No Repeat November - What I learned

deb

Veteran

I am sure there are more things, but this is what stands out right now.

I look like my mother, at least the body shape
Home clothing = frump tendency
My work style = classic and is under control
I have a definite disconnect between my work clothing and my home clothing – Work = classic / Home = just OK (I really do not have a descriptor for it)
I found my color palette – black, white, teal, cranberry, grey
Shoes make me happy – this is not new news but I wish I had been able to have more shoe variety.
I have not put into
practice what I have learned here, at YLF.
I like my new closet organization. – Like items in color order
Spring/Summer wardrobe is in better shape than F/W
I want to look good gardening – I had several visitors while wearing my gardening clothes
I do not want to be seen as the crazy old lady in the weird clothes. – OK, I like to read Advanced Style, but I do not want to look like them.
I would not mind being seen as the crazy old lady with the funky glasses and the great shoes. ( I hope this is different than # 11)

What I need to do

Get in and try on clothes in the store. – I wish I had a buddy to help with this
Translate my classic style into my home clothing – and make it comfortable
Think about what my clothing says about me – my work wardrobe says ‘stay away’ Home, not so much.

Question

Are you guys consistent with your work and home wardrobes?

12 years ago

Dressing

22 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

Adelfa

Veteran

Oh Deb, it's so hard to put what we learn into practice, isn't it?

This season I have sort of overbought non-work clothes. But I love them, and got a comment that my casual style is really coming together.

I have enjoyed buying things that are in colors and silhouettes that feel like me, but that are inexpensive, such as H&M skinny jeans in different colors, and American Apparel lightweight open neck cropped sweatshirts. And wearing Cons a ton!

My work wardrobe often says "stay away" as well, and with what I've been doing this year, it was a necessity. I'll have to watch that at my new job. My non-work wardrobe says that for a middle-aged woman I'm a little bit hip.

I wonder if there are any fabbers in your area who could help you shop?

12 years ago

Lyn D.

Veteran

Great insights Deb!
This must have been a worthwhile exercise for you to have gained so much.
I wouldn't mind being #12 too.

12 years ago

Karie

(website)

Veteran

My work and home wardrobe are mies apart - not even in the same neighborhood! Work: Classic, dressy, fashiony (I hope). Home: Well...once, back in the days when I taught Kindergarten, one of my charges forgot to bring home the Christmas present he made for his mother. I phoned the mother and and offered to meet her at a location to get the gift to her. When we met, I had run out the door at the last minute - I was baking Christmas cookies and was wearing sweats, and my "accessories" included bits of cookie dough and flour. Upon seeing me, his mother called out "You really do dress like one of us!"

My work wardrobe is dressy, my causal wardrobe has a bit more funky to it, but my at-home winter wardrobe? Nice, heavy Prairie Mountain sweat pants and Cuddl Duds. Hey, it's cold here!

12 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Deb, this is an amazing set of insights. Wow! It seems as if the challenge was truly worth it for you.

In looking over your outfits and comparing them to your work style, I'd say that one element that comes across more in the work style is "sleek." That might be because the clothing is by its nature more structured. And when we are at home, we tend to want (and need) more comfortable clothing, which translates to some extent into "softer" looks. Which can feel and sometimes also look "frumpier" than the crisper, cleaner, sharper looks that we'd wear to an office. Or at least that's how I feel.

For casual wear, I have learned a great deal from looking at the choices of people like Kellygirl and Mo -- even though they live in very different locales and don't have the same style or body type, just seeing what works for them in their daily lives has helped me consider why I was reaching more often for items that in my head, I don't think I like as much as I do (hello cozy sweater) -- and why I wasn't reaching for items that I supposedly "love" (button front shirt I am looking at you.)

You were especially limited this month due to footwear issues -- you might have injected more "sleek" and more "modern" or more "edge" with your footwear if you had been able to.

Anyway, I wonder if that word "sleek" could be applied to your work at home, casual wear as you move forward, making purchases, and if you'd then bring your two styles more into line -- assuming you want to!

