https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:44:30 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-593312 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:13:56 +0000 Elly 593312@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well then I need to seek out some blazers or blazer alternatives and give it a go--- that will be great in the winter. Summer might take more thinking! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-592987 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:14:50 +0000 velvetychocolate 592987@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree with Dashrashi here - the 'third piece' really does seem to make a difference. Now granted, I'm not in your town and don't know exactly what it's like, but I can say that just throwing a blazer on top of jeans, graphic tee, Converse or ballet flats really seems to make a difference. Seems kind of silly, because without the jacket, I look just as casual/frumpy as ever...but the jacket seems to work. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-592969 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:56:28 +0000 Dashrashi 592969@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I swear, I really think the "third piece" helps. For whatever reason, it makes you look more like a grown up and less like a student. Even if the third piece is a throw-on knit blazer from Forever 21 or similar. Neither a hoodie nor a cardigan, however (even super expensive ones), has the same effect in my experience. Sweater-jacket is usually enough, though. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-592463 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:29:14 +0000 Elly 592463@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Good ideas here. </p> <p>I can definitely see myself wearing a nicer t or knit top under a military style jacket with jeans and cons or jeans and boots or a woven top or even knit dress in the summer. I'm just not sure that without the expensive or flashy pieces it will help with the service issue . . . I guess if it doesn't that is just too bad. I've had bad experiences with the staff wearing nice (but not premium) jeans, shoes they sell in the shop, and a nice but plain sweater. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-591857 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:55:40 +0000 Dashrashi 591857@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Blazers &amp; jackets (especially knit--like ponte or sweatshirt material), jeans you like and feel good in, some sort of top (literally, a men's Hanes t-shirt is fine because the blazer will create a waist), and boots. Ankle boots if bootcut/straight leg, knee-high or cowboy if skinny jeans. Plus a cotton or leather tote bag. Tomboy and not femme-y or impractical but polished-er than fleece and yoga pants. This would be my uniform in your position. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-591681 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:47:50 +0000 Elly 591681@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yeah, sorry, this is a really hard question, not just because I'm not explaining myself the best.</p> <p>I think it is a really fine line here. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-589821 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:46:59 +0000 rae 589821@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't think it's ever ok to settle for subpar treatment! I know just how you feel, having been snubbed at Ross Dress for Less of all places. Ironically, most of the BH shops I've been to know better and seem to realize that money doesn't always show in dress. </p> <p>For myself, I usually focus on boots/shoes, bags, and jackets to elevate outfits. That, and the jeans should fit perfectly and be PPL - at least here. Californians seem to pay a lot of attn. to jeans. The bags and shoes don't have to be *dressy* but I think shopkeeps can tell when they are good quality - I usually buy better than I can afford through retail by stalking sales and Ebay. </p> <p>The third piece is a good strategy, too, because it sort of forces you to add a bit of flair - to me, it's the extra, artfully applied details that seem to say, "Yes, I'm successful enough to have the time, money, and energy to buy and arrange this decorative element. I am not harried or sleep-deprived or struggling, and not all my things must be purely utilitarian." </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-589798 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:19:40 +0000 Mo 589798@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, heh heh, I'd LOVE to be the poster child for polished casual, Velvety!! I'll try and find the pics . . . #1 before, #2 after.<br /> Elly, I get what you're saying. It's sort of showing that you are part of your community when you dress a certain way but that same mode of dress garners you little respect in the shopping or touring mode. But if you dress up to the level of the shopping/touring clientele, you start to get frowned upon by the locals as hoity toity. Am I close? