outfit lab: testing dark red and plaid/tartan - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

About: The Potential of the Plaid Shirt

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outfit lab: testing dark red and plaid/tartan

rabbit

Veteran

I'm excited about the potential of both dark red and plaid this fall, because I've loved them in past years.

I don't currently have a plaid shirt, so I stole Mr. Rabbit's to try this out (but he's very fond of it and it's a little big here---although over leather-look leggings sometime maybe a good length? hmmm....).

So here's a few 'experiments', and I'm currently in search of my own hunter green/navy or red/black plaid top.

1) A bombshell-ish chiffon dress that doesn't get out much. I tried many toppers (including pullovers) and shoes, but it's a little awkward because of the empire waist.

2) testing with Mr. Rabbit's shirt as a placeholder (which is a little too big). Although I liked the idea of black booties with bare legs, I'm not sure about it here as it's pretty stark, I might like it with a lighter colored top though. Should I go with dark tights? the heels in #4?

3) wearing my Grandpa's clan tartan scarf, and trying a trench and leather jacket.

4) an orphaned zipper skirt that I like a lot, but needs tucked or cropped tops with structure to work (I liked the skirt/shoes with a short sleeve crisp coral button up as well.)

All feedback welcome! I appreciate all thoughts about tweaks and potential improvements before I wear them out of the house.

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Dressing

22 replies

Latest reply was from Sheila

Tanya

Veteran

Ooh, so many pretty things here! I am very excited about dark red and plaid as well for the fall ( and knits, especially, chunky, too). These dark reds and black really suit you, Rabbit, you look like Snow White

1. That is one gorgeous dress! I think the look is fine, but I figure the dress would probably look best on its own, or maybe with a super cropped denim jacket.
2. I like the plaid skirt/zipper skirt combo. I actually really like it with booties, I think you carry out the high contrast looks really well. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the cross-body bag, I think I would prefer the look with a clutch.
3. Love each rendition here, fabulous. That is one awesome scarf.
4. Adore both of these two looks as well.

Diana

Veteran

Dark red is so good on you! I agree with Tanya - very Snow White indeed.

I LOVE outfit #2. I have total sugar eye for dark boots and bare legs so I like them just the way they are. Anyway, I like that this is reminiscent of a traditional kilt outfit, only flipped around with the tartan on top! Your bag even kind of looks like a sporran....

thimblelina

(website)

Veteran

I love your bare legs in those boots! Let a little black sheer or net stocking scrunch out at the top maybe... So cute!

rabbit

Veteran

Tanya - thanks! Good ideas. I also tried the dress with the jean jacket (see below). On it's own it has spaghetti straps and is very 'chesty' so going out and about outside I kind of want something for modesty often. :). I've got a dark clutch on my HEWI list, I'll experiment with different bags with the plaid shirt outfit.

Diana - ha! I've been watching Outlander (and am of Scottish heritage), so yeah, I saw the sporran similarity there too.

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Alana in Canada

(website)

Veteran

I love every single one of these. I had the same thoughts as Diana about #2--right down to the sporran. (Not a bad thing.)
Looking forward to what more experienced fabbers suggest.

catgirl

Veteran

Love the third outfit! And the plaid with bare legs is so cool. The dress is pretty but I'm not as practiced of an eye with this look so I will go with Tanya's suggestions. And the last look is perfect punk/mod. You need to rock that skirt often!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Wow - fantastic! Like Tanya's idea of a denim jacket with #1, love #2 bare legs with booties included, the tartan scarf suits you extremely well, and I like the scarf in #4 too.

Sal

Veteran

I really love 2 and 3 as they are perfect.
I prefer 1 with the black jacket, I think this would work for a party.
I much prefer 4 without the scarf, the scarf seems to dominate to swallow you up a little. Aside from this I like the look.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Love #2 & #3 & like the ideas for the dress.
I'm watching Outlander too - very entertaining

Gigi

Veteran

Great outfits! I need to keep my eye out for some red plaid also.

First of all, I *love* the booties with the bare legs. I wouldn't change that at all!

I agree with Tanya about the first dress: I think it would look its best worn alone. I will also admit that I feel like no matter how much a person tried to dress it down, it would still read "evening dress." I personally would have difficulty working this dress into a day look. Do you think it would be worth trying to wear a top over the torso of the dress, so that only the skirt of the dress showed?

The outfits with the scarf are just great! I like the juxtaposition of the tight skinnies with the looser top.

I do like the zippy skirt. I like this outfit better without the scarf for some reason. I think that something happens to the proportions with the scarf—maybe the scarf seems to shorten your torso?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Okay, I am totally, totally in love with looks 2 and 3, all versions.

I agree absolutely with what Diana said -- you wear the high contrast booties/ bare legs extremely well -- and I love the "flip" of the tartan. Not to mention the "sporran." It's witty and incredibly flattering, and I hope Mr. R. accepts that he has just lost his plaid shirt.

(I also spent half the day trying to figure out which of Mr. Suz's many plaid shirts I could convince him he didn't need any more.)

That scarf in 3 is just killer amazing. You're going to have fun with that this winter.

rabbit

Veteran

thanks thimbelina - I have some silky socks which work sometimes with heeled shoes, I haven't tried them with booties yet, good idea.

