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Experimenting with Arty Layers

Sarah A

Veteran

After Angie posted some poncho options a few weeks back I have been a bit on the lookout to find one to play with. This Ramie - Nylon blend one presented itself the other day an I though I'd give it a try. The snow day yesterday gave some time at home to play and I was feeling inspired by Angie's blog post yesterday morning.

I definately like this look better in the more summery iterations where the sheerness and skin showing improves the figure flattery.... and with the heels, but those aren't feasible for my everyday life. I think 6-7 would be better with jeans versus leggings, but it was laundry day... no dry jeans available.

I wore 8-9 out of the house briefly to take the girls to get new ballet shoes. The skirt layer bunched and drove me crazy... and i feel like i look stumpier in the photo than i did in real life. Oh well. I like how these looked but none hit a home run. Recommendations for improving proportions that involve flats? Hmmmm....

I think a more fitted open weave sweater dress with a diagonal hem would be a good idea to put on the looking list. I also have a black skirt I might have the hem adjusted to be diagonal... Just kinda of putting this out there since I know the avant garde layers seem to get a lot of interested comments on Angie's posts about seeing what might work for each person.

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25 replies

Latest reply was from patsymaloo

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I need to come back to this, Sarah. I gave it a look and have to formulate some thoughts. I love how you jumped on the wagon to give this a try so fast. Is it something that really appeals to you to wear? Would you like to take your style in an arty direction?

Sarah A

Veteran

Thanks Suz! I am super drawn to these modern avant garde-ish looks, but they seem to be super footwear dependent. Which is a big problem for me since 2" heels are sitting shoes in my book. I feel like this can be a more grown up way to feature my "funky" style desires. Some of my previous funky outfits feel much too twee to me now. I think discovering the Japanese inspired aesthetic about a year ago on pinterest is what really jumpstarted the style turmoil i've been in for the last 11 or so months. I have always gravitated to a modern feeling in home decor but I didnt really realize it could be available to me in dressing until that pinterest discovery (Cocolion mentioned Ann Demeulemeester in a comment on someone's post and i went searching from that jumping off point) if that makes any sense?

ramya

Veteran

I love 1!!!! Really truly madly deeply. But then it may be my Indian sensibilities that tickle here.
I guess a truly professional eye may guide you better here.

bella

(website)

Veteran

"I am super drawn to these modern avant garde-ish looks, but they seem to be super footwear dependent."
I very much agree with this assessment. I really like the versions with the pumps, but that is not very helpful to you. I also prefer the tops in 1 and 2 to the others. Maybe the trick is to combine with lighter fabrics? Are you wearing a velvet skirt in 8?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Yes. Makes total sense.

As you know, I am pulled in a similar direction.

Funnily enough, our home is NOT simple, sleek, and minimal in the least. Although largely that's because of the house itself -- an 1860s row house. We do have lots of modern art and furniture but the "bones" of the house itself are not at all minimal and in doing the renos we did, we felt we wanted to work with that.

Remind me what the temps are for most the year where you are -- you are a sandal wearer for a big portion of the year, correct?

I am thinking that you could nudge in this direction with some Eileen Fisher stuff. Expensive -- but do-able on ebay, perhaps. And the scale might work for you okay. How tall are you, again? Are you over 5'6" or are you 5"4? If the lower number, I would aim to buy petites in EF (but maybe in a medium).

Suz

(website)

Veteran

ETA - I think the footwear issue is solvable -- but you will have to adapt outfit proportions accordingly.

Sarah A

Veteran

Thanks Ramya! I think Manidipa was one of the only lovers of my dress over bootcuts a few years back so I do think there might be something to the Indian traditional dressing and familiarity with layers and volume.

Bella, the skirt is a velour cut in a jean skirt styling. And yes... the shoe thing. So true! Argh!

Suz, I am 5' 5.5" and about 150 pounds currently. I have wondered about Eileen Fisher. I was a bit concerned about ebaying in the dark, eps. given IK's comment that now her shoulders have muscled up they dont fit EF right. As ebay... oh burned so many times. I am so trying to swear it off! I have found one of our downtown boutiques carries EF though, I went in there with DD the other day but didnt try anything on as that isnt really easy to do with her in tow. Another trip in order. Sandals are de rigueur early May to late Sept around here on a typical year. I am located in the Appalachian mountains near Asheville, NC. Here are the etsy things im considering:

