WIW: Short. Soft. So...is it "me"? And if so, why? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

What I Wore

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

WIW: Short. Soft. So...is it "me"? And if so, why?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Subtitle: NOT A BUTT VEST.

But, it's short. It's soft.

Is it "me"? If so, why? What are the defining differences between that and the skirted legging? I am genuinely curious, and open to your thoughts. I am trying to formulate some questions about how we recognize one another's personal style and how we evolve our style.

Thank you for humouring me!

By the way, I wore this to give a presentation at the university this afternoon. There were three presenters. One, a young prof, was dressed in a very similar outfit. Above the knee-length dress, tights, and boots. The other, an older prof, was wearing slim pants with a tunic and flats. So I felt perfectly appropriate to the setting.

This post has 2 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

66 replies

Latest reply was from Staysfit

rachylou

Veteran

Well now, it casts the skirted leggings in a while new light. It *is* soft and no, I wouldn't have said it was your utmost you. But if you did this soft on a regular basis... Then the leggings fit in with the persona.

I may have missed something. Are you thinking about *softening* up in general?

Echo

Veteran

The first outfit looks like a dress, which is automatically more polished. But the main difference? About 3 inches, and it makes all the difference in the world to my eye in making the outfit more structured, polished and less juvenile.

Susie

Veteran

The first thing that jumps out at me, Suz, is that the skirt you wore appears a lot less short than the leggings one. In reality there might not be a big difference, but it's what my mind sees. The whole ensemble in the first photo reads as more sophisticated and less "young."

Susie

Veteran

Posting at the same time, it looks like I echo Echo!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

There is more structure and polish in outfit #1, which makes me perceive it as a more "Suz" look. The long drapes are elegant despite the lack of form fitting silhouettes. The skirt is longer which adds to the elegance-factor. The tall boots ground the outfit. These details create a sharper appearance than outfit #2. The second outfit is "sloppier" for lack of a better word. You are not a sloppy gal. xo

kellygirl

Veteran

I haven't read all of the threads but on first glance, the defining difference for me is length. The dress looks like a dress and the skirted leggings look like a mini.

I think you look amazing in both btw. I think my problem is projecting how I would feel onto you. Part of it is having highly critical teen girls in the house who notice everything, I think. You really do wear the skirted leggings exceptionally well. I hope that you give them a chance!

jackiec

Veteran

Agreeing with Susie about length. Something about the dress reads a bit more professional to me.

BTW, and for some reason when I couldn't sleep last night between 2 and 4, this weighed on my mind, I think the skirted leggings are perfectly fun for your home capsule. All the school runs, ducking in and out, groceries, misc things that we have to do constitute a good portion of our day. These are a comfy change of pace. Heck, I flash my family with leggings butt all the time lately, but it's a nice change of pace from denim every day.

Chuckling about butt-vest. An historic week here on YLF.

E

Veteran

Differences that jump out at me: #1 has two 'columns of colour' whereas #2 has a very sharp horizontal break. #1 is less fitted in the bottom half too, and has a longer hemline as others have mentioned. And it has a more muted colour scheme, with lots of neutrals and gentle colour in the scarf, vs the big block of periwinkle in #2.

All of this means that #1 looks more sophisticated to me, and more like what I would expect an author to wear. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's more you! Did you feel more like yourself in one than the other?

deb

Veteran

You wore #1 or #2?

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Agreeing with everyone about the length & the boots. For me the difference in weight between the tights & the skirt also reads as more polished.

rachylou

Veteran

Ok had to come back and say I think the dressier outfit is very girlish to me, not princely. The leggings are more princely...

Diana

Veteran

I think it's just that teeny couple of inches of length in the skirt. Which means, you probably can wear skirted leggings if you want to, you just need a slightly longer skirt.

Do you still have the leggings in your possession? I'm curious what it would look like if you tried them in the exact same outfit as #1....

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Column of color (or 2 of them, as E points out) is the main thing, to me. And the second is the length.

Aziraphale

Veteran

First off, the skirt in #2 is way shorter. Second, the tunic in #1 creates one long lean line, which the cardi of about the same length emphasizes, making the outfit look elegant. On the other hand, your 'butt vest' (ahahahahaaaaa, thank you Una!) in #2 is one narrow strip of material poking out from below the top, chopping your body into bits. Third -- and this might be my opinion only! -- outfit #1 looks streamlined and polished yet youthful, whereas #2 just looks kinda juvenile.

