Fasion basics?

[aparnaBD]

Hello beautiful ladies, I am in need of some major help. In the past year, I have become very interested in beauty - makeup, hair and nails to be exact. However, I don't even know the basics of fashion. Let alone fashion, I simply don't know to dress. I wear whatever is washed and whatever I can just grab and wear. But I want to start wearing decent clothes such that it compliments my my well done makeup, hair and nail. Can any of you lovely ladies help me out by making category of clothes and the appropriate occasion for it (interview, casual, big event, whatever..). In the meantime, if anyone can lead me to a great website/blog where I can learn the basics that would be really appreciated! Thank you in advance

 

[Holy Rapture]

Umm, I'll look for a site but, in the meantime ... What is your body type ? If you describe that, it'd be way easier to help

The first fashion basic

 

[aparnaBD]

Body type... I think that's where the challenge begins. I am only 4' 11" and obese. I always alter my pants, ie. cut 5/6" at the bottom. But for tops- can't really do anything. My size kinda shifts in between extra large and plus 1X.

 

[Simply Elegant]

Fashion Tips, Styles, Accessories, Runway Shows, Celebrities and More – TheFashionSpot.com
Although I really think you should just go to a couple of malls and just see what's out there to find what you like. In every store you go in, try something you like but wouldn't wear to see what suits you. For me, I'm really girly, I love dresses, high waisted skirts, heels, dressy tops.

 

[aparnaBD]

Thank you both for replying back. Simply Elegant, the website and specially the forum is awesome. Thanks again.

 

[widdershins]

What I would do is get some classic elements in your wardrobe and then build off of them. You can also mix and match, too! I think Tim Gunn is amazing and he has 10 Essential Elements for a wardrobe, which I think would be a good starting point:

1. Basic Black Dress - The basic black dress has been around for a long time. It is often called the "Little Black Dress", and it's true that shorter skirts on the basic black dress, when they hit you in the right place, can be more flattering than a long black dress.
2. Trench Coat - The trench coat is one of the pieces that is both classic and currently a hot fashion item. Most any store sells this piece now. It is great for fall and you can pick it up in a wide range of lengths.
3. Dress Pants - Although it doesn't say black, this is probably what you want to look for. Black is flattering on all figures and goes with everything.
4. Classic Shirt - The white shirt is a definite classic. But it can also come in many different styles to make it look trendy and not dated or like a man's piece of clothing. Find one that accentuates your best attributes and minimizes trouble spots. For example, if you have wide shoulders, stay away from large collars.
5. Jeans - Everyone has a pair of jeans, but does everyone have a pair of jeans that make them look great? The wider leg, low-rise jean style has been popular (and still is) but a narrower leg is coming back along with a higher waist, which eliminates the unflattering "muffin top" look.
6. Any Occasion Top - Find something you look great in that can look respectable under a jacket but bring on the fun after hours.
7. Skirt - If you need dress pants then you also need a skirt. A skirt is womanly and can be flirty or businesslike. Nowadays women do not wear many skirts or dresses, which makes a lot of them fall into a rut of dressing sloppily or like men. See number 8.
8. Day Dress - Women also are not wearing as many dresses anymore. It was certainly liberating to go from the '50s when women wore dresses every day to wearing more practical pants for gardening, exercising, and so forth. But the dress does not have to be abandoned altogether. They can be very flattering, and there is nothing wrong with "dressing up" for daytime.
9. Jacket - A jacket does not have to be masculine. Find one with a proper, fitted shape. Women's jackets should follow the silhouette of a woman's body and accent the hourglass curve at her waist. It is also a perfect piece to put with the skirt or dress pants, and white shirt. Or make it casual with a pair of jeans.
10. Sweatsuit Alternative - As mentioned before, women wear fewer skirts and dresses these days. But some women have taken casual to the extreme and spend days on end in sweatsuits. It is possible to be casual and comfortable without looking like a slob. Find a comfortable material (that's why this doesn't say jeans again – denim is not as comfortable as a nice soft cotton) that you would want to wear every day. It could be khakis, cords, a cotton dress, or much more.

