Reader Mail

First, an apology to all those who have asked me questions in the comments section at various points and never been answered: I'm sorry.

What, did you expect a prolix-driven apology? I can be terse when needed.

At any rate, your moment is finally here, so get excited. Yes, it is time for Reader Mail, by which I mean "questions from the comments."

Let's go oldest-to-newest, shall we?

From my post about trends: "I really want a denim shirt! Where did you get yours?" (Andrea)

Well, sorry for not getting back to you sooner, Andrea! It might be useless now, but if not, I got mine from Target. In fact, I got two different chambray/denim shirts from Target recently. I can't find the exact one from that post online, but a very similar one can be found here. The other one, which you can see me wearing in the pic at left, is a little heavier and slightly darker wash, and that you can find at Target online here. I love them both!

On my catch-up post a few weeks ago, we got a few different questions, starting with: "Can we get a picture of just your closet(s)? Or a slideshow of what you have at your disposal? I'm having trouble estimating the volume of your wardrobe." (Ambrah Carlisle)

Well, that's a bit of a challenge. I really should take a photo of every single piece I own and assemble a virtual closet (you know, in my copious free time), but so far, I haven't done that. Here are some pics of my current storage options, and you'll see that even with all the storage I do have, I am woefully short on space.

This dresser is where the bulk of folded shirts and pants live. Sweaters life on top of the plastic shelves and in the top cube. Some skirts, shorts, and more pants live in the cube second from bottom, and the bottom holds all the denim pants, shorts, etc. Purses, for some reason, live in the third from the bottom, and hats are stacked on top.

This is my secondary dresser, which holds mostly workout clothes (t-shirts and sweat pants), leggings, and tights. You'll also see that I have two full hampers of dirty laundry waiting to be done, except that's necessary for equilibrium, since all drawers and closets are full right now, so I have no space for clean laundry to get put away. Also, enjoy a fake bird on my wall.

 Even my necklace storage is getting crowded.

Tee hee. I like shoes. A lot. This is only some of my shoes, too.

 Here is the main clothing closet, with dresses, skirts, blouses, etc. Note that there are more shoe racks on the ground, as well as shoes that don't even fit in the racks. The blue arrows are markers to give you a sense of how big the closet is with the following pics:

From the marker on the right to the end of the closet. (Also note the hanging shoe rack with, yes, more shoes.)

 From the marker on the left to the other end.

This is the coat closet in the living room, which also houses all my boots. The black arrow is another marker.

 From the marked hanger to the end of the closet. In the back there you'll see dance costumes and gowns.

So... yeah. I have a lot of clothing I guess.

Another question from that post: "You never seem very happy in your photos. Why is that?" (Emmeline Paolo)

Hrm, that's a tough one. There are a couple different answers, and the first is that I think I look less ugly when I'm not smiling. (Or I look more ugly when I am smiling, if you prefer it without the double-negatives.) I just prefer my face not smiling, I guess. I don't think I'm alone in this either - a guy I used to date once said, "You're pretty when you smile, but you're kind of gorgeous when you're miserable. I don't know how you do it." I suppose that's a compliment, but I told him not to make me miserable just to see the expression, kthxbai.

The second answer is that it feels awkward enough taking pictures using a tripod (the actual photography tool, not my cat) and a self-timer when I'm all alone in my apartment (except for the aforementioned cat); if I added smiling at the camera, I think I would feel even weirder. I'm not unhappy, though! Just... not smiling.

On a related note, however, I often laugh at my own expressions in the photos, and occasionally want to hold caption contests. Seriously,one of these days, I might do it.

Last from that same post: "I have a fun Christmas challenge: What's the tackiest ensemble you can produce, any single item of which would be pleasant and tasteful on its own?" (CHRISTOPHER SMIFF)

Dood, I don't think I could pick just one. Basically, take any combination of prints and put them together. Then take printed socks and put them with shoes that really shouldn't even be worn with socks at all, and finish it all off with a printed headband and printed handbag. So, basically, create a Printastrophe. (The word "printastrophe" and all related forms copyright Kari Doyle 2012.)

And finally, from our most recent post: "I LOVE the Thanksgiving dinner outfit. What tights are you wearing with it?" (Meghan)

A pair of light brown / dark tan tights I got from Target recently. I'm wearing the same ones in the outfit with my birthday-dinner-dress. The exact ones I bought are apparently no longer available, but these are very similar. Sadly, they've already developed a hole in the tow, so I'll have to do something about that...

