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About: Be Proud of Your Sartorial Preferences

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PROUD of Our Sartorial Choices

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

We're playing that game today - but read today's blog post for context to the question:

https://youlookfab.com/2019/02.....eferences/

I am Queen White Footwear & Pearls. I've worn white shoes all my life, and have never thought them anything but fabulous despite all sorts of negative comments against them from time to time. When everybody had black, brown and grey Docs - I had white Docs. White footwear makes me feel confident, crisp, unique, authentic, and works well with the colour palette of my wardrobe. Same goes for white pearls - which I went off wearing for three years in my Tomboy stage - but I came back home. My style is the furthest thing from tough, RATE and bad-arse, which feels dead right. I gravitate towards looks and items that are pretty and dressy, and I'm proud of it!

OVER TO YOU

I want to hear you be proud of your sartorial choices too.

59 replies

Latest reply was from RainB

bella

(website)

Veteran

When I was in middle school, we were required to wear uniforms, but had no restrictions as to footwear. I had a pair of green suede shoes that I absolutely adored. I guess colored footwear wasn't a thing then. Even my closest friends gave me a hard time about them, but I didn't care and merrily wore them until they fell apart. I am proud to this day.

Runcarla

Veteran

I have never been more comfortable in my clothing 'skin' than I am now. No apologies for Tomboy dressing, even at 58!

rachylou

Veteran

Well, y’all is talking to a person with purple hair

Sara L.

Veteran

Grandma florals - I've always loved them, especially if they have a dark background.

Anonymous

Interesting topic, Angie. And I never knew that Docs were available in white!

Back in the days of matchy-matchy, I was notorious for odd color combinations--like blue with brown. Shocking! I guess I got bored with all the standard combinations and went a little wild. I considered myself quite avant-garde [chuckle]. I'm still doing it.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Snap Racylou!I ve got purple hair too.For now any way,l might have to change it in the summer or I will clash with my clothes but for now I shall wear purple,at least on my head.

anchie

Veteran

Wearing bright colors even when everyone around me is dressed in neutrals. And my hair color is still not very popular and accepted here.

ChristelJ

Veteran

Long accused of being "matchy-matchy", I am proud of my innate ability to match colors in multiple places in one outfit and tie up the whole thing neatly in a package that might come across as compulsive to some but feels so very much like me.
For example, my giant thrifted wardrobe makes it easy for me to emerge effortlessly from my closet dressed in a symphony of burgundy, bone, and dusty coral...head to toe. At least it's a symphony to my eye!

Yay to the Queen of White Footwear and Pearls! Long may you reign!

Jen

This is a great topic. Here's my example.
Like you, Angie, I have been very influenced in my style by my mom (who also died young, younger than I now am, at 50). She looked a bit like Audrey Hepburn, whom she idolized, and, especially when I was young, had a very 60s gamine mod style, with bright colors and whimsical touches.
Fast-forward, and I still love a lot of this look. I'll wear 60s-style short shift dresses or miniskirts in bright colors and patterns with black tights and boots.
One year I had a fellowship at a center in the South. On the last day we had a going-away party. One of the women who worked there suddenly exclaimed to me, out of nowhere, "Oh Jen, you just have that look like a TEENAGER!" (I was in my mid-40s then.) She elaborated in this vein for a bit and then walked off. I should say, she had a kind of proper Southern officey look herself. I was gobsmacked, and a bit embarrassed! Hmmm, I thought, AM I in fact being age- or profession-inappropriate? I have since decided, to hell with it. This is how I like to look. In fact, I've gotten many more compliments on my mod dresses than comments of this sort. But it was certainly a moment!

Katerina

Veteran

I wear scarves, always, and always have. And I am often “too dressy” and less “approachable”.
Often, I am proud of my sartorial choices. Sometimes, I doubt. Thank you, Angie, for opening this topic. It is important, needed and therapeutic.

Laura

(website)

Veteran

I am Queen Dress. Despite the fact that I work from home and am fighting a head cold today, I am sitting at my desk wearing a pink BR sweater dress, brown tights and brown riding boots. And I'm happy!

Sisi

Veteran

White footwear - I have had many white shoes in the past and often friends made fun of me, calling them "bride's shoes".