Bonus: One Indulgent Trendy Item

Read more: "Tim Gunn's 10 Essential Elements: Must-Have Basic Wardrobe Pieces for Any Woman" - Tim Gunn's 10 Essential Elements: Must-Have Basic Wardrobe Pieces for Any Woman

 

[aparnaBD]

Thank you widdershins for taking the time and writing all these out!
Does anyone know how to change the title of the thread? "fashion" is missing a 'h'..lol

 

[widdershins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aparnaBD Thank you widdershins for taking the time and writing all these out! Does anyone know how to change the title of the thread? "fashion" is missing a 'h'..lol

Haha if by "writing them out" you mean "shamelessly cutting and pasting from another website..."

You're totally welcome! Let us know what you end up getting.

 

[sassyclassy]

I think a good suggestion for you is to invest in accessories such as shoes, bags, scarves, etc. I think these can really make an outfit and the good thing about them is that they will always "fit" you. Regardless of your size, that new bag that you bought will always be something you can use and if you manage to get a couple pairs of really nice shoes, you will always be able to wear them as well. This is especially good if you tend to fluctuate in size like you said.

Of course, the type of accessories you choose to buy is totally up to you. Let your personality shine through with that.

If you're interested in finding some good websites, try going on the website of your favourite magazine because they always have good ideas that can inspire you.

 

[iadoremac]

I think before you start buying and investing in clothes shoes and accessories, you need to figure out the type of style you want. For example my style is fashionable but not comfortable, I dont wear t-shirts and I hate wearing jeans and trousers. I wear skirts pencil, pleated, a-line, and i love dresses. My shoes are on average 4 inches high and i only own 2 pairs of flat shoes. I accessorise with hair bands, earrings, bracelets and large handbags. So i am pretty much a girls girl.

 

[aparnaBD]

Hello again, I wanted to give an update. I went shopping and have a huge haul! okay, so I didn't get any pants since I have 2 jeans and 2 dress pants that are less than 6 months old. I got 1 spring jacket, 2 daytime dresses, 2 skirts and 11 tops, lol. I love the spring jacket, it's navy blue - not good old black yet in my comfort zone. the tops are of different colours and different styles, from daily wear to special occasion - love most of them. Skirts- 1 of them is good to wear at the beach, another is more dressy. Its really hard to find skirts that are flattering on my body...sigh. But I give myself some credit since the last time I wore a skirt or a dress was 10 years ago...when I was 12!

Accessory problems (ie. silly questions): I think i have enough handbags, jewelary, shoes, etc. The problem is I find that most of my shoes are uncomfortable for long wear, so I wear the same comfy one everyday. Jewelary - I don't know why but again I wear the same ones everyday. bags- how do you change bags everyday? Do you just pour everything from your current bag to another one the next day? what if you forget something important? Scarves - I honestly don't know how to work them.

Finally, How do I know I am not overdoing everything?

Thank you everyone for helping me

 

[Simply Elegant]

Sometimes uncomfortable shoes just need to be broken in or you just need some toe petals. I always wear mine inside with socks to break them in and it works for me.

If you have everything from your bag put into a different one, you can't be missing anything.

 

[Lambchop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iadoremac I think before you start buying and investing in clothes shoes and accessories, you need to figure out the type of style you want. For example my style is fashionable but not comfortable, I dont wear t-shirts and I hate wearing jeans and trousers. I wear skirts pencil, pleated, a-line, and i love dresses. My shoes are on average 4 inches high and i only own 2 pairs of flat shoes. I accessorise with hair bands, earrings, bracelets and large handbags. So i am pretty much a girls girl.

You may be my fashion soulmate! That describes my style exactly.

 

[mehrunissa]

Like someone above said, it's probably best to sit down and give some thought to what your style is. Think about what you gravitate towards, and it doesn't necessarily have to be clothing. For instance, I love really minimalist interior decorating with bold, graphic touches. The type of architecture I like also influences some of my fashion choices. Then I translate my aesthetic preferences into my clothes.

I find that honing in on that makes shopping easier. You don't end up buying a ton of different styles that you later don't know what to do with (I've done this too). Good luck!

 

[Mizz.Coppertone]

i suggest watching ''what not to wear'' on tlc. google stacey london(who hosts the show), she has the best classic, style tips.

 

[luvsic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lambchop You may be my fashion soulmate! That describes my style exactly.

And I turn this monogamous fashion soulmate relationship into a polygamist one! Because that describes my style exactly too.

