To get extra content, access to the Downtime subscriber chat, and the full archives, you can become a paid subscriber here. ❤️ Either way, thanks for reading! The Case for Documenting Your OutfitsSharing my favorite looks from April, what I regret buying, my big style "aha" moments, and my best tips for taking photos of your looks.
Today’s post continues my column on rediscovering personal style postpartum and post-pandemic. The email is long and might get cut off; you can see it online here. For new readers: Hi, I'm Alisha, a new mom navigating style post-baby and post-lockdown. I'm no fashion expert, just sharing my journey here. My budget varies, from occasional designer splurges to budget-friendly finds. Recently, I've focused on collecting quality 'forever' pieces. If style isn't your thing, feel free to adjust your settings here. Enjoy! When I started this journey to rediscover my personal style, I knew I had to do two things. The first was to get rid of any clothes that no longer fit me. I don’t need that stress in my life! The second was to take pictures of my outfits—every single day. And so, I started documenting my outfits in earnest in April. A big part of what inspired this meticulous documentation has been Anna Newton’s “Everything I Wore This Week” series in The Wardrobe Edit. Reading about what someone wore initially seems rather generic, yet it’s become one of my favorite pieces of content to read online. (It helps that I love Anna’s sense of style, too.) I am nosy! I want to know what you wore to work from home and on a coffee date with a friend! An outfit photo, however rote it seems, is an intimate portrait of you at any particular moment. I love knowing the what/where/why of an outfit. How did you land on it? What occasion were you dressing for? What was the weather like that day? What shoes did you try on with the outfit before deciding on this particular pair? How were you feeling? How were you hoping to feel after getting dressed? It’s easy to dress for the camera if you know you’re just going to pose for Instagram pics or TikToks. It’s another thing to dress for real life. My “real life” style is pretty basic and practical—a lot of jeans and t-shirts. There’s nothing wrong with that, but part of this new personal style journey I’m on will be to figure out how I can marry practicality with creativity and self-expression. I love fashion! It takes up much of my brain and my feeds! But I struggle with translating inspiration into reality. How can I jazz up a look without sacrificing comfort and feel totally like myself and have fun with it? This is my goal.
So without further ado, included in today’s post is:
Let’s get into it.
What I Wore: My 5 Favorite Outfits From April
I wore this outfit to work at a café and for a Zoom meeting. After trying on many pairs, I found these perfect white jeans. It's a good sign when you immediately dance in a new pair of jeans! They're technically cropped but the perfect full length for my 5'0” frame (a hack for fellow petites: shop the crop!). They're the wide-leg silhouette I love without overwhelming fabric, a common issue with some wide-leg styles. The big takeaway: it's worth the try-ons to find the perfect pair of jeans and t-shirt. Online shopping and returns are a hassle, but it's worth it for staples like these. The t-shirt is my new favorite: a good length for tucking or not, just heavy enough to not show your bra, with a slightly angled sleeve cut. I got it in three colors. If I had to pick, this would be my favorite look from April. The bright red pants add a much-needed pop of excitement to my wardrobe. They're made of a delicious ribbed knit material that feels substantial enough to wear out without feeling like pajamas. (For my fellow petites: while they're cropped, they hit at just the right length for a full look with a bit of ankle showing.) I wore this outfit while running errands, working from home, and picking up my daughter from daycare.
On this particular morning, I set myself a style challenge: Could I pull off track shorts for an everyday outfit? I’ve been seeing them pop up everywhere on my Instagram feed. I bought these shorts secondhand on Poshmark for $10 after falling in love with this specific shade of mossy green.
A sporty piece like this calls for high contrast. Pairing them with ballet flats and a ribbon in my hair adds a feminine, romantic touch, while the leather bag and button-down shirt give it a more 'work' appropriate feel. I wore this ensemble to work at a café and run errands.
I wore this outfit to an event in Georgetown with a loose 'Parisian' theme, and I had recently acquired a few pieces from Sézane, a Parisian brand, so I was excited to incorporate them. I loved this look; I felt comfortable yet elegant. I elevated the casual black dress with my new favorite red ballet flats. To enhance the romantic vibe, one of my key style words, I added a scarf. I tried the scarf a few ways and decided to wear it in my hair. I think the basket bag also lightened up the look for a spring event!
The previous example and this one highlight the benefits of starting with a theme when you're feeling uninspired. On this particular day, I was feeling “meh” about getting dressed, so I decided to have some fun by drawing inspiration from Taylor Swift's new album aesthetic, which features a lot of black and white. I wore the blazer for a meeting, switched to the cropped trench for a quick errand, and later in the day, opted for an easy black cotton cardigan for comfort. I wore this outfit while working from home and attending a few work meetings. Lastly, here are all the other outfits I wore in April, with some quick notes. If you have q’s about specific items, let me know…
A quick story about look 6… I saw a few fashion influencers styling white overalls and loved the look. Then, I realized I already had some in my closet! I bought these secondhand for about $15 a few years ago but never wore them. I was on the verge of donating them, but I think I made them work, and they fit me perfectly. It was a good reminder to challenge myself to style the forgotten pieces in my closet before giving up on them (and to always hunt secondhand first for stuff like this). Lastly, let’s not forget there were many days when I just wore a version of this:
3 Quick Tips for Documenting Your Outfits
I was going to share everything I bought in April here but scrapped it because the real takeaway was that I regretfully did more impulse shopping than I’d like. For example, I bought a pair of sandals from Sézane that I didn’t need because I saw an influencer who styled them so well. I usually wait a while until hitting “buy,” and this time, I didn’t. Going forward, my goal isn’t to spend less, per se, but to spend mindfully on things I will love - and the things I love are often things I have planned and spent time thinking about for a while. Do you have any thoughts on this? 💡 A quick tip for keeping track of your purchases: I have a label in Gmail called “shopping” that I add to order confirmation emails as soon as they arrive. This lets me click the label and easily scroll through to see what I've bought.
My Big Takeaways from April
Thanks for reading! Was this helpful? Do you document your outfits? Have you had any style aha moments recently? Have you had any good secondhand finds recently? I want to hear it all! P.S. I have a dream brand partnership coming up with an apparel brand! I’ve wanted to work with this brand for many years and have been buying their clothes for decades. Can you guess which? Stay tuned, and thanks to this group for continuing to stick with this newsletter and for your enthusiasm around style content! x Alisha
*I use affiliate links which means I might get a cut of your purchase if you decide to buy, at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!You’re on the free list for Downtime. Consider upgrading to a paid subscription to support my work and get every letter and other perks. FREE ways to show your appreciation…
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srijeda, 15. svibnja 2024.
The Case for Documenting Your Outfits
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