Runcarla

Veteran

What Echo said...about 3 inches.

I don't see either of these outfits as signiture Suz. Rather than Urban Prince, or even Gamine, it is Pocket Venus. For better or for worse, the skirted legging is a body con look. Tall or small it adds some femininity to the rectangles and IT women that can be balanced with an edgy haircut or stompy boots. It just seems too much of a good thing for women with hourglass tendencies!

Anonymous

Are you trying to start another fight?

Sarah

I think the zipper on #2 draws the eye and emphasizes how short the skirt is. I am with Diana and would be interested in seeing how they look with sweater and boots from #1.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

BRING IT ON, LIsa!!

Heheheheh..... Suz, the sweet-faced troll of YLF!!!!

You see my evil tendencies...

No, in all seriousness, I am curious. I have to go to a meeting now, but I thank you all for your thoughts so far, and I will be back!

But, just so Deb doesn't have an apoplectic fit, I wore #1 to the session.

And Diana, I really like the idea of showing the same outfit with the leggings. I will do that tomorrow. Thanks!

jackiec

Veteran

Yes! I love Diana's idea! And how about with your red cardi too?? Pretty please.....

Style Fan

Veteran

I like both outfits. I like Diana's idea. Wear the skirted leggings with the cardigan in #1 and boots, etc. You have to be comfortable with the idea that some people think you are wearing a mini skirt and not a butt vest.

unfrumped

Veteran

#1 looks more grown-up, but tend to prefer skirts not even that much above the knee, (as dress + tights, as opposed to leggings) for professional wear. Meaning, I just have a mental sweet spot for "adults in tights" and it can be above knee but more, just above knee, you know? I think that's in part because the sit test gets really hard the higher you go. I understand the tights coverage--even so.
This is not fashion police, as in trying to prohibit, it's just what I think looks better. So I understand that a lot of people think shorter looks better. Also that more casual may = more short, which is certainly true to some extent--summer beach vacation vs. cocktails, maybe--but I tend to think of lengths as proportions and grace points for the garment and wearer regardless of occasion. Horses for courses.

sarah

Veteran

Well, for starters #1 is considerably longer. I might consider wearing that to teach, although it is borderline too short for me to do that. The tonal column helps make the skirt seem longer than it is. However, #2 looks "short short" to me, and there is no way in a thousand years I would teach wearing that. #1 also doesn't hug the leg the way #2 does, which gives it a different vibe (less sporty).

Marilyn

Veteran

I LOVE outfit #1. It's so much more polished and sophisticated. The column of colour, the long cardi and all the other details are so flattering on you.

I haven't been around long enough to really know "what is Suz". So, I'm just looking at the total package as I would with anyone and I like what I see.

Mona

Veteran

I agree with every one else. #1 is a longer skirt vs. short skirt in #2 (I perceive skirted leggings as skirt with tights, so this could be just my poison eye).
You look ready to take on the world in #1.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

#1 is longer, more polished, more sophisticated, professional with a touch of playfulness. #2 is all playful. The length makes all the difference!

JillG

It might just be the way you're standing in the photo, but the skirt in #2 looks narrow, almost pegged like a pencil skirt. When I look at Una's skirted leggings picture her skirt seems to hang straight down and a few inches away from the thigh, as does your dress in #1. To me that makes the biggest difference and pushes #2 into problem territory.

Anonymous

c

Beth Ann

Veteran

It's all about proportions and ease, to my eye. The elements in #1 skim the body, following the line, but draping it, too. #1 defines the body more (bottom half), and reads more like gear to me. For the record, I don't find it juvenile, really, but #1 seems more luxe, but still casual.

catgirl

Veteran

Suz, you got an XS in the BV, yes? I got a S, and I think it does hang a little more straight, especially since I have no hips or booty. The other thing I would like to see is that same second outfit with tall boots to add some structure and balance. Even though you're not keeping them. I just wanna see... humor me?

You look great in both, but I don't see much difference in terms of "softness" or "structure" visually - how it feels may be a different story. Comparing the two is like the difference between fitted skinnies and slouchy skinnies, at least to me - different enough but still in the same family of fits.

Off to be sloppy! And no, I would not wear my BV to work.

12 3