To the OP, you sound a lot like me. I was really lost before I started to get into fashion and beauty in general (now I keep my beauty to a minimum, I honestly just play up my eyes with falsies and black liner, and i try to keep my lips nude or really basic, sometimes just moisturized) I am more obsessed with hair, but that's a different story and I won't veer too OT!

What I would recommend to you is to just spend time observing what you REALLY like. That is, read lots of fashion magazines, look at the styles of all different types of clothing stores (forever 21 is a great place to start, it's cheaper than most brands and relatively trendy) and just browse and soak it all in. Go to the mall one day, or even target (they have cute stuff!) and just look around, for hours and hours, try things on! See what's on the mannaquins, how they put outfits together in their cataloges and their websites, take it in and make it your own! I think you'll begin to find your true style when you start saying things to yourself like "oh my GOD, that _____ is BEAUTIFUL! I MUST have it!!" or when you begin to feel genuine passion towards certain pieces.

Here is a personal experience:

I was so lost when it came to fashion up until now, really. When I was a freshman in college I literally wore sweat pants and a yucky, misshapen t-shirt to class every day. Dressing up usually consisted of skinny jeans and generic top. For the longest time I was like my mom's little doll - she could dress me up in whatever and I'd just take it because it was free clothes pretty much, even if I didn't truly love it. It was not until I started working at Bebe, a retail clothing store, that I discovered my love for fashion.

Bebe is not my staple store in terms of clothing, but since we have so many requests to pick out outfits for all occasions, it really taught me to keep my eyes peeled for what looks good together and what's better on what body types. I still have a LONG way to go, but now I have such a better sense of what looks good on me (I try on a lot of clothes during breaks lol) and really, it opened my eyes up to other types of fashion. I see what is paired with what in fashion magazines, and I try to apply that to me and how I can put together someting similar, but still me.

That store is not cheap, so only invest in pieces I absolutely LOVE there. If I'm not 100% nuts about it, I don't get it. I have grown to apply this with all pieces of clothing I buy now - I need to be head over heels in love with the piece or else I won't waste my money.

Now to this day I can no longer stand wearing yucky sweats and loose t-shirts - ANYWHERE for that matter. I try to take the time to at least put on something that expresses me when I go out, whether it's going to class or going to a party. Personally, my style ranges from everything to everything. I know for one I L-O-V-E to dress up, and will find any excuse to do so! And I feel like I am one of those fashion chameleons in terms of what I like, I have such a huge array of fashion loves! My current obsessions are dreamy, goddessy/angelic flowy dresses, graphic tees tucked into jean shorts, american apparel (in general, haha), a touch of glam bohemian (mostly in terms of hair), and motorcycle chic.

Now I'm not saying go out and get a retail job just to discover what your style is, lol. But really, take some time to just explore what the world has to offer in terms of fashion. There are so many different routes you can go down, and once you find what you like, trust me, you will know. You will be so passionate about clothing and what you can wear, and how you can express yourself, and it's such a great feeling to have.

It's not a great feeling to empty your paychecks though XD I know I need to learn how to control my spending from now on, or just shop smarter!

Good luck! hope this helped at least a little bit. I know I rambled about myself a lot of the time but maybe you can relate to a personal anticdote to find your inspiration!!

 

[KIT]

I realize im a little late in posting in this thread. But the #1 thing in my book about fashion is confidence. U can pull anything off if you have confidence. Walk tall and proud. There is nothing more attractive in a woman when she is confident about herself...WORK IT GURL!!!! take chances.

 

[aparnaBD]

Thank you again everyone for taking the time to help me out. Luvsic, thank you so much for your great advice. Though we don't have all the stores you mentioned in Canada, I get the idea. After reading this thread I am definitely sort of observing mannequins in the mall or looking at magazines not just to look at pretty pictures, lol. Since I spent quite a lot of money on clothes recently, I will probably wait a few months before my next haul. Thanks again everybody.

 

[luvsic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aparnaBD Thank you again everyone for taking the time to help me out. Luvsic, thank you so much for your great advice. Though we don't have all the stored you mentioned in Canada, I get the idea. After reading this thread I am definitely sort of observing mannequins in the mall or looking at magazines not just to look at pretty pictures, lol. Since I spent quite a but of money on clothes recently, I will probably wait a few months before my next haul. Thanks again everybody.

