Should I hem my pants? - YouLookFab Forum

Hi everyone!
I am so excited to be here. I have loved clothes since forever but have never embraced that love. For years and years, whenever I saw something I really liked I would tell myself one of two things: 1) it is too expensive, 2) I'll get that when I weigh less than I do now. But I've had enough of that.

I turned fifty in January and I lost a bit of weight. I've gained it back. And I am tired of waiting for the "right" time to dress well. The time is now. So, here I am with lots and lots to learn. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you.

This is what I wore to work today. This--or some variation of it--is what I wear--only just imagine a big orange apron over the top of it and steel toed sneakers/boots. I work in the paint department, too, so I have to wear stuff that can afford to get paint splattered. (PS I'd love to wear a necklace to put some colour near my face but that would be way overdressed for my job!)

Recently, I have decided to try to "dress up" a bit whenever I am at home--and especially when I leave the house to run errands. To give you an idea of what I like to wear I've added the second photo--obviously not styled--I really don't have any great ideas about how to style myself, either!

So, I thought I looked OK until I saw the first picture--I look like I have duck feet--or something. Should I hem these pants? How far? TIA.

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11 years ago

Adelfa

Veteran

Hi Alana, welcome! How do you pronounce your name? Does it rhyme with Dana or Donna?

It's a little hard to see but the length of your pants looks good to me!

If you want color near your face at work, how about some colored eyeglass frames the next time you buy new ones? Transcona Shannon has different ones. Angie of course has her green ones!

I love your dressy outfit! To finish it off, how about some comfy and pretty sandals in white or a pale metallic?

Alana in Canada

(website)

Hi Adelfa! My name is pronounced like Donna, thanks for asking.

Arg--I just ordered new glasses! I went with black instead of the funky purple pair. I wondered if I made my decision too quickly. They are, unfortunately, over $600/pair so I'll just have the one, sadly.

Love the idea of pale metallic sandals. To my mind I *need* to balance out the weight of the skirt with something dark--is that just old school thinking, now? I've been reading about bookending--silver would go nicely with my hair.

I'm sure you'll enjoy your black pair, too! And you're not going to stop buying glasses--a year or two will be up in no time, if you still would like color then! It's crazy how expensive they are, isn't it?

You're right, pale sandals would bookend your hair beautifully! Another way I think of it is this: when I wear dark footwear with a dark skirt, since my legs are pale, as yours are, I'm being cut off in both directions and my legs are shorter. If I put on a color of shoe that is relatively close to the color of my skin, my legs look much longer and nicer!

There are times when black is the answer but in this case I think pale silver would be wonderful, and would also serve you well in many other outfits! The pale color is also really nice and modern.

I'm so happy for you about your decision to enjoy fashion now!

Thank you for explaining about elongating the leg. Makes perfect sense.

Caro in Oz

Hi & welcome. The pants look the right length to me but I'm not one of the many experts here If a necklace would be overkill at work I'd be concentrating on making my hair, glasses & make up the best they could be. Look on the bright side you won't need as many clothes - or is that the downside?

Jules

Welcome Alana! I love your shirt in #2.
You know what? I'd love to see a staff member at a paint store who accessorized with a bit of colour or pattern! It would give me some confidence I was in the right place to pick paint colours Even if coworkers don't, I think a light scarf, necklace or earrings would be simple but personalize your look. I don't know how high the paint spatters though.
Where are you located? I'm in Toronto, but I know retail is limited outside the bigger cities. Ardene has a huge, cheap scarf and jewelry selection that you could possibly afford to experiment with and get paint on.
Have fun enjoying clothes! I have a somewhat similar story and can honestly say clothes and style currently bring me more happiness than my other hobbies and my job.

Anonymous

Welcome Alana, and I think you are on the right track.

Caro--given that I have already ruined a pair of pants and have a bit of paint on two tops after eight months of working there, I am looking to invest as little money as possible in the "work" wardrobe. Fortunately, I'm only part-time.

Thanks Ceit. Thank you Jules. I'll look into Ardene. I could certainly wear more colourful earrings. A scarf would likely be a safety hazard.
And I had a thought to look for orange shoelaces for my steel toed boots/sneaks while I was falling asleep last night.

Suz

Welcome! You have such a pretty smile. And I love your attitude. Enjoy the now!

I like Adelfa's suggestions a lot. As for the pants length, it's tough to say, but I don't think they need hemming from what I can see. Jules also has a great idea with Ardene.

There are lots of us Canadians here, by the way -- so you are in good company!

Welcome, Alana. The length of your pants looks fine from what I can see. Jules' idea of scarves was my thought too. For casual I wear cotton squares like bandanas rolled and tied at the back of the neck. If they are too long I make a loose knot in front. I've also seen tutorials on the web for making casual "scarves" out of strips of old tee shirts. There are lots of casual necklaces that won't look like you are dressing up. My favorite is a leather "string" from the craft store with a stone or big bead for a pendant. Again a craft store will probably have lots of choices. I've seen great neckwear made with novelty yarns too.

MrsK

Active Member

I echo Caro's suggestion, since your work uniform makes getting dressed for work easy, I'd focus on hair, makeup and glasses. You've got new glasses on the way, so how do you feel about your hair and makeup style and routine? I personally don't wear a lot of makeup, but I find that even a little, and making changes to what I do wear, really breathe new life into my style when I feel like I'm in a rut. I am loving your hair colour, and the length looks like it would give you lots of styling options in terms of changing things up from day to day (change the part, go straighter or more wavy/curly, etc.).

I also agree with the suggestion for lighter coloured sandals with your casual outfit

jackiec

Welcome, Alana! Sounds like you are getting lots of good advice here. I really like your outfit with the tank & skirt. The first thing that struck me about your photos is your lovely hair! It looks like you can wear it wavy and straight - and such a nice length.

Thanks Suz!
Joy, yes, I currently own two scarves. That can change. Love the idea of a bead on a leather string. That isn't too dressy at all and would give me a bit of lift--though it will raise some eyebrows at work (not that I mind!)
Mrs. K, jackiec--my hair, my hair, my hair. It is out of control with this humidity. Just had it cut (second picture.) I was disappointed in it for the first time in a long time.
I appreciate the warm welcome. Thank you all so much.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

It's ALWAYS the right time to dress your body stylishly, and an extra welcome from me too.

I'm sorry to hear you had a disappointing cut, I hate it when that happens. And humidity is difficult to work with! But objectively, it does look good if that's any comfort! I know there is only so much you can do with a shorter style, but try playing around with where you are parting it and see if that helps how you feel about it, sometimes that can really make a huge difference. A disappointing cut is usually what inspires me to start experimenting with new product and slight style tweaks, so I try to think of it as a silver lining!

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