I'm still stunned by the whole two pairs of dress shoes concept.
I think an intervention is in order! dkw, Vána, Christy, take the woman to BUY SOME SHOES! Women (and shoe salesmen) everywhere cry out in horror! Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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As far as the wardrobe place goes, it looks quite useful. The prices are a bit high, but as far as I can tell online , the quality appears good.
However, I hate buying solid tops (skirts less so) except for REALLY dark ones. But then, I'm a klutz -- the fact that stains are very visible on solids is a real issue for me. The marled, stripe, or shimmer collections might be better for that reason.
I like buying pieces designed to mix and match. Lane Bryant has some nice collections: here, here, here, and here, among others.
Unfortunately, their online catalog doesn't show each collections all on one page, the way the print catalog does. But the side links can help you find the coordinates.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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AJ, NOOOOOOOOOOO! No Weekenders clothes. The skirts will be awful on everyone because they are gathered at the waist. Unless you are wearing a kilt or a cheerleading uniform, pleats are very, very bad. They add 15 pounds to your frame. This goes for men, as well. I buy only flat-front pants for Andrew and would never, ever buy anything with pleats for myself.
Also, this red is too bright for you and will completely wash you out. The collars of the blazers are too high and the cuts are too boxy.
The only things that are at all wearable are the sleeveless mock turtleneck and the sleeveless shell. And you can get those anywhere.
rivka, I buy only solid-tops.
I was pretty shaken when AJ told me about her lack of shoes, too. Especially since I have just run out of room for shoes in my third closet (bought a great pair of Ferragamos that I can wear to work with the children).
Beren, you're right, that's one of the many reasons I didn't like it. Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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fugu13, you can use the extra 15 pounds all over, but pleated pants add it just to your waist. They also ruin your long, beautiful line.
If you want to add weight, get flat-front pants that are wide-legged and layer. The wide-leg pants will make your legs seem more substantial in a proportional way and you can maintain your line. Wear a thick cotton t-shirt under your shirt and it will give that same effect.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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I kind of thought that was what you would say Mrs. M. I do have a question on one point though.
You said the skirts are "gathered" at the waist and then went on to talk about "pleats".
Believe it or not I sew. Mostly quilts, but there is a distinct difference between "gathers" and pleats. I agree pleats are bad. But just about every skirt I have ever seen and most pants are gathered in at the waist a bit.
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I know - I'm bad at terminology. The Weekenders skirts appear to have very loose, round pleats. I'm sure that there's a term for them, but I can't remember what it is, so I just said gathered. I'll ask my mother - she'll know.
Generally, with skirts and pants, the flatter the better. Skirts with zippers are going to fit better than skirts that you just pull on. Also, pants without pockets give you a much smoother line. You can rip out the pockets and sew up the openings. Skirts should never, ever have pockets.
Most women balk at this - pockets are undeniably useful. For me, it's worth it. I even have blazer pockets sewn up.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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One of the reasons why EVERYthing has to have pockets is becuase it is always potentially an item I'd wear to a dog show. You MUST have pockets at a dog show. You have to have somewhere to put the treats. They do have these little "pin on" bait pouch pockets but those look even tackier.
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One of my main gripes about most of my clothes that are not strictly casual is that they have no pockets. YOU try doing laundry with no place to put quarters or the laundry room key! On dressy or formal stuff I expect there to be no pockets, but on semi-casual, I want a pocket or two. I actually have one or two skirts that are nice that have pockets that are (practically) invisible when empty, which is a great compromise. When I really need a place to put a slip of paper or a key, I have one.
1 pair of very practical dress shoes (like to wear with a suit) 1 pair of rather dingy black mocs I wear pretty much everywhere 1 pair of sneakers that I hate and would love to replace 1 pair of Birkenstocks for the summer.
It's rare that I need something strappy, and when I do, I'll usually buy it the day before the event, hate it, and sell it at the first opportunity. I'm eyeing a pair of white Birks for the wedding. Posts: 2220 | Registered: Jun 1999
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See, I have my steel-toed shoes and my dress shoe combined into some sort of SUPER shoe. And then I have a pair of running shoes. And that's all folks. No cleats, no boats, no flippers. That's all she wrote.
Being a guy is the only way to be.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Wow, Mrs. M. I’ll never ask you to be my personal shopper -- I don’t think either of us would survive the experience. On a skirt, no pockets = no way.
