Sunday, February 20, 2011

You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers Part 3 - Fashion Edition

 {All clothes via Gap, All photos in this series via m.shanti photo}
Welcome to the final edition of You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers.  You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.  I wanted to dedicate this final edition to answering some of your fashion questions.

Annie and Laura had both asked about work appropriate wear, and although they both have very different jobs, I found some common ground in their need to both be casual, with the added necessity of Laura needing to be comfortable.  When I put some thought into their needs, I immediately thought of pants.

Spring is all about finding a pant alternative to the jean.  Jeans will always be important and a basic staple of every wardrobe, but after a few years of focusing on the world of denim, there is finally a shift to new and updated fabrications in interesting silhouettes.

The Ponte (also spelled Ponti) Knit pant has been around for a few seasons, and still doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon.  I have had mine for almost 3 years now and I wear them all year round.  I love that they are thicker than a legging, so automatically feel more substantial and dressier, not like you're running around in workout wear.  Many styles have belt loops, ankle zippers and zip at the waist as opposed to just pull on waists.  You can wear them with ballet flats, heels, and flat riding boots so are extremely versatile.  And they are comfortable!  So Laura, you will feel great crawling around on the floor with the kids wearing these.  #1-#3 offer a few nice options.         
Classic cotton chinos are reinvented this season with cute capris or slouchy boyfriend silhouettes.  These styles can be worn with kitten heels, wedges, flats or a cute pair of TOMS, so Annie, you'll feel comfortable transitioning these pants from work wear to weekend wear.  And Laura, cotton is so easy to clean after a day spent with the kids.  I love Navy as a nice alternative to black as well.

Now onto Tops.  With skinnier silhouettes on the bottom, I tend to gravitate towards loose and long silhouettes on top.  Nautical stripes are big this year, and I think the sweater below is a great value for the price and is available in a Navy/Cream combo as well.  I love this loose weave sweater as well because I think it's a great year round piece.  Lightweight for spring over a tank top, or layer over a long sleeved tissue weight shirt for winter.  

These two blousy cotton tops speak casual comfort to me.  I love the subtle details of both of them that add a bit of interest without being too fussy. 

Next, I fell in love with these 3 printed tops and thought of you Annie.  I love prints and how they can instantly add a unique touch to any outfit.  I thought these might be a little too delicate for your work Laura, but I highly recommend prints in a lightweight cotton that can clean easily and doesn't show stains as easily as solids. 
A tip I recommend when shopping is if you find something you love but it's not within your budget, take note of the elements you love about the item, be it the fun print, the colors, the silhouette, and just try to find something similar in your price range.  I am constantly notating things I love, but then trying to figure out how I can work them into my budget at the price range I can afford.

Ashley asked what brands inspire me the most, and I have to say this question really got me thinking.  I love real-life brands that are attainable.  Of course it's easy to see how brands like YSL, Dior or Chanel inspire fashion, but those brands in no way translate to real life for me.  I love brands like Vince for their simple sweaters, Joie for their lovely prints and Michael Kors for his true Americana design aesthetic.  Oh, and I love his ad campaigns.  I rarely buy these brands though because I am too cheap!  I either wait for them to go on sale, or I try to emulate their collections with more affordable brands.

This was fun.  Thanks for reading along with this series.  If you ever have anymore qusetions, please feel free to ask me anything!

Stay tuned for tomorrow, as I announce my big February project for Buy Less Give More.  I'll give a hint, it's related to fashion...

2 comments:

  1. I'm going now to check out some of the pants styles as I think they'll work really well with how I'm built. Also, I wanted to add that I adore Michael Kors fashion. If I had to wear clothing the rest of my life by one designer, it would be his.

    Oh, and I LOVE wedges... glad that the pants you listed will work with those.

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  2. what a fun surprise in my Google reader this morning! i'm loving those pants... just might be headed to Gap tomorrow to try some on. and those floral tops are so pretty. i love having someone else recommend what i should be wearing; it opens me up to possibilities i might not otherwise consider. thank you, thank you!!

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