A practical style involves dressing for our needs, filling our wardrobes with comfortable items that we will wear. Of course, what is practical and easy for one person might not work for another. Like sartorial preferences, the practical priorities of our styles vary greatly from person to person.
Today I’m going to outline my own practical priorities. I am a hardcore pragmatist about these aspects of my style.
1. Happy Feet
I do a lot of city walking and shopping with clients. I must wear comfortable and secure shoes that go the distance and allow me to walk at a fast pace in all sorts of weather. That means I’m down to four types of shoes that I wear most of the time. Boots, fashion sneakers, oxfords, and loafers. Occasionally I wear Mary Janes, caged sandals, gladiators, ankle-strap pumps, and ballet flats. Heel heights vary from flat to one and a quarter inches. No exceptions.
2. Outfits that Move
I need to move in my outfits at home, for work, and for life in general. I need to reach down to attend to doggies. Working with my clients is surprisingly active too. I am constantly reaching high and low, bending over, crouching down, and the like. I cannot feel restricted, so fits need to be fluid, for bottoms especially. Absolutely no form-fitting bottoms, like pencil skirts, sheath dresses, and tight pants or jeans. Jackets and coats need to be fluidly tailored or fluid. I don’t mind wearing the odd fitted top if it’s stretchy and stays put. Bonus if I can tuck it into bottoms so that it really stays put.
3. Staying Warm
I run cold and since I’m outside in the elements a lot, my clothes need to keep me warm. I will almost always need a topper of sorts at some point during the day, because we live near the water where it’s chilly in the morning and at night. Or the air conditioning inside is freezing. So I keep the tops and dresses that cannot be layered with toppers to a minimum.
4. Hands-Free
I need to wear a handbag that converts to a crossbody. My bags are dressy and structured, but have straps that conveniently make them hands-free. I need my hands to walk doggies, carry bags, and carry clothes when shopping with clients. Living in the city, it’s also safer to carry my bag strapped to my body.
5. No Fuss
Furthermore, I don’t wear wardrobe items that have the potential to malfunction in some way, or fight with me during the day. I stay away from garments that are remotely itchy, and overly revealing for my relatively modest style. I prefer not to wear a strapless bra, but will if have to. I prefer to wear separates to jumpsuits, but have three that were far too fab to pass up. Surprisingly, I have learned to enjoy my jumpsuits. I don’t like items that crease easily, yet enjoy wearing linen on a hot Summer’s day. I’m at peace with that particular crease.
I purchase and wear items that need ironing. I wear dressy items daily, which means wearing them to walk Yorkies Sam and Jo in the city, and working from home. I don’t mind committing to items that need dry-cleaning as long as they are not the majority of my wardrobe. And last, I wear white and cream wardrobe items very frequently, especially white footwear and bags. Hubs Greg is extremely practical, yet after 36 years of being together he doesn’t bat an eyelid when I wear white, no matter what I’m doing. He knows it’s my superpower to stay clean.
Over to you. What are the practical priorities of your style?
