Anatomy Of An Outfit
Thanks so much for all your great suggestions on Monday. You ladies are the best. Today, I want to do a postmortem on two outfits I wore over the holidays. I’m going to explain what I observe and why I prefer one look over the other…on me, for me.
What doesn’t work for me in this outfit
As I look back at this outfit it has a distinct “toy soldier” vibe to me. I prefer a more elegant look. I love the gold buttons on this quilted velvet jacket but they needed to be considered as a piece of jewelry. My necklace and earrings are enough detail for me here so the pin is overkill.
I love a great white shirt…but not here because it chops up the outfit. The color has too much contrast and the cuffs make my arms look short.
I love these loafers but not with this outfit. Seeing a part of my foot between the shoe and pants adds enough extra busyness to make this outfit not work for me. The jacket is quilted, the corduroy pants have a raised wale and the shoes have a velvet nap which is too much texture for my style.
What works about this outfit
I’m smaller above my waist than below. Bright red pants enlarge the look of my bottom half and the black jacket makes my top half look smaller. It provides balance.
The next time I wore this jacket and pants I streamlined the look.
I skipped the loafers and wore smooth black boots that tucked under the pant leg so no ankle showed. Next, I swapped the white shirt for a smooth black turtleneck. These are the same hoop earrings but I skipped the necklace and pin. I am much happier with this look because there are fewer details grabbing the eye.
In this side-by-side picture you can see that even though my shoes and boots have the same 1″ heel, I look a bit taller in the image on the right. Yes, I’m having a better hair day on the right too:)
I hope you found this postmortem entertaining.
I’d love to hear your feedback.
Hi, Jen! I completely disagree! For a festive, at home or neighborhood Holiday occasion the “Toy Soldier” look would be perfect! The second look is for a cold day when you’re out and about – much more casual. And I don’t think the boots are such a hip fashion look as they are practical. You could punch up the Toy Soldier look with a hip pair of black kitten heels and lose some of the jewelry. BOTH looks are nice!
Great info on this post. I personally would love more of the same. As I am petite also I find I need to dress minimally with little contrast, which I am learning as I go along. Thank you.
Helped me see mistakes that i make sometimes. You always inspire me🥰
This was helpful. I’m a visual person so seeing it side by side was enlightening. I have wide shoulders and wide hips. I use to have a smaller waist but aging is catching up!
Happy New Year!
Jessica
Great post! Loved how the subtle changes make such a significant difference to the outfit.
Thank you Jennifer!
Great analysis. I’d like to see more in depth analysis like this. Happy New Year!
What an outstanding post. Thank you for taking the time to explain the differences in how each outfit worked or did not work. I hope you would do this again.
Just started following your posts and enjoying them tremendously. This was a great post and an excellent teaching tool. An important lesson to learn is less is usually better. Learning to pare down is my goal. Thanks again for the tips! Happy new year to you!
I liked this the best of all blogs so far!!!!! Please do this type more often. I was fascinated by the changes that you made and how it made the outfit on the right so much more appealing…
OMG! What a difference. Love the side by side pictures. Please keep doing these postmortems so that we can all learn from them.
This is a fabulous feature. I hope you can do it more often. You took the high fuss and contrast out of an outfit and made it casual and elegant. This is a particularly good post.
Wow. Helpful post.
Love outfit #2 also, however still prefer the shoes from outfit #1 since they are velvet and a darker black. I think they look better with the outfit and don’t mind seeing your ankles!
Yes, please make this a regular feature, Jennifer. Very informative to see the two outfits side by side. Excellent post!
Jennifer, I love this post! What a great way to demonstrate your style tips! Please do this again!
I really felt the first outfit was good until I saw the side to side comparison and totally agree with what you’re seeing. Can you do more side to side comparisons to show us what works and what doesn’t?
You are such an inspiration. Even though I’m taller, I still relate to topics you present because it gives me food for thought!
So helpful.
I agree with other commenters that
a) I hope this can be a regular feature AND
b) that this side-by-side is so much more informative and actionable – to/for me – than the ‘Would You Wear It?’ series.
Thank you for your blog that I have enjoyed for several years. HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR to you and yours!!
Jennifer, I hope you make this a weekly feature. To see why using the same two pieces and just changing the accessories makes a huge difference. The picture on the right is so “tied together” as compare to the picture on the left which looks like a whole lot of different pieces making it look “busy” instead of classy…..also not showing a different colour cuff does makes your arms look longer. That is something I never thought of! As well, showing your ankles with the shoes shortens your legs. Please do this comparison feature often!
Jennifer I wanted to share a game changing hair product brand I use for my, thin, fine, curly, frizzy hair. (If my forehead wasn’t so small I would emulate your bangs.) I discovered ORLANDO PITA PLAY through a beauty box subscription several years ago. There is a hair type/need quiz on their website to guide you to the right products. My holy grail is their leave in conditioner that has slayed the frizz and their hair spray now used instead of dry shampoo if I just need body for just washed hair.
I agree with those who have suggested that this kind of comparison post would make a great regular feature! So helpful in learning how to analyze our own outfits.