How do you put together outfits? - YouLookFab Forum

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

How do you put together outfits?

Marlene

Veteran

I've been preparing for the upcoming fall/winter ahead of time for the first time EVER! Generally what I do is when a new season arrives, I head on down to the mall and pick up a few items to fill a hole or work with what I already have. So to do this part of the process so "early" is new to me. but I'm finding that with fall/winter being the dominant season around here (near Seattle) it really is a good investment of time. So anyway...after a long process of buying, trying and returning, I now have the workings of a decent MOTG wardrobe. Here is where I get into trouble...I'm having trouble putting it all together. I have all the PARTS but not sure what to do with it.

What I tend to do is in the morning, figure out the weather and go from there. Sometimes it works, most times it does not. I do stumble across some outfits that work and I tend to reach for those in a pinch. But I'm a creative person and I like to experiment and try new combinations. So I am asking the general question: What is the general process for putting together outfits? How much pre-planning is involved and what does that involve (pictures, notebooks, etc)? How many people just wing it (like me?) and how many people set out outfits a week in advance? Or somewhere in the middle?

I'm trying to figure out how to simplify the process without stunting my creative tendencies. I hate the feeling of looking into my closet and feeling like I have nothing to wear...

Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from Elly

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Marlene, two things:

Do you purchase items upfront with the knowledge of how they will be worn with your existing wardrobe?
Have you read my posts on outfit creation?

Hil

(website)

Veteran

Your approach sounds very much like mine. Rather organic and not the most organised. I posted this recently because I wanted to try and take note of how I approached my wardrobe. Since I have been photographing my outfits and being a little more analytical and aware of my shopping purchase (since being active on YLF) I feel far happier about my choices and I am finding it easier to put outfits together in the mornings. I still have lots of creative fails but lots of repeats of what I do enjoy wearing too.

Marlene

Veteran

Angie - I tend to purchase items without a huge plan or strategy. I do have a general idea about my style. Lately have been FORCING myself to only buy items that will work with my personal style and lifestyle. (no more items for an imaginary life!) Its been hard but its helped with the process tremendously.

Frankly, with all the topsy-turvy in my life the past 10 years, this is the first time I've really started being analytical about it. I think that NOW is the first time that I've reached this stage of my style journey. Maybe NOW the posts about wardrobe creation will make sense to me.

I do tend to buy items with the intention of making them work with what I already have. I am a total mix-and-match person. But the problem arises when I get them item home and totally space on my thought process in the store. Its like the real closet and the imaginary closet I take to the store are completely different. Its frustrating to get to be my age and have so much trouble getting dressed. I've asked friends to look at my closet and they see so much potential. Why am I having this blockage????

Hil - I'm going to go look at your posts and see if I can get some inspiration. It sounds like we are simular in many ways! Thanks!

FlorenceFearne

Marlene, I am taking a total shot in the dark here, but do you have enough plain, simple pieces that go with everything? Do you have a relatively cohesive color scheme? I found that if you prefer an organic spur of the moment approach (and I usually do), a stumbling block is when you pick out a great piece to start, and then you struggle and struggle to find something to pair it with.

Susie

Veteran

I've been working on a plan for fall. What I have done so far is to start with a list of tops and a list of bottoms that I want to concentrate on for fall. Admittedly, many of the items are new things so I'm excited to wear them. Then I determined how I want to wear them, trying to create 3-4 options for each. And I am making a list of what I still need to finish the outfit, like a layering tee in a particular color to wear with a jacket or maybe a belt. I might take some pics but I know my things well enough to just keep a list. I've been using Evernote for lots of things and I really like it for wardrobe stuff because I van access it on all my devices, including my phone so it's handy for shopping.

rachylou

Veteran

Hmm. In some ways, I have a few "silhouettes" that I like to wear and leave creativity to the daily choosing of colour, pattern, etc. Work, I tend to do trousers (which are mostly of the cropped, tapered variety now, since that's what's been in the stores) and a silky blouse. At home involves skirts and leggings quite a bit.

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I love to play in my closet , especially for fall/winter. I usually start with a completer piece of a jacket, sweater or vest and then find pieces to pair them with. I like to put 5-7 outfits together that I have tried on for proportions and leave them in the front of my closet for busier days. As I use them, I create more and add them in. Sometimes I can have as many as 10 preset outfits together. I too use fashion as a creative outlet that mimics my mood of the day, so this still allows for that fluidity in my world.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Marlene, there in lies your problem. You have to think of your wardrobe as a whole as well as the individual pieces. Buying a top that tickles your fancy and looks fabulous is of no use to you if you don't know how it will work with your existing bottoms. Or you at least have an idea of the bottoms you need to purchase in order to make the tops work. That's why thinking in capsules is so effective.

