The general fashion/style/please dress me thread

It's hard to say from that pic since your posture is kinda funky and there's a demonic cat staring at me. My first impressions are that you're not emphasizing your face enough. Very pretty features -- accent that action! Second thought: a-line skirts and empire waist dresses, subdued colors. Bangles/bracelets/watch + necklace. Consider some shoes that pop.

Again, one pic is hard to go by, but one adage i live by is that you have to wear the outfit, it can't be wearing you. Proper posture and confidence make all the difference! You look great but seem uncomfortable, but again, one pic and all that.

Christina Hendricks is a great example! First, she's all about jewel tones and saturated colors to accent her fair skin. Fabulous costumes. Second, she exudes sensuality and sultriness, which is much of her appeal. Confidence is key! Her outfits are fantastic but you have to be really confident to pull them off. She doesn't try to hide her hips, she revels in them. If you have hips, go with it, hiding them usually leads to frumpiness/blobbiness. Of course, this doesn't mean you have to accentuate them (e.g. with pocket or details that pull the eye to them) or that you can't accentuate other things (in Hendricks' case she draws attention alternately between her chest, elegant neck, and hair color).

I had another picture somewhere where I wasn't posed so awkwardly, but I can't seem to find it. Super sadness D:

I always did like Hendricks, she's gawgeous! I don't think I have the confidence to wear some of the stuff she does, but it's a starting point I hadn't considered.

Confidence can be built up. You're pretty, I bet with the right outfit you could look great. But do it in baby steps -- try something more adventurous, get used it, and you'll suddenly feel a bit more confident and more willing to try new outfits, which makes you more confident, etc.

The confidence will then come across in your look/gaze/eye contact/posture/poise and suddenly people around you will be "Damn girl, you look good, what did you change?!"

I'll definitely be popping in this thread towards the end of my weight loss journey! I've been wearing tracksuit bottoms and baggy tops for so long, I have no idea how to dress any more.

Damn, those are some fine curves you have there, Ms. Alligator, but that belt kinda shortens your torso a bit much.

Yeah, I have a love-hate relationship with that belt. I definitely don't care to wear the dress without it though, but I might retire it soon too. I need more saturated colors in my wardrobe. I had one dress that wasn't earth-toned and now my boobs are too big to button up the top of it. It was a really nice purple :(

This is what I tend to wear most days. It's comfortable, but boring, and not really work appropriate.


(I don't keep my hair that dark anymore though, it stays blonde now. Dying is too much upkeep.)

Well, what that shows is that you know how to buy clothes that fit, which is often not the case for curvy gals and casual clothes.

Oh, I definitely had growing pains when it came to casual clothes while I was in college. I gained a lot of weight and didn't bother to get rid of anything, so I had a lot of stuff that was too small for me for a while. The saving grace was that being involved with extracurriculars = tons of free t-shirts, so after a while I was able to replace most of it.

Here's the part where we all laugh as I desperately try to build a new outfit, as an exercise in fashioning. Or whatever this is called.

I own this skirt, and I haven't worn it in several years. I love it though, and it magically still fits. It's a lot longer than it looks (goes to my knees) and I've long ditched the horrid plastic belt.


This sweater is on my wishlist, and I just discovered that I might be able to acquire it soon. I really like cute things, and though I'm not normally a huge fan of pink it's Chococat so I make an exception.


So now the question remains: what do I wear under the cardigan? The patterned shirt in the stock photo obviously wouldn't do, nor is it something I'm interested in to begin with. I'm thinking something solid white, but maybe with a fancy neck doodad, like ruffles or something else interesting?


Or should I go with a more plain neckline and dress it up with a fancy necklace?

I would honestly recommend buying complete outfits first, because if you're not comfortable with outfits yet, trying to assemble one from different pieces is going to be frustrating because each piece by itself (or even any two pieces together) might be fine, but when put together there can be some hard to define thing that throws it off. Like, right now I'm trying to see that skirt and cardigan together, and I then immediately put together bobby socks, saddle shoes, and a pony tail in a scrunchy. And your husband wearing a leather jacket with a comb in his back pocket.

and that would be bad because? :)

I have a negative fashion sense but I have a friend who has to dress nicely because he works in HR and he has had good luck with internet tailories like tailor4less.com - you send them your measurements, select materials and get a completed pants/shirts/suits in the post in about two weeks. He's ordered several suits through them and said they fit him well and the prices are cheap compared to a normal tailor (I wouldn't know).

