Color + Texture + Pattern + Shine = One stellar get-up.
That’s it. This is one of several formulas I use to get dressed (most) days (the other days are when I have about 5 minutes to get my teeth brushed, clothes covering my body, and across campus at 8:00 in the morning… those days it’s sweats [gross.]). If you have ever watched What Not to Wear, then you’ve probably heard Stacy or Clinton mention this “style equation.” (See? Actually listening to what they’re saying while you’re just laying around with that bowl of Ben and Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch in your college-ephemera sweatpants instead of just zoning out can do you some good. [No, I don’t know this from exact experience.*])*Yes, I do.
This equation is pretty simple and straightforward. If your outfit has one of each of these things (a pop of color, an interesting texture, a pattern, and a little shine), then you have a fool-proof ensemble. Well, maybe not completely fool-proof, but you’re headed in the right direction.
What’s even easier, and more fun, is that you don’t have to limit yourself to where each of these elements comes from. One day, your color might be your shirt, your pattern in your shoes, your texture from your skirt, and your shine, that delicate necklace your parents gave you for your sixteenth birthday. The next day, it could be a mixture of completely different things: color - your new favorite nail polish (I love experimenting with new colors on my fingers and toes), texture - a funky pair of tights, pattern - a striped blazer you got way back in high school that you just can’t seem to part with, and shine - that pair of metallic gold peep toes with the studded bow you got at a steal.
You can play it safe and simple with minimal amounts of color, texture, pattern, and/or shine or you can be wild and adventurous with bold elements. (Just make sure that only one or two of the four elements are bold. Mixing too many strong pieces can feel overwhelming and busy and leave your ensemble looking less put-together than you intended.)
The most important part of this lesson? HAVE FUN! Don’t be afraid to mix your clothes, shoes, and accessories in daring new ways. Set aside an afternoon to pour yourself a glass of wine, turn up the stereo, and try on mountains of your clothes. It can be a freeing thing to revisit your old favorites and try mixing and matching them with new finds. Experiment and try every idea you have, and if an outfit is a flop… well, no one is there to judge.
That is my challenge to you guys (and me too) for this week: try to create a few new outfits with what you already have in your closet using this simple “style equation.” You’d be surprised what you can come up with.
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