WIW: Per your suggestions! - YouLookFab Forum

Tried out some outfits last week based on suggestions made by many helpful folks on my previous thread. These of course are just the ones that I could carry out with what was already in my closet. There were other suggestions that would require purchasing something new, these are very much under consideration! Just not instantly executable.

1: Breton tee | ivory cardi | cropped jeans | cognac ankle boots

Suz and Angie both suggested Breton stripes. I love this top/cardi combination and in fact have worn it many times -- to me, it's a quintessentially "cold spring" look. However, I accept that I will have to let go a little bit of my desired "seasonal" aesthetics while I am building my wardrobe, especially my tops capsule.

My cuffed jeans with ankle boots got such a warm reception last round that I decided to try the boots with these cropped jeans. I like this look perfectly well on others, but don't care for it on me, I am not a fan of cutting the leg line like this and also I was too cold!

2: dark-wash straight jeans | white pintuck popover | fair isle cardi | cognac ankle boots

kkards suggested that I wear the straight-leg jeans that I wasn't digging with the fair isle cardi that I know I love. Genius suggestion to accurately gauge my reaction to the jeans! Verdict: I still feel dumpy in the jeans and really think they are too big. Next!

Tried the boots and cuffed jeans again, but eh. I really prefer to wear ankle boots with leggings, or skirt/dress outfits. But, if I find a pair of straight-leg jeans that I really love, I'll try the ankle boots again.

3-4: dark-wash skinnies | black watch plaid shirt | black cardi | cognac riding boots

This is sort of the converse of kkard's experiment: top half of the straight-leg jeans outfit I hated before, worn with a pair of pants I know that I love. Did I dislike the darkness of that outfit, or did I just dislike the jeans? Verdict: it was the jeans! I felt perfectly fine in this.

Added my blush-pink duck scarf for an outing to see Fantastic Beasts. Gosh, I love blush/ballet pink with black watch plaid!!!

5-6: black ponte leggings | plum silk tunic | vintage intarsia cardi | cognac ankle boots

Hey look, I bought a new tunic! I like it. Good color, good length, good neckline, just enough detail. Love it with this cardi (the colors aren't an exact match, but I think the plum sort of "bridges" the purple and gray in the cardi -- it looks harmonious to my eye) and will work with the fair isle too. I might sew up the side-seam pockets though, I think they are causing some extra bulk and I'd prefer it to hang straighter.

Also hey, I finally like my cognac ankle boots in an outfit!

I am moving on to my "Nutcracker" holiday capsule with my vintage costume jewelry this week but I learned a lot from this exercise and the analysis of the last several weeks, thank you to all who have commented and helped me through my wardrobe doldrums!

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7 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

What a great exercise. Rubber meets the road. Quite brilliant. Love the ducks and black watch plaid

kellygirl

These are great! You have great arty style. Love the cables and breton together. That works seamlessly! Black watch with the print is a slam dunk! Fun to read your analysis too!

Jessikams

(website)

Really smart experiments here. Sounds like you’re finding some clarity. And the too-big jeans can either be shrunk in the dryer, or hacked into comfy shorts- no loss there.

Cee

You look cardilicious !

...and yes, that is a word now !

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Looking good in the stripes and pattern mix in #1 and #4. Nicely done, and good job following through, SarahD8.

Katerina

You have done such a good job, these outfits are very, very nice. I especially love the striped top/cream cardigan pairing in no 1 - it looks beautiful on you. And how great is the duck scarf combined with the plaid shirt - awesome!

SarahD8

Thanks all for the kind words. Yeah, I think I may need to shift my thinking about when Breton stripes "belong." Making a mental note to try my whale Breton with my new-ish navy cardi (don't think I've shown it on here yet, has a great peplum-like feature in the back, very equestrienne).

And thanks for the duck scarf appreciation! It was a wild card when I bought it at Goodwill a few years ago and I could barely bring myself to pay SEVEN WHOLE DOLLARS for it -- but wow has it ever earned its keep!

Jessikams, great idea about trying to shrink the jeans. I've got a size down on order (and I'm hoping in a wash that I'll like better) but if those don't pan out I'll give the washing cycle a go.

Cee, ha! I'm about to drop a new single, I am Cardi Licious.

Woolie buy it ?

Christina F.

I like 3-4 the best but it all looks great. You did a nice job of incorporating the feedback to try to make your pieces work.

Suz

Nice job! And that duck scarf is gorgeous! Do you wear it with the Breton stripe top too? It would also look good with the new tunic, no? The colour of that tunic is lovely.

Now, see, I don't experience your leg line as cut off with those boots because the contrast on my screen looks low. And if you wanted to extend the line further you could semi tuck the top.

Canada

Active Member

Duck scarf!! Loving that duck scarf! And I think the proportion of the boots looks fine.

Thanks, all! I appreciate the continued love for the duck scarf, quack quack.

I think the darkness of the picture is making the boots/cropped jeans look like less of a break/cut than they did in real life. But I will revisit, perhaps on a relatively warm day.

Suz you're right, the duck scarf would work great with the plum-colored tunic. I love the idea of pattern mixing it with a Breton tee. Could I mix ducks and whales though? Need to think on that, it might be too ecologically confused for me! lol.

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