I’ve never been able to put together a good rubric or style
descriptor for myself. The one term I
focus on is “sleek” because although I’m occasionally drawn to ruffles, they always
end up annoying me. Sleek reminds me to
stay away from ruffles, bows, excessive ornamentation, and things of that
nature.

However, I discovered recently that most of my favorite
outfits have some common elements that can be reduced to a simple formula: One neutral, one color or another neutral,
something with pattern, interesting shoes. I usually like some bling from a necklace or bracelet but that's not necessary and more just for fun.

I seldom put together an outfit with more than
two colors (I’m including neutrals when I say color here) for the main elements
- as in I won’t wear pants of one color, top in one color and cardigan/blazer
in a third color. However, there can be
extra colors in the pattern. I also
rarely like outfits with 2 non-neutral colors for the main elements (a recent
outfit with blush pants and a blue top wasn’t my favorite). The items don’t have to be exclusive – the colored
item could also be the patterned element.
I just don’t usually like a solid colored bottom with a solid colored
top and nothing else.

With casual outfits, blue jeans frequently act as the
neutral color. But I sometimes have a
hard time thinking of blue jeans as a neutral which is one reason I don’t wear
a lot of blue tops. I feel like the blue
top usually clashes with the blue of the blue jeans unless they are very
different – very light blue jeans with dark blue top or dark blue jeans with
light blue top.

Here’s a few recent examples of what I’m talking about:

#1 – two neutral colors, the lace sleeves add the pattern
element.

#2 – Grey pants with colored top, the scarf adds the pattern

#3 – Black (neutral) pants, patterned sweater (all neutrals
in this case)

#4 - Maroon (color) pants,
patterned tee in neutral black/white, black sweater

#5 - Neutral pants,
patterned tank, colored sweater

#6 – Black and white patterned skirt (neutral and pattern), colored
top

#7 – Casual example (although the picture is terrible, why didn’t
DH tell me to straighten out my shirt?).
Neutral blue jeans, patterned tank, color crop top.

Anyone else have an outfit formula? What works for you when deciding what you'll feel best in? Thoughts and comments are more than welcome.