A few years ago, Allison Bornstein talked about the concept of having 3 style words that anchor your style. It was something that really made me think about what items in my closet always make me feel the most me. I ultimately landed on relaxed, sexy, and cool. My favorite outfits are always the ones capture all 3 words, not just one or two.
Of course, the clothes also have to fit. This week, I challenged myself to go through some of the pieces I don’t reach for enough but also refuse to donate, and to take them to the tailor. I picked items that clearly captured my style words but still were sitting in my closet more than they should be. They had survived multiple apartment moves and purges so I wanted to turn them into pieces I would wear every day. The process made me remember why I was so excited to buy them in the first place and made me love them even more. Let’s get into it!
1: ZARA Relaxed Cotton Cargo Pants
Why am I willing to invest in it? These were a cheap pant I bought before a trip to Greece two years ago — not something you’d think was worth spending more money on. The thing is, these pants are SO comfortable and a perfect summer pant: they’re breathable (100% cotton!) and the waist is the perfect mid-rise and stretchy. They were easy to style and something I’d want to wear on a daily basis.
What is wrong with it? I hate the drawstring at the bottom. However, they’re pretty long, so I was able to tighten the drawstring and hide it, to make a sort of “balloon” effect which was fun. But it is a nuisance to tighten every time I put them on, and sometimes I don’t want a more balloon-y look.
What changes did we make? We just did a standard hem! Nothing fancy. Tailors can add the drawstring back on but I told mine not to and she said to me, “yes, the drawstring is ugly” so I’m glad we were aligned <3 I chose a shorter hem instead of having the pants puddle; I own a lot of pants that have a more puddle-y look, and I wanted the option of something breezier.
How do we feel now? Re-invigorated to style these! My personal style is not as ~cool~ as a full time balloon-y cargo (would rather have a more balloon-y jean, for example) and I like that these are something I can wear in my daily life more.
2: Issey Miyake Pleats Please Turtleneck Tank
Why am I willing to invest in it? I LOVE this top. I got it in Japan and I find it represents all 3 of my style words in one. I have been afraid of altering it since it’s such an iconic design, but I just haven’t been wearing it.
What is wrong with it? I find it less flattering on my body type because I have fairly broad shoulders. Additionally, the top is too long — a common problem for me being 5’4 — which makes styling with certain pants difficult. I want it to hit right at the waistband (or even the tiniest bit above), but because it doesn’t, it ends up looking a bit frumpy on me.
What changes did we make? We brought the arm hole down further (mocked up in my “vision” image) which creates a more flattering silhouette and also brought the length up a bit so I could wear it with pants and have it at a better length for me.
How do we feel now? This is the one I’m the most unsure about: the way this fabric is cut, the end result has a different shape - it’s super swingy now, which is actually fun (and is a better length on me). But it has lost some of the iconic Pleats Please energy that made me love it. I’m glad I took the risk but I will see how it continues to live in my closet… Maybe I should have just sold this to TRR?
3: Still Here White Mississippi Buckle Tank
Why am I willing to invest in it? A simple white tee or tank with jeans is my standard uniform and base layer. This is a tank that I find to be so cool; slightly different from the standard ones we see all the time. The material is wonderful and very thick (not see through).
What is wrong with it? The proportions feel a little funky; it’s a shorter tank (fits me length-wise perfectly), but it’s also kind of boxy.
What changes did we make? We pinned both sides to make the silhouette a lot more narrow. I didn’t make it skin tight (I still want that relaxed look) but wanted it to feel more refined.
How do we feel now? It looks basically identical to my vision pic! I am obsessed. I actually wore it out of the tailor with the outfit I had on <3
4: White Linen Uniform Person Pants:
Why am I willing to invest in it? I own these in both black and white and have worn them every single summer for approximately 5 summers since I bought them (they’re not available anymore unfortunately). The linen is really heavyweight, and the fit is phenomenal. I don’t like when linen is unstructured and these are the opposite of that.
What is wrong with it? The waistband kept twisting up in a loop and made it look lumpy. I tend to wear a lot of crop tops / tanks in the summer so it was irritating me that you could see it. It didn’t happen on the black pair, so I wasn’t sure what was going on.
What changes did we make? My tailor re-did the waistband and put in some darts to keep the waistband from moving around. Otherwise — nothing!
How do we feel now? IN LOVE. I can’t believe I went all of this summer not wearing these because of the waistband?????? Year after year I am reminded that these are my perfect linen pants and now they’re fresh again.
This was honestly so much fun. You know that feeling when you buy something new and you can already imagine 7 different ways to style it? That’s how I feel — but with things I already knew I loved in my closet. My brain is now whirring on other pieces I should bring in; are there midi dresses I want to turn into minis? Are there long sleeves I want to hack the sleeves off of? I really need to get a sewing machine and figure out how to do this myself. But until then, I will be visiting my girl Elena. (Separately - Elena works at Chris French Cleaners, but they’re closing at the end of Sep. Elena’s phone # if people need an incredible tailor: 347-458-2462.)
I recently figured out that my color season is a warm autumn… I did not take an official test but I learned this by just holding up different colors to my chest and asking my friends if it looked like I had jaundice. I really believe you should wear whatever color(s) make you happy, but I have to admit that my favorite pieces in my closet tend to be the ones that do not make me look like I have jaundice… shocker. That being said, we are still cataloging all colors:
It’s fun to get inspired but it’s also fun to be discerning on what I’d actually wear regularly. Below are pieces I really feel like would fit into my wardrobe seamlessly because they are at least 2 of my style words:
More cataloged finds from the week here for your entertainment!
I will see you all next week with a fabulous August faves round up. I will be writing to you from Paris so AU REVOIR FOR NOW xxxx
Omg this is so cool! They all look great, and more importantly, I'm glad they feel great now too :') great tailors are such gems!
Would love recs for good mid-rise jeans/pants with stretch waists >_>