If you can't remember anything else, rememberthis: You don't have to spend money on new clothes each season in order to get new looks.
Theclothes you need in order to create a diverse and varied wardrobe are probably hanging in your closet.
All you have to do is apply a bit of imagination,organize your clothes (I suggest devoting an uninterrupted morning, afternoon, or weekend if you have the luxury of doing so)and be willing to take some risks.
It's all in the mix
Once organized you can take a page from your cues from the runway and learn how designers mix separates, add accessories, etc.
After all, thebest collectionsare usually interesting more because the designers put things together in a fresh new way rather than actual items shown.
You can do this yourself by just playing around with the clothes already hanging in your closet.
Mix day and night, masculine and feminine, soft and hard, street and couture, sporty and dressy, romantic with hard edged…classic and funky, hard and soft, street with couture, the humble with the grand, mix seasons (summer and winter when in doubt think). something old withsomething new, something borrowed orsomething blue.
Here are examples of some of the most common and successful mixes that designers use(and you can interpret for your lifestyle).
High/Low
In fashionese, what this refers to is the idea of mixing the grand with the humble, couture with street, highbrow with lowbrow, special with ordinary.
It's something that enables the wearer to don luxury without appearing too over the top because it's being brought down a notch by mixing it with something that is its polar opposite (very modern indeed).
There is hardly a designer who hasn't employed elements of this (Karl Lagerfeld, a master at deconstructing the Chanel label, has paired the iconic jacket dripping with pearls and gold chains with such informal items as leggings, bicycle shorts, chinos, fatigues, and jeans, of course)
It's also something you have probably done very often without even giving it much thought: i.e., every time you've dressed down a designer blazer, evening top, or luxurious fur with a pair of your tried and true, well worn, faded jeans, you are mixing high/low.
Day And Night
The idea of mixing elements of day with night, or vice versa can be as easy to do, quick, and subtle as merely changing an accessory.
More day into evening or evening into day mixes:
- Wearing metallic shoes or carrying a metallic purse with, say, your chino pants (or jeans).
- Putting tall leather boots with a filmy dress instead of traditional evening shoes.
- Switching from a covered up and tailored top to a beaded camisole under a tailored pantsuit.
- Pairing a crisp white cotton shirt (or ribbed turtleneck sweater) with a floor length ballskirt rather than something dressier.
This mix can also be achieved by thinking differently about your choice of evening cover-up. In place of the traditional evening jacket or coat you normally throw over your gown, slipdress, cocktail dress, or beaded pants, why not try one of your favorite daytime staples?
A jean jacket, a peacoat, leather bomber, classic trenchcoat, chunky sweater, parka, or even a sporty zip front 'hoodie', are some good choices as seen on many of the most influential designer's runways.
Designer mixes:
- Michael Kors showed thick fisherman knit sweaters and Burberry style trenchcoats with beaded evening pieces.
- Marc Jacobs used wispy gold flecked chiffons under his strict wool military coats.
- Ralph Lauren has paired chunky cashmere sweaters with gold beaded skirts and weathered leather bombers over floor length bias cut satin gowns.
And what about that tried and true pashmina? I know that many fashion experts have decreed "pashmina is dead" but I don't agree.
Just tie it differently instead of tossing it granny style (like a shawl) over your shoulders (ugh- so old fashioned!), wrap it tightly around your neck and let the ends hang down- this is so much more modern and youthful!