Bright colours and colour block - when nobody else did. Mocked again, they said I was "flashing".

The first leopard print tee that appeared in my provincial neck of the woods (late Seventies, it was by Fiorucci - very avant-garde for that area!). My cousin (boy) told me: I am not going to go out with you if you have that thing on!

A beautiful electric-blue faux fur coat - early Eighties, again, very avant garde for the area. Family and friends thought it was absolutely crazy and did not loose any occasion to tell me.

And finally (not fashion-related, but yet) : bright pink lipstick and bright pink nail polish. In the middle of the Seventies, when sober browns were trendy.

I have always been proud of my choices and the more people mocked me, the more I felt different.

Bijou

Veteran

I have always enjoyed dressing in a dressy and glamorous style. In my line of work masculine styling is the norm and I have even been called ‘unforgettable’ by male clients but I was the only woman in a meeting of 10 people. If being myself is unforgettable then I will own it.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I LOVE HEARING YOUR SARTORIAL PRIDE, ladies. Your thoughts and attitudes are inspiring. Rock on and wear your sartorial choices with pride.

I'm high fiving those who are dressy, and wear frocks and brights because that feels right for them. Me too.

Jen, you go girl. I enjoyed your story.

Joy

Veteran

Like you I have learned that tough, tomboy and RATE looks are not me, neither is very casual. I take flack for looking too dressed up but don't care. It is who I am. I also like to mix patterns and casual with dressy.. I also enjoy mixing high/ low priced items. Yesterday it was two thrifted items plus consignment loafers with a Ted Baker shirt.

Anonymous

Another proud member of Team Dressy and Team Bright I love my skirts and heels, and wear full makeup anytime I leave the house. That's how I feel and look most authentic-despite my very casual environmental norm/husband.
But I look perfectly normal at jazz concerts, art openings, dance classes, and festivals

BlueJay

Veteran

I am also on Team Dressy and Team Bright. I am often teased at work that I must have a job interview that day because I look too dressed up. I wore a red skirt and red turtleneck yesterday, and my outfit was commented on frequently throughout the day (someone even nicknamed me "firecracker.") I don't care. I also love patterns (plaids, florals, paisley).

Ginger

Veteran

I basically never get off-putting or unkind comments about how I dress. On the contrary, I get a lot of compliments. I think the colors and traditional shapes come across as very appealing to people in general. Maybe particularly when they are not into style and fashion, since they don't realize how much I'm doing my own thing. My very favorite comments have been from a couple of elderly men who have said how much I look like their mothers, or their wives, when they were young. <3

That said, I mostly need this kind of reassurance ironically on YLF! I love my style, but it's hard for me to identify with most of the community here. I don't feel left out, but it's harder to participate with advice and WIW discussions. I keep promising to post more WIW's of my own... maybe today if I can.

Bonnie

Veteran

I have two preferences that are not always popular. The first is that I always wear low heel shoes. Fortunately this is, for now OK, but there have been comments in the past about higher heels being more appropriate or flattering. The second preference is tunics. I didn't know how much I loved them until five years ago when they became popular. Before that, I struggled with tucking and proportions with my short waist. So now, with proportions changing and high waists and tucking being popular again, I have suddenly become "out of it". Your advice to be "Proud of your sartorial choices" is just what I need at this time.

taylor

Veteran

I have always LOVED the way certain clothes made me feel, so I have always been drawn to fashion as long as I can remember.
I have always been the one who is over dressed ....but I never cared .
I have been through many trends and have seen fashion ideas come back around multiple times . Bell bottoms / flairs / boot cuts is one of those . In the early/mid 2000 when they resurged yet again , I stuck with my cigarette cut and skinnies. I was just fine with that and shan’t be buying them should they pop back around ....for the 4th time in my life.

gryffin

Veteran

Once again P-Pod checking in. As the princess of darkness - I wear all black, I limit my color palate to black, charcoal, pearl gray and denim. I wear long jackets, leggings, skirted leggings, whether in or out. I dress formally, a good suit never fails me, which means I am much dressier than my environmental norm. I like strict tailored clothing - there is always a ladylike, polished, refined but tough, often equestrian vibe. Blazers, bobs, black, belts, booties - the 5B's all there all the time, not because it's a rut, but because it's what I like. Also always wear my schnauzer necklace - a girl must have her standards.

