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Spring Corporate Creative dressing after months on autopilot, eek: Color, volume, slouch, and sheer

Vix

Veteran

Hi YLFers!

It's been a busy, tedious, rewarding, and/or stressful last three months and my personal computer time has nosedived -- so please forgive my lack of participation!

[I'd like to say I was at least lurking regularly, but alas nope.]

In browsing recent-ish threads for a crash course on how folks are dressing for transitional weather and appealing spring trends I see you guys have been busy. Thanks!

I especially enjoyed the thread of "sheer in the office: yea or nay." As it's been my favorite warm-weather trend for a few years now I hope I don't offend too much with my "yeas."

However, I admit I'm struggling with volume and slouch being so mainstream.

I'd added some of both silhouettes the last few years but it seems like that's ALL that looks modern to me now. You all have provided stellar examples; I just wish keeping slouch/volume far from sloppy came easier to me, ha.

Anyway: Below are my attempts to (mostly) Shop[My]Closet for rain-sun-downpours-rain-rain-sun and 50s/60s temps. Please pardon crooked seams, wrinkles, etc. I'm very out of practice with outfit photos.

I've also been wearing all the looks in this post from last year. Combined the posts show pretty much all I'm working with, though a few buys from this fall bump the numbers up.

Ideas welcome -- though my shopping has been minimal since fall, and has to stay that way. I'm even holding off on tailoring old stuff, sob.

****

#1 New from consignment: silk "pirate sleeve blouse" -- a lot of volume on me, I know

#2 My SP/SU color palette last year, together with Pantone 13/14 decrees...luckily I'm still in the ballpark

#3 Pirate blouse semi-tamed with black suit, let loose with denim

#4 Blue silk leopard blouse many other YLFers have; WIW to present to the CEO and CFO (my power colors brought me luck)

#5 Soft and soothing in grey and pink [wish my trousers weren't getting a bit diaper butt for my taste]

#6 Sheer hand-me-down, oversized tunic -- wore it for Casual Fridays over black all winter and surprisingly even several conservative dressers liked it

#7-8 New from consignment:sheer burnout black blouse paired with black sheath and under blue suit

#9 Sheer over sheath redux, this time in color + earrings made from vintage beads

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22 replies

Latest reply was from Vix

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

It is delightful to see you as ever! I love how your unique style still comes through in these pictures. I especially love the blues in #4 and also your blue suit (Suz what do you think?). Also the sheer, lacy long cardigan over sheath dress strikes me as the perfect balance of personal, current and beautiful!

Adelfa

Veteran

Welcome back! And since you're in a creative field I for one give you a pass on sheer especially sheer done as tastefully and artfully as this! Wow! Love your colors, love your lines, love everything. So glad to see you post again.

minimalist

Veteran

Vix!

You've been mentioned here a few times lately. Great to finally put a username with the much-lauded WIW style.

Your photos make me miss dressing well. I hope you'll be able to post regularly again.

Day Vies

Veteran

I completely understand needing to be away. The beauty is you can always pick up where you left off.
I am with you on the volume/slouch thing -- I have had problems incorporating it into my personal aesthetic because my preference is perfect fit.
Regarding your outfits what I see consistently is a wonderful eye for beautiful/compelling details. I love your choices in accessories, jewelry and prints. I think that makes any corporate outfit instantly more interesting. So glad you're back even if for a little while.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Good to see you posting again. Love the blue suit

Peri

Veteran

Love as always! Glad to see you again. I have to say my favorite group is #4, especially the blouse and skirt. I love how creative you are!

ManidipaM

Veteran

I am loving the pirate sleeve with flares! And your signature blues. So good to see you again, Vix. You take care of yourself!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

You may not feel comfortable with volume but you execute it extremely well. In fact my favorites in this set are 1 and 6 where you have more volume. As long as the volume is reined in somewhere in the outfit it works, to my eye at least.

Vix

Veteran

Thanks much for the warm welcome back!

I hope I can carve out more time here going forward. Between personal projects, work, and my ongoing wellness efforts doing a "two steps forward, earth opens beneath feet" thing I've missed seeing what YLFers are up to...and missed thinking about color, texture, print, pattern, swoop etc!

Shevia and Caro -- Thank you! Now I just need something in Caro's B&W (zebra?) print chairs I covet and I swear I'd be done for summer. I've worn the [Banana Repubic] suit *as* a suit a lot more than I thought I would in the last year. It has a subtle black weave, probably why. IIRC I shared with Suz but it wasn't quite the look she wanted.

Adelfa -- Thank you for my hall pass on the sheer! I'm in a pretty liberal-dress environment, so I try to take advantage of that every once in a while. I promise not to wear the black blouse a la 80s Madonna.

Amy K -- Hello back at you; hope you've been enjoying the forum! I look forward to snooping around your earlier threads and getting to know what's on your mind.