Oh! That reminds me, I haven't used it myself (waiting until I hit my goal weight,) but I have heard excellent things about http://www.eshakti.com/ . Their prices are very reasonable, and they do custom sizing to your measurements!

Aww man, I don't wear glasses so I wouldn't be able to finish it off with a sweet pair of cat-eyes!

Anyway, boo. I see what you're getting at. I just really really really like that skirt and I haven't worn it since the top I got to wear with it became un-wearable. I have another skirt too that I've worn maybe twice because I could never find a top to go with it, but I've kept it because I love the length on it.


Seriously what the fuck do you do with a color palette like that?

please excuse the obvious need to iron it, most of my 'nice' clothes have just been in storage for 2+ years

Neapolitan ice cream?

The skirt's fine, just get a different top. Even the cardigan is fine, just don't wear it with that skirt =) Unless you want to look like an extra from Grease (nothing wrong with that, just make sure it's intentional...)

Time to find a top, not retire the skirts.

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Seriously what the fuck do you do with a color palette like that?

please excuse the obvious need to iron it, most of my 'nice' clothes have just been in storage for 2+ years[/quote]

That color palette is totally fine. This is where you control the pop. That skirt + pink top would be over kill. Here are options:

skirt + white blouse + pink handbag and shoes = bright summer outfit that's fun and attention getting. You'll need to like pink. Make sure the pinks match!
skirt + dark blue blouse + brown handbag and shoes = fall outfit with pop, but the pop will attract attention to your hips (if that's something you care about)
skirt + white blouse + brown or blue cardigan = fall outfit with some pop, but some white to pull attention from skirt

Consider a scarf as contrast instead of a handbag or shoes.

Alligator, here some nice options I think would work great for you:

I'm most attracted to this option.

Also, I SUDDENLY REMEMBERED THESE



Maybe worn once. Or never. I can't remember.

Goddammit. Have been looking for days online for a lightweight blazer in my size that looks decent and doesn't cost $500. It's HARD...

ShopItToMe, Overstock.com, and eBay are all great places for finding clothes for cheap (depending on how much you want to spend).

Online vendors who call something "khaki" that is actually tan can DIAF. Looking at you, Land's End.

I thought khaki referred to the material, not the color. >_>

My understanding is that it's supposed to be a greenish-tan, which is what makes it pretty neutral. "Khakis" gets thrown around as a generic term for twill-type pants that aren't jeans, kinda like "chinos," but it's an actual color. And it seems to be getting harder to find. Grr.

Trying to find out my "clothing identity".
Want to do something that manages to look youthful and mature at the same time, but I don't think I am capable of staying in the middle. I keep on accidentally leaning too far into either category and it's frustrating. I'll try wearing outfits that I see online (or close enough to, anyway) that I like, but because of my curves, it ends up looking more mature than was intended.

For example, take a sweater dress, some leggings, and some boots. Normally, this is just a nice thing and yeah it works alright.
But when you toss in my curves, suddenly the tone of the outfit goes from "it's Winter and you're being fashionable!" to "it's winter and ma'am are you going to solicit me i am not interested/i am interested and also a creep".

True Khaki has no green in it, it's yellow-brown. There was a time when olive drab/military green became associated with the term khaki. So, it's not Lands Ends fault, but you are using the later definition which is not strictly correct.

Awwww yeah.

Do any of you ladies want tips on what suit to buy, or why Northampton shoemakers are the best, or how to dress like a rugged, woolspun acme of masculinity sprung from the mind of Ernest Hemingway? No? Bah.

Ladyfashion frightens me and I steer well clear. Particularly handbags. They are my bête noire. Manbags, yeah, all day every day. Handbags, nope, apparently everything I like is shit and I should feel bad.

I don't really care for handbags either. At the peak of my handbag ownership I had two; they were exactly the same save for one was black and grey and the other was brown and tan. The brown one has since been adopted by a better home. It's just really hard for me to find something I particularly like.

I'm all about clutches though. I have a feeling that's where all my money would go if I had disposable income.

Woo, handbag discussion!

The beauty of fashion is everything you hate, by its very existence, is loved by someone else (otherwise the product wouldn't exist). There are reasons why we may dislike something, but a lot of times it's just upbringing, age group, personal aesthetics, etc. Don't sweat it!