Okay, that's it for this post, but the casual outfits post is in the works, I promise! :)

Brown and Black

Before I get to answering the reader-submitted question from the last post, I'll show Monday's outfit:

The skirt is another Mrs. Toth hand-me-down, and I got tons of compliments on it through the day. I like that it is fitted around the waist and flares nicely at the ends. It could be worn with all sorts of different color combos, but for the debut, I kept it with simple black. For the chilly weather, I added a denim jacket:

We like?
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Okay, on the last post, an anonymous commenter asked the following question:

"When is it ok to wear black and brown and when is it not ok?"

The answer, honestly, is that there is no real answer. But I understand that that isn't really helpful. So here is the general rule by which I dress myself:

If it looks good, wear it.

Isn't that a horrifically annoying answer? But it's the accurate answer. If it works, then go with it - don't worry about what rules you might or might not be breaking. Generally, you're better off choosing browns that are on the lighter side, because if the colors are too close together, they're more likely to clash. Note the light brown sweater I wore Tuesday with black pants:

If the sweater were a darker brown, it would be too similar to the black in the pants. Same with the boots I wore in last week's "trendy" outfit - a nice tan color, rather than dark brown.

So there's your answer! And for good measure, here are some more pics from Tuesday, showcasing my brand new leopard-print flats, which had been on my wish list for a while now:

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! For right now, I am thankful for all of you, my readers, who keep making me feel like maybe my clothes are interesting to someone besides me. :)

Casual Tips, Per Request

Well, "Clarence Ford," whoever you are, here is a post dedicated to you. First, I'd like to say a few things about posts I've written in the past, because I think you may have missed a few things. Then, I will move on to a few targeted comments and pics for this post.

In your most recent comment you said, "I dislike the fact that you are always explaining and critiquing your own outfits without explicitly mentioning fashion advice for us. I understand that this is your blog, and you are the one that dresses up, but general advice (within a student's budget) concerning your current outfit would be beneficial. (e.g. Pair a ______ with a ______ for this stylized look.)" I think this indicates, however, a lack of close reading on your part, if we examine some past posts:

From August 23: "Combining loose tops with loose skirts makes the entire outfit seem like baggy and – let’s be honest – a little bit like you’re wearing a discarded circus tent. And combining fitted tops with fitted bottoms will, in most cases, just look cheap and trashy. Finding the right balance is important."
Summary: Pair fitted tops with looser bottoms, and vice versa.

From August 27: "Now, wide-leg pants can be dangerous, but white wide-leg pants can be especially dangerous, as there is a very real possibility of making yourself look larger than you are, especially around the hips and thighs. That's why it has to be paired with something fitted and flattering on the top."
Summary: Pair wide-leg pants (especially if they're white) with fitted, flattering tops.

From August 28: "Sticking mostly with neutrals - especially black and white, which is a classic combo - can sometimes seem too boring without some bright spot to liven it up. The easiest way to do a pop of color is usually with the shoes or the purse; if you want a heavier 'pop,' you can do both shoes and purse. (I hear you all gasping in amazement.) Other accessories you can use to add color to an outfit include scarves, hats, and belts."
Summary: Add a pop of color to a neutral outfit to avoid the "blah" phenomenon.

From September 13: "Look for pieces/items that accentuate the narrowest part of your waist to flatter your figure the most." 
AND "Look for v-neck shirts, blouses, and dresses to elongate the neck line and slim the face." 
AND "Find pieces that hit you at the right places for your body type, whatever that is."
Summary: Accentuate the waist, elongate the neck, and dress for your body.

From September 19: "Peplum, because of its placement, draws the eye to the waist and creates a wider look at the hips, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your body shape. For hourglass figures (which is what I have), it is great, because extending the hips out from the body makes the waist look narrower by comparison, and makes the 'hourglass' even more defined. If you have a 'pear' shape, however - larger hips and a smaller waist and bust - the peplum will only exaggerate the hips and exacerbate the natural imbalance."
Summary: If you have an hourglass figure, peplum will look good on you; if you have a pear shape, it will not.

