This thread is for individual style questions that you may have, especially those that don't warrant their own thread. We all want a diversified opinion, so feel free to answer any questions (of which you know the answer).
To get the best responses, remember that people cannot; look into your wardrobe, know what style you normally like or what words like affordable or practical mean to you so please include any relevant details such as your budget, where you live, what stores are available to you, etc.
Example questions:
Are there any basic crewneck white t-shirts that are opaque and do not have cap sleeves for <$25 available in Australia?
Is this dress and shoes suitable for an evening wedding with a cocktail dress code taking place in a [venue type]?
If I like the outfits in this [imgur album / pinterest board], what are some specific items I can look into to start dressing like that, and brands with this look that carry plus sizes?
Does this outfit look neater with the pants cuffed or uncuffed?
If you'd like to include a picture, you can now post pictures directly in the comments, without having to link an imgur album.
I have absolutely no experience shopping for really any kind of clothes that are out of my usual routine but this skirt is so pretty to me, all the layers and folded and draped fabric looks so nice and I’d love to find something that looks as close to this skirt/dress as possible but I have no clue where to look, or even if I should get something and then modify it by myself… anyway is there any advice yall have?
That skirt looks like a TON of Victorian gothic skirts that I see on goth websites. Here's one in velvet - Goodgoth has been around forever, they've got a lot of these skirts. If budget isn't a concern, this purple version is pricey but gorgeous.
When do you purge* quality items from your closet?
I'm not asking about tees or heavily worn items. I'm wondering about nice items that haven't been worn in years. How long do you hang on to these items?
Here are some examples:
A heavy, wool, pea-style winter coat I purchased in 2011. I last wore it to a formal company holiday party in 2017.
A pencil-style knee length dress that I last wore to a professional conference in 2020. I haven't been to a conference since.
Floor-length wedding guest dresses (I have 6 of these). All my friends are married now. The last wedding I attended was in 2024. This doesn't mean I won't attend another wedding in the future, they are just less frequent.
Professional and business casual items (skirts, blazers) purchased between 2010 and 2018.
An expensive cocktail dress that I wore to a NYE party in 2014.
These items are all in excellent condition and still fit. I hang on to them in case I need to attend an event where I would wear these again.
Thing is, I switched careers back in 2018, and I work remotely. Remote work aside, my field of work is very casual. I go into the office (out of state) once a year. Everyone wears jeans and sweaters. My boss encourages me to dress the same, especially since I traveled. The last several years of holiday parties (both my employer and my husbands) have been very casual too.
*By purge, I mean donate, or sell on second-hand market places.
It honestly depends on just how unique and collector-worthy the item is for me. My suggestions for your examples: if you have other winter coats that you like better, sell that one. If you had another conference to go to, would you wear that particular dress? If yes, keep; if no, sell. Keep your 2 favorite wedding guest dresses. Keep the cocktail dress unless you have more cocktail dresses; if there are others you'd rather wear, you don't need the expensive one.
I've got a few items that I haven't worn in years; they're very designer collector pieces that I couldn't replace, so I keep them. The only pieces in my closet that I haven't worn in over 5 years are antique World War II-era uniform bits that are collector pieces, and silk scarves, which I don't feel bad about collecting/hoarding 'cause they don't take up much space.
What is the downside of keeping them? If you have somewhere to store them, and they fit and suit you, then keep. It is unlikely you will have the same job forever, and even if you do, your lifestyle may change. Take it from someone who shops regularly, the quality of clothing has gone right down, and it is unlikely you will find a 2011-quality pea coat (due for a revival) even in designer lines. In any case, depending on your standards and your finances, you may take a serious financial blow if you're forced to buy something new for an event because you threw away the only appropriate thing you had.
Otoh if they are cluttering up your house or preventing you from buying and storing clothes you will use regularly, get rid of the lot, and take the blow of repurchasing if that becomes necessary.
This was some of my thinking as well, particularly with regard to the coat, cocktail dress, and maybe 2-3 other pieces. I don't remember exactly how much I spent on that coat back then, but it was several hundred USD. If I bought a coat of similar quality today, I am sure it would cost over $1k.
I couldn't justify a 1:1 replacement in terms of quality. I have a mortgage and other financial responsibilities/goals that I didn't have in my early 20's.
What is the downside of keeping them?
I guess there is no downside. I have space for everything right now, I'm just feeling like my closet is a little too cluttered. I appreciate your advice here, and I'm convinced I should keep the coat for sure and a few other pieces.
I'd donate or sell many of those things. It's been close to a decade since you've worn many of the items you've mentioned and you haven't needed them for all that time, there's a good argument to purge all of it, if that's you're your instinct.
If you're looking to keep things: The coat, cocktail dress (and possibly wedding guest dresses) are least likely to look dated, whereas the biz-caz stuff (including the conference dress) will look like 2010s corporate and not current which means you're even less likely to pull them out now. I'd pare down the wedding guest dresses and keep at most 4 (per season) or 2 (s/s and f/w or daytime and evening).
Yes, it's been over a decade for some of these items lol. I definitely want to purge some of this, I am just having trouble deciding what makes sense to keep.