Handbags are one of the areas where women can express a lot of their personality (well, assuming you're not boring like Alligator is, apparently =P). And sadly, because of the fucked up garment industry, handbags are about the only place women are allowed to carry stuff (their jackets and pants typically do not have functional pockets -- they're lucky if their coats have functional pockets. You can't make this shit up).

Handbags come in a zillion different basic styles that cover a wide range of purposes. The handbag you take to work which holds your laptop, ipad, and notes is very different than the one you take to a musical, or out to dinner, or to the mall.

Primary differentiating elements: material, color, size, closure, straps (single/double/crossbody), strap drop (can it be slung over a shoulder? Forearm? Just handheld?).

What you choose depends on season and preference. Canvas, cloth, waxed cotton, patent leather, pebbled leather, leather, faux leather, felt, nylon -- mostly personal preference. Color? What works for you coupled with seasonal variances. Closure? Do you like something that zips/snaps so everything is secure, or do you prefer something that sits open when you set it down so you can quickly grab your camera or phone? Straps - some women have no preference, others strongly prefer one type or another. Size? Do you want something that holds bare necessities, or bare necessities + ipad, or a laptop + camera + water bottle?

I bought this bag for a sister a few years ago and she loves it.

It's boring but immensely functional. It's HUGE (it's the Eileen Fisher Whole Life bag), stays open, slings over the shoulder, is durable, and can hold a camera/phone/water bottles/you name it. It's a nice basic color and goes with a lot of outfits (including 'whatever I happen to be wearing'). Exterior pockets for keys and phone.

I dislike "logo" bags because you're paying for status, not quality. Status oriented women, on the other hand, love Burberry, LV, Coach, and Chanel because you can show the rest of the world that you have a $800 bag (but which was still probably made in China). I don't intend to sound condescending with that remark, btw, it's just the way it is -- my wife has plenty of Kate Spade or Coach as well (which we buy on crazy sales if possible) but we lean more towards mid-range brands that are similar quality but 1/2 the price of the low top tier.

FUNNEST HANDBAGS EVER. (It's not photoshopped).

I bought...five of these for my sisters and my wife. (Note, pic is from manufacturer site, not a pic of said sisters or wife).

I used to hate handbags, but I kinda/sorta have started to inherit a like for them from my mom. She laughs at me, because up until probably college age, I never used a purse at all.

Summoning Dan Lawrence who is currently twittering on about Northampton shoes from the next room. Cromwell...outlet stores... is about what I heard

I need those soooooooo bad.

I don't care about bags, but I want to give those as gifts really badly now.




My own stuff-carrying-needs are met by one (1) purse, which is neutral brown leather, nice quality, a nice size, carried by hand (no shoulder strap). It was a gift from my MIL who has much, much better taste than I do.

:P Yourself!

I used to have a really adorable handbag that I LOVED, but there were a couple of problems with it that led to its eventual demise. One was that the base color was white, so it always looked dirty. Another was that I couldn't fit my notebook PC in it, and I was headin' off to college so it was just a smidge too small. The last was that it didn't look "professional" and I felt really awkward taking it to work with me.

So I've kinda relegated myself to some sort of coach knockoff because it's not ugly and doesn't stand out. I don't want anyone to notice it because I carry it when I go to interviews and it's the only purse I have.

Not sure you quite got me here. It's not that I hate handbags. I appreciate what they offer. I am just bad at choosing them, and I resent them as being the embodiment of my inability to transfer a reasonably extensive knowledge of men's style to the other side of the gender divide. Fortunately as a 27 year old guy I can get away with not knowing much about lady's handbags or particularly caring about sorting that out. If my fiancée wants a handbag she knows not to send me to get it. Jewellery yeah, dresses yeah, shoes yep, handbags nooooooope.

That said, I think those cartoony ones are awesome. So make of that what you will.

My mother-in-law is obsessed with Miche Bags. Buy her a base bag and a shell that looks similar to something she has already, and then she can customize the shit out of it herself. You can buy all sorts of shells (my MIL has like 20, it's absurd), new handles or straps, charms or other accessories, and she doesn't have to fiddle with moving her stuff from one bag to another. It's like playing purse dress-up.

SO I GOT THIS CUTE SWEATER AFTER ALL. I just couldn't help myself. Sweaters that are inexpensive and sans acrylic seem to be hard to come by.



Oh look I am wearing jeans with it. Sigh.

Good enough for a trip to the grocery store!