"Team this, team that" lightbulb moment - YouLookFab Forum

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"Team this, team that" lightbulb moment

Fruitful

Veteran

I just realised what the "team" blog posts are for. They force us to define our style! Question by question, decision by decision, we build up a little profile of our wardrobes or where we would like them to be!

Thanks, Angie!

P.S. If that sounds like a complete statement of the obvious, for ages I thought the "team" thing was like asking people their star signs (light conversational topic) or perhaps even trying to work out what would "rule" at YLF! But both of those things don't really make any sense!

Now I've discovered the deep meaning behind "team" posts I will be attending to them much more closely.

That is all

26 replies

Latest reply was from Fruitful

Anonymous

So THAT's what it's all about! Aha!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

There is a little method to my madness.

Isis

Veteran

I was just thinking about this today too! I also thought it was a light conversational gambit, as you said, sort of like asking someone what their sign was. Today, for some reason, I was thinking about the concept teams, and I realized that it makes me think about things I never even noticed before!

Like low contrast or high contrast. Or stream-lined or not.

Never thought about those things before! Never noticed them on other people! Makes people-watching, one of my favorite pastimes, a little more interesting!

High five, Fruitful!

Isabel

Veteran

O.K. This revelation scares me...I have only decisively picked a team ONCE ! I seem to like everything on some one or another. I think that I might need an after school tutor.

Sharon

Veteran

One of the most helpful exercises Angie has given us was to describe our style in 5 adjectives. I have gone back to my 5 words over and over when I am trying to make an outfit work, or trying to choose a new item of clothing. It has been the single most effective tool anyone has ever given me in deciding how to dress.

I didn't get the team thing either, but I can see now that it is the same kind of thing, so I will have to pay a bit more attention! Great observation, Fruitful!
Thanks, Angie!

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

The surveys are great fun but don't get pigeonholed. I was on team "NO MIDIS EVER" and now I am a cautious convert.

Kari

Veteran

Yep. I always find the "Team" posts fun because they really help me pinpoint my style. For example - Team Skirt or Team Pants? It's a no-brainer! But ask me to break something down between Team Jacket and Team Cardigan (I wear both!) or Team Dress vs. Team Skirt (both are very flattering to my body type, and again, each are worn frequently) forces me to think about what's actually my preference, what I couldn't get along without. And sometimes the "Team" posts even inspire me to try something else. For example: if I say I am on "Team Glasses" but have been wearing contacts most of the time, I might have an impetus to wear my specs more often. The "Team Watch vs. Team Cell Phone" post helped me realize how much I missed wearing a watch daily, and that next Christmas when "Santa" bugged me for a Christmas wish list, my chunky white Fossil watch that I'd lusted over and researched was at the top of my list.
But there's definitely a fun element to these posts too, so if I'm not in the mood to be totally analytical, I can still participate.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Man, I am so clueless. I had never given it a thought, but I daresay you are right.

*smack forehead*

I almost always pick a side. I usually feel strongly one way or the other, which I guess means my sartorial style is in line with the rest of my personality. I'm not usually a fence-sitter (for better or for worse).

Joy

Veteran

I've found that thinking of my team choices makes shopping easier, like the recent Team Flares or Bootcut. I just don't bother to look at the full legs knowing I'll be overwhelmed by them.

Queen Mum

Veteran

I think the "team" posts have helped me realize that it is okay to have preferences and to even avoid things all together.
For instance.. team dress/skirt. I have exactly one skirt in my closet.. a denim pencil... I don't even know the last time I wore it. But, being faced with the question made me realize why I prefer dresses and gave me permission to not feel that I have to ever shop for a skirt again.

Laurinda

Veteran

YLF is indeed wonderful for helping to make conscious choices about style.

I plan to grab the Team X Team Y questions from here

http://youlookfab.com/category/team-x-team-y/

and print them up as a 'quiz' for the next girlfriend get together. (including credit and a link for YLF, of course).

I thought it would be fun to both look at our own choices, then ask about how we see each other's style.

Hmmm, this would be a lot more interesting than the standard 'shower' or bachelorette games... maybe another facet for YLF to explore.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Kiran, I totally think you're right! I didn't get the team exercises for awhile either, but had a similar lightbulb moment in the past month or so. It actually helped me justify the purchase of a very expensive jacket (that I've since worn four times in six days), knowing that I really do favour team jacket, believing the purchase would fit right in with my team dressy style and sensibilities, and accepting that it would be a valuable addition to my Team Polished uniform. The best part? You can switch teams! After all, Angie herself switched to team gold.
Another bonus: if you're picking out gifts for YLF members, like maybe in the Secret Santa draw or if you're acquiring something fun for a local meetup, the team exercises really help you pin down suitable options for different forum members!

cjh

(website)

Veteran

Great way to explain this concept, and yes, inspires me to go back and be more analytical about why I have joined one Team or another (in my head - it might be a bit "committed" to actually post or say it aloud!)

