Off all the exercises so far, I have to say that this one has been my favorite – and also the most enlightening! Silhouettes. Simply putting shapes together into different proportions. (Of course, while keeping in mind the body features you like most to accentuate or to hide.)
Sarai from Colette’s Wardrobe Architect challenge suggests using a feature on Polyvore to assemble outfits that best express the silhouettes you love and wear most often. While doing this, I tried to focus not on the prints or colors of clothing but only the cut and the shape. Thus I created some very simple, basic silhouettes that I know I’m guilty of wearing OFTEN.
I learned from previous exercises that I currently select dresses that are loose-fitting shifts. I also adore 3 quarter length sleeves. And another fetish of mine is a funky, platform shoe. Always loved them. Always will. Here’s what I call my signature dress silhouette:
Next, skirts. I’ve always felt there’s something romantic and feminine about wearing skirts. And because a skirt is considered a “separate,” one skirt is easily diversified into several different outfits. I tend to pair them with button-downs most often, but they also look fun with tees. Take a look at my two favorite skirt silhouettes:
When I think of pants, I become amused that I don’t ever remember seeing my mother wear a pair of jeans. Yet my generation will certainly be donning all shades of denim jeans in the nursing homes one day. They are such a staple in our wardrobes, especially mine. Having admitted that, however, I am always mindful of current fashion dictates. I know when to ditch the high-waisted jeans with Be-dazzled pockets and just how much to cuff the jeans in my closet today. One of the most frequent outfits I adore is a comfy Japanese style tunic (usually made from double gauze or linen for that organic flavor) paired with a favorite pair of jeans. Of course, similar to the Little Black Dress, jeans can be dressed up (with sexy heels) or down (with Converse tennies or ballet flats). That’s another reason I love ’em! Meet my signature jeans silhouette:
My other favorite when it comes to pants is anything CROPPED. Yes, that’s in all caps because I’m shouting. MORE CROPPED PANTS, PLEASE. Why? First of all, I’m short. I know you other short gals out there know exactly what I mean. And secondly, I’ve loved cropped pants ever since I watched Mary Tyler Moore TV episodes when I was a child. She was spunky, sassy, and just too darn adorable wearing those skinny, black cropped pants. My xropped pants ailhouette:
As a product of the “paper doll” generation, of course I loved this week’s exercise. And I loved working with Polyvore. Another cool app is Stylebook. Check it out if you haven’t done so already. Determining the basic silhouettes you love is the first step in curating your Spring/Summer capsule wardrobe. So go get started!