(The designers name is careydion, they do have a very similar aesthetic to EF, but are a bit more affordable (around $100 each) and support my goal of putting my money with small domestic manufacturers. ETA: she will adjust garments to your measurements and has a variety of fabric colors to select from)

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Caro in Oz

Veteran

I replied on your other post, where I forgot to mention I have lots of funky flat shoes

Deborah

Veteran

Good on you for trying this out. I think I would prefer a column of colour here. So I would keep it all black. The version with skin showing through the sheer is really nice and I agree that footwear can be key in these looks. A flat sandal like this one would be awesome (it's LD Tuttle). And proportions are key too. I think that perhaps this "poncho" would work best with a top underneath and slim leg jeans or pants. In this instance the skirt is breaking up what I think should be a long line. The more you play the more you will work out the proportions.

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

That's cool about the easy designer -- good idea to order there because you can get the fit you want. Definitely worth a try!

I think IK's problem with EF is actually in the other direction -- she's too small for most EF stuff now. EF runs generous and cuts quite wide. It tends to be just TOO voluminous for those with a smaller frame. She may have trouble with specific sweaters in the shoulder but I would think it would be a proportion issue -- if she ordered the size that worked for shoulders, she'd be swimming in it.

Deborah is the queen of avant-garde so she has good styling ideas here.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I prefer the opposite to Debs. I prefer the contrast in #1 as opposed to a column of colour in #8. You also need to show foot skin for structure, which is why the pumps in #1 are another bonus.

Your kids are adorable like their Mama.

Sarah A

Veteran

Lots to think about here...

Angie, thank you for mentioning the strucure aspect. It is the critically missing element once adding the ling sweater and covered foot. I will keep that in mind when planning future iterations.

Deborah, i think you are onto the too many breaks. Well of course you are on it! Now that my washed black skinnys are clean im giving them a go. I think the leggings arent pants enough to be worn along with the sweater.
The ld tuttles are very cool

Suz, thanks for coming back to illustrate the EF details more. The benefit of that route is certainly the chance to order from nordies and see if it feels like me versus a custom piece in an area where i am still on the exploring how i feel in this scale.

Sarah A

Veteran

Caro, Yes, i need some funky fantastic flats.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ooh - I love the idea of your ordering a pile of stuff to try on!! Even if you don't keep. It would be really useful.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Interesting! But no fair including your adorable daughters to distract me. Fresh off Susie's thread I will give you some gut reactions. I see a lot of potential here. I don't like this sort of outfit with pumps I think. That may be just me. I like the blue under layer, but not the flashdance off the shoulder look. I like both the flats and boots, but the whole think is too dark with the boots as is, so I want them mixed with the blue or a sheer something. And finally, like Suz, I want to know if this is a new direction and perhaps an old direction you are expressing?

Beth Ann

Veteran

Well, your girls are fashion savvy already! Woot!

#1 works to me, Sarah, and I could really see #8 with your tall boots. What a gorgeous poncho!

Your Etsy links are beautiful, and I think they would be "arty" without being OTT or overwhelming. I also really like Deborah's sandals.

Of course, if you're like me, you can't replace your entire wardrobe in a year, so the trip will be how to get your feet wet. I think I'd concentrate on tops and footwear first.

Gigi

Veteran

When I have to wear flats, I find that pairing them with skinny jeans works best. If you can tuck, that might also make your legs appear longer. To my eye, the poncho outfit would be improved if worn with skinny pants and a short as opposed to a skirt plus leggings. I think that the skirt is breaking up your leg line and increasing the "stumpy" feeling you're having with flats.

Good for you for trying something new! I just ended up having to return an asymmetric-hem skirt. It made me look a little dumpy, but I wasn't sure if it was the hem style or whether it was the fact that it was a little big and needed altering. So I'm going to keep trying until I can discern if it's the hem itself. I think that asymmetric hems might require a lot more experimenting with proportions than I thought.

Deborah

Veteran

Reading Angie's comments, I wanted to understand what she is seeing. So my take on it this is that #1 with the contrast takes this look into the mainstream (this is not a negative) and is 'softer' and more approachable. The all black can be a bit dramatic and austere I guess and I don't know if that is your personality (you certainly don't strike me about austere). Learning much from this thread

Greyscale

Veteran

Just catching up on this thread - your description of stumbling into this new aesthetic and feeling a bit of turmoil made a lot of sense to me!

I like the poncho and how it lets you play around with different geometric lines in your outfits.