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Thank you for sharing this lightbulb moment! I must admit, when I first started reading YLF I just couldn't see the point of the team posts at all! (Except maybe for making that analogy between sports and fashion even clearer...thinking back to an article someone posted a while ago in which a man tried to explain fashion to men in those terms.)

This makes a lot of sense! (She is a sneaky educator, our Angie...like all the best teachers, she makes you think you are "just" having fun!)

Laurinda, what a fun idea to try it with your friends.

Sylvie

Veteran

So brilliant. So subtle. I never would have guessed the purpose.

stringy

Veteran

Laurinda, your idea about using the Teams as a quiz for a girls' night is so clever! I'm totally borrowing it for my friends.

MNsara

Veteran

Great lightbulb moment, Fruitful! This also might explain why I'm torn on my style. . .I DON'T have lots of well-defined preferences. . .so I usually don't pick a team . . .

But that could also be contributing to the psychotic nature of my closet . . . ?

I think Ineed to go back and do the 5 style adjectives - that much I might be able to handle - and see if that helps clarify things.

THANKS!!!!

crwilson

Veteran

I totally didn't get what Angie was doing until you said this. I feel like a bit of a dullard right now. I thought of it as just being a kind of fun exercise... Now I get it and will be more likely to answer - or at least think about my answer - when those challenges come up.

nancylee

Veteran

Thank you Fruitful.....I'm embarrassed to admit that I never put this together in my mind. I thought the Team exercises were just for fun! Clever Angie.....

qfbrenda

Veteran

Definite light bulb moment! Thanks for pointing this out. I think I might need to go through the Team posts and think more about my answers.

catgirl

Veteran

*dingdingdingding* Lightbulb moment for me too!

Fruitful

Veteran

Glad to know I'm not the only one that didn't "get" it Isis, we must have been tapping into something in the ether! High five back at you!

But I think that's the stylist (blogger's) craft at work, Angie?

Team posts are fun, simple posts that draw people into a discussion in a non-threatening way. They absolutely serve the purpose of lighthearted conversational grist.

But they work on multiple levels. So the first level, above, engages people who might otherwise be overwhelmed and perhaps turn away. And also gives the analytical among us something to play with when our brains are too hurty

The deeper levels are about style defining, which is so crucial to a working wardrobe. Isabel and MNSara, don't take this personally as I don't know your style - but finding you struggle with picking teams is probably a good insight and worth working on! I know I need to. And Michelle, yes! Feeling assured that you know what you'll wear enough to splurge on a jacket must be a great feeling.

Queenie, it also works as you said - it lets you know it's okay to have defined preferences. If you look and feel best in dresses, who says you need a skirt? Another great insight.

Modgrl, Kari, and Michelle, you're so right to point out the option to switch teams! This is different to a catch-all attitude of "I like everything". It is being challenged with something new and consciously choosing to try it out. It is realising that evolution isn't just adding more, it may be about actually changing.

Further to the option to change teams, it makes us examine whether our habits are right for us. Do you wear bootcuts because they look good on you - or because that's all you own and you've never tried widelegs? Again, another step to an intentional wardrobe.

Sharon, I checked out the 5 adjectives post - thankyou! It looks super useful but I'm not at that level of abstraction yet hence the usefulness of the "teams" posts at this point in my journey.

Laurinda, thanks for the list link! And what a fun girls night (better than winning chocolate body parts, that's for sure) :D.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

i just tried an experiment. I went to the Blog, then to the "Team x/y" page, and read off the titles, forcing myself to choose without a thought. Just gut reaction. There were a few posts I had to read to make sure I understood the question being asked, but other than that, I just fired off my reactions. Even where it was hard to choose, I forced myself to answer, i.e. I told myself "If you could only wear ONE of these for the rest of your life, what would you pick."

A fascinating picture began to emerge!

I won't bore you all with the details, but I didn't simply confirm things I already knew (for example, I bat for team flats vs. heels and edit vs. keep); I also saw places where I had changed (e.g. I now bat for team skinnies; I would have batted for bootcuts a year ago), and I DISCOVERED directions that I am wanting to go (e.g. I voted for store vs. online, even though in store shopping can be difficult where I live and this vote might necessitate some shopping trips.)

Great thread, Fruitful! Thank you!

Fruitful

Veteran

Awesome, Suz! I'm going to try this!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Another one here with an aha moment. I admit I enjoy these just to see where everybody stands. And I have learned a thing or two about myself. That I like fringe trends that others are (sometimes)wiser to avoid. Examples -- flatforms.

Fruitful

Veteran

"Flatforms" - the word made me lol, but I'm betting you wear them well CocoLion!