Day Vies -- My comrade in loving sleek and sleeker! Thank you for the kind words as I explore the other side of the equation. I admit I looked at you in your super-sharp grey suit and wanted to ditch everything in my closet that wouldn't meet its standards. Luckily I do have that Persnickety Bohemian side that urges me to indulge more louche looks.

Peri and Mani -- Hi hi hi! Hope it's OK that I consider you all my partners in loving romantic bohemian looks. Mani, hope you'll get to explore a bit of that this summer without not-a-baby-much-longer getting caught up in sweeping fabric! And Peri, I hope you're enjoying your vibrant orchid scarf as much as I love my blue/green ombre.

Coco -- I continue to use you as a role model for how to do volume well, so your words are much appreciated. I wore #6 over black/charcoal ridiculously often this winter and really want to sneak it into summer; thanks!

Catnip

Veteran

Hi Vix. You've been mentioned a few times on the forum, and I'm glad to see you post. What wonderful outfits.! I love the colors, the attention to detail, and the way you handle volume and sheer pieces. It's amazing that you can do all this without shopping! Maybe my wardrobe will get there someday.

rachylou

Veteran

CocoLion speaks for me too. Love #1 & 6, and #8.

Oh, and you know, I've missed your palettes...

catgirl

Veteran

Vix! You have such a strong personal style aesthetic that I see you as modern at all times... Not sure if that makes sense but it's what I get from your outfits. I see all of these as completely within modern style and 2014 - perhaps you need to camp in the "just enough structure" group here as far as incorporating fluid fit?

Peri

Veteran

Yes Vix, I have absolutely loved that scarf! It is my favorite and such a joy to wear. Thanks for the color assistance, that scarf is a 20 out of 10 on the happiness scale!

columbine(erin)

Veteran

I really like the artful way you did sheer. Looks great.

Jenny H

Wow, I absolutely love your artful layering! Your take on volume and slouch also has great appeal to me.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Waving to my blouse twin!! I wore it to our Toronto meet up the other day!

I think it looks better on you. And glad to know it worked with the CEO and CFO!!

You look wonderful in all of these. Like Denise, I think you wear volume very well -- your classic side knows when and where to rein it, and your boho side knows how to choose it! Love the romantic pirate sleeves on the blouse. I think the varied textures go a long way towards making these outfits extra interesting.

Neel

Veteran

Welcome back Miss Long Legs :). The navy suit outfit has to be my absolute favorite! Stunning gorgeous!! Hopefully we'll get to see more of you ... Life permitting! Its a treat and joy to see your outfits!

Alassë

Veteran

Great to "see" you again, Vix!

Vix

Veteran

Thanks for the heart- and toe-warming words (so much for spring sun)!

Catnip -- I'll cop to being pretty obsessive about color, ha. And by being fairly classic in style on top of that it's gotten easier to minimize mistakes and get more for my money. Easier but not easy, anyway! Lots of advice around here for that if it appeals....

Rachylou -- You missed my palettes! Guess you can't miss my smile what with the headless photos. Based on your choices I might have to add you to the Romantic Boho support/enabling group.

Alaskagirl -- You're such an experimenter compared to me; I'm glad I have enough in my closet to seem au courant to you. [Be glad you missed my experiment with printed track pants...it may happen, but not with the ones I found.] And yep...trying to find how much structure I've gotta have!

Columbine and Jenny H -- I sometimes think I need a layering intervention, so I'm glad you liked my combos! Jenny, maybe we can lead each other toward slouch city.

Suz -- I actually wore the blues + grey in #4 for the meeting, not "our" blouse. I wanted big[ger] and bold[er]. I *may* wear it better with dark tones, but I always think YOU look better in the blouse + lighter tones. Personal coloring at work?

Neel -- I'm glad you like the suit outfit...I love it more with the very feminine blouse than some of my other choices. You and I do like the pretty!

Alassë -- Hello again! I hope to be seen on others' threads a lot more. Fun to see what everyone's up to.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Good to see you post, Vix! 4, 8 and 9 are favorites for me. I love your skill in layering and remixing items in a way that stays true to your personal style. the lightweight items you favor drape beautifully, which keeps slouchy from being overwhelming. I'm also loving the wave and layering in your hair --- it's lovely.

rabbit

Veteran

I was loving your shot composition and color palette so much I forgot that I wasn't looking at an editorial and needed to focus on the clothes (great wall colors too, btw). The sheerness makes the volume feel delicate and structured rather than bulky - I'm taking mental notes because it's a great way to get around the limitations of volume on volume.

I like them all a lot but especially the way you have worked with soft greys to showcase the pattern of the blouse in #1, all three blues in #4, #8 for the blue suit but also the way the charcoal necklace and alligator belt echo the texture in the blouse, and the gauzy top 2 purples in #9.

Vix

Veteran

Beth Ann -- thank you for the compliments and thoughtful critique. Your students are lucky to have such an encouraging teacher!

Rabbit -- from the posts of yours that I've seen, you have a wonderful sensitivity to color...so glad my choices drew you in! After a very somber-colored winter I'm challenging myself to lighten up in more ways than clothing.