I'd love to get the help of someone like Mrs. M.... oh, how wonderful it would be to have a clue as to what would look good on me! Especially now that I'm losing weight and don't particularly want to hide anymore!
But as an example, yesterday I wore:
My dingy black mocs Sort of worn secondhand black corduroy pants And the piece de resistance: A dark grey Gap turtleneck that was never flattering, and is now very baggy on me.
Yikes! Even I was a little embarrassed!
I do have one question for Mrs. M.... do you have any advice for women with larger-than-average feet? I've just sort of accepted the fact that, no matter how much weight I lose, my size 10 feet will never ever look "cute". But is there anything I should be on the lookout for when I have to make a dreaded shoe shopping trip?
Posts: 2220 | Registered: Jun 1999
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Wow! Hadn't check this thread in awhile and didn't realize it had changed direction to women's shoes & clothes. (my weak area)
I'm amazed at how many shoes you all have. I have one pair of boots, one pair of dress shoes (plain black pumps) and one pair of shoes I wear to work with slacks -- which are just a plain black flat everyday slipon thingys. That's it. I don't even have sneakers/athletic shoes right now -- my olds ones wore out.
Probably because I've spent years trying to keep up with the shoe/clothing needs of three kids. No money left to buy clothes/shoes for me.
That and because I know NOTHING about any of this stuff, so going into a store I feel lost.
Luckily, my daughter is the exact opposite of me, and is becoming somewhat of a "shopping guide" for me -- although our tastes are totally opposite.
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I hope she does! I really think she should go into business doing this. I bet she'd get a dozen clients from Hatrack alone. But she said if she does that it wouldn't be fun anymore.
Well Steve made me buy stuff for myself this weekend. I even bought one pair more of shoes than I should. But I have rectified the black pumps situation in spades.
Two pairs. One dark grey, and one a brown. Steve says I need different shoes for the brown pair though.
Four pairs of shoes. None of them are Ferragamos, Mrs. M but I think you will approve.
First for casual wear. A pair of womens dockers that I can't find online anywhere but looked similar to these The buckle is a little different but that is as close as I can find.
Then a pair of hush puppy pumps (very comfortable) that look like thesein plain black.
Then another pair of pumps with a little more of a heel that caught my eye and I am pretty sure Mrs M would tell me to buy. Plus they also were comfortable. The brand is Easy street. The shoes are a pump like these but with a gold band around the heel more like these but there is also a similar gold squigle across the top of the shoe as well. I think they are pretty.
Then the pair that I tried on as a gag, and ended up buying because they actually fit and were comfortable, and I could walk just fine in them, which was the last thing I expected. They arethese And I still can't believe I bought them but I figured finding a pair with 3" heels like that that is actually physically wearable with someone with as little balance as I posess is actually a small miracle. Steve told me to buy them, so I did.
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*breathes a sigh of relief* Oh, good, intervention accomplished!
As far as how much you spent, that is always the wrong question. I like to focus on how much I saved; i.e., it was 20% less than in that other store, and it was marked down 15%, so I saved X dollars. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Actually I think I spent a lot less than you are guessing. I bought them all at a store called Value City that gets closeouts from department stores.
The thing is, their selection varies widely. This time we just happened to get there when they must have bought out the inventory of a couple of high class places, and the selection wasn't picked over yet!
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I love places like that. In fact, I buy lots of stuff (not just clothes) at places like that. Great deals! Plus the bragging rights on how much you saved. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:I even bought one pair more of shoes than I should.
That's crazy talk, AJ.
I'm so proud of you. One question - did you buy those shoes in white or is it just the color they put on the catalog? They're fine in white, but you cannot wear them until after Labor Day.
You finally have the staples, shoe-wise. Now you need the herbs and spices.
Incidentally, I have bought 3 new pairs of shoes since my last post on this thread.
Unfortunately, I cannot come to ChicagoCon. But if anyone wants to email me, I will be happy to discuss personal fashion. More than happy.
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No they were all black. I think you would like the heels with the gold trim on them the best. Those were the ones I heard your voice in my head telling me to buy!
Steve says I need a couple of different shades of brown shoes too.
He says it is an "ongoing" intervention, that he doesn't think I'm going to be cured for a while. Considering I've still been beating myself up for spending money that could have gone to other things it is probably true. I do have them all lined up on a shoe rack and they look pretty cool.
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You know I absolutely love this thread, but every time I read it, I want to go out shoe shopping. I can't afford that... I desperately need to save money and I've already bought five (three expensive) pairs of shoes this month.
