Do you ever feel limited by what you can't or won't wear? - YouLookFab Forum

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Do you ever feel limited by what you can't or won't wear?

catgirl

Veteran

Rae suggested a white t-shirt with my 80s jacket, and that is a fabulous idea. But I don't wear white t-shirts. I can't find any that fit or flatter, and I look terrible in white (as has been confirmed by more than one honest and trusted friend). Not being able to wear a basic white t-shirt is like hitting a brick wall sometimes. And there's not a lot of work-around options.

Do you have any style no-nos that are the equivalent of this situation? Not poison eye, not physically unable to wear (like narrow shoes), but just plain old sticking points?

Dressing

26 replies

Latest reply was from teeandcee

rae

(website)

Veteran

You know what? I had one white tee a couple years ago, and I haven't been able to replace it since. So ATM I don't hae one, either!

Right now, I like limiting myself, since focusing my style is one of my priorities. Wearing anything and everything made me feel out of control, and I don't think it looked all that great, anyway.

Sometimes I wish I could wear pastels and florals better, but I've made peace with it.

catgirl

Veteran

I agree, Rae - most of my limits are deliberately self-imposed, and recently I've realized that I generally prefer simple, streamlined, menswear-inspired outfits to ALGO, jackets to cardis, and that I can wear button-downs!

I can't wear pastels or florals well either, but I don't really love them, probably because I can't wear them. Just like Shannon loves dresses because they're easy to fit for her!

Irene

Veteran

Pastels look horrible on me. I can sort of do white -though not my best color. Tight clothing looks bad on me and enhances bumps and lumps, but voluminous shirts make me look huge thanks to my lovely friends. I still try the volume on top sometimes. Not the pastels.

Anonymous

I feel your pain about white shirts. I look better in soft white (AKA winter white), but it's a hard-to-find color. The annoying part is that most shirts are available in either white or black. Sometimes you'll see ivory, which I can't wear because it has too much yellow in it. Rarely do you see soft white. My answer to that is not to wear anything white, period. I wear gray instead. Gray's a very easy color for me and not nearly as hard to find as soft white.

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

Yes. My limits are practical. I can't wear skirts or dresses to work or at the classes I take. I have to wear shoes that A) can take a beating (and that I don't mind seeing beaten) B) are at least moderately waterproof to work and classes. This leaves skirts and cute shoes to either show weekends or running errands. And there are days when wearing a skirt to Safeway and to walk dogs just seems like a waste. Same goes for delicate knits and tops, etc.

So I'm often in jeans and boots or Cons. Not that I don't LOVE jeans and boots but it's kind of limiting.

cciele

Veteran

Mine is a basic white button-down blouse. I've basically given up on finding one that fits!

Diana

Veteran

I physically can't wear many, many types of shoes without horrendous pain/falling down/looking like an idiot who can't walk, which really limits a lot of other non-shoe things for me (such as skirts that only look good with heels or low vamp shoes).

Like you, I also don't do white tees. (But I just sub with black tees anyway. Hey, i'm asian. =P ) Also no white jeans for me. Those visible seams just drive me nuts. I got around this by buying a white denim jacket instead.

There are other things I don't wear (like bermuda shorts and polo shirts) but I don't WANT to wear them.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Ditto cciele on the basic white button-down shirt. I can find ones that fit and flatter, but not in crisp bright white, which is a shame, because it would be such a useful basic piece. But white is one of the few colours that looks truly dreadful on me.

Una, I don't/can't wear white tee shirts either, but there is a work-around. Have you tried pale heather gray? I reads as white when up against other colours, especially if only part of the tee shirt is showing, like if you wear it with a black blazer or layer it under another shirt, so that only the bottom is poking out. I have one pale heather gray crew neck by Majestic Paris that's a really nice cut (the neck hole is generous, which on many people looks better than a tight neck hole) and fabric (soft stretchy viscose/cotton). It's an absolute wardrobe workhorse for me.

