Pix-Elated

When I saw these Gap cheeky straight jeans in silver faux leather, I could not resist. I have never owned a faux leather garment, But silver jeans? 

Well, they went on sale and I ordered them. I sized up one size and am glad because, silver. And there is a seam on the front above the knee that is snug on my definitely not-skinny thighs. I see some reviewers are saying TTS and some are saying they fit small; I've always thought with metallics it's better to go loose than overly tight, but everybody's different. 

I ordered the short, which is exactly ankle length on me. The fit, I think, is good.  They feel surprisingly nice on. NOT like tinfoil. I disagree with the reviewer who said they make noise. They are soft, and too warm for summer, but would be good in other seasons. 

I am used to a wide leg now so the shape and maybe shine seems to emphasize my short legs (to me), but if I figured out how to style them I don't think that would bother me. They are fundamentally a jean, after all, so not that difficult to work with. 

The questions are:

• Do I dare to wear them? Or is this a shiny object too far, LOL? 
• Where and when would I wear them?
• How to style them? 

What can you tell me about these shoes? I saw samples of the brand for the first time yesterday and am curious. I did not have time to try on. 

This shop in a small town just north of where I live had a small selection. They are shoes with personality. 

I mentioned that I wanted to try some lower priced wide leg jeans for comparison with my pricier versions. Good news for budget fashionistas who want to try this look -- it is available at the box stores in well fitting versions! 

I ordered this Old Navy version thinking I would cut it off for crops, maybe. I did not notice it has slight distressing in the photos. But amazingly, I like it! A lighter weight jean than the one I got from Everlane, a bit drapier. It has some poly in the fabrication. Very comfortable. TTS. I got it on substantial discount so it was, as Jenni so memorably put it of a skirt that wasn't, "cheap as chips." 

I also ordered this ankle length wide leg crop from GAP in petite, so it would be the right length. I really like it! I think this one also comes in other colourways. 99% cotton, 1% elastane. 

I also ordered the lilac linen BF shirt from GAP to try. Not the best linen, but acceptable. It is very long, as you can see. I think I will keep and wear open over something else or else tied at the waist, like this. 

If you are eager to try the wide A line style, but you're on a budget, I would say the options out there are good and worth investigating. 

Happy to answer any questions about these or the others. 

Dee's recent thread on adopting what she called my formula of stripes and wide legs (which was itself a version of Angie's suggested "unexpected spring tweed jacket outfit -- not a formula, per se, since she gave variations) has me thinking, what actually counts as a formula? 

Is it a combination of types of pieces, i.e. jeans + tee + moto? 

Or is it more specific, yet still somewhat generic, e.g. wide legged denim plus striped tee?

Or is it more about silhouette, i.e. long over lean or short and boxy over wide? 

Or is it about picking specific items in one's own closet and wearing the outfit one creates with those multiple times a season?  

I guess in a way it's all semantics -- maybe formula dressing could be any or all of those! 

But if you asked me whether I'm a formula dresser, I'd probably say no because I don't think "okay, today I'm doing boxy over cropped" (or whatever) or "today I'm doing jeans + tee + moto."

On the other hand, I very definitely find outfits I like from the stuff I have plus whatever new piece or pieces I've added, and wear those multiple times within a season. For instance, I have already worn the outfit below at least three times in the last month-- double denim, simple navy top, floral scarf (when needed) belt. (That little rolled bundle in my arms is my packable puffer for the colder evening temps.) The jeans are new -- the rest of the stuff is seasons old. 

I know some of the capsule wardrobe people conceive of formula dressing in one or another of these ways. And it might be helpful when you are building a wardrobe to decide on certain silhouettes or type of item you've going to emphasize and think about how to make outfits from those.

I'm not sure, for me, the first version I mention (jeans + tee + moto, i.e. A type of item, + B type of item, plus C type of item) would be useful in any real way because if the devil is in the details, then you can't just throw on any jeans with any tee and any moto -- it won't work! 