Let me just take this opportunity, however, to say, Mrs. M, I'm sure I don't have nearly as many shoes as you, but you are my idol. Posts: 959 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Shan, check your email and fasten your seatbelt.
Risuena, don't just say you got 5 new pairs of shoes and not describe them. That's just cruel.
Today Andrew asked me what I was going to do when I can't use every closet in the house (right now I'm using 2 of the bedroom closets, the den closet, the coat closet, and one of the linen closets). I calmly and sweetly explained that that will be the day that we move.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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I'll rectify my omissions now. My favorite is this pair of Kenneth Cole pumps in black crocodile. Then I also got sling backs by Charles David. They're not quite the same as these, but they're pretty similar and in a light, golden brown shade. I got two pairs of boots, one a pair of brown ankle boots with a shape similar to this and the others are black knee length boots like these. Finally, I got a pair of sneakers in the natural color fourth from the bottom.
Now I just need to find room in my closet for all of them...
Posts: 959 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Realizing that fashions go in and out of style, if you were in a closet space crunch, (which you might be if you adopt a child and stay in your same location) you wouldn't dispose of anything you bought and is say over 2 years old that you haven't worn recently?
Or do you just wait 10 or 20 years for it to come back into fashion?
Risenua, how tall are you? I couldn't imagine owning two pairs of 3+ inch heels. I still feel weird owning one! I haven't actually worn them anywhere yet. I do want some boots though. They are still on the shopping list!
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Risuena, nice going! I LOVE them all, except the sneakers, but that's just b/c I'm not a sneaker person.
AJ, I'm of two minds about that. I grew up wearing some of my mother's clothes from her modeling/socialite days in the late 60s and early 70s. I also try to only buy clothes that I know I'll be able to wear 20 years from now. I'll most likely pack some up and ship them to my mother's house in Georgia. She has lots and lots of storage. I have sold some things on eBay, but I just used that money to buy more shoes and clothes. Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Woohoo! Approval from Hatrack's own fashion guru!
AJ - I'm short - 5'4, maybe 5'5 on a good day. I'm not sure why I started wearing three inch heels, other than I like them and they're fun. In the case of almost all of the heels I own, I think they just look better with the height they have. If I worked in a lab or something like some of my friends, I'd probably never wear any of them, but I work in a pretty laid back office where I can dress up as much or as little as I want.
And right now is a great time to buy boots if you can find a pair you like. They tend to be a fall/winter item so there are a lot of sales currently, there just may not be a lot of selection.
Posts: 959 | Registered: Jan 2002
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vwiggin. what sort of place do you work? I think that will give you the answer. If other people are wearing simiar stuff than it should be ok.
I work in a machine shop and lab. I wear steel toed shoes to work about half the time and tennis shoes the other half. Only when I have an important meeting like tomorrow will I bother dressing up.
If I did dress up I couldn't do my job, which occasionally involves taking apart nasty cruddy broken parts.
I've been trying to dress a bit nicer, but I'm running into the problem that I look nice people write me off as a "cute air headed blonde" This can work to your advantage at times if people underestimate you. But, for gaining the respect of my co-workers it doesn't work as well.
posted
Sorry Fallow, I went to right after my post. I will definitely catch you next time (if I can find the right shoes to wear that is).
BOJ, I work for a firm that service a lot of stuffy bank clients. Although we are technically "business casual", there really is no defined standard.
The reason why I thought I could get away with that slipper-shoe is because it has a mostly plain front. If my slacks cover most of the shoe, can people really tell it is not a normal dress shoe?
P.S. People who underestimate you because of your looks are not worth impressing. Dress the way you like.
Posts: 1592 | Registered: May 2000
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wwiggin, I could immediately tell that it's not a normal dress shoe. The shape of the shoe and the size of the sole are very casual.
I would go with something less casual for a company that works with stuffy bank clients. In those cases, business casual tends to mean business semi-formal. They probably mean highly polished oxfords instead of traditional lace-ups.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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If I can't wear my birkies in a human services/government setting, there is no way on this green earth that YOU should be allowed to wear birkies in a posh setting.
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I actually have one or two skirts that are nice that have pockets that are (practically) invisible when empty, which is a great compromise. When I really need a place to put a slip of paper or a key, I have one.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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I desperately need to save money and I've already bought five (three expensive) pairs of shoes this month.![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
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right after my post. I will definitely catch you next time (if I can find the right shoes to wear that is). ![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
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