No Frills

Do you all have a certain something in clothing/fashion that you love, that you’re drawn to, but you know you shouldn’t wear? And maybe you used to buy some pieces earlier, but then you saw yourself in photographs and you thought oh no, I definitely should not? Or maybe it’s something that you thought used to be good, but now you might have aged out of it? But either way you continue to be drawn..

For me, this is frilly clothing. And florals. And tassels. And lace. I actually love all of these. I love girly. It’s kind of embarrassing, but when I watch Real Housewives of New York I can definitely understand the logic behind how Tinsey Mortimer selects most of her outfits. I like frills and a big skirt and florals and overall that sort of “look”. I just know, through much trial and error, that it doesn’t usually look very good on me.

For a long time I tried. I was very into it all. Floral prints. Tassels on everything. And frills, especially on the straps and neck and occasionally the skirt. Anthropologie sold me many items. But then inevitably, most of the time, I’d find myself not liking how I actually looked in them – even though I really, really liked them on the hanger. And then I decided well I like what I like but what I really like is not wasting money and having a closet full of items I don’t wear, so I decided to pare it down and go for more basics, neutral colors, streamlined. And I found that I liked how I felt in those clothes, and have been fairly happy since.

But still…when I’m browsing online, I still find myself drawn to certain pieces, even when I know I should say no. To counteract this, I have a few rules:

• Ruffles only on one part of the garment (like the straps, or on the slit). And think CAREFULLY. Will you look like Betty Boop?
• Solid colored outerwear and sweaters (the one exception is camo).
• Ulla Johnson is my one general designer exception (she has girly stuff and it usually looks good and photographs well too!). Like the dress above, which is one of my favorites that she does each season. It has ruffles and tassels (which I just noticed, are tied off kilter on one strap). But I don’t feel terribly juvenile in it.
• Skirt not to exceed A-line in width

And more or less, these have kept me in line. But I still like to look…and of course, I’ve had some late night purchases that I’ve regretted by the time they arrived (which is why I try to buy from Nordstrom).

I’d like to ask – is there any sort of fashion trend/style that you love, but you’ve had to give up over the years? Or that you just plain know you have to stay away from?