Go back to your closet, create capsule(s) around a colour palette, note what's missing - if anything - and go from there. There is no shortcut until you get the swing of how to do this intuitively - which is just a question of practice.

Kristin SF

Veteran

Marlene, as Angie suggested, her recent series on outfit creation will be helpful, especially this one (read the comments too!):
http://youlookfab.com/2013/06/.....-creation/

I've been doing EXACTLY the same thing as you, buying lots of great stuff but still feeling like I have nothing to wear on a busy morning. I think we both need to get down to brass tacks and *play in our closet* for a bit, as Tracey suggested. As a mom to 2 small children, who has time? But I want to set aside maybe a Sat or Sun night once the kids are in bed and try to come up with some outfit ideas for the coming week.

Hopefully Angie is right and with practice, it won't become so forced?

Also, do you have some FFBOs? Fast fallback outfits (I think). Figuring out what those are for your lifestyle should also make it easier to get dressed in the morning.

Finally, I agree with the recent blog post on Seersucker&Saddles - Beth says you must purge your closet yearly because it's so difficult to create outfits when you can't see everything in your closet. This is something I plan to do once the cooler weather really hits. If I can find time, that is! Just keeping track of the kids' clothing and purging their stuff is time-consuming enough, sheesh!

Good luck and have fun with it!

Beth Ann

Veteran

Ah, practice! Yes, Angie, as a musician, I understand the value of practice!

And Marlene, I try to take a small amount of time --- 15 minutes to an hour, once a week, or maybe more often during seasonal shifts, to play with item combinations. I'll put on an interesting radio program, or Pandora and mabye start experimenting with a new item --- finding all the combinations might even remotely work. Other times, I'll try to rehab an orphan, or play with a new silhouette. The point is, I kind of choose a theme, and work with that one theme for that closet session.

I take pictures of all the outifts that I like --- because there is NO WAY I'll remember them on a Monday morning two weeks in the future! Now, I'll often flip through my pictures, rather than my closet, and often the night before, rather than in the morning (I'm a lousy morning person).

Right now, I'm working on planning loosely for the week, or making capsules that work for 2-3 weeks. For example, I start back to teaching at a University 2 days a week --- I'll probably plan out several work outfits for what I call "Warm Autumn." I'll also do a "teach at home" capsule, since I do more business casual when I'm teaching my private students.

I'm big on creativity and variety, so making capsules for shorter periods of time, and for different "roles" in my life, keeps it interesting, but still lets me build a wardrobe that is much more cohesive.

BTW -- posting WIW and letting the forum helping you see what works is extremely helpful. I do more WIW at the beginning of seasons, and the feedback helps me with my outfit creation.

Kyle

Veteran

I am watching and reading these capsule posts with interest. I am challenged and frustrated in exactly the same way you have described, Marlene. I absolutely look at individual items without adequate thought about the total package. Frankly, it's overwhelming! I can't even get focused enough to narrow down a color palette, yet I can see the benefits and stunning end results. I admire and salute all of you who have done this so successfully and will continue to consider how to make this work for me.

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

When buying new items , I think of three ways to style it with items I currently have. I usually find another 3-5 ways when I get home. If I can't come up with three ways right away, I pass. I,be rebuilt an entire wardrobe using this technique.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Marlene, I sympathize. Because even if I do as Tracy suggests and imagine 3 ways I could style an item before I purchase it (and I do) -- sometimes it works a lot better in my imagination than in real life. So although it's possible in theory, I don't really like it.

So Tracey's other approach -- playing in the closet -- and Beth Ann's idea to choose a theme or a short time period for a potential capsule is the one that is working best for me. I will figure out the events or situations I need outfits for. Then I consider the probable weather conditions. Then I either pick an item to begin, or a colour palette, as Angie suggests, or a theme -- and get to work trying stuff on and snapping pictures. It can be time consuming, but in the long run it speeds things up for those desperate mornings.

Pawprints

Suz, you made me realize I need to do an end-of-summer capsule now. We have a good six weeks of hot weather left before we can think about wearing light sweaters and short boots. My summer wardrobe is sort of down to dregs, though there's still some good stuff in there.

How to mix some new purchases with what-still-works and have a plan rather than just do the best I can day to day? That will be my assignment this week. And I need to include September travel to cooler places then back to the heat. I need to feel well-dressed now, and not just waiting-for-fall-in-my-wardrobe.

Day Vies

Veteran

I am not sure I could add any more to what has already been said. I do like the envision at least 3 combinations off the top when I consider buying a piece. I also like to make sure it isn't a replica of something I already own.

Lately, I have been working on incorporating more patterns into my wardrobe so with that in mind, I try to make sure the shape and proportions work well with other basics I already own.

Like a lot of other ladies I have lots of great pieces. I usually buy separates because I am 2 different sizes on top and bottom. It gets hard trying to mix and match -- this is where work comes in. It is essential to set aside a chunk of me-time to play in your closet.

