Shedev, first up -- you are awesome! Even though I've been on the forum for over 4 years, I often get comments from newer ladies about not knowing my style, probably because I don't post a lot of WIWs (its complicated).
1. My color pallette: As far as anyone can tell, I'm a dark autumn (fairly pale olive skin, dark hair with red and gold undertones, dark grey, warm bourbon, and olive green eyes) but I definitely look good in both silver and gold-- I like to think I'm one of the ladies that looks good in black. For most clothing, neutrals are king but surprisingly I also love color --- I paint and work with oil pastel as a hobby, along with photography.
2. My body type: I'm 5'9" with overly long legs (usually a 34" inseam for flat shoes) and a shorter torso. I also have very long arms, and broad shoulders. I'm an E or F cup (but smallish band size) hourglass with secondary IT tendencies, which makes top shopping rough. I'm still discovering what works for me, because clothing can highlight the length of my limbs and make them look proportionally slim, or highlight that they are both muscular and curvy. I'm usually a 6 or 8, but sometimes in tops and dresses need to size up to a 10 or even 12 for the shoulders and bust.
3. My lifestyle: I work in a museum behind the scenes with collections. Most people don't know that this is pretty dirty and physical work (more so on my current project than most). I'm also limited in what I can wear embellishment and accesory wise to avoid having a top, belt, or bracelet damage an artifact. I have 1 more year left in my current position, and before this position I traveled doing contract work which restricted my wardrobe in 2 ways: I lived out of a suitcase, and I lived off the income from projects in between projects, so didn't have much money for building. The SO and I don't live together, but I travel the 40 or so minutes to his place almost every week to spend time (he lives alone, and I do not). The community I live in is in CO and I would consider it a mixture of resort, college, and rural. My workplace, the SO, and I all have gravel driveways, I work in a 4-floor historic walk up, and it snows. Work is fairly casual, and when I'm not working I am attending gallery openings, or hiking, daytripping, painting or at the grocery store.
4. My style -- I'm on the casual side of the new american classic spectrum -- I like the bluecollar elements and menswear elements that have become an enduring part of fashion --- things like oxford and chambray shirts, plaids, levis, and doc martens. I guess I like the way that the fashion for men who build the nation wether as ranchers, loggers, miners, in detroit in factories, as cowboys, or on Wall Street hasn't changed much in 200 years, unlike women's looks. I like the raw, gritty, authentic, rugged power of it. I also like classic things like the diagonal sleeve boatneck tee blouse and slim cropped pants. I'm a trouser girl through and through, although I wear skirts in the summer for head relief and like to have 1-2 great dresses on hand. I like a fluid fit and fall on the spectrum somewhere mixing fitted pieces with fluid and an occasional oversize piece. I love my boots, and I can't wear open toe shoes at work. I also love the southwest and my area of emphasis while studying was Native America-- I collect jewelry and love inspired pieces but have a hard time finding things that look authentic enough. I also love hats!
5. Despite all this, I own more gear and pajamas as I do regular clothing and shoes. I own a hot pink top, 4 skirts, 3 dresses, no chambray (except the shirt I paint in), no docs, 1 pair of non-gear boots, 3 buisness-y bottoms and no non-jean smart casual bottoms, and I rarely wear my jewelery collection. I have work to do!
