YouLookFab Forum » Topic: More musings and epiphanies

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: More musings and epiphanies https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-musings-and-epiphanies Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:19:12 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php rachylou on "More musings and epiphanies" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-musings-and-epiphanies#post-915765 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:12:12 +0000 rachylou 915765@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The pants/heel height thing is the bane of my existence. That's so difficult to track for me. Walkable heels are also something that I need to pay more attention to. I like the idea of a shoe signature style. Thistle on "More musings and epiphanies" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-musings-and-epiphanies#post-915687 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:05:02 +0000 Thistle 915687@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I hear what you are saying on the shoes especially! I look forward to seeing our finds and taking inspiration from you! Liz A. on "More musings and epiphanies" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-musings-and-epiphanies#post-915681 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:54:05 +0000 Liz A. 915681@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ A lot of what you're saying resonates with me, especially when it comes to buying heels of a certain height and hemming pants accordingly. I have not fully thought out where I will go with that, as I need heels to balance my extremely short legs, and I don't mind wearing them at work, but I next to never wear them in my casual life, so perhaps that bears some pondering on my part. unfrumped on "More musings and epiphanies" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-musings-and-epiphanies#post-915650 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:29:47 +0000 unfrumped 915650@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In keeping with some fabber's spring musings I add this long post--read what you like and if any parts resonate with anyone else, great. I still am not sure what to label my style persona, if I have one, but  it has helped me to orgnaize some of my discoveries by clothing items and combos, at least, because that’s how I’ve experienced several of my aha moments. Pants:  I am   a pants person! I should focus more of my fashion energy and $$ on  style updates there.  Try to have a pants outfit option for most occasions whenever possible, and continually re-evaluate. It’s been hard to update work-type pants so I buy for other capsules, such as smart/dressy-casual, instead of staying focused. Footwear—I feel best and most vigorous in low heels. A priority is how to keep that feeling but in better style. I need the discipline to buy low  heels ½ -1”  and  keep consistent so will have PPL’s across different footwear,  especially work.  I love my 2 pairs of Munro short boots, but with heels 1 ½ “, they are at the top end of my long-day comfort zone and almost too high to work with the same pants as ½  heeled shoes. Footwear “style signature”—along with low-heeled boots for winter, for more year-round shoes my fav’s appear to be slipper flats (I have a professional aversion to saying “s------ slipper”!) and oxfords, but not all types work. Certain vamp heights and refinery work best. I would really like for these to have some fashion longevity, but I’m cynical. Almond or oval-toe low-heeled-flat shoes next. Pant lengths—dovetails with footwear. Focus on pant-shoe capsule coordination so can have most pant lengths and shoe heights  working together ; okay to have some “unique” pairings  of pants & footwear, but remember versatility = quick outfits and fewer, better-quality items. Color palette discipline: I buy stuff in tans, browns, rust and golden colors of summer and autumn, but still wear a lot of black, and taupe, and “my” color-color is raspberry-fuchsia range. I would have an easier time if I could focus my color palette. This turns out to be especially true for matching pants (mostly) and skirts with footwear in the not-black categories. I don’t want to only wear black bottoms,  but that adds wardrobe complexity. ( For example, I have a host of shoes in black, but then similar ones in browns.)    Fancier pants looks: To still have fun with a higher-heel, long leg-line  pants look, I have focused on 2 options: 1)--it is relatively easy to maintain one pair of jeans at longer length and one pair of black dress-type pants, even if these  need updating every so often, with 2-3” boots or booties that work with both. Beyond that, trying to have multiple long PPL pants options, and multiple footwear with higher heels (brown boots, black boots, fun boots, etc)   ends up requiring so many shoes and too much duplication so any one  item doesn’t get used enough. 2) While the track pant/ankle cuff pant trend holds, the ankle cuff allows PPL’s with both flats and heels. Tops: I tend to have way too many tops. They tend to less expensive so I over-buy and especially at TJ Maxx. OTOH I think it is okay to “hoard, ” or keep in holding zone, some tops. I am always finding I could use just a bit different length or boxy-ness here and there, because skirt and pants proportions are tricky and styles  are so fickle. Note how other YLF’er have observed that a top that still “fits” from last year seems too fitted now. But maybe not next year! Keep a few  of “the best of best” fits, if in good fabrics & neutrals. Skirts—gives me wardrobe variety and can wear to work, but is NOT my mainstay due to both work requirements and being cold-natured. Keep a lean stable—a few  pencil skirts, mostly neutral; update as needed; occasional fun summer skirt; skirts (pencil or flare/swirly) that work with dressy capsule. Ha ha--despite that, in the past year I added 5 skirts and 3 dresses, so I have to be careful with my imaginary life capsule. Dresses are much less useful at work but just feel “right” for   other occasions. Jackets—I’m also a jacket person and benefit from the structure. Paradoxically,  though, I learned I need fewer for work, and more for not-work, since I don’t really wear them AT work, while for casual/errands/fun they add polish and I wear them for hours. In the past 12 months, so many of the ones that fit well had pre-ruched sleeves—have bought 5 of these—so even though most were inexpensive and I’m wearing them, I should be careful not to  overbuy a trend. Back to style journey—I am doing better at asking what is the purpose of an item. Does it help me DO something with my style, or occasion-preparedness, that is lacking. The great YLF photos help a lot with "inspiration outfits" or goals to try to dupe. Also maybe for another time are musings on how budget, CPW’s, and seasonal shopping/updates fit in with these ideas.