One of the weaknesses or problems with my type of formula dressing, if you can call it that, is that I get quite wedded to the combos I like, and when something wears out or gets tired, I can look for a direct replacement rather than evolving to a newer shape -- usually because that newer shape won't work in the old combination. Over time, this can lead to a feeling of being in a style rut. 

How do you conceive of formula dressing and whether you consider yourself a formula dresser or not, and why?   

Hi, all! 

I'm still on the hunt for new summer tops, considering many if not most of mine are well past their best-before dates. 

Up for review, a few from BR. The first top pictured in Finds is going straight back. It is see-through, and the armholes are cut way too deep. Note to self: you can't always trust the positive reviews. NEXT. 

The Laurel French Cuff shirt is an extremely boxy top. It is nice quality cotton, crisp. It has a lovely cuff detail, as the name suggests. I like the self-pattern mix. 

Is it too boxy or too oversized? I think it works, in part because it is short, and because my arms are visible, which adds structure? But I might be entirely wrong. 

Trying it a couple of ways. First with the Everlane barrel leg utility pant, which seems like a no-brainer. These are super comfy and lightweight -- a late spring/ summer pant. Size down if you buy.

Next, trying with the long wide legs. Then it occurred to me that it could be worn layered, almost like a little summer jacket. Trying it with a few tops underneath.

I also rolled up a hem on the wide legs to try to imagine the proportions with a cropped wide leg, which would be much more realistic for my summer than a full length pant. Would the proportions work with crops? 

The second top is a linen utility shirt. Nice quality, not see-through, maybe a bit like a dental hygienist's outfit? But I like it with the (still wrinkly)  linen cargo skirt. Also trying tucked and untucked with the Boden floral skirt. (on sale now, for those interested.) 

I also tried it with another new pant -- the Pilcro beach cargo jean. These are a summer-weight item, with a lot of tencel. Mid-rise, not high rise (maybe even verging on low rise, on me!). I have some close up photos of this pant I will show in another thread. It has very clever seaming down the front, fun pocket details, etc. And if you are shorter, this jean is for you! I will unapologetically say I like this ten times better on me than in the stock photo. 

I'd love any thoughts you might have! Thank you! 

Note -- these aren't exactly "outfits." Just quick try ons. 

You've already seen my Paige wide legs. These are the ones that are cropped on the models -- full length (though not floor dragging) on me. 

I also got a light wash of the Everlane Mariner. I like these a lot, as well. They are fairly rigid low stretch jeans (though they do stretch out a bit on wearing -- not too bad, though, so far). They have cargo-influenced details like a deep hem and larger back pockets. On me they are full length. There's a break. But they don't drag on the ground. So, somewhere between the new full length and the old full length. 

I'm enjoying wearing these. Warning -- if you are the kind of person who shrinks from comments on your clothing, you might want to wait until the trend is more established. I get comments every single time I wear one of these jeans. Some complimentary and some more jocular, of the "I haven't seen jeans like that since god knows when," variety. ;) 

I've been wearing wide leg crops since what seems like forever. My first ones were called "culottes" but I'd say they were more like cropped flares. Then I had a pair of cropped wide leg trousers from J. Crew, and a pair of cropped wide leg jeans from BR. I passed all along eventually. The first pair wore out, and the second two tended to stretch out too much over time, plus the pockets on the J. Crew were a bit problematic. 

I'd say the difference between the newer wide legs and my previous ones (besides the length, obviously)  are the  following:

Newer waists may cut less straight across, i.e. the rise is higher in the back than the front, and they have darts in the back -- this leads to a better fit overall. 

Legs are wider all the way down. A looser fit on the thigh. 

Denim has less stretch (at least in the ones I have tried so far.) 

I'm really loving the full length, but for summer I'm aiming to get some crops again. I'm considering some from the Gap and some from Everlane. How about you? Are you trying the wide legs, or not? 