Your very welcome and I am so glad I could help you! I think you are on the right path to developing your own personal style, which is 100% you and completely unique and special! Have you found anything you particularly like yet?

I just want to offer you a few more pieces of advice because I love to ramble and you might read something useful:

Loving fashion is new and exciting, but it's easy to get overwhelmed with what you see. You don't immediately get this huge knowledge of what looks good with what, and it's a LOT of trial and error. I choose not to discouraged by fashion blunders I made throughout my young fashion life (including polka-dotted tights and seriously matronly cardigans) they were me at the time and though I would never wear half the things I wore in the past, I still just look back and laugh on what I was. So explore, like KIT said try all sorts of things out, be confident! It's not the easiest way to finding out what you truly love fashion-wise, but really the most effective.

Otherwise, everything else is fair game. A lot of my pieces fall in between "every day pieces I can wear to class" and "going out to a party that's not too formal." I rarely dabble in "sweat pants and a sad excues for a t-shirt" arena like I used to (NEVER AGAIN!!), I like to hit the opposite end of the spectrum and OVERDRESS instead of underdress. Lol, sometimes I like to dress up a little *too* much for class and parties, but I don't care.

If someone makes a snide remark about something you like to wear, put on your blinders and hold your head up high. I've gotten TONS of looks before for wearing things that are out of the ordinary that even I don't consider THAT out of the ordinary (like wearing a motorcycle garners a lot of dirty looks. Why, I ask? Sheesh I'm not bothering you in any way.) It's completely whatever. Most of the time people are just jealous they didn't put the time or effort in to dress nicely, or they don't understand that fashion is a form of self expression. Most of the conformists are the ones who will give you the snide looks/remarks, they're the what I like to call "faux fashion followers", the posers/clones who wear things they think are "trendy" yet are still underwhelmingly conformist, because they think it's "cute but still ok enough to not be weird" They really just end up looking like everyone else.

I live in a city in the South that is considered fairly liberal but is still pretty conservatie in many ways. Wearing something that's not a sorority t-shirt and sweats to class is just seen as weird a lot of the time. Dressing up is considered trying too hard to look good instead of expressing yourself. Now I don't prance into office hours in a cocktail dress, but I do like dressing up a little more than just the t-shirt and jeans or nike shorts and leggings. I said in another post I was not the type of girl who can roll out of bed and get an A+ for my appearance. I'm not even close to looking like a model who can pull her hair back in a pony and swipe on her chapstick and look amazing; if I don't try at all I get an F. It takes me a good 45 minutes to look put together, I'd say pushing an hour to look good. It's unfortunate it takes me so long, but it's just the way I am :/ So anyone who judges me for liking to look put-together, or putting time in your apperance, is so clearly bent out of shape. (Trust me. I used to not care about myself AT ALL. I had poor personal hygenine and I was embarassed by it. I will never be like that again.)

Also, it took me a while to finally be at peace with my fashion sense. While constantly looking for ways to reinvent myself I got really frustrated when I either couldn't find something or settled for something I didn't absolutely love. For the LONGEST time I tried to shove myself into one category of clothing, like I went through the "wanting to be abercrombie prep" phase, then the "wanting to be a hamptons prep" phase, the "japanese street style" phase, and so on and so forth. I didn't think I could mix styles because I just thought that was against the rules of fashion (ie: I can't own a motorcycle jacket AND a preppy blazer! that's just fashion sac-relig!) or whatever. But i've grown to discover the beauty of personal style is the versatility. That's why different people's different garmets have different personalities...whatever makes you, you is highly personal. So please, don't be afraid to just be open minded to EVERYTHING you may like instead of forcing yourself to be stuck in one fashion stereotype like I did (all prep, all scene, all girly, etc.) We are complex as human beings, so we don't have to be by the book straight-edge fashion-wise, either!!

I hope this helped a little more and please update us and tell us what you find! I know I personally love to see what other people like to wear, or what kind of clothes they like, it gives me inspiration and opens my mind to trying something new!!

<3

 

[KAIA]

First is your body type, because it has to look good on you, second you have to define your style, you like the preppy style, the rock style etc etc.