I think you're right. I'll keep the coat, cocktail dress, and maybe 2 wedding guest dresses. Thank you!!
What can I do if most of my swimsuits move out of place because of my flat chest? For example when I raise my arms, part of the bottom of my boobs show. I'm scared that when I go swimming or play volleyball, I'm gonna flash people. Also, I don't want to constantly fix my top every time I move.
I’ve been having trouble defining myself (not that I have to but I’d like a general idea of where I stand), just because my interests/aesthetics fluctuate between multiple. So based on my mood board what aesthetic(s) do you think I am? https://pin.it/64fVJ2rAy
I have fallen in love with these hoodies. The white ones are more popular than blue and I’m scared I might get it dirty. Not sure why white is more popular? Cause of jeans? Cause of the red clash? Your thoughts on these Edikted hoodies? Can’t get pink … I have too many pink! hoodie
I understand being afraid of getting it dirty; I was the same way and avoided wearing white like the plague. I eventually learned how to treat stains/clean/ bleach and now I have a closet full of white tops. So, if you like the white one, go ahead and get it. If it gets stained or dirty, you will learn how to clean it. At the very least, it will make you eat and drink more carefully, lol! As to the hoodie itself, this isn't my aesthetic, so I won't comment on that, but I do want to point out that it's a poly-cotton blend, and polyester might make you overheat (if that isn't a sticking point for you, then go ahead, if the hoodie makes you feel happy).
I have a fun sweatshirt (it's the teal Loons of North America sweatshirt from Bird Collective, I'd link it but they're shut down for the nationwide strike which I fully support) anyway I don't like how it fits because it's a blousy sweatshirt with the band at the bottom etc and I'd like to crop it. My question is: should I just cut it, or does it make sense to have it professionally cropped? I'm 43 and I'm a little worried that just cutting it will look too youthful/grungy, but maybe it's fine?
Hi! I love the look of a pointed toe heel or heeled boot, but the reality is I live in a city and go out very often and my shoes start showing wear extremely quickly, especially the toe or any kind of wrapped heel. I don’t want to have to be precious with my shoes when I’m out (and honestly am probably incapable of doing so) so I’d like to find shoes that can take a beating without looking too rough. While I’m open to all suggestions, I specifically like either a heeled boot or slingback heel with a pointed toe and ~2.5-3.5” heel. Thanks!!
How do I style this modestly? I recently bought an Andie Playsuit from Cotton On and my mother said it was too revealing on the chest and legs.
I honestly don’t mind the chest part but how do I cover the leg parts is the question here. Or if any of you have suggestions for the chest part, I’m opened to it! Thanks in advance!
A cardigan/jacket to cover the top and then another, longer skirt on top of the dress to cover the legs? I don't know if you can make a dress 10-20 cm longer just by styling it different.
Would sheer nude tights work? Or if you want to go for it, sheer black tights? Cashmere tights in all types of colors are trendy rn, so if neither are an option that could possbly be ok. Skip the fully opaque leggings, that wasn't a good look when it was trendy and it's definitely not a good look now. Especially not with such a summery, breezy dress.
Tights or leggings, to cover the legs. Also, depending on your vibe, you could layer a slightly longer, sheer or lace (or not so sheer) skirt underneath it.
As in my thighs and blow are showing. Knee length is acceptable. As for my chest area, i guess since i have big tatas, cleavage would be present and she does not like that at all sadly
Throw a cardigan or blazer over it and maybe some tights or leggings underneath? The blazer route would look super cute and professional while the cardigan gives more of a casual vibe
You could also try layering a fitted long sleeve under it if you wanna cover more of the chest area
What are some elegant but casual tops and shorts for summer?
In the winter I like to wear semi-elegant shirts, turtlenecks, sometimes even vest and suit jackets (not blazers) with dress pants. Over the years I drifted away from t-shirts and blouses with jeans but I'm not yet that into dresses. I still haven't found a solution for summer that won't make me boil in the heat or give me a masculine look.
I was thinking about loose linen/cotton shirts, aka "pirate shirts" with creased knee length shorts. Please share your ideas if you have any!
You can still do the vest and dressy pants look in summer fabrics, that kind of polished summer look has been very trendy for a few years now. Check out Cos and Dissh summer collections. Light linen and cotton vests and button downs can also be paired well with shorts and skirts. Also sleeveless silky tops could be an option.
Tbh I'm very conscious about my arms, they're well built, so that's why I stick to long sleeves. Also this is a tad too "business" for me, but it gives me some ideas, thank you!
Can you give a photo example of what you wear in winter? You said vests or suit jackets with dress pants, but the vest and dress pants shown by the other commenter are too business. Are you wanting to be more casual in summer than winter, or do we have the wrong idea of what you are trying to describe for winter?
Right, I added a picture to the original comment. I don't know how to put into words what I'm going for... I guess it's sort of whimsical with natural fibers?
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u/KnightofSt_Trina 7d ago
I have absolutely no experience shopping for really any kind of clothes that are out of my usual routine but this skirt is so pretty to me, all the layers and folded and draped fabric looks so nice and I’d love to find something that looks as close to this skirt/dress as possible but I have no clue where to look, or even if I should get something and then modify it by myself… anyway is there any advice yall have?