Wearing with J. Crew rollneck sweaters in cotton -- these are slightly cropped and a good length for higher rises. Nice quality cotton sweaters with a raglan sleeve. 

On my way to Vancouver for a few days. Wearing my version of today’s formula with zippered tweed, not as cropped as the example but fitted, and full length wide legs.

These are cropped on the model. ;)

On me they are longer than the new full length! But not truly floor sweeping. Still, too long for sneakers. Will need a platform sole of an inch.

Also pattern mixing! And wearing the thrifted leather coat to emphasize the 70s vibe.

Plus, notice the new bag!

ETA Finds added. 

Jeans are Paige

Bag is the gift of an extremely generous and Fab friend whose first name happens to begin with the letter "A." :)  I do not yet have a Find for it. But it is. lovely Furla satchel with crossbody strap (and a fun guitar strap that I also love.) 

It's not truly the end of winter here, but I moved my big puffer to the downstairs closet yesterday and I'm starting to edit, retire items that no longer make me happy or fit, and purchase with an eye to spring/ summer. So I thought I'd do a round up. 

This winter, I tracked wears again for the first time since I can't remember.  (Note -- the entire collection does not show, below -- you have to follow the link to see it.) My not very efficient but fun method was to use the Finds and simply make a note each time I wore something. It doesn't calculate CPW, but that is not my purpose for tracking. I mainly just wanted to get a handle on my wear patterns and perhaps prompt myself to be a bit more creative in the closet. 

I started tracking December 1 and my numbers go up to today. So about 3.5 months. 

I won't bore you with the details, just the takeaways: 

MVP -- my new loafers. 61 wears I wore them as indoor shoes exclusively during the winter, and WOW, did that ever make me happy (as compared to wearing slippers or even my clogs, which are my other indoor shoes -- and which I also wore 23 times). 

Takeaway: A current, slip on indoor shoe is key to my work from home style, going forward. This is a really hard brief for me. Slip ons almost never stay on my feet. So it's going to mean careful and devoted shopping. What I know now is that it is worth it. Instead of feeling like I was schlumping around every day, I felt dressed. Brilliant! 

I also wore my clunky Blundstones 61 times. These are the boots I wear on my neighbourhood mixed trail and road and sidewalk tromps. I walk every day. I also wear them (in winter) on the bike. So they are gear, pretty much, but so, so important. (I have another collection of the gear worn this season.) For some reason, I kept these in the regular wardrobe collection. 

The new white Lagunas were a risk but I have worn them 27 times so far. I think they will pay off. 

My Aritzia long puffer got 47 wears. It's my daily go-for-a-walk coat, so that makes sense. Other coats got fewer wears but the lavender coat is coming into its own now, with a number of wears in the past week. Takeaway: A lightweight packable puffer is my friend. I would really love a midi-length one next year. 

I wore trousers (7 pair) a total of 54 days.  The most worn ones got ten wears or so, the least worn, a wear or two. I tended to wear the newer ones more often. 

I wore jeans (7 pair -- 2 of which are new last week, 2 of which I've just retired) a total of 63 times.  Wear patterns are similar for these -- I wore newer more often, by and large, than older. 

Takeaway: I will wear dressy trousers to work from home more or less as often as jeans, if I own suitable pairs. And I like to alternate. 

Knitwear and shirts got far fewer wears each -- I do like variety here and so that doesn't bother me. The most worn items were worn upwards of 10 times; the least worn, a time or two. But most of these are seasons old -- I have certainly garnered (or will amass) 30 wears over their history in my closet. 

That's my winter, in a novel! How about you? What were your MVPs this winter, and were there any surprises? Did you learn anything new about your style? Will you make any changes? 

Too many possible titles for one post! 

If my burgundy Aritzia parachute pants are the full monty, call this "cargo lite" in every sense of the word. 

