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Dressing

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Old standby

MuseumGal

Veteran

I am pounding away at the Dissertation, and I find that dressing up helps me be more productive, so for the rest of the week I'm going to wear dresses since the weather is right - cool but not too cold.

I pulled out this old standby - a blue and white surplice dress that I've had for 7 or 8 years probably - and it's quite a big snugger than it used to be! Crap! Once I put on the navy cardi that I always wear with this dress, I thought it looked fine, so I added my knee high boots over skating leggings for warmth. There was a lot going on in the décolletage area (cami, surplice neckline, cardigan) so I went with a simple moonstone and sterling necklace, and white and blue earrings. Cobalt blue jacket for outerwear (yes it's fleece, I really do have a lot of them).

So this old standby is ... fine. I used to love this outfit, but it no longer sings to me. In fact, not much has sung to me (sartorially speaking) for months now. Has that ever happened to you? How do you get your groove back?

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Dressing

16 replies

Latest reply was from E

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

It might be time to shake things up if you no longer feel that your old favourites love you anymore! I usually start mixing and matching pieces that are either inspired by others from YLF or other blogs, or try to get one key piece to elevate things.

I think it was a good idea to go with the simple jewellery. It's very pretty :3

Gigi

Veteran

I really like how the dress looks with the cardi. All the layers work together really well, and the small print on the dress adds visual texture.

When I find that my usual style or outfit doesn't "sing" to me anymore (I like your word), it's usually because my style is in the midst of a change. But I suppose it could be stress also...have you been under additional stress lately?

Lantana

Veteran

Museumgal, my guess is that your old dress no longer pleases - not so much because it's snugger - but because it has lost its hand. Fabric ages, thins, loses its loft, the fibres fray-only you can tell this because you can feel the fabric. The elements of the outfit are sound and build to the cosy warmth you're aiming at. So maybe it's time to replace the dress?
The question you ask: "how do you get your groove back" recurs often on the forum. I recommend you go to Angie's archives for starters and check out her relevant posts. Penny

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I like the dress with the cardigan, and the blue is great on you, but I do understand what you are saying. I am guessing your style has evolved and you need your wardrobe to catch up.

Anonymous

I think you have undergone a style shift! I think it happens to everyone who joins here

I do love you in cobalt blue. Happy writing!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I think your outfit looks great, I really like how you have accessorized it.

E

Veteran

Oh I really like it with the cardigan! And I want a peek at your jewelry box: you seem to have something for everything.

I've definitely had style slumps: usually it means I want to make some kind of change and just have to figure out what it is. Sometimes I do a corny visualisation thing in my head, where I imagine I'm walking down a street and see a stylish woman, wearing just what I'd like to wear, and as I get closer, I realise she's me, just a year or two older. Or I imagine my clothes as 'polyvore' items and sort through my closet, only keeping the ones I'd covet if I saw them in some blogger's collage (or would buy & feel like the thrift gods were smiling upon me if I found them while thrifting today). Luckily, this hasn't happened to me in awhile! I've been doing more gradual shifts for the past couple of years & building up the wardrobe I envisioned back then.

A long time ago (I might have still been in college, so 2006/2007), there was this great blog called grad student fashionista (maybe? that doesn't sound quite right though), where she talked about top-down wardrobe building: rather than sort through your closet first & only keep what you love, instead first build your imaginary wardrobe and then pick from your closet what matches. She used polyvore collages to represent her dream wardrobe. I loved this idea and have felt inspired by it ever since! Sadly, she made her blog private & then deleted it, so I can't give you the link.

Of course, Angie's blog is a wonderful resource, but you clearly already know about it! So I'll also mention this blog, which analyses 'vision boards' from a variety of women wanting to change up their style and uses the more top-down perspective. It's very wordy and nerdy, which of course I love.

viva

Veteran

So many things can affect how I feel about my clothing and how I look and feel in them. Sometimes I think it is a style shift, and what used to work for me just doesn't work anymore. Sometimes it's the weather or my health -- I've had some kind of cold or flu for the last couple of weeks and it has really dragged down my sense of self; it's a major battle to put an outfit together, much less feel good in it. And Penny makes a good point too, that the particular piece just might be done. I don't know any secret solutions except to try new combinations, which you have here, and then also to know that sometimes you need to move on from something if it's just working for you anymore. Not sure if that's the case for this dress for you or not, but I will say that I much prefer it with that great brilliant cobalt cardigan. You come alive in that gorgeous color!

MuseumGal

Veteran

Thank you Elizabeth!

Ha, Gigi I am definitely a stressed mess regarding The Dis - maybe that is affecting my wardrobe happiness.

Lantana, you know, I originally had that dress in the donate pile, but changed my mind ... I think you are right and it is time to let the old thing go (don't mind me over here shedding a tear or two).

Lynn, Shevia, Ceit, Viva, I guess I must be undergoing a style shift, although it doesn't feel like it ... yet.

E, what a great site! I will definitely spend some time checking it out!

Thistle

Veteran

Good luck on your Dissertation!

As for not loving old favorites, well, that does seem to be a part of YLF. Discovering what we love rather than what we may have once only liked

And you look gorgeous in cobalt!

kkards

Veteran

sometimes i just get bored with an item, and its time to move on. if its was a favorite, maybe i keep it, and relook at it next year. but if something is 7-8 years old, and i'm not feeling it, out if goes.
and often as we age, the body shifts, hair changes color (either naturaly or with a little help), and things that looked good in the past no longer do.

Alexandra

(website)

Veteran

I really like how the dress looks with the cardigan - the necklines work together especially well.
If your current style slump is because you're going through a style shift, it will be interesting to see where you take it.

Glory

Veteran

Good luck pounding away at that dissertation.
I think you look fab in the dress with the cardi. The blue is wonderful, the shape great and I love the vneck on you.
As to why you don't like it? Could be stress! Maybe your direction is changing. Looking forward to some more posts.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Lantana and Ceit both speak wisdom. I think your old things fail to thrill in part because they are past their prime, and in part because YOU are moving on. You're fishing for a new style direction. All this trying on and experimenting with the old stuff is useful -- it will tell you where you want to go.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Just coming back to say thank you to E for that fabulous link. E - that is remarkable. I'm only partway through the first example and I am SO IMPRESSED by how astute she is. Fantastic.

Do you know if she gives instructions anywhere on what to include on a "vision board" -- i.e. how much stuff, what proportion of accessories to clothing? I am thinking of doing this exercise on myself to further refine where I want to go.

Thank you!

E

Veteran

Suz, those vision boards were based on the makeover challenge on her blog with instructions here: http://brainybeautytalk.com/ma.....challenge/

There are several posts about creating & editing the vision board, so hopefully they give more precise guidelines. Aren't her analyses fun to read? I wish the blog was still active!