Why is this a dud? - YouLookFab Forum

A couple days ago, I spent a large number of very frustrating minutes trying to figure out what to wear for the day. I almost wore this outfit out, but something about it just felt off to me, and I couldn't figure out what it was.

I've always been a very instinctive dresser, so I don't usually have the words to describe what I like or don't like about an outfit, which also means that I can't apply what I don't like about one outfit to another dressing session. I've been trying to be more thoughtful and less instinctive since I joined YLF though, so I'm hoping that you wise YLFers can help me figure out what's wrong with it.

I ended up changing into outfit #3 in this post http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....new-camera after I decided I really really didn't like how the tails of the shirt framed my butt in the black shorts.

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12 years ago

Lantana

Veteran

OK, firstly, not a dud but there is ALGO with the hardware on the jacket, the trim on the top, the cuff on the shorts and the hardware on the boots. No problem with ALGO per se but I think the outfit looks its best without the jacket. One other tiny little issue shows up in #5. To my eye, the way the jacket hem cuts across the curved white top gives the impression you are wearing knickers or a swimming costume over the shorts. Is that what you meant about the way the shorts framed your derriere?

CocoLion

(website)

IMO it's the top that doesn't work with this outfit. It cuts you in half when worn without the jacket. And when worn with the jacket, it hangs just a bit too long beneath the jacket.

Imogen from Inside Out Style writes about proportions working best in thirds not halves. If you had a shorter top that would be 1/3, then from the waist down it would be 2/3. Of course this is not a hard and fast rule but I do feel it's relevant in this situation.

So -- do you have another white top to try, one that shorter? You might also try one that is not fitted for a modern look (the leg portion of this outfit is body con looking). You have gorgeous legs btw and I love the shorts, the tights, and the boots. The jacket is cool too! It does work with the shorts and boots.

Besides white you could experiment with different third colors like grey or silver or yellow or a printed blue or printed black. (For the top.)

Yikes it's getting late hope any of this makes sense.

kkards

i hope this is going to make sense….i think maybe what you didn't like about this outfit is that it seems "flat". when i went back and looked at what you did wear, there seemed to be more texture and contrast in those outfits.

Sarah A

I think Cocolion is onto something. I esp. Notice that body con tops/bottoms need the opposite half to have some flow or i am not pleased with the overall result. You have a lot of horizontal line across the middle part of your body between the hems of the shorts t and jacket which might be throwing you as well.

Janet

I agree with CL and Sarah -- I also noticed a lot of horizontal lines, and the white shirt is so high-contrast that it really draws the eye to how much is going on in that area. I think all the pieces are great, but I agree that this combination is a bit more difficult.

Anonymous

I noticed what Cocolion and Sarah said. You have high contrast pieces creating a strong horizontal line across your tummy in front. Can you do a semi-tuck to make the line a diagonal? However, that may not work with the back detail of the top. The top might work best with light colored bottoms so that it adds texture to the outfit and is less bottom framing.

Ok, going to write before I see the other replies! First, off I want those shorts. The little hint of bloomer going on is irresistible.

If it were me, I'd want a shorter shirt. I think this one's hem is just too long: it covers up a lot of the shorts and makes the proportions look off. And since the shirt is such a different colour from the shorts, it's really obvious. Things get better when you put the jacket on over top, but I think your actual outfit that you wore worked so well because the shirt was a bit shorter and lower contrast.

Now I'm off to read the other comments!

April

Another word on proportion: I'm wondering if shorter boots might work better?

I struggle with getting proportions correct myself so my thoughts should be taken with a good dose of salt, but that was the first thing that came to mind when I opened the pictures.

I love the bottom part of the outfit - shorts,tights and boots. Super cool and cute at the same time. As others have mentioned the proportions and cut of the top to the short/tight/boots seems off or distracting. The other thing to my eye is that the jacket/boots/tights/shorts seem to be from fall/winter and the top seems to be from spring/summer. Sometimes mixing seasons really works but for whatever reason in this situation they fight each other - or at least to my eye.

And thanks for the exercise, I too have a hard time knowing why an outfit actually works and why it doesn't. I always leave it to some 'feeling' I get about the outfit.

Greyscale

I think the seasonal mixing was what caught me, too. I realize in our weather, there's nothing wrong with a tshirt and tights right now. It's not about the practical mismatch - there's just something incongruent about the fabric of the top with the bottom. A fitted cotton tee like that reads so summery to me, worn with frayed denim shorts on a day that's too hot for structured fashion. I didn't feel that way about the pale, sheer blouse you ended up wearing with those shorts and tights, and I'm not sure I can put the difference in words.

And everyone's points about the proportions and the fit are insightful. I think a looser tee would work, or a different length, or a boxy structured top.

Jacky

Lantana: I actually added the jacket because I wasn't very happy with the top, but decided that it was too busy, as you mentioned. I swapped it for another jacket that has less detailing before I decided to drop the whole outfit but don't have pictures of it, sadly. I see what you mean about #5. I actually meant the way that the upside-down V in #6 seems to emphasize my butt.

CocoLion, Sarah A, Joy, E, Marin: I think you're right about the top being too long and the proportions feeling off. I tried a semi-tuck with it, but it really doesn't work with the back detailing. The question now though is what to wear the shirt with. Do you think lower contrast shorts with flats or sandals instead of boots might work? Or is the shirt too long for my torso in general?

kkards: I think you're on to something here. When I was looking at it in the mirror, I just kept thinking it was too boring, but since all the pieces are interesting, I couldn't figure out why I thought that. Higher contrast in texture would probably help that a lot.

April: I've been trying to find shorter ankle boots for a while now - I think you're right that the height of the boots here is a bit off. In general, I think having only mid-calf boots is pretty limiting style-wise, so new boots is definitely at the top of my current shopping list!

Marin, Greyscale: Ooh, the seasonal mixing is a really good point! The shirt is actually two layers of linen, which is probably even more summery in person. Perhaps trying it with a pair of lighter denim shorts and sandals would work better...

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