ETA I did a quick search, and I'm pretty sure this is the one I have, only mine is very light heather gray: http://www.tee-zone.com/Majest.....tBy=Newest

K. Period.

Veteran

I can't wear beige or camel or olive anywhere near my face. They look dreadful on me. There is one mythical shade of beige that has just enough silver and just enough warmth to be workable. I always think of it as palomino for some reason. Not being able to wear beige, though, makes finding that perfect iconic trench impossible. All those lovely caramelly camel coats that look so gorgeous on you brunettes? Totally out for me. Olive only as trousers? So cruel.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I resent not being able to wear shorts (I can do knee length that's it) or shorter dresses. It makes dressing for our hot hot summers much more challenging.

Maxis are definitely an option as they can feel cool (skirts or dresses) but I feel timid about them because for the skirts, my abs aren't flat enough any more. And for the dresses, it's so easy to look frumpy.

As for color, black does not like me. But it's hard to avoid black clothing, so much is available!

ironkurtin

Veteran

No... I'm overdosing on what I DO have!

It is so strange that white tshirts don't work for you. Practically whole shirt wardrobe is white. What does it do to you?

Aziraphale

Veteran

I'm not speaking for Una, but speaking for myself as a woman who can't wear white, it's that it gives my complexion a sickly pallor.

catgirl

Veteran

It makes me do whatever the opposite is of "glow". I look washed out and sallow. I have other Indian women friends who wear white perfectly well, but I think my skin too easily veers toward jaundiced.

Elizabeth, great work-around suggestion - I will try it!

Anonymous

Yes, it does. I try not to let that stop me, though.

My legs are super long, I need at least a 36 inch inseam to be able to wear pants with flats and a 38 inch to have a prayer at wearing heels. I have to let go hems on already "tall" pants to have a prayer at ppl. Sadly, that limits me in terms of being able to try other pant/jean brands. Keeping in mind that I seldom wear pants with flats, I can only buy some premium denim brands and AE and GAP jeans, just because are available in extra long. I need to let out the hem in all my editors, in spite of buying tall already.

Knee high boots are also an issue. I have been only able to strike gold a few times, I can only buy boots that are being reviewed as "too tall".

and the list goes on if I start to think about it....

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I think I'm on the same side of this as Rae, I'm finding some limitations helpful. I have streamlined my color palette and am finding a lot more mixing options simply from that one move.
I'm not sure I've ever wanted to wear a color that doesn't look good on me, but I imagine it could be annoying. Cream doesn't work?

Meredith1953

Veteran

I haven't found a white button down that I truly love. I also don't really do white t-shirts.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I find my height and body shape limits my ability to wear certain "flowy" items - I love Eileen Fisher clothing but it's fabrications and less structured style just doesn't work for me. It's like I'm being swallowed.

I also can't/don't wear pastels - not great on my pale skin. So when pastels are trending, I'm limited in what I'm going to be buying.

Anonymous

I must clarify that I don't think it's annoying not to wear white. I just think it's annoying to shop for the alternative, which for me is soft white. I don't stress about it, though. I wear what looks great on me and figure I can look fab in colors that not everyone else can wear. If we all embrace the attributes that make us unique and special, we will feel a lot better about ourselves and not always need the approval of "The Powers That Be" (the ones who make up the so-called style rules).

christieanne

Veteran

I don't think pastels are good for me (I can do a cotton candy pink but it's got to be the right one - I have a vintage sweater in that shade and one is enough for me) but I can do white. Of course, I will instantly spill or mark up anything white so being able to wear it isn't really a good thing necessarily.

The most frustrating thing is having big chest. I try on button down after button down and it isn't just gaping, its overall fit. If I want to be able to button, the arms will be huge or the length overwhelming. I usually just give up and wear non wovens.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Waving to K can Shop - I also have to avoid all beiges, tans, and yellows near my face. Kiss of DEATH!!

