Two “rules” I try to follow when shopping for clothes are:
1) Buy clothes you’ll wear on a Tuesday afternoon, not a Saturday night — few people lead Saturday-night lives. I originally read this on Susan’s website, and it jumped right off the page at me. I am SO guilty of buying for Saturday night! A beautiful silk blouse, 4-inch heels, denim that requires 4-inch heels to wear…sure, these are absolutely fantastic items, but they don’t represent my life. (I WISH they represented my life, but no. Not right now.) For the most part, my day-to-day grind involves writing from home, errand-running, park playdates and school drop off. As much as I love Saturday night clothing, I’m just not sure I’m getting a return on investment from them at this point, and have become much more mindful of that when buying new clothing.
Another phenomenon that baffles me is what I’m willing to pay for certain items. I’ll completely rationalize spending $200 on a silk blouse that might be worn once every few months on date night, but balk at $80 cotton canvas pants (like below) that I could wear several times a week. Explain that ridiculous line of thinking, will ya?
2) If you love something, buy in bulk. I know, I know. It’s just so UNROMANTIC. Of course I want to have a closet full of unique, finely-curated items that I’ve procured on trips around the world, but once again, I need to be realistic about what I’m comfortable wearing on a daily basis. However, this isn’t to say that I don’t love unique pieces. I seem to make up for some of my more “conventional” clothing with shoes, jewelry, scarves and the like. I guess my line of thinking is that if I find a shirt or pant that looks and feels great, I’m going to buy it in several colors.
Like these pants. I would have never given these pants a thought had I solely seen them online, yet, they instantly caught my attention while poking around my local J. Crew. I tried them on, liked what I saw, and decided to make the plunge and buy all three colors. (At $74 a pop, I admit to balking. I mean, they are COTTON SURPLUS PANTS.) Let me just tell you, I have worn the hell out of these pants this summer. Grocery store runs, kindergarten volunteering, lunches with girlfriends, even to an evening of cocktails.
Here, let me show you. (Click thumbnail for full photo.)
[nggallery id=4]
Who would have thought, right? And I could have shot 12 more outfits easily. (But my room was starting to look like bomb full of accessories had detonated.)
Now, I’m not saying these exact pants are right for you, but I feel they perfectly exemplify the point I’m trying to make. Be realistic about how fashion plays a part in your day-to-day life, and if you find something that really works, buy a few. (FYI – If you DO think these pants are for you, they are on final sale with an additional 30% off. Um, that breaks down to $17.49 for a pair. Final sale is a risk, though, since you can’t return, but sizing is true to size, if not running a little large. I waver between two sizes at J. Crew, and bought the smaller size in these pants.)
What are some of your fashion rules? Do you find yourself drawn to “Saturday night” or “Tuesday afternoon” clothing? How do you find the balance between expressing your unique style and being realistic about your day-to-day grind, i.e. – moms handling dirty kiddos and/or stains galore? (I should own stock in Tide To Go pens.)
Siera
September 7, 2011 at 8:13 pmOi. Please ignore the top paragraph. It was meant for another blog. I’m too tired to keep blog comments straight.
Rebecca
September 7, 2011 at 8:39 pmjust bought all 3!
Angella
September 7, 2011 at 8:52 pmYou really are the prettiest!
I buy for Saturday night/Monday morning. A lot of what I wear out I can also wear to the office, which is nice.
I do need more pants in my life (I hate my thighs, so stick to skirts and dresses). Pants are on my fall shopping list.
Ashley
September 7, 2011 at 9:14 pmYou may have just changed my shopping life with that first point!!! I love the “pretty” or the “sexy” and then never wear it…maybe I’ll work on that one. Also, I LOVE to buy in bulk, it saves time
Miss Virginia
September 8, 2011 at 9:12 amJust bought all 3! YIKES…now sitting here biting my nails and hoping they fit. I LOVE they way you styled them and need to go buy all your tops and shoes and accessories, too! I think this should be a regular post…”what I’m wearing today”
Katrina
September 8, 2011 at 10:16 amLove the looks Sarah! Can I ask where the top is from in picture 4? So cute!
whoorl
September 8, 2011 at 11:42 amHi Katrina,
If you click on the thumbnails of the outfits, all of the clothing info is underneath the photo. #4 is Forever 21, I believe.
Asha Dornfest {Parent Hacks}
September 8, 2011 at 1:29 pmYOU ARE ADORABLE. Your look is imaginative but so easy and approachable. Boy, do I need someone to shop for me. The free Twitter t-shirt my husband gave me and the ill-fitting jeans just aren’t doing it for me.
Ami
September 8, 2011 at 5:26 pmI’m so glad to hear a fashionista preach this point of view. I’d love to be more stylish, but when it comes down to it, I always choose comfy basics. It really is all about how you style them. Also, J Crew sale! Woo!
elz
September 8, 2011 at 7:51 pmOk, I trust you. I bought two pairs. Tuesday afternoons I’m at work, which is why I have an AWESOME work wardrobe but relatively few items (like casual pants and shorts) to wear on the weekends. I’m bookmarking this page to see different ways to make casual pants work.
Kristen
September 8, 2011 at 9:23 pmI am SUCH a Saturday night shopper. You make a good point about learning how to splurge on pants you wear every day. How can I spend [edited for embarrassment] on a little black dress I wear once a year and then not wanna spend more than $50 for everyday pants? Okay. It’s all clicking for me right now.
Kathleen @ Sugar and Spice
September 9, 2011 at 4:14 amSaturday night shopping, extra guilty. Really Kathleen, that Nanette Lepore is Park/Playdate material? Your words now leapt of the post at me. Thanks for the “Tuesday” find, I bought two pairs. Damn that price was out of this whoorld. xo
Amanda
September 9, 2011 at 7:53 amWhoorl: Here’s my deal with the Minnie pants. When I tried them on last summer, the sales associate told me that, huh, I was the *one* figure the pants didn’t flatter. [shrug] [also: ?!?!] So, I didn’t buy the pants, of course. And nice sales tactic, dude.
I went back this year and tried them again. This time, a diff’t sales associate suggested I go up a size (though I hadn’t gained any weight since last year’s try), and they worked. I think JCrew may have finessed the pant a bit in the last year. Going up a size and using a belt gives a better silhouette than staying at my normal size with no belt. Weird, but it works. HOWEVER, those Gap pants you suggest are cute and cheaper, so I’ll definitely be looking into them before throwing down more $ on more Minnies.
whoorl
September 9, 2011 at 8:22 amAmanda,
Horrible sales tactic, for sure! Ha. I actually loved the look of the Minnie on me everywhere but the calf to ankle part. I have muscular calves and so the fabric would be stretched to point where it created an upside down triangle effect on the pants, definitely not the straight line they are supposed to look like. I need a little extra room there!
Maybe I’ll try a larger size next time I’m in there. I’m just afraid they would be way to big in the waist/derriere. Oh, first world problems!
Kate the Great
September 12, 2011 at 11:25 amI’ve found the balance between signature pieces and everyday wear–I buy jean capris and bright-patterned and colored T-shirts, but I buy them at thrift stores. If you can stand the slight smell of urine on everything, this is the place to get one-of-a-kind stuff. And I each item doesn’t cost over $50, or even over $20.