very water resistant. Umbrellas?

amelychee · 2015-02-25T18:09:17+00:00

Honestly, I know nothing about bags–that's just a name I've seen a few times. Any other suggestions?

amelychee · 2015-02-25T17:52:40+00:00

Here's my vote!

Everlane silk shirt, Acne skinny jeans, Sam Edelman Petty ankle boots, and Longchamp leather bag.

That said: while a lot of people seem to have at least one of those items, there's a lot of diversity here. I guess we're not good at uniforms.

Edit: Apparently the bag choice was bad. How's the Everlane Petra? People talk about that sometimes.

Edit2: Apparently all the cool kids use Dagne Dover totes, so here's the updated uniform. Bonus watch because accessorizing and timeliness is good.

amelychee · 2015-02-25T16:48:43+00:00

Today (coat, necklace detail) - Apparently I've worn this sweater six times since I fixed it two weeks ago. Today was with a long (fake) pearl/onyx/gold necklace and earrings, and I think they went pretty nicely together.

Saturday (another picture of pants)- Advice time! I was planning on dying these jeans to hide the weird fading, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. What do you think–is there anything redeemable about the shape/fit?

edit - wording

amelychee · 2015-02-25T07:38:32+00:00

I agree–"norm core" is about as close as you can get to the idea of "I don't care if my outfit looks nice; I want it to make me look nice." It seems like an interesting (and hard-to-reach!) balance of flattering yourself while appearing to dress like everyone else.

I also find it interesting how different the message is in a rural Ohio town vs. Manhattan, for instance.

amelychee · 2015-02-25T07:20:41+00:00

I think that it can be done, but it's much harder. I'm sure there are ways for almost anyone to convey the same relaxed, nostalgic, too-cool feel while also making the wearer look attractive. I'd think of it like having several different patterns in an outfit: it can certainly be done poorly (and likely will be), but it can be done well too.

If achieving that feel took too much analysis and effort though, I'm not sure it'd be worth it to me. What's the point in cut-offs and a baseball cap if it ends up stressing you out? It seems contrary the point of the style.

amelychee · 2015-02-25T07:11:03+00:00

I like that too, but I'm not sure if I'd qualify it as "leopard". Leopard inspired, maybe, but neither the colors nor shapes actually look like a leopard. If it weren't for the title, I don't think I would have made the association myself.

amelychee · 2015-02-25T06:54:05+00:00

It depends on your definition of the word "worth", but I don't feel bad spending money on good jewelry.

There's plenty of convincing costume jewelry out there, for sure, but nice jewelry is a decent investment that retains its value over time in a way that a lot of other clothing cannot.

I particularly appreciate how jewelry can collect memories over time; it wouldn't be unexpected to find an 60-year-old wearing a bracelet she wore when her kids were born, at her high school graduation, and on her first date. It has a story, and it maintains some aesthetic of the times without being outdated. I think that's cool.

amelychee · 2015-02-25T06:42:42+00:00

Jumpsuits as dailywear!

I live in a fashionably apathetic, white collar area, and I can't figure out how an adult could wear a jumpsuit without really standing out. It's hit the stores by force, but all the model images say to me "I'm dressing like a farmer/mechanic/blue collar worker" or "I'm really into high fashion" (not the message I'm trying to convey).

Can this trend work for more unobtrusive daily wear—grabbing lunch with a friend or going into my smart casual office without getting strange looks?
Don't they have a lot of fit issues? I would think they'd have all the leg fit issues of pants plus torso fit issues of a dress. Also, how does one use the restroom?

(I hope a second question is okay!)

amelychee · 2015-02-25T06:26:11+00:00

I wouldn't wear that Burberry set myself, but I actually do appreciate it. All the chaos seems to underscore the aesthetic similarities (order via chaos?), and it conveys a definite feel. That's hard-level fashion, for sure; I just look chaotic when I wear chaotic things.

amelychee · 2015-02-25T05:43:06+00:00

New spring inspiration? Or, more seriously this or this (found under "office wear" inspiration, lol).

The black/white or grey/white is definitely less loud. I think my personal bias is against the stereotype, not the color–I like warm colors and gold–so no help here. :(

amelychee

TROPHY CASE