Here's the skirt I ordered at a ridiculous sale price from Sandwich, along with two tops. 

The skirt is 100% linen. They call it "light olive" but to me, it reads like a pale silvery sage.   I did not press it yet and you can see that it does have wrinkles coming out of the bag. However, I think it may work for me, regardless. The fit is generous (i still need to do a proper sit test, though). It has pockets in front and one in back but it is not overloaded in that department. Although it's notionally a pencil skirt shape with a button front placket, in fact, it has slits to the knee on each side and a shorter front slit also, which makes it almost floaty. I won't be riding a bike in this skirt but it's easy to stride in it. 

It also matches the jacket I bought last year. So it could be worn as a "suit." I'm probably more likely to wear as separates unless I can find a way to style it that makes it seem a bit more current or interesting, but you never know. 

The first top is a tee, nice and boxy without being too loosey goosey for me. If I keep the skirt, I need a few items with green in the pattern because I don't currently own much green. 

The second top is also a knit fabric. It is similar in cut to a top I got last year but the material is different and this one has an elastic at the bottom so it is self-blousing (i.e. you don't need to tuck or semi-tuck to get that bloused effect.) 

I'm inclined to keep the skirt if it passes the sit test and will probably also keep the tops. Many of my summer tops are 8 or more years old and they are very much worn out. I just haven't found suitable replacements very often. 

Does the skirt pass muster? 

I've been enjoying LJP's monthly wrap up posts and can see how a monthly or even a quarterly review might be useful. So I'm taking a leaf from her book! Thanks, Lisa! 

I've been tracking wears in Finds since the start of December. It's clunkier than a spreadsheet, I guess -- but since I have most of my clothes in Finds and would have to create a spreadsheet from scratch, I decided to go this route, and it turns out I like seeing it all in a visual form. I have a separate collection for the gear/ loungewear I'm wearing.

At the end of winter, I'll take a closer look at the items in my wardrobe that I didn't wear and ask myself if those need to be edited out. At a quick glance, the winter items I'm not wearing are too dressy for my current lifestyle -- occasion wear, some of my blazers (since I'm working from home this winter) and my dressiest coat, along with a few pairs of dressier booties. 

I made 3 purchases so far this year (in Finds -- Aritzia top and cargoes and Boden shirt). The white shirt hasn't come into rotation yet but the other items have. I'll start wearing the shirt in spring. 

March is likely to be a big shopping month. I'm travelling to the US for a conference for my first time since Covid and aim to shop til I drop! (Yeah, yeah, I'll attend the conference, too.)  

I'm debating what to buy for spring/ summer. Taking a cue from Tanya, I did come up with a seasonal twist on my Laid-back Luminous Garçonne persona in response to the current trends as reported for the spring collections: LBLG does off-kilter utility pretty. 

Off-kilter: responding to the trends of asymmetry, which I love, and pattern mixing. 

Utility: cargos, pockets, denim. This is easy since it fits my lifestyle, especially in spring/ summer. 

Pretty: peplums, drop waist skirts and dresses, mid-axi skirts, bright blue, lace, fuchsia, lavender, florals. 

Silver and other metallics are also a big trend but those are represented  already in the luminous. 

I've ordered a couple of items — a midi coat in blue (a HEWI), which although it is a winter item and won't get worn much this year if I keep it, was on excellent sale and will prove a workhorse if it fits well. This is the coat Angie also owns. It was not available in Canada but I can pick it up in the US. 

Also, this J. Crew garçon shirt which Angie alerted me to and which, well, I pretty much have to have, right? :) 

In addition, I'm considering this light green midi linen cargo skirt, which matches a jacket I bought last year and would give me a casual "suit." My hesitation is, well...linen. How wrinkly is this thing going to get? If it were cotton linen blend I'd have ordered it in a snap. The price is more than reasonable, though, so it might be worth a try. (I already own the jacket -- just showing so you can see.) 

All thoughts and ideas welcome!