Am I getting this "essential" thing?

Stagiaire Fash

I think I'm finally catching on, and it's helping me understand an impulse I've had trouble figuring out.

I love the way berries look together--raspberry, blackberry, ripe strawberry, blueberry, cranberry, and blush pink. Wearing them together tonally just seems lux and well put together. That's my stated goal for my wardrobe. But then I keep finding myself distracted by bright red, blue, and green. What's up with that? It's been fairly consistent.

Angie or others who "get" this, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the berries are becoming my essentials. Some days I want to wear them all together in that harmonious tonal matching kind of way, but other times I want something to stand out, and that something could be another berry color, or it could be one (or more) of those other colors, against a backdrop of soothing berry color, my new neutral, in essential pieces.

Have I got it?

One other complication is that the berries aren't always the essentials in the background. When I wear them with brown or green, as happens more than I realized would happen, the brown is never the statement, always the supporting act. So in those cases, the brown or green is the essential and the berry is the star. Is that right?

5 years ago

Dressing

13 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Trying to sort this out by thinking about actual outfits. I've been thinking of ways to wear this skirt (when it's warmer--obvs not now!)

1. with the thigh highs, either a prim little cardigan or a short blazer, pumps or loafers with 1" heel, and a blouse with a Peter Pan collar.

In this outfit, the skirt is the statement, or maybe the skirt and the thigh highs are statements, and the top and topper are essentials, required to make the outfit "go". Is that right? Or is the Peter Pan collar also a statement piece, because the schoolgirl formula doesn't work without it? That would be 3 statement pieces and just the blazer & shoes as essentials.

2. with navy tights, the same blazer and shoes, and a paisley blouse. Is anything a statement there, or are they all just functioning as essentials?

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5 years ago

LaPed

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FashIntern, have you ever read Anushka Rees, of the blog Into Mind, on building a colour palette?

https://anuschkarees.com/blog/.....-wardrobe-

She goes into quite a bit of depth, but the basic idea is that you identify three core colours, two supporting neutrals, and four accent colours (see image). It sounds like your core colours might be varying shades of berry, darker or lighter, warmer or cooler. Then you have brown as one of your neutrals. Maybe the other neutral is a dark green, or else dark green is one of your four accents. From what I can recall of your WIWs, I bet white and blush/pale pink factor in as accents or maybe even neutrals. I might also guess you'd want navy/dark blue in there as a neutral colour, and maybe another blue, pale or mid-toned, as an accent.

And to tie this back into Angie's "essentials" concept, there's a good chance that your essentials will be in your neutrals (think about how most of Angie and Suz's essentials are blue or white), or in your three core colours. Those core colours may also show up in statements, as will your accent colours.

I'm not sure if I've totally answered the question, but I think yes, you can definitely identify berry as an essential colour, but you still need to figure out your essential garments/silhouettes.

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5 years ago

Helena

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Hmm, FashIntern, I think maybe berries are more your "signature colour" ... whereas your essentials would be more the specific types of pieces you build your outfits on vs. a colour.

So, looking at your finds, perhaps blazers are an essential, and/or printed blouses.

Hope others will chime in as I am still working on this myself!

5 years ago

Suz

(website)

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Not Angie, but I would say, no.

You need to specify the clothing items. Berries might be an essential colour for you (or even used as a neutral). But you would need to say, for example:

Berry knit tops for 4 seasons.

Berry jeans/ pants in xyz cut.

Your core colours/ neutrals are a different concept. It's not about the colour, it's about the clothing items that are key to your creating outfits. Essentials will be in your key neutrals as a rule -- but just because an item is one of your key neutrals doesn't make it an essential.

For example, see some of my own non-essentials. These items are all in key neutrals for my wardrobe and they add definitely add functionality and/or fun to my closet. (Admittedly, some are patterns, but the patterns are mostly my key neutrals and the overall impression they give is "navy" or "navy and white"). Some are very classic styles that don't date (and indeed, I've owned many of these pieces for years already.) But they are not essentials. I can get dressed without wearing one of these items, and next year I might trade them for a different type of item without making it difficult for me to create outfits.

Another way to think about it would be: what are the key components of your most-worn silhouettes?

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5 years ago

Suz

(website)

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To elaborate a bit more:

Jackets. The moto might be an essential for someone else, but I don't wear mine terribly often. The mixed media denim jacket is also infrequently worn, unlike my regular blue and white denim jackets. The Chanel type tweed was my version of a trend (yes, it's a classic piece, but I bought it when tweedy jackets were trending). The plaid blazer and military jacket are fun, and not exactly statement pieces, but not essentials, either. I could get by with my navy blazer instead most of the times I reach for these, although their cropped length does make them a bit different.

Jeans: the wide leg crops are a trend piece.

