James Perse Casual t-shirt | I’m wearing size 3, Everlane has a similar scoop neck style, I haven’t tried it yet
AG Stevie Sateen ankle jeans |
Repetto Ballet flats | I recommend sizing up at least 1/2 size, mine are perforated leather & old…
Margot Wolf pendant
Jas M. B. wings traveler bag | mine is quilted black, and several years old
I still owe you guys a shoe post (what’s left after the purge), but for now, let me just say that I do have quite a few pairs of shoes left. Including several that I’m sure I will get rid of, but for now, can’t bear to part with. Like my Repetto flats.
I have three pairs of Repetto ballet flats: black perforated leather (the one’s I’m wearing), gray cap-toe, and “nude.” Actually, I’m sure I’ll never get rid of them; I love them too much. They’re not really my style right now, but they were once, so why couldn’t they be again?
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, and that’s probably going to be the topic of my next Minimal Closet post, but how long do we REALLY want to wear our clothes/shoes/bags? Do we want to wear the same jeans for ten years? Maybe. Maybe not. Do we expect our taste in clothes & personal style to stay the same for more than five years? Should it?
This depends a lot on whether or not you pay attention to what’s new, feels “fresh,” and the varying shapes and styles that come out every season. I do, and for the last several years, I’ve felt drawn more to the loafer & sneaker than the ballet flat (along with everyone else…). I want a more substantial shoe, something more practical and sturdy than a ballet flat. Actually, I have always loved more sturdy shoes, I wonder now, what got into me?
I did wear my Repetto flats quite often; the three pair were in heavy rotation for a couple of years. But they’ve sat dormant, in their boxes, for a couple more. They will last – maybe not “forever – but they are without a doubt the most classic of classic shoe styles, and I’m sure I’ll be in the mood to wear them again. Right now, though, I’m not sure. They’re much too delicate for me.
Do you feel your style shift every few years? How has it changed recently, and what did you do about it? Have you kept some of your favorite “old” styles around?
*OH! and speaking of shoes…Everlane is sending me a pair of BLACK LOAFERS (!!) to review, and they’ll arrive tomorrow. If you’re on the waitlist for them, you’ll get a chance to buy them tomorrow before they’re available for the general public on October 1st. As soon as I receive them, I’ll get a post up, probably on Instagram with my quick opinion.
I think my style is still Eddie Bauer-ish /athletic. .. sort of classic relaxed. I do wear jeans until they have holes that I can’t repair with a patch ..lol That’s probably because it’s difficult to find jeans for my pear shape.
Those ballet flats are sure cute .. 🙂
Monica.
MonicaP´s last blog post ..Fall footwear: Sandals to Cage Booties
i love the ballet flats, which is why i’ll never get rid of them…but i just don’t feel like wearing them much!
I definitely keep more classic items in my closet that I don’t necessarily wear all the time (or even every year) but either because I have an intense emotional bond (my LLBean blucher mocs from high school) or because I think they’re good quality with a classic style I’ll wear again, I keep them. But then, I’m not trying to maintain a minimalist closet either, just trying to use & love what I have (which is part of your ethos, to be sure!)
yes! use and love what you have!!
i guess i’m quite fickle though…i go in and out of “moods” for things like clothes, shoes & bags. i think everything i like has some element of “classic” to it, but how “modern” it feels is what’s important to me i guess. how “now.” not in a trendy way, though. i don’t think anyway 😉
I similarly moved away from ballet flats to oxfords/wingtips/loafers beginning a few years ago because I like androgynous accents in my wardrobe and I feel much more myself and more confident wearing those kinds of shoes or boots than I do wearing flats. The real tipping point for me away from flats though was really the foot problems I began to have from wearing completely flat, not so cushioned shoes!
I’ve been finding my own style for the past several years, so I don’t know yet if my style will change every so often in the future. I feel like I mainly have two styles though–sort of pretty yet quirky for work, and more Rick Owens inspired drapey, tougher things for nighttime. But then my summer style is much girlier than my autumn/winter style, so maybe I am just indecisive. 😉
I feel like my style has definitely changed over the last year or so! I used to be very into colors and not too many patterns, and definitely had a lot of “kitsch” in my wardrobe. The last year has seen me switch to a lot more classic patterns, simple silhouettes, and less flashy stuff….. but bold in other ways. I wear a lot of pencil skirts and tops, stripes, some polka dots, lots of simple colors – grey, black, white, red, navy. I do own a t-shirt that says SWAG though, so the kitsch isn’t totally gone. I think I’m just getting better about refining what message I want my wardrobe to give. And obviously, I want people to know that I have mad SWAG.
Cathy Benavides´s last blog post ..Plus Size Shopping – New Stuff and Things
haha! swag…of course you have mad swag 🙂 and i can’t imagine you without a little kitsch…
I wish I liked ballet flats. I love the convenience of slip on flats but just don’t like the way they look on me. I tried a pair of church’s loafers and did not get into them either. I spent so much money on them and ended up giving them away. I still have yet to find a pair of slip on loafer/flats type shoe that feels me.
As for my style, it’s been pretty consistent with a few experiments the past 5 years. I tried to have some more classic tailored pieces but feel too restricted in them. I tend to like more edgy styles but the have to not be fussy. Anything where I have to spend more than 5 seconds to put on or adjust to get the right look has ended up given away. I love fashion but I am a super lazy dresser! I hardly wear scarves because I don’t like the feel of something wrapped around my neck.
me too! (i’m a lazy dresser also!) if i have to fuss with anything i never wear it. my biggest pet peeve is things falling off my shoulders – i have a few oversized shirts that do that, and i get so frustrated. i’ve started wearing strapless bras with them, so at least my bra straps won’t show…but still…
i wasn’t sure i’d like loafers or sneakers either until i tried them, because i always wore my repetto flats…but now, i’d rather have something more substantial. i’d love to have a pair of church’s loafers!! maybe something with a pointier toe will feel more like you? that’s a nice feminine twist to a masculine loafer – it looks like the Everlane loafers will be like that…
i don’t understand the scarf thing though, i love them 🙂
but i don’t wrap them too tightly, more like “hang” them!
I have been a new follower since I saw your blog in the WSJ – and it is one of the best “truest” blogs I have read. Thank you. I am struggling with over buying and looking for perfect and so have loved that you are tackling these “deeper” issues.
I am moving from ballet flats to loafers – I bought a pair of Church’s last year (after reading about them on a blog – evidence of the overbuying!). I am wearing them more because my feet end up hurting in ballet/pointy toe flats – but I still sometimes feel they look too masculine. Once you get your loafers, I would love to see how you style them – maybe my problem is how I am pairing them, not the loafers themselves (they are beautiful and exceptionally well made).
i don’t know if you saw my review today of the everlane loafers, but i played around with them a bit and i think they’ll be wonderful with all sorts of outfits. my lifestyle is SUPER casual, so i’ll have to work a bit harder to incorporate them into everyday outfits, because they are more “fancy” than i’m used to, but they’re still just very classic and lovely…
It’s funny, now that you mention it, I’m not wearing my ballet flats much, either. I’m wearing my VINCE “dupe” sneakers, my booties, and my Birkies. But,I still love my J Crew ballet flats, so I’ll keep them for the future since they truly are classic. I think of certain types of jeans as having an especially long shelf-life…such as 501’s. Or a good camel wrap coat or navy peacoat. Some things have staying power, but I always see new things that I want to incorporate into my wardrobe, because it’s FUN!
Lucky girl! Those loafers are awesome!!!
yes! you know how much i love experimentation with fashion. within reason, of course 🙂