First pick a piece you love but have had problems mixing. ( I run of the rails sometimes by failing to stick to just one piece at a time) Pull out coordinating shoes, accessories, scarves, and basics (and shape wear!) You want to see what shapes, proportions etc. work for you with just this one piece. Also grab a camera (flash off!) and stand in front of a full-length mirror to snap photos. No need to post them but you don't want to come up with a fabulous combo then forget what it was. If you feel like the combo is a little off later, you at least have a record of where you were and don't have to start over from scratch.

I hope this helps. This is something I still struggle with especially when the seasons change.

Marlene

Veteran

I actually did spend a little time in my closet this weekend and experimented with creating some outfits. There are some things in there that I have not worn either often enough or ever. I figured out that I have LOTS of items that don't really GO with other things. And some of those pieces are for my imaginary life. I took all the pieces that were hard to make into outfits and just removed them from the closet. I also removed all the pieces that were just too big on me (recent weight loss). Then I ran out of time and didn't finish. But I think I got a good jump on it. Getting all those "extra" pieces out of the way made it much more manageable.

A couple observations: I cannot stand wearing COLLARS. Styling collars was making me cray-cray. I have a LOT of basic items...not a lot of FUN stuff.

So think the next step is to start assembling some outfits with what is left. I hope I can get to that part this week. I think taking a picture is a great idea since I'm having troubles really SEEING the whole picture (I like to draw and I take photos of my work to get another perspective). Anyhooooo....thanks for all the input so far! I'm feeling inspired!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Marlene, you've mentioned your short neck many, many times here on YLF over the years, and it makes sense that collars are not your thing. So opt for collarless styles, and lower necklines. Furthermore, don't just take a picture of the outfit - TRY IN ON. And take photos of the combinations you like best.

Good job messing around in your closet today. You've nailed key points that will help you shop and create outfits more successfully in future.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I'm not at the level where I have capsules, and I'm also not a great shopper (yet) in terms for making sure that what I buy will 'go' with the rest of my wardrobe.

That said though, once in awhile, I will spend some real time coming up with outfits. This normally happens just prior to a trip or other big-deal event.

I'm often quite surprised with the outfits that I come up with - either my closet is in better shape than I thought, or I'm getting better at coming up with outfits (thanks to YLF, I'm sure).

So, for me - the process of coming up with actual outfits involves me spending some time trying out a bunch of different combinations, writing them down (sometimes) and feeling all pleased that I'm in better shape than I thought. I don't use Pinterest, Evernote, or any of those things - just spend a couple of hours "in my closet" trying different things, and the result is usually pretty good. There are way more outfits in there than I realized. Just takes me looking and seeing what I can come up with.

If I don't take this time once in awhile, I often feel like I have "nothing to wear". If I take a couple of hours and actively try and come up with a few outfits from my own closet - I have LOTS to wear. Just fine. Not trying to come up with new outfits and just shoving everything into the closet means I feel less than dressed or unprepared somehow.

It really pays to set aside some time and try and come up with outfits from your own closet. You might well end up very pleasantly surprised. Bonus is that you have a much better idea of what it really is that you really do need or want to buy, because you've gone through everything and put together all kinds of combinations that hadn't occurred to you before.

Doing this results in wardrobe holes being way smaller and much more specific. Having "nothing to wear" (for me) means I'm not paying attention to what's in there and what kind of outfits I can come up with. If I take the few hours once in awhile to try and come up with new outfit combinations from my own closet - I go from "nothing to wear" to ..."Oh, I could probably use a 1.5" black belt".

Not suggesting this is the 'best' method - just what I've done a few times and it seems to have helped. I'm talking about setting aside a few hours to try and come up with "new" outfits from what is already in my own closet.

Result? Way more outfits than I imagined and further - a much more focused and useful shopping list.

I don't come up with outfits on a daily basis or anything - not that organized! Just that every once in awhile, I'll spend some time in my closet and play around a bit - coming up with a few new-to-me outfits.

Marlene

Veteran

Angie - I think I constantly HOPE that a collared shirt will work for me because I see them on other people and admire how pulled together it looks. I think I am shopping for my "imaginary neck" rather than the actual neck I have!

I'm going to try and get back into the closet this week and complete the process....although it will be a challenge since the kids are still not back at school and I need to go through THEIR closets before school starts. I do find it MUCH easier to coordinate my kids and husband's closets than I do my own.

Elly

Veteran

My strategy is this--- I don't buy clothes that don't go with things in my closet unless it is FAB enough I am willing to buy all new partners for it, or I really really NEED it (and therefore will buy partners for it).

Then I march my butt home and try it on with the stuff I thought it would go with.

I also keep in mind how I actually like to dress--- my weather, what I do and don't wear, ect.