For gardening, have you considered a special and specific "outfit" much the way someone would choose a gear outfit? A little gardening capsule, maybe. Rather than just wearing old duds and cast-offs.

12 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

ETA: the question isn't really relevant to me since I don't work in an office. My at home and work wear are identical. But I do have a separate work life of appearances, plus a fair bit of city travelling. I think these are pretty seamlessly part of my style -- there is considerable overlap, just a greater degree of either formality or trendiness (depending).

12 years ago

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

Great insights , thanks for sharing them!

12 years ago

MuseumGal

Veteran

Interesting insights!
I want to look nice while gardening and doing field work too, and have decided that this means actually buying clothing for it, instead of relying on old worn out pants with rips in them and my husband's worn out, stained, and ripped buttondowns. I'm trying to put together a little gardening capsule that can then be the basis for my field work capsule.

12 years ago

dustt

Veteran

Wow - those are some great personal learning pearls!! - they've got me thinking now too. Deb - I too have a pretty good disconnect between my work wardrobe and my home wardrobe. I spend so much time in structured, conservative work clothes that especially in the winter - my home goals focus very heavily on casual and comfortable - and during winter there is a definite warmth factor that needs to be addressed. Jeans are an absolute no go at work - so I tend towards loads of them in the winter - those or my cords - add a sweater and a scarf (and wool socks and long underwear) - and it pretty much feels like a casual uniform - one I'd like to sometimes break out of - but not sure how with my current wardrobe items - believe me I've got loads of casual sweaters!!!

12 years ago

Ariadne

Veteran

Fascinating insights. Sounds like it's time to focus on your casual at-home wear, and maybe buy more shoes. Oh, darn!

12 years ago

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for sharing! I've often thought casual pulled together is harder to achieve than many consider. Dressing up can be an easy default IMO. The fabrics and structure sort of take care of it for you, in a sense. Anyway, I concur
I wonder if it was the no repeating, or more the no wearing of business wear that struck you?
I also would like to look, and feel, more like the usual me in my lounging stuff. It's not bad, but like you say, it's just okay, not really a 'style' unto itself.

12 years ago

LACeleste

Veteran

Hi Deb,

I enjoyed your exercise and your analysis. I think your eye wear and color combos are very chic and I hope you will enjoy shopping for additions using the new insights.

I am not great at casual looks but getting better. Call me crazy but I really like wearing suits (i. e. "client engagement" clothes). That's not my life at the moment so I am trying to figure it out.

12 years ago

Catnip

Veteran

First, thank you for mentioning Advanced Style. What an interesting site, and I don't want to look like them either.

You have learned so much, and also realized how hard it is to put new knowledge into practice... something I'm just beginning to understand.

12 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

These are great insights, Deb. I'm impressed. Lets work on creating a gardening and home wear capsule that makes you feel fab.

12 years ago

Jewell

Veteran

Glad you shared what you gleaned from this experience! I can totally relate to the disconnect between work and home capsules. I guess I should consider that when setting my style goals for 2014.

And a question about your closet organization: do you have all items of a certain color together or are they grouped by item and then by color within the item category? I used to have everything arranged ROYGBIV style, with all red items (pants, shirts, everything) together. Then I tried organizing by item, with all jackets together, all pants together, etc but it threw off the rainbow effect. Still trying to decide which I like better.

12 years ago

deb

Veteran

Jewell, my closet is organized by type; tops, pants, toppers, skirts. each category is then ordered by color. Here are pictures.

#1 & 2 - shirts (all long sleeve, sleeveless, tanks, tees, all of them)
#3 - pants and jeans
#4 - toppers

This post has 4 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

12 years ago

Anonymous

Wow, I'm impressed with your analysis. No-repeat-vember was a great success for you. I really get what you said for #7 "I have not put into
practice what I have learned here, at YLF." I struggle with the at home fashion stuff and know what I need to do and should do but I guess I'm just lazy and it's easy to slump around in sloppy lounge wear. I hope this exercise is just what you needed to get you where you want to be.

12 years ago

MsMary

Veteran

Seems like you had a great, instructive month! Hooray!

