https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:19:00 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1889594 Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:14:11 +0000 Anonymous 1889594@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Merci Rachylou je vais le mettre dans mes pièces de déclaration&nbsp;<br />Thank you Rachylou I will put it in my statement pieces </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1889590 Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:10:20 +0000 rachylou 1889590@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, je pense que la chemise blanche à boutons est essentielle pour toi - le col fermé est ta façon de le porter (!) D'autres éléments essentiels - le chandail à col châle et le manteau long. Ton pièce de déclaration est certainement le nœud papillon.</p> <p>(Oh, I think the white button front shirt is an essential for you - the closed collar is your statement way of wearing it (!) Other essentials - the shawl-collar sweater and the long overcoat.</p> <p>Your statement piece is definitely the bow tie.) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1889498 Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:07:32 +0000 Anonymous 1889498@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Rachylou I have a lot of trouble to part with a coat and especially my shirts it makes me a blow to the heart and I'm like you if I liquids I'm going to buy them again it's stupid so I keep them .You know a little my outfits could you advise me between what can be worn every day or what is declaratory I can not wait to get your opinion </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887620 Fri, 09 Feb 2018 01:18:27 +0000 Lynn 1887620@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ditto on the cake analogy. Good one Rachylou </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887577 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 22:20:04 +0000 Barbara Diane 1887577@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Love this. I feel like it’s never been discussed. And I love the cake analogy. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887464 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 16:44:51 +0000 rachylou 1887464@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Right. And I can’t resist this: The cake is your Essentials - chocolate, vanilla, carrot. Your Statement is your rosettes, sugared violets, candles. The Completer is the base frosting - mocha, butter cream, purple tinted...</p> <p>:D </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887459 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 16:32:15 +0000 LaPed 1887459@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Okay, the movie extra analogy makes perfect sense. Love it.</p> <p>I think you're right, Rachy, that tops/blouses often end up in this category. Say you're wearing a Statement topper and Essential jeans, there are probably about ten different tops you could put underneath, and the one you choose may not necessarily be an essential, but it gives you an opportunity to change up the flavour of the outfit. Oops, and there's the cake analogy! Okay, maybe I get it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887442 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 15:54:45 +0000 rachylou 1887442@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Emily, LBD, (Angie!) - Yes. I’m thinking ok, I don’t need two mint silk blouses, but ten silky blouses in general doesn’t mean a waste of space. If I gave them all away, I’d probably be out buying them again. I’m also thinking, it makes sense that one would have more of these regular pieces, in absolute terms, than either essentials or statements. You don’t exactly vary essentials and statements... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887431 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 15:29:25 +0000 Angie 1887431@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Not yet,<b> LBD</b>. But I will.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887409 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 15:02:10 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 1887409@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oooh, this is a good thread!&nbsp; &nbsp;This clarifies some things for me as well.&nbsp; &nbsp;Not to reduce or declutter or purge (or maybe to do just that).&nbsp; Y'all are helping me understand why I reach for some things again and again, and why some items that ought to be useful, sit abandoned in the closet or dresser drawer.&nbsp; &nbsp;These are good considerations for future planning and shopping.</p> <p>Angie, have you written an article about completer pieces, vs. essentials or statements?&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887404 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 14:56:49 +0000 Angie 1887404@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Completers are VERY necessary. You need all sorts of ingredients to make a cake, and extras to make a movie. Without them - the end result is not the same. Think of Completers as that portion of your wardrobe.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887285 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 02:40:15 +0000 Emily K 1887285@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>rachy, that was my perspective as well. I kind of feel like pieces that are neither essential nor statement represent lost opportunity. But I concede that there is probably room for items like patterned button downs or non-neutral tees — the completer pieces. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887280 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 01:53:04 +0000 Kathie 1887280@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Completers! Yes, I was wondering about this, and especially for pieces that might be essential in some people’s wardrobes, but not mine. For example, I have two white button downs. Not statement pieces, and my wardrobe wouldn’t fall apart without them, either. My black knitwear, on the other hand, is truly essential. Without it, I have a closet of clothes, and nothing to wear. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887140 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 17:23:08 +0000 rachylou 1887140@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don’t know about you, Lynn, but I guess I didn’t realise there was a third category. Essentials and statements seemed like they could form the whole picture - background and foreground.