Alana - I can keep my oatcakes in there

alaskagirl - this skirt had been an orphan as the proportions can be a bit off without heels and cropped or tucked shirts, but I've always liked it's zips so will try to wear it more this fall.

shevia - thanks! I'll try the red dress with a denim jacket (maybe even buttoned up, hmm...)

Kiwigal - I'd probably only wear the fauxfur scarf under a black leather or mixed media black moto jacket topper with this outfit, good point.

caro - I'm enjoying the show too. Mr. rabbit has a plaid (pronounced 'played') which is the long rectangle of wool they mostly wear on their bottom half on the show. He knows how to wear it which involves a lot of pleating and draping kind of like a sari, but with a belt However it's an involved process and at one point I think he had to lie down on it arranged on the ground and roll into it.

Gigi - good point about the dress, it is evening, and it is vavoom, which is why I don't wear it out that much, although I might in a hotter climate where that was more the norm. I'll try to wear it as a 'skirt' a bit, it's a good solution. Yeah, the fuzzy scarf in the last outfit probably just needs to be worn when I have a topper on over the red shirt.

Suz - ha! Did you successful nab any of your DH's shirts? I don't think I'm going to get this one, he wears it pretty much daily, but I'm on the hunt for another. Finding the tartan scarf was one benefit of helping my mom clean out her closets a few weeks ago, I claimed it as payment.

Suzanne (ambergreen)

Veteran

Looks 2 and 3 are fab. The zippy skirt is cool--how does it do with tall black boots and dark hose? Would that give enough structure to allow more forgiveness on tops?

Anonymous

I love all of these Rabbit. Love the floaty dress and love all the plaid.

But that cat bag... squeee! I love cats

Aida

Veteran

*pulls up sleeves* Well there's not much to say about these, other than that they look pretty super overall

I think the dress in #1 is a great dressy dress, and certainly tough to casualize. I like the idea of popping a sweater or other shirt over the top and treating it like a skirt; similar to how tulle skirts look paired with really casual tops. So things like a nubby sweater, sweatshirt, done-up casual jacket, tied-in-front gingham shirt.

#2 looks GREAT bare legged; with tights it would be a little too dark for my own tastes, but of course would be lighter with a lighter plaid shirt. (I quite like the oversized fit of hubby's on you, by the way.) I'm especially fond of the bare legs with the buttoned-to-the-top look ^^ With tights and a dark top like this, I'd probably leave the top open to show at least a little skin to lighten things up a bit.

All three in #3 look super to me, particularly the first two.

For #4 have you tried a hi-low top or cropped sweater on top? I bet a chunky cropped sweater would be really fun there. You could also try a longer knit top and tuck the entire front half, just along the welt, to get a really drapey faux hi-low effect. I actually like the idea of the big fuzzy scarf, but want to see that in a tonal look; so maybe with a gray top instead of the red?

viva

Veteran

I love 3 and 4. There is something mod-schoolgirl about 4 that is just crazy great.

Anonymous

I've missed your fantastic outfit posts - these are great! Love the plaid, the bare legs, the dress - all of it:) What booties are you wearing in #3 - the grey ones?

Aubergine

Veteran

You look stunning in red and in plaid!

I like the dress with both jackets (it kind of has a thrown-together sophistication) and also like Aida's idea of trying it like a skirt.

#2 really makes me nostalgic for college. Which is kind of a weird association, but my school was sort of Scottish-themed, plus it was the flannel-wearing '90s and lots of people dressed with punk or goth influences, which I see just a little of in this outfit.

I love #3 for a more casual feel. The lace-up booties seem especially nice here. #4 is great too. I think I like it better without the scarf -- more streamlined.

rabbit

Veteran

ambergreen - I've worn it with tall black lace up boots before, and I don't really need tights, the skirt covers the top of them. The length tends to not quite work as well without heels, so though those boots worked okay, finding the right top to balance it required a little testing, but I'll need to do that again, I have a shorter sweater in mind now... thanks!

Diane G - high five to another cat person

Aida - great ideas! I want to try the red dress with a denim jacket buttoned, much like you did with a denim skirt once. A woven button up tied in the front is another good idea I hadn't considered. I've tried cropped length wide sweaters like the one below, but kind of want a more defined waist. For #4 I have worn it with chunky or faux tucked sweaters, and it works with some drapey tops, but not when there is a lot of drape around the waist area or sleeves for some reason. Boxy cropped sleeveless or short sleeve tops work well too.

viva - thanks! I like mod

Dixie - lol, I'm honored. My shoes in #1 are Deena and Ozzy, from Urban Outfitters awhile ago.

lisap - thank you, I learn a lot by going through the photo process (a lot of outfits end up on the cutting room floor, which is actually very useful.) The booties is #3 are Clarks Water Row booties from a year or more ago.

thanks Aubergine -yeah it does remind me of 90's looks (I studied abroad in Scotland in college, so have the same associations). I agree with #4 the scarf looks a little random without a topper.

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E

Veteran

Just adding to the gushing: you look so gorgeous in these colour combinations! And all of the outfits look good to me: I always enjoy how varied your looks are too.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

You look fantastic in red! I love all of these, but especially 2-4. That skirt is so excellent, and you definitely need to keep Mr. R's shirt on your side of the closet.

Sheila

Veteran

WOo hoo ! I LOVE all # 3 and # 2 is close behind it. THe jacket in # 3 is lovely and the scarf is WOW with it !