I organize my closet the same way you do -- like items, by color. I've tried other methods but I always come back to this one.

It took me a while to get a "home/weekend" look dialed in, too. It seemed frivolous or wasteful to spend money and effort on clothes that nobody would see. But now I LOVE my casual clothes and get dressed even if I'm just going to the grocery store, because it makes me happy. And when I was living with Mr. K I would get dressed just to hang around the house. (I will admit there are more "pajama days" now that it's just me in the Bachelorette Pad!)

Generally, I'd say yes, my home and work wardrobes are similar. In fact, I wear many of the same tops and accessories for both, and just change out, say, a pencil skirt and pumps for skinny jeans and boots.

One tip: I got rid of all the really ratty "at home" clothes. These days pretty much everything I own is presentable, which really helps!

12 years ago

Jewell

Veteran

Thanks for the pics- very helpful! That's exactly what I'm going for, but I have a little more shuffling to do. Your closet looks great btw!

12 years ago

celia

Veteran

Great insights Deb.
Knowing and putting into action are definitely not the same thing, right?
I work from home and have some activities outside the house , I would say that although the degree of casualness varies from one to the other I would say I am pretty consistent.

12 years ago

Marley

Veteran

Wow Deb - such great insights that you have shared here! It sounds as though there was a mix of "positive" and "negative" realizations - one of the most positive being that you want to make your at-home capsule as feel-good as your work capsule. That is a great goal - and most certainly attainable. I agree with others who have commented on this thread already, that at-home capsules are more difficult to get just right as compared to work capsules. Its like Mo said, the structure and fabric of work clothes do the work for you - while with at-home clothing items its very easy to cross the line into frumpyville since we're more focused on comfort and warmth.

When I first started working at home, I continued to buy as though I was working in an office - in fact I did it for about 5 years (seriously). It was ridiculous - and such a waste of money. However, it took me that long for it to hit me that it was actually OK to spend money on casual/at-home clothing and also, that it could be just as fun as work clothing (in fact I now have completely flipped my thinking, and think that shopping for casual/at-home clothing is much more fun than work clothing!

One of the things that might help you develop your at-home capsule is to see if you can identify any of your work clothing that could cross-over to at-home wear. I ended up transitioning over a lot of my less structured work-clothing into my at-home capsule. It seemed to help take my at-home capsule up a notch and it was a great way to wear some of the clothing that I had bought over the last 5 years.

In answer to your question - my at-home wardrobe and my work wardrobe are one and the same - so I don't have the challenge of trying to make them consistent with each other - or true to my style. When I do go out, its usually to do a presentation for the animal shelter (pretty darn casual!) attend a board meeting, or go out with girlfriends or my husband - and the clothes that I wear then are a little more dressy than my at-home capsule - even though there is a lot of cross-over!

OK - I've rambled on enough! Thank you for sharing - and also, thank you for putting together this challenge! It was a lot of fun!

12 years ago

MRL

Veteran

Deb, you have me thinking of trying a no repeat month!

I am very conscious of what I wear to work and have spent the last few years focusing on that. As someone who returned to the outside work force about 6 years ago it's easy for me to justify buying clothes if they can be worn at work. I have not put nearly as much effort into my home clothes, although Angie's recent post about lounge wear has me thinking about it. (and that's a start, right?)

I would love a shopping buddy and have someone in mind, however I think that Kate Middleton is too busy these days

12 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

It sounds like you had a very successful Nov. Some great insights you had were: you've nailed down your color palette. That will make your shopping so much easier in the stores, you know which colors to beeline for now. And you also found what sounds like a wardrobe hole, more footwear options. It also sounds like you need a gardening capsule. So a great start here.

As far as work vs casual styles go, have you decided what you want your home style to be? I wanted my styles to crossover easily. I have a casual job now so this is quite easy to do. I just wear items for work and weekends, with the bulk of these items working for both settings. But when I dressed more formally for work I still sported items I wore for business settings (especially my blazers) with jeans on weekends so that I can crossover. If you don't want crossover clothing, then I would focus on a small capsule of at home outfits.

12 years ago

Category