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-589770 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:37:28 +0000 velvetychocolate 589770@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think Scarlet is onto something when she mentions 'polish' rather than specific clothing formulas. </p> <p>I think Angie suggests starting with hair, bra-fitting and getting specs (if you wear them) sorted. Beyond this - I was just looking around the forums for an example that Mo had once posted awhile back. She'd posted a 'before and 'after' where she'd upgraded/updated her casual shorts/top/third piece look and the difference is amazing. </p> <p>Mo - if you see this, can you post that before/after casual summer-y look again? I thought it was just fabulous. It didn't look touristy, or 'too young' or over the top etc. and the newer longer shorts and tops you picked out really looked stylish. </p> <p>This is a really good question you've asked Elly - I find it tough to try and polish up my casual looks ...don't know where to start. Lots of nice dressier items, but they don't fit the great majority of my lifestyle just yet. Meanwhile, I feel 'frumpy' in my casual items. </p> <p>The only thing that worked quite well for me was a couple of blazers for casual wear. One is a simple black 'boyfriend' style blazer that looks just as good with a skirt and dressed up as it does with jeans and a graphic tee or casual top. The other is a cropped cotton/spandex grey jacket, has a few more details (military style pockets, nipped in waist) and tailoring.</p> <p>Do you think just throwing on a casual blazer will help upgrade your 'around town' casual looks? What about some stylish 'clamdigger' type shorts for late spring and summer? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-589728 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:01:29 +0000 Scarlet 589728@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So this is sounding to me like a question of polish--neat hair, light make-up, and a basic upgrade to the pieces you would wear, like nice shoes, nice jeans, nice blouse, and handbag insteads of a backpack, or at least a very nice backpack. By "nice" I mean well fitting, not dated or worn out, that your wardrobe works together in terms of palette, proportions, etc. Sorry if I am stating the obvious. I am just trying to visualize what you need. I see what you mean about the tourist looks, but I don't have a good visual for your personal style. In a way though I relate to a lot of what you are saying in terms of what your wardrobe needs to accomplish. I am on my feet a lot and do physical work, so I need to wear very practical clothing, but I still aim to look good and interesting. Everybody is saying casual is hard to do well. I think that's true because you have to convey the care/effort/interest without the shorthand that e.g. a gorgeous dress is. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-589655 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:41:28 +0000 Elly 589655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sorry scarlet, it isn't so much that I want to look like a tourist as I want to look put together enough to get service in shops that tend to cater to tourists or just the segment of the community that work or have spouses that work in our two "money" industries. I'd also like to be able to travel and go to galleries and museums and some of the fancier restaurants without them following me around like I am going to steal something or break something (which is particularly annoying or offensive since I worked with art and artifacts worth millions of dollars at my last place of employment) or seating me by the kitchen where no other patrons can see me. I'd like to feel comfortable rather than scrutinized in a negative light. </p> <p>The tourist look tends to be a little flashy, feminine and impractical and relies heavily on expensive statement pieces like high end bags and shoes. That or we get a lot of women from elsewhere in the west/southwest that wear a ton of "southwestern" jewelry and bejeweled cowboy boots and cowhide and fringe-- very OTT. </p> <p>I could very easily wear skinny jeans with a floral blouse, dressy booties, a fancy purse and lots of jewelry and fit in, but it isn't my style-- I like to incorporate the masculine and rugged with classic stuff. This is also highly impractical since for most of the year I couldn't wear the pumps, booties and heeled sandals these women wear in my yard with the gravel drive or in the parking lot of several of our restaurants. I also wouldn't feel safe wearing an outfit like that if I broke down on one of our largely abandoned stretches of rural highway or on the reservation dressed like that--- I live somewhere very safe, but dressing impractically and flashy/like a tourist would put me at risk of being hassled in the least. I'd also not want to go visiting the pawn and secondhand shops looking for dead pawn dressed flashy. </p> <p>Also, if you were buying something from a smaller shop that isn't as high end or buying from the actual artisan or from a trading post that is run cooperatively, you generally get things from a much better price and have more luck networking and being treated with respect rather than in a patronizing way if you aren't dressed like that. Most places that aren't hugely high end have a separate locals' price that can be way cheaper than what is marked and are willing to barter and bargain. I have some beautiful jewelry that I've paid a 1/5 of what the artists would try to sell it at a gallery for (partially because the galleries get a large cut, partially because they know they can't sucker me, and partially because the artists know that I understand