I have nothing to wear. Don’t get me wrong, my closet is full – bursting at the seams…with t-shirts, track pants, worn jeans and comfy pajamas. This is what’s left of my wardrobe after two maternity leaves. So now, I’m back at work two days a week and like I said, I have nothing to wear. More upsetting, however, is that I don’t know what to wear. I am utterly unaware of today’s fashion trends, and I don’t know where to turn.
Once upon a time, I considered myself to be somewhat fashionable – I was up-to-date on whether my jeans should be boot-cut or skinny, whether brown was the new black, whether to do a smoky eye with nude lips or a muted eye with a crimson mouth. I knew how to accessorize my little black dress for a dinner party or dress it down for a meeting. Now there is no black dress. Instead, there are many, many black pants (I favour Lululemon for their durability and amazing capacity to conceal flaws) and endless t-shirts of varying colours and shapes.
Not knowing where else to turn for much-needed fashion guidance, I picked up the latest Vogue for inspiration and education. What a waste of time. According to the weighty fashion bible (which I adore for pure indulgence and enjoyment of fashion as an art form), here’s what should be wearing for spring: tunics teamed with striped leggings, parka dresses (what does that mean?) with high-heeled sneakers, high-waisted duchesse satin short-shorts, and dolman-sleeved blouses with turbans à la Palm beach hostesses circa 1967. This was not helpful. In fact, it only contributed to me feeling like a pariah in the house of style.
How can I get my fashion groove back? For me, this means being able to take current trends (like the parka dress) and draw from them to inspire my own, more mainstream wardrobe. The first step will have to be a giant purging of the fleece and knit comfort-clothing that currently calls my closet home. Then, I’m going to buy every fashion magazine in sight and immerse myself in beautiful, glorious fashion. I’m hoping some of my old style sense will return, from those pages, back to me via osmosis. Then, I’m going shopping.
In case you’re wondering what satin duchesse short-shorts look like, here are some from Prada’s spring collection:
Katie did a closet overhaul with me a while back (time for another one!) and it was amazing. There was so much in my closet I didn’t wear, didn’t fit me properly, and was not in fashion. Once I got down to a few key pieces she was able to help me find good accenting pieces and accessories and build a mix and match wardrobe…or at least the beginnings of one. She also helped me identify the types of clothing that worked best for my body.
I think we can all relate, Amreen! Good luck!
i am becoming more aware of buying an outfit instead of just bits and pieces that never look right.
i recently bought a shirt and skirt and they both look awesome together. if i had bought them seperately, i wouldn’t have known to put them together. are there stores you like? i’m partial to jacob and RW. they have pretty trendy clothing but tend to be less crazy and out there….and are pretty resaonably priced too.
I can soooooooooooo relate! I love my lulus! And, if I’m not going back to work, I’ll happily live in mine forever. You’re so right — they have such an uncanny way of hiding flaws! Good luck with the wardrobe overhaul, and, yeah, listen to Katie — she knows exactly what you need to do!
So my shiny high waisted granny panties can now be called satin duchesse short-shorts?? Wooohooo – that means I already have half my summer wardrobe in my underwear drawer! I’ll just tuck in a blouse and add a belt, and I’ll wow the other moms at the park with my incredible fashion sense!!
Or you could just go to a store you like, point to the manekin and say: “I’ll take that”! I would take Katie up on her offer – probably a little more practical!
Or you could just go to a store you like, point to the manekin and say: “I’ll take that”! I would take Katie up on her offer – probably a little more practical!
urbanmoms Style File to the rescue!!!! We’re going to decipher all those crazy trends and focus on real style for real people. Coming soon – accessory trends that work for us moms for Spring. Amreen, I would also be happy to conduct a wardrobe makeover for you, identifying what to keep, get rid of and what pieces you might need to purchse to get everything working for you once again.