Toban

Veteran

My necklaces are a constant in my wardrobe, though this winter scarves started to be a regular feature (with a nexklace underneath), and I regularly get positive comments on my necklace choices. But most of my sartorial choices are about what I don’t wear. There needs to be a dressy and feminine aspect to what I wear, but never girly, classic, preppy, sporty, RATE, casual, quirky, or dramatic, which I like on others but they simply do not match my personality. My patterns are almost exclusively florals, or other random softened, natural shapes (perhaps it is to not be too busy against my naturally curly hair). I have one striped top, but it is low contrast and always worn with a floral scarf.

Edited to add that I generally aim for internal and external harmony.

Alicewonderland

Veteran

Boots. I will wear cowboy boots with just about anything, and I live in a place where most people don’t do that. I just like them. It reminds me of the girl who used to live across the street from me. Every single day, from age 4 until she moved away as a teenager, she wore cowboy boots with a long flowy skirt, even while riding her bike around. She was my role model on confidence and personal style. I miss seeing her around.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Short hair. I've worn some version of pixie most of my life and always feel most myself with a short cut. It wasn't a popular look for young girls, teens, or young women, and people used to publicly criticize my choice. But I've always worn short hair with pride. Ditto grey hair.

Other signature sartorial preferences: blazers, suits (some people seem to feel they are too "corporate" or businessy); popped collars; bigger bags (on a smaller person); cropped trousers (even though I have shorter legs); blue and ink instead of black; chelsea boots; mid-heels (which some consider irredeemably frumpy); waist surrender; waist definition; tucking.

kkards

Veteran

great read! thanks for starting this post...

i already said this in the blog comments, but i love Hallmark movies.....
ok, on the fashion side....i am and will always be a matchy-matchy girl. i have an inner preppie that comes out often, and i love me a column of color...

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

YOUR COMMENTS ARE EMPOWERING. I'm reading them with a big smile on my face. Rock on, ladies.

Anonymous

I'm with Suz regarding short hair. With the exception of a cliche-ish mid-life crisis when I turned 50 and decided I should have shoulder length hair, I've always had short hair. I never , ever wanted to look like "everyone else" and despite my own husband's dislike for it (not now, but for years he wished I had a more traditional female less fashion forward look) ....I never wavered. I am drawn to skull motifs - no secret there- and also to a few harder-core things like safety pin earrings, studs on leather etc....and again, don't care what anyone thinks about it. Some women just don't understand or get it - and that doesn't affect me in the slightest. I am so happy at this stage of life where I no longer worry about what others think of how I look. I'm happy with it, and that's all that matters. I pride individuality over conformity any day of the week.

old chic

I have been crazy about style since I was in kindergarten making clothes for my Ginny doll in the mid-50s. After eight long years in a Catholic school that required hideous green uniforms, I was vexed to arrive at a public high school where the self-imposed adherence to a self-described "conservative" style -- soft, heathered colors in shetland pullovers atop button-down oxford cloth blouses (even the "fruit loop" above the back pleat was prescribed) and a-line, knee-length skirts, with Bass weejuns on the feet -- was nearly universal. This was the mid-to-late 60s, and I loved mod style. So I cut my hair short, made my own mini-dresses in colors like red and purple, wore patterned black stockings with my heeled mary janes. I even had a pair of white leather go-go boots that my best friend was so embarrassed by that she refused to go anywhere with me if I was wearing them. Fortunately, I was a bit of an outsider (having arrived from out-of-state), a good student and fairly outgoing, so I wasn't really ostracized for this. But at my 50th h.s. reunion, the most glamorous "girl" from the class remarked, in a complimentary way, that I "always did march to the beat of my own drum."

Catnip

Veteran

A few years ago I was forced to wear sneakers all the time due to a torn tendon. When It finally healed, I discovered that I still wanted to wear sneakers constantly. Somehow they really suited me, and also helped me stabilize the rest of my look. Short hair and casual but often luxurious clothes fit in with the sneakers and make me feel "good in my skin".

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