the techniques used, the traditions behind the work, and that I will appreciate the pieces and wear them respectfully). </p> <p>There is also a certain level of dressing respectfully that I try to maintain. When visiting Taos I might spend half a day of an weekend trip visiting the pueblo itself, either doing the tourist thing or visiting friends and contacts there. It would be appropriate to look very clean and put-together, but practical for walking around dusty dirt streets and being befriended by a pack of rez dogs. Dressing flashy, particularly by showing a lot of skin/tight clothes and high heels or expensive "look at me items" would be very inappropriate. It would also be inappropriate to wear gear or tourist clothing since you have essentially been invited to someone's home and not to a tourist spectacle. Even archeological sites that don't require gear because of the difficulty or length of the hike are important places to dress respectfully in very neat casual wear or smart casual as many of them are considered ancestral homes or sacred places by living people that still visit. </p> <p>However, on the same day that I visit the pueblo or the plaza where they have open air merchants, I might also spend time touring the galleries.</p> <p>I suppose I was just trying to figure out if looking clean and put together but not wearing flashy or expensive pieces or "city" or "texas cattle baron" styles was enough to help me blend in both locations, or if I simply have to settle for receiving sub-par treatment in the places that don't cater to locals. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-589269 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:42:06 +0000 Scarlet 589269@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't really get the conflict. How does a tourist dress differently from a local? Can you describe the two looks you want to go for? I pretty much dress the same way everywhere I go unless I am stepping it up for evening plans. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-589189 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 02:36:41 +0000 catgirl 589189@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Elly, I absolutely think you can do this. I think a couple of nice jackets are key - they will dress up a t-shirt and jeans immediately. You are a great problem solver on this forum. I know you can find the right combination for you. Another good one is casual pretty skirts and boots (a la Sundance) which so many women here wear. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-589166 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:59:19 +0000 Elly 589166@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Some good points. </p> <p>I struggle with this because I know personally that I need to step my look up. I guess I get lost in how to do it. It isn't hard to know that the "student" look, or older inexpensive and now worn pieces are probably why I'm treated more like a potential thief than a potential customer. I want to look like I'm put together and a young professional, even in casual looks--- the whole region is small enough that you never know who you are going to run into and I would love for potential employers to see me as a potential employee if I bump into them in the grocery rather than guess that I am a high school student. </p> <p>Actually, some of the wealthiest people in our community dress like they are river rafting at all times or are homeless, but you learn to spot who has 700 dollars worth of gear on. Obviously that isn't my personal style goal, nor do I have that sort of money to blow of fleece.</p> <p>The three-piece or completer piece looks are great ideas. I do struggle with not looking like a tourist or too "city". I enjoy buying local artisan products and Native made jewelry and hate being treated like a tourist and paying the "tourist from Texas" price for things. I also don't like to stand out like a tourist when I am walking around certain places or day-tripping because it ups my chances of getting hassled. </p> <p>Off to study the MOTG looks! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-588130 Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:31:59 +0000 Mo 588130@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can relate to this! I have stepped up my game a bit lately and every time the BF and I go past the timeshare sales kiosk in the local casino they hawk at us assuming we are tourists because we dress up more than the average Tahoe local. It's comical and flattering and annoying all at the same time.<br /> I have found jackets and shoes can elevate a simple jeans outfit in a heartbeat. I'd put my focus there - on the completer piece and some shoes or boots or booties that are not the clogs or Crocs or whatever athletic comfort shoe is the fallback local footwear. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-588117 Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:14:10 +0000 Anonymous 588117@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I know you're young, but I think your version of the MOTG formulas are a great idea! Any comfortable shoes that aren't *comfort shoes* or gear would be good, a blazer or scarf if it's not too hot, and a real hand bag or cross-body satchel instead of a backpack and you should be all set! Have fun and enjoy all of the positive attention you get. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-588063 Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:00:37 +0000 mrseccentric 588063@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Meredith and Liz have got you sorted, as our dear leader would say I'm in a very similar situation in that i have no 'need' to 'dress up', but find that presenting a more pulled together appearance is important to me in terms of how i present myself to the world. People react differently according to your appearance when you tell them you're a stay at home spouse. You also send signals to yourself by how you dress.</p> <p>Stylist Jennifer Robin talks about using a 'third piece' in order to take mere 'clothes' to 'an outfit'. This can be a jacket (i love doing this, jackets are my ab fave!), scarf, cardigan, statement necklace, etc. I also find that having a great hairdo that works to further your style and nice makeup makes a huge difference in how you come across.</p> <p>Another good idea is to check out some of Angie's mom on the go archives. Lots of great ideas for outfits, also you might get some ideas for especially versatile pieces for this capsule.</p> <p>Sounds fun! i can't wait to see what you come up with!! steph</p> <p>p.s. congrats on getting the interview stuff squared away that one can be a pistol! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-587869 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:09:28 +0000 Liz 587869@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting question! I’m thinking how, when I’ve been browsing through the high-end galleries in Santa Fe, I’ve had the distinct impression the owners were sizing me up to determine if I could afford to buy anything (for the record, I couldn’t)! But at the same time, the places you mention are really used to the whole “mountain casual” thing; I’d feel out of place in them dressed in “city casual” clothes. I’d start by sitting on a bench in your local gallery district with a cup of coffee and doing some people watching. Find women you want to look like and notice what they’re wearing so you can copy their grooming or outfits. Maybe you’ll end up doing some kind of “polished mountain-casual” kind of look? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-587852 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:49:44 +0000 Jilly 587852@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm sorry you've had people ignore you in shops - that's so irritating (and rude). Anyhoo, I think Meredith's ideas are exactly right. You could also switch out the jeans for a khaki or denim knee length skirt when it gets a little warmer. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-587825 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:57:04 +0000 Meredith1953 587825@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do believe so. I have seen some great examples even at Talbots. A basic formula great jacket (you pick the style...edgy, classic, retro...) and great denims at PPL length with a terrific top maybe slightly ethnic and wedge shoes would be appropriate for both types of events. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/goal---service-and-travel---can-i-have-it-both-ways#post-587822 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:48:30 +0000 Elly 587822@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>One of my newest goals is to improve me casual and smart casual style and wardrobe-- the stuff I wear most of the time out and about in the community. </p> <p>Fashion-wise, now that I have my interview look sorted (or mostly sorted, I could always do more) and without a job offer to start creating a wardrobe for, it seems like the next most logical conclusion toward my goal of being accepted as a young professional in the community and finding a job locally is to start working on presenting myself as something other than a very casual student when out and about. I'd like to feel more put together and presentable and therefore more confident.</p> <p>I'm also tired of feeling out of place in some of the nicer establishments in town. I recently spent a lot of time in our downtown shopping district looking for anniversary gifts (mostly galleries and shopping aimed at tourists) and couldn't get decent help. I've also had issues recently with some of the nicer shoe stores in town ignoring me in favor of helping other clients (despite the fact I buy from them several times a year, on average). I can only attribute it to my shopping/running errands appearance. </p> <p>I am hoping to be able to do some weekend and day trips with our good weather in the near future-- our region has some fabulous places to visit and things to do. I'm within a couple of hours of cities like Taos, Santa Fe, Telluride, and Flagstaff. In addition to hiking and historical sites, there are a lot of museums, art galleries, high end shopping, and cultural events. I've got the hiking under control, but I'd love to put together a smart casual/travel capsule that won't have me sticking out like a sore thumb while playing tourist. </p> <p>That said, being more of a local there are plenty of places that I'd like to go on these trips and when out in my own community where I don't want to look like a tourist and have my look scream "sucker" or "potential victim". </p> <p>Is it possible to put together a smart casual wardrobe or capsule that can do both the galleries and the street fair without needing a change? </p>