Wednesday, November 23, 2005

wardrobe remix

i was just thinking about this idea and then happened upon this great wardrobe remix photo group of people who post their creative outfits daily. this one girl dear birthday is so cute & styles!

i'm gonna dork out and expand on this idea. i was thinking about it b/c i just went to the grocery store in gaucho yoga pants from foreva 21, hugh's oversized brown cardigan, blue flowered shoes payless (eek! i'm cheap), my newsie hat, a fabulous homemade scarf by heidi and hand silkscreened of mine tank top and got compliments from some lady on my "outfit". huh?

it's called being poor, creative, lazy, comfortable and resourceful.

although i will share with you the things i learned from hostessing at a fancy pants restaurant:

lipstick
cheap, but current earrings from H&M, Forever 21 (or Claire's even) will get oodles of compliments if paired right (2 women practically attacked me one night for a chintzy multiple tiered necklace that i got for $6 at a teenage store)
comfortable heels
t-shirts even look dressed up if you put a broach, layer with a beaded cardigan, or sew some embellishment on it
black is good
walk tall and look people in the eyes and they don't look at your cheapo clothes
a small investment in vintage basics that you can have as your staples

sometimes my mom and i compare notes on our clothes (she is super duper frugal & resourceful) and we'll go through our outfit saying: hand-me-down, the fashion barn, thrift, j jill sale (her), me it's mostly: thrift, forever 21, H&M and sometimes gap or old navy, or better yet thrifted gap or old navy... outfits usually in the $20 range for real.

although sometimes i do partake in cheap shoes, i try to buy really comfy and expensive ones b/c it's worth it, right?!

alright, i sound like i think i'm queen fashion, i guess i just want to pass on my hints b/c when people compliment the way i dress it dumbfounds me b/c all my clothes are in themselves 5 years old and not so cute, it's the way ya' mix it up.

my dearest friend jessie always gives me a back handed (yet sincere) compliment of "only you could wear that" and i don't think it's true, it just takes a combination of desperation, devotion to fashion mags, layering and not matching colors or seasons.

peace out fashionable peeps.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know, I was shopping last night and there were so many things that I thought, Only Mati could wear that. You do have a way of pairing things that make them look "more" than they are!! I need some lessons...

gkgirl said...

damn.

i used to get compliments
on what i wore
but now i work at home
amidst flying pablum globs,
4 babies worth of drool,
consistently running noses
and the occasional spit-up
sooooooo....
i've lost my will
to dress outside the pajama-pant-box
sigh.
heehee

Jeanine Huebner said...

hello dear mati,
just wanted to say "hi"! Are you still wearing my clothes sometimes or are they already in your way? Never planned on staying away for that long....
I still love reading your blog. It's great. You are great. Can't wait to see you again. Whenever.
Oh, yeah, and I am wearing the earrings you gave me so often and they are so precious to me!
Lots of love to lovely San Francisco!
Jeanine

j. vorwaller said...

yes! yay for trish for starting the flickr street style group :)

and there's nothing wrong with payless...:) i have a few great finds in my closet from there...in fact, im wearing these great wool slippers as i type this from there...:)

next time i want to see pictures fo your stylin self! :) have a great thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

Wow, great tips. Lately, I've been feeling a bit frumpy and was hoping for the new year to get back to adding some style back into my wardrobe (something that came much easier back in my teens when thrifting was a creative necessity). Frugal but stylish is key for me. Your post couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks for sharing.

Swirly said...

This is such a great topic. It is only in the past few years that I feel I have really developed my own sense of style. I don't think it is anything particularly unique (I am a Banana Republic geek), but I do know what type of clothes suit my body, and I have gotten very good at recognizing pieces that I know I will really enjoy. If I buy it, I wear it, and if it was crazy expensive, I wear it a LOT. :)