JAMES PERSE maxi dress
SPLENDID cardigan | mine is more than a year old, newer version linked
PLAY X CDG sneakers | black version at Azalea, use code GRECHEN20 for 20% off
JEROME DREYFUSS backpack
MARGOT WOLF necklace
Maybe you’re getting tired of hearing it, but I’m learning so much about my style/wardrobe lately. This exercise I’m putting myself through, of being deliberate about wearing things I wouldn’t “normally” to see if I should keep them, or at least hone in on my style a little better, is eye-opening.
For example, I got this dress last fall as an early birthday gift from Leo, and it’s a heavier weight, so I thought, how perfect for cooler weather. I also got the long James Perse fleece skirt I’d been wanting for a while in late summer, which is also heavier, and not great for how hot it gets here in summer/early fall, thinking I’d wear it a lot when it cooled off. Not so. I haven’t reached for either piece in quite some time.
I absolutely wouldn’t get rid of them – but I have recognized that I don’t want to wear skirts/dresses much when it’s cool; I prefer to stick with pants/leggings. Even as it warmed up a lot this week here, I had to make myself choose to wear this outfit instead of just jeans & a long-sleeve t-shirt. I’m SO GLAD I did, because I loved it, and it was the perfect outfit for the weather yesterday (low 70’s and sunny). And it made me remember how much I love the dress, and to wear dresses in general.
BUT, here’s what was so eye-opening. I’d been thinking off and on about getting the long cashmere blend skirt or tank dress during the James Perse sale, because I really love them, but now, after I’d realized that I don’t wear skirts/dresses much in cooler weather, I’m over it. And I don’t like the idea of owning much of anything that’s appropriate for one season, I like a little more versatility than that.
So, while I highly recommend any of the James Perse cotton/cashmere pieces, I realize now, they’re not for me. And I can stop obsessing over them. And move on to something else 😉
Anyway, I’m quite pleased with these revelations I’m having lately…all because I have all my clothes out in my closet now (because they can fit), and I’m being more thoughtful about what I choose to wear and why.
Do you wear heavier weight skirts & dresses in the winter? or do you prefer to stick to pants when it’s cool?
My preference is pants during the winter and skirts for the summer ( I just need to work on my legs so I CAN wear a skirt this summer).
Your sneakers are so cute! I love the little heart on the side.
Monica.
MonicaP´s last blog post ..Jennifer Lopez Bootcut Jeans at Kohl’s
I wear both pants and skirts during the fall and winter. I have quite a few knee-length tweed skirts that I wear with either tall black boots or black suede pumps. I love the look of a skirt with a cashmere sweater.
I continue to wear skirts & dresses in the winter because HELLO black opaque tights; my legs haven’t seen a razor since November. (ok, that’s hyperbole, but still….)
One of my favorite travel items is a black dress – for colder climates I have a great Patagonia black merino wool, knee length & long sleeve. Can wear with tights & boots or flats, dress more or less casual – so it works for vacations and business trips. I have a long sleeve black ponte dress for slightly warmer trips, then sleeveless knit for spring/summer travel.
I’m wearing a maxi skirt today which actually is unusual for winter, but it’s in the 60s & sunny here today so it doesn’t feel that odd to me.
ha! see, i can’t even wear tights if i haven’t shaved, only pants. and believe me, i go for quite some time without shaving my legs in cooler months. i did shave so i could wear the dress yesterday, though. even if my legs are covered, if they’re “exposed” at all, i have to shave…
i love a black dress for traveling too – i wore one quite often in rome, actually.
I must wear heavier weight skirts/tights/dresses in the fall and winter months out here along the a Northeast Atlantic coast! It’s windy virtually 95% of the time..combine that with ocean dampness and…WOO!!! Fortunately, I’m like a portable furnace with my hot flashes, so no worries.
Hi Grechen, I much prefer pants and leggings in the cooler months. I have been having similar revelations to yourself in terms of my seasonal preferences and it is quite revolutionary in relation to my shopping. I do wear dresses occasionally in Winter, much like you wear yours here… I layer over them and usually wear ankle or tall boots. I have actually stopped buying skirts for winter as I recognised recently that I much prefer skirts in summer when my legs can be bare. Its a fun journey.
I love this post for two reasons, the look you showed and the problem solving exercise you explained.
First, the look is fabulous! That dress and cardigan suit you, look comfortable, and are slightly fashion forward. I don’t think looking fashion forward is necessarily a goal people should have, but I enjoy seeing it on you. I would’ve liked to have seen shoes that were more in the gold/tan family, to coordinate with the necklace and your hair. It’s still a great look, though.
This project of wearing things you wouldn’t have reached for first is brilliant. I love how you got over your lust for James Perse fleecy skirts after reasoning through why this outfit wouldn’t have been your first choice. This is a profound shift. You’re opening my mind to different ways to look at my clothing items.
I wear A-line skirts year-round because most of my pants are body-hugging. It’s hard to put multiple sets of keys in tight jeans or skinny pants pockets. This way I also have less to think about in terms of coordinating silhouettes. I can wear the same tops, coats/jackets, and shoes. I’m wearing wool tights and boots in winter to make the skirted outfits bearable.
Just realized that, A) I forgot to tell you how much I love this outfit on you!
And B) I totally missed the point of your question. (i.e. “What’s your favorite color, Val?”
“Three!”) 🙂
thank you so much! i agree with you on “fashion forward” – it’s certainly not my aim, but i do love to try new things, new silhouettes, so i guess by default, i’m sometimes fashion forward??
this project/exercise is so enlightening. even more so than just going through your closet deciding what to keep/purge. actually making yourself wear something and noticing how you feel in it, is so key.