We stepped in my closet as I announced “have at it.” Being a fashion enthusiast, I’ve concocted looks for others for formal and casualwear, vacations, interviews, first dates, and everything in between. For a brief stint I even worked for Stitch Fix styling teenage girls through 70-year-olds across the nation! So this thought has crossed my mind many times: what would happen if someone styled me?
Maybe I could learn new ways to wear the fabrics I’ve lived in for 10+ years or rediscover something that got shoved to the back of the closet? Bottomline: I am looking for some fresh eyes to choose an outfit for me - just for fun! Those fresh eyes I decided, should be these dreamy ones.
The Challenge: The task was simple yet vague. Select a full look from existing items in my wardrobe. The look must be seasonally appropriate and of course, my style. Which, luckily most of the clothes in my closet are. I have kept up a continuous style throughout my life though, I will say there are some trend-oriented pieces in my closet that likely should have been cleaned out years ago. But you never know! My closet is sorted by type of clothing: tanks, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts etc. as well as by color warm to cool.
The Process: How I choose outfits for myself is different every time. But, I feel like I typically plan the look around my top or my shoes. Pat said for himself, he builds the look around pants because he has less of them than tops. After getting the lay of land, a 2007 Ryan Howard jersey was tempting but I didn’t have baseball pants to match. So luckily, that was out.
Pat thought a sweater was a good call since it was 30 degrees and windy the day of the shoot. He climbed the ladder to reach my neutral tone sweater section which was a good call because browns, golds, blacks, and whites are timeless. For pants, he pulled out all my black and dark gray denim. I tried the two pieces on together to confirm that outfit was what he wanted and to give a better idea of silhouette before selecting shoes and accessories.
My shoe wall is actually in the kitchen next to the coat closet because, apt life. The black Kim Possible pants I had on are actually ankle length so Pat thought I should go with some taller boots for warmth. Tough call, as black,tan, and brown boots would all match this sweater. After I modeled the top three boot contenders my black suede Julia-Roberts-approved boots were crowned the winner. I was honestly tempted to wear one black over-the-knee boot and one tan but the different heel heights made this impossible. It was also decided I could keep my camel brown peacoat on because it matched the outfit. It is safe to say this is one of the most practical outfits I have put on the blog in its 2.5 years of existence.
The Finishing Touches & Verdict: I can’t feel like me without jewelry so I let Pat raid my bracelet drawer (You read that right. I have a full drawer of bracelets.) and I picked the hoops he got me for Christmas. I styled my hair myself because the man had made enough fashion choices for one morning. A low chignon and my new sunglasses made me feel like I was going to get cast as a spy. The newspaper conveniently on the front stoop gave me a good disguise.
A few takeaways: men dress to the weather (smart) but are overwhelmed by accessories, like even more than we think. I recommend having you and your Valentine root through each other’s wardrobes and pick an outfit for a fun night in or out on the town. You never know what you’ll be wearing!
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So enjoyed reading this article! You have a wonderful gift for writing.
Found it interesting that men actual consider the weather when dressing. We think of the occasion no matter what the weather. That's really good. Never let an older man pick ur clothes, they have no clue, even if they have been with one person almost 60 yrs, allow the youth men in your closet for that type of fun surprise!!
This article looks like it was so much fun to put together and fun idea for a date!