</p> <p>I guess I also forget this is about personal style as well as simply being clothed. My plain cardigans are nice but my style doesn’t rely on them to be ‘me’. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887046 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 14:42:01 +0000 Lynn 1887046@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for posting this Rachylou. I was struggling where to put these items also. Angie's response is very helpful.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1887001 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 10:43:12 +0000 rachylou 1887001@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ya ya. I always have to make it worse: Is a fallback its own thing? These dresses of mine that I call ‘black farm dresses’<br /> - I have several. There has always been at least one in my closet throughout the decades. They dress up or down - a sunny day, a funeral, the ballet. I’m terribly attracted to them, although I<br /> don’t love them like I used to. They’re not regulars or essentials. Maybe they’re statements. Or maybe they ARE regulars, just not exactly daily wear... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886919 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 03:42:50 +0000 Jaime 1886919@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ah completer! That makes sense . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886917 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 03:40:30 +0000 rachylou 1886917@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Aha! Thank you thank you, Angie! I couldn’t for the life of me figure out the place of non-essential non-centerpieces in the scheme of things... I was starting to wonder if I should toss all my blouses just on principle... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886910 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 02:44:26 +0000 Helena 1886910@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>And it all clicks together! Hooray! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886891 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:50:43 +0000 Sal 1886891@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have these two - for others they might be an essential but not quite for me...</p> <p>eg red leather jacket/olive jacket&nbsp; - I do wear them both but could live without them easily... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886888 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:45:10 +0000 jussie 1886888@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I read somewhere each outfit needs 3 things: a basic piece, a statement piece and a completer piece. The completer piece is not as plain as the basic piece, usually has some interesting but subtle detail, and the statement is the show pony.<br /> Just a philosophy I read but I rather like it.... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886886 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:41:18 +0000 Suz 1886886@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I sense another blog post! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886882 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:37:07 +0000 jussie 1886882@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think I’d call them completer pieces: most outfits need one- but it’s not as workhorsy as an essential. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886878 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:33:14 +0000 Mainelady 1886878@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Angie, this is very helpful. I think I have many non-essential completers. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886846 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:02:13 +0000 Angie 1886846@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>La Ped</b>, "glue" is a wardrobe essential.&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Rachy &amp; Helena</b>:</p> <p>basics<br />essentials&nbsp;</p> <p><u><i></i></u><i>non-essentials/ regular pieces/pack&nbsp;pieces/completers</i></p> <p>statements </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886840 Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:51:27 +0000 Mainelady 1886840@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am so glad you asked, Rachylou! I think I have a lot of pieces that live in the valley between essentials and statement. I can’t even put my head around jewelry. Some of my pieces are essentials, some are statement, some are sentimental, some refuse to be labeled. All deserve to be worn and loved. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886725 Tue, 06 Feb 2018 20:34:49 +0000 LaPed 1886725@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I find this kind of stuff the hardest to shop for. "Necessities" or "Glue" in my internal monologue. In some cases, I might think of them as "Finishing Touches"?&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886723 Tue, 06 Feb 2018 20:32:53 +0000 Aurore 1886723@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That's an interesting question! There are many items I actually can't classify as "essentials" or "statements" (nor "gear", nor "basics")... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886708 Tue, 06 Feb 2018 19:44:44 +0000 Helena 1886708@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yes, I have this question too! In my case, it's things like my navy blazer, fluid silky blouse or black casual clutch - they are the pieces I use to transform my essentials into something more dressy/business-like/polished, but they aren't themselves essentials in my wardrobe, nor are they statement pieces. What the heck are they? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ask-angie-neither-essential-nor-statement#post-1886704 Tue, 06 Feb 2018 19:36:09 +0000 rachylou 1886704@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ok ok. Angie et al: What would you call ... and do with ... something that is neither essential nor a statement (nor basic hosiery and underwear)?</p> <p>For example, I don’t think there’s any way the silky blouse could be called one of my essentials or be accused of saying ‘here *I* am’... but I’ve got them and occasionally they seem necessary...</p> <p>Shevia suggested Functional, which makes sense to me. But also, I mean, how does one go about contemplating these items? I probably have too many, but it’s nice to have options... </p>