Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of the ‘outfit’. Having a plan of exactly which pieces will go together on any given day. Growing up I would go through phases when I would get really excited about putting outfits together, most often at the beginning of the school year, where I would plan a week’s worth of outfits and hang them up in my closet ready to throw on in the morning. In Pakistani culture, usually you buy an entire outfit at one time, coordinating your top, bottoms, and scarf all at once. And in the olden days, I’m thinking I love Lucy times, men wore suits and women wore dresses or tops and skirts that matched. I am seeing a bit of a matchy-matchy trend lately so maybe I’m not alone and there really is a growing nostalgia for this kind of sartorial simplification?
It’s a brilliant idea that could make it so much easier to get dressed every morning, but somehow it has become passé in recent years, particularly among fashion folk, as if the need to create an entire outfit ahead of time means you aren’t fashion savvy, or maybe it means that you are trying way too hard. I agree that your outfit should always look a bit carefree, unfussy, and just a touch disheveled – but pulling off looking like you didn’t try, in reality, takes a lot of work.
Of course there are always going to be days where you just throw on whatever you feel is comfortable without a care for creating a well coordinated ensemble, but when you really want to look great, I say a well planned outfit is best.
When you are outfit planning, there are a few things to think about: What sorts of styles, when you see them on other people, make you do a double take? Which color palettes do you find interesting and most pleasing to the eye? Which silhouette is most intriguing to you, and does it suit your own body type?
My very first thought when putting together an outfit is always the color palette. I like to think about how to incorporate the colors I am in the mood for that day. For today’s look, I knew I wanted to go all shades of heather gray, and accent with my Joules navy parka and teal and black 3.1 Philip Lim Pashli mini. My scarf and mittens are ivory but the scarf also has gray tassels so it ties in to my palette nicely. If I had dark gray booties I would have loved to wear them but I didn’t, so I did the next best thing, and wore these olive suede booties from Shoemint.
What do you think about wearing coordinated outfits? Yay or Nay? Or is it something you already do anyway? Let me know!
***Yesterday we went and got a Christmas tree – which is where we shot this look- as you may be able to see, it was slim pickings for trees so late in the year! However, we got a beautiful tree about 9 feet tall, I am still in the process of decorating, and I smell completely like pine, but I will post pics when I am done on instagram @zahra_sandberg – so follow me if you want to check it out!
Parka: Thanks to Joules | Sweater: Banana Republic (On Sale with code BR40Now!) | Jeans: H&M | Booties: Shoemint Similar Style| Bracelet: Thanks to Jewels and Things | Bag: 3.1 Philip Lim (on Sale 60% off!)| Scarf: J.Crew Similar Style | Mittens: Target
Shop The Post:
Share