And high-fiving Shannon. I love Eileen Fisher but find I can't do flawy things very well. They just swamp me. Ditto also on pastels, although I can get away with some very faded out colours in summer. Not true pastels, but lighter than I'd usually wear.

Speaking of very faded out colours, I think Elizabeth's work-around is brilliant, Una. And maybe it would work with very faded out versions of other colours you adore. You could experiment to see. Another option would be a non-true white. Maybe an ivory or cream. Of course that would be the devil to find, but it might be worth attempting.

White's not great on me, either, but i get away with it the way I get away with black. A slightly off-white, on the other hand, like a winter white, is lovely on me, just as charcoal or navy are much better than true black.

Other personal limitations: tunic tops. I LOVE so many of your tunic looks. Sveta's, too. But I just look like crap in a tunic and there is no way around it. My proportions make it horrible. MAYBE I could do it with 3 inch heels, but even then it would be pushing things. Really, I should just tuck everything into my very high waist to make it look as if I have any legs at all, LOL. The opposite of Zapotee's and Amy's problems...

it has nothing to do with height and everything to do with leg length combined with other proportional variations. But it is what it is.

Anonymous

Yes, heels, beige, too much black, wrap dresses and tunics to name a few. Thankfully I can wear white (since I live in a hot climate). Khaki is not my friend. Olive is difficult too. I feel the same way Suz does about long/tunic length tops on me.

ETA: Like Rae and Suz, I feel like having some limitations are good for my creativity and my closet. I remember an episode of "Say Yes to the Dress" where Randy commented that the occasional bride looked so good in every dress she tried on that it became impossible to choose. So looking at the bright side, at least my limitations make decision making easier!

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

Yellow does the same thing to me as white does to AlaskaGirl. I read a quote in a book once where the heroine compared the look of her skin when wearing puce to dirty ditch water after a carriage had rolled through it. I think that would be dull and lifeless. I do like soft yellows but they just look horrendous on me.

I also don't like to wear tight clothes but am occasionally convinced to buy something a bit more fitted and sometimes regret it.

jayne

Veteran

Oh I am so with CLaire on 'no beige'. But I also cannot really carry pastels either.

But as for clothes I can fit a shirt pretty well - although broad shoulders sometimes limit me, but my true fiend is pants. Giant thighs and a pearish bottom just leave me desperate on slacks and skirt lengths!

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Found out I can't wear pastels--had to give up one of my old favorite mint green sweater and skirt combo. But deep sorbet colors like raspberry are OK.

Can't do silk/jersey wrap dresses like DVF due to my apple figure--but then I found some faux wrap dresses with ruching/draping, so all is not lost.

Can't wear camel or beige because of my skin tone--but the beige KS trench got a pass from Angie and you all, so I'm keeping it.

Basically, anything I can't do, there's often a workaround that flatters my figure/skin better so it's a learning process to find out what would work better. In the end it's worth it to learn these lessons.

Una, how about cream colored T's instead of white?

DonnaF

Veteran

I'm annoyed by all the shoes I can't wear due to my fussy feet (bunions, arthritis, no padding, etc.), but I'm really sad by all the cute sandals I see that I might be able to get a fit in, yet I really shouldn't wear sandals much at all due to my Reynaud's -- poor circulation that turns my toes a gruesome shade of purple gray, sort of preliminary frostbite, unless they are toasty. It really needs to be in the 80s for me to be safe, and where I live that doesn't happen often. And actually, I basically like the climate where I live. Otherwise, I have come to peace with the colors and styles I can't wear; I just get steamed when I can't find the stuff I CAN wear!!!

teeandcee

YES! Heels! This is a biggie right now. Love them, can't wear them in part due to my feet being fussy (I love you, Earthies shoes!) but also simply my inability to walk comfortably in heels without looking like a man in drag. And not a good one either. I have a little personal project going on now to learn to walk in heels just so I can wear shoes I like.