From September 30: "In retrospect, I wish I'd chosen a long necklace rather than this shorter one; longer necklaces elongate the body, and I could have used that given the way I put this outfit together."
AND "See, this outfit, with the top of the skirt hitting significantly lower than my natural waist, shortens my frame considerably - in fact, I shortened it even further by putting a sash two inches even further below the top of the skirt, meaning I created a visual waistline about six to eight inches below my natural waist."
Summary: Long necklaces elongate the body, but creating a visual waistline way below your natural one stumpifies your body.

From October 2: "It's a very flattering cut, coming in at the narrowest part of the ribcage and then flaring out to an a-line skirt hitting just above the knee. Ties come from the waistline to cinch around the back and create an hourglass shape."
Summary: Dresses that cinch at or just above the waist and flare out to an A-line skirt are flattering. (Implication: You should consider buying those kind of dresses.)

From October 4: "I added a maroon lace-edged camisole under the blouse, partially for modesty (though I could have just buttoned the shirt up to the top), but more to add another color to the outfit besides just white and black; I think it worked well breaking up the otherwise block-y color palette."
Summary: Add colored camis under neutral-colored shirts to break up an otherwise color-blocked outfit (e.g. black-and-white).

From October 8: "Sometimes people who aren't very confident in their fashion choices get stuck thinking that everything in an outfit needs to match, but that's not true. As many fashion experts are fond of saying, 'It doesn't have to match; it has to GO.' And people who don't understand fashion are probably tempted to respond with something like, 'What in the name of all things chic is that supposed to mean?' Basically, it means that you can bring in a new color, as long as it doesn't clash with the rest of the outfit - it doesn't need to match, it just has to not MISmatch."
Summary: It doesn't have to match; it has to "go" with the rest of the outfit.

From October 11: "Outfits have to be carefully planned to showcase a statement piece like this, as they need to be almost entirely neutral to keep the focus on the jewelry."
Summary: Show off a statement piece by surrounding it with neutrals.

As you can see, there are at least 10 posts there with at least one piece of "fashion advice" per post. Plus, this post about accessories and this post about wearing t-shirts and jeans are pretty much entirely dedicated to fashion advice. And while most of my posts may not come out and directly say, "DO THIS," when I talk about why I chose things, you can read and draw inferences about what you should consider doing for yourself.

That all said, I will try to make it more obvious when I am giving advice, and I will try to talk more often about casual outfits to give advice that students could use.
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This is the outfit I wore on Friday, when I took a personal day from school to spend the day with my mom and sister, visiting from out of town:

As you can see, I'm wearing jeans, which makes this a non-work outfit for me and a plausible outfit for students. (Well, female students. Sorry, boys, but there is not really any fashion advice in this blog for you. "Clarence" - I've been assuming you're female...) I started with my favorite pair of skinny jeans, my new boots, and a well-loved long-sleeved tee:

Important tips for you to keep in mind about this outfit:

1. Skinny jeans work great with boots, and boots work well with skinnies. It's a very fashionable and practical pairing for chilly fall weather. The reason it is flattering to wear skinnies and boots is because the boots add a bit of width at the bottom of the legs, which helps to balance out the greater width of the hips (as compared to the narrowing in as the thighs taper towards the knees).
2. Dark wash jeans are more flattering than light wash, and because skinny jeans have more chance of showing extra weight than baggier jeans would, it's important to offset that with the darker color blue. Dark wash jeans also work better with tan or light brown boots. (Medium washes are better with black boots, though dark washes will still be fine.)
3. Long-sleeved tees follow the same rules as short-sleeved in terms of fit, so make sure it fits and isn't too baggy through the torso and/or sleeves.
4. With a fitted tee, you can afford to have the hem of the tee hit below the hips, untucked. If it were looser, it would be more important for it to hit no lower than the hips, and preferably closer to the waist of the jeans, because baggy + long = tent-like.

Because it was particularly chilly where we were going, I added both a scarf and a faux-leather jacket. It's important to note that I purposely chose a shorter jacket - hitting around the waist - to offset the longer shirt (BALANCE), and I purposely chose a darker brown scarf to avoid having my entire outfit blend together. It's one thing to wear shades of brown, but you want to avoid being awash in all of the same shade.

So, hopefully those tips will help some of you female students out there put together some cute "jeans and boots" outfits this fall.


Get the look for yourself:
Jeans - Target, available here.
Shirt - Target; similar here.
Jacket - New York and Company, available here. (Similar, but cheaper, here.)
Scarf - gift; similar here.
Boots - Amazon, available here.