Dress: it's a classic and for someone with a professional job would probably be an essential. But I rarely wear it. So, inessential.

The one item that might be counted as an essential of sorts here is the jacquard top. Not that I need a jacquard top, per se. But I do need a navy dressy sleeveless top. So...

5 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

FashIntern, I like the thought you're putting into this, and you're asking good questions too.

YES to your quiet and cool berry tones being an essential colour for you. You like to wear them tonally from head to toe, or remix them with the rest of your brights and neutrals. THAT is an essential.

Of your Finds in your second comment - the loafers, blazer and blouse are essentials.

VERY good detailed explanations from La Ped & Suz. They get it 100%.

Helena, your musings were dead right too.

5 years ago

Joy

Veteran

I suspect that berry colors are more statement or your personal signature. You still need some basic neutrals like grey or navy, to make an outfit work. What neutrals help hold your berry pieces together?

5 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Right. I did say the colors were the essentials, didn't I? That was sloppy writing--meant that the items in those colors are the essentials. And then I skipped over the whole "list out the contents of your closet" thing to the question that's been bugging me, because I think the idea of essentials is helpful there.

For the last month, I've had the same 10 items on repeat--2 skirts, 2 pants, 4 sweaters, 2 turtlenecks. It's all necessary to stay warm, but none of it is necessary to complete anything. It's just a bunch of separates--solid sweaters and pants, patterned skirts.

So, going back to the assignment I skipped, when I dress "for real", my essentials probably include my pink paisley scarf, long-sleeved blackberry T, pink cardigan, and white turtleneck. Not sure if my black and navy tights count here or as basics; they're hosiery, so basics, but I must have those pieces to look right, which sounds like essentials. There is a fight going on between my jacket and my backpack. I really wanted that bag, but then it was out of stock. My red puffer jacket became an essential for me. Then Santa showed up with the backpack, which is also red. Now I don't know what to do! I want to wear them both, but they don't get along.

I have heard of that color theory--heard it first when I was new here and put up what I thought was a funny post about how many blue dresses I owned. I was surprised that no one laughed, and some suggested blue dresses could be a signature for me! Um, no, too restrictive. And then someone mentioned the 2 colors + neutral+ accent thing. At the time, I thought it was weirdly restrictive, but I have had that in the back of my head recently, because it seems that my closet is shaking out just like that. I haven't mapped it out yet, but it seems to be heading that way afterall. Isn't it neat how this stuff works out?

Hope you all don't mind me addressing the group. I read responses before bed last night, when I wasn't logged in, and recall a lot of common themes in them, so am responding to the ideas that a lot of you wrote about. Hope you don't mind. Thank you all for your responses!

5 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Angie, thanks for your comments, which I didn't see until after I posted. So the roles of the items in an outfit don't change their place in the wardrobe? OK. I can deal with that.

Joy, I have black & white pattern, and some black and some white, but I think I wear them more like colors than like neutrals. See Angie's comment to see why I don't want to throw something else in with the berry colors. Also, this angsty and overthinky post & Angie's blog post it links to explain what's up with so much of the same kind of color. https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....st-1992372

5 years ago

Synne

Veteran

I have nothing to add, unfortunately. But interesting that you distinguish between how you normally dress and "dressing for real". That's pinpointing exactly what I need to work on! Why isn't my everyday life more dressing "for real"? My family and friends will see me in these "almost" getups, and they are the people that truly matters and that I should dress my best for... Hmm... food for thought! Good luck on your further wardrobe analysis.

5 years ago

Anonymous

I was wondering same about my burgundy items, which has been a new neutral to me-but then Angie vetoed red in another post...
In your outfit it seems the blazer is the essential, because it grounds the lot, or possibly even the shoes. The blue tights look like an accent to me.

5 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Suntiger, I didn't see the post you mention; did she ban red from everyone's list, or just that person's? You can see that she ok'ed my berry colored stuff as essentials. I'm starting to think that the concept is basically what you think of as the default. When you need a topper, the one you automatically reach for is hte essential, even if you decide that day to put it back for something more interesting.

Synne, long story, but my life is in transition. A long, agonizingly slow transition. When I'm working again, I assume I'll dress "for real", possibly including these outfits, weekdays. The pants were bought in order to be worn to the office. I have recently gotten some items in the colors I want to have be my background/default. I plan to work them in now, and also wear them professionally. At home, neither one of us wears "real" clothes. I like my pjs/lounge clothes (same thing to me, and I don't sleep in them, but an important distinction to some); they're nicer than I've usually had. As I've defined my palette, I've been surprised to notice how consistent my taste is--even my pjs are various raspberry shades and black & white pattern, with touches of blue!

5 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

"So the roles of the items in an outfit don't change their place in the wardrobe?"

Not usually.

5 years ago

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