The footwear thing is always a challenge. I stick to simple shoes for my more avant garde looks, like plain minimalist flats (these are the ones I just got: http://www.zappos.com/born-sto.....collection). I also can't wear heels much, but I'm keeping an eye out for some killer mid-heels, something heavy but minimal along the lines of round-heel Margiela pumps. I'm also drooling over the sandals Deborah posted. Another direction you can go is heavy flat boots, even Dr Martens.

Sarah A

Veteran

I apologize it has taken me all day to get back here.... I really appreciate all the thought and perspectives. And I did wear a poncho outfit all day today... I loved it! I will post pics when i get them downloaded. I ditched the skirt and leggings and worn my (now clean and dry) faded black skinny's with tall black boots to add structure. I wore my more fitted black cashmere t-neck on top and then threw the poncho over it all. And I could easily wear my long puffer over the poncho too. Perfect!

Shevia, hmmmm no pumps... well my feet love that idea! I think I need some more funky flats as Caro mentioned. Giggling about the flashdance comment b/c I have liked one shoulder looks since about that time (8th grade is my first conscious recollection with a fuschia tunic and navy leggings...) But think it hasn't been until recently I think i have the confidence to pull off some of these leanings. As for this particular ponco asymmetric hem kind of stuff, i have been pondering it just about a year.

Beth Ann, Yes learning to slow down on getting my wardrobe to its ideal is a hard thing for me who likes to "set goals, achieve them. set more goals, achieve them" and do it promptly! Weight changes have driven a lot of re-buying for me over the last year too, so grrrr. But me weight fluctuations effect pants size for me much more so that tops or shoes

Gigi, I think actually your idea is just about exactly what i wore today. If you are interested in asymmetric items i am sure you will find a way to wear them that is flattering... but i think you are right... such things require us to experiment and find a new set of "rules" for proportions.

Deborah, you make a really good point about approachability. Hmmmm.... I am somewhat shy and reserved in person and have been told I can come off as cold when people first meet me. Although, I find this much less now that I usually have the accessories featured in pic #2 with me nearly all the time. I should be aware of this though and make a point to smile more when wearing all black outfits.

Grayscale, thanks for the shoe ideas and commiserating about the fashion direction (I never would have guessed that from your photos;) ). I find the arch support in born flats hits me all wrong but i am considering a small brand of ballet flats made in the US. The flat chunky boot idea is one i have been pondering too.... Physically heavy shoes aggravate an IT band injury i have so i need to "proceed with caution" there but might be able to pull it off. Thanks for your insights!

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I love your poncho, and you look lovely in it. I especially like the first and last looks--with the dress and the skirt, and for flats, I like the ballet flats and the blue sandals best. I like the idea of the blue high-low hem top, but I feel it competes a bit with the poncho in a way the straight-hemmed blue dress does not. I could see this poncho over a simple dress with sandals, too, sans leggings. What about wearing the dress, tights, and poncho? Also I like your idea of just wearing the poncho over slim jeans; wear a simple top in a color that is fairly low contrast with the jeans. Doesn't have to be total column of color, I don't think, but not something that is bright behind the open weave of the poncho--I'd go for a more diffuse look like what you've achieved with the dress in 1-3. I think you're on the right track and look forward to seeing more of your forays into this style. It suits you so well.

I, too, admire this style and long for a lot of the Eileen Fisher pieces I see. But they are expensive for my budget, too. Fortunately for us, I'm seeing a lot of similar styles popping up in unexpected places. Love your etsy picks! Some of the less expensive fashions in Nordstrom's Savvy department are looking quite Eileen Fisher-esque lately, at a fraction of the price!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

#8 is my favorite too.

ETA -- and I like #1 too but something about the conservative nature of the pumps is throwing me.

kellygirl

Veteran

I love #1. Something about the colored skirt with the asymmetric hemline looks so cool. I need to go back and read the comments because I tried something similar to 8 but felt my version was lacking something. I'd like to see #8 with a tall boot too. Fab poncho!

rachylou

Veteran

#2 is my favourite, point and collar centered, heels. With the flat shoes and poncho point and length, I feel like the ground just comes up too soon. The booties feel too covered to me - like, why are your feet so covered up when your shoulders aren't? What *is* the temperature. I think with a turtleneck underneath, that wouldn't be an issue...

patsymaloo

What I like about picture 8 is that having a single colour underneath draws more attention to the shape and drama of the poncho so that's what I'd go for. What about long boots with it?

I think you also mentioned dresses/bootcuts together? Love these too.

And those etsy tops look great - will be checking them out!