Post-retirement fashion
Mar. 25th, 2017 12:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebNow that I'm retired, I can wear pretty much anything I want. But what would I most like to wear?
Currently, I'm wearing jeans or shorts and t-shirts, mostly because they are the clothes I like that I couldn't wear to work. But maybe I can find something more flattering and/or more fun.
Practical
Above all, it has to be practical. I realized this when I was walking home in wind so strong it sometimes stopped me in my tracks and I was very happy that I was not wearing a dress or skirt. So sad--I like the look of dresses and skirts.
Another problem is that since I am not willing to give up Robin, grocery stores, movie theatres, etc., I will usually be in places that are uncomfortably cold to me. So even though I love summer clothes, I will often be wearing extra layers on top of them. I used to wear blazers; now I wear sweaters or hoodie-type jackets. At the very least, I'd like to find way nicer top layers, since you don't even get to see my shirt much of the time.
Also, I love spaghetti straps, but I don't like strapless undergarments, going without, or having straps sticking out.
Style
I don't care about keeping up with styles so it's best for everyone around me if I stick with "classics," that won't hurt other people to look at in two or twenty years. Uh, yes, I will wear the same thing for, shall we say, way too long by any measure. At least I patch the holes now.
Minimalist
I don't want millions of clothes. I want everything to fit in my half of the closet (that's three feet of closet rod) and my one (large) dresser. I once decided to have only black and brown shoes (plus white sneakers) and belts (with a few exceptions) and found this to be very liberating. I still like that rule.
At work I decided on all solid tops, pants, and blazers that I could easily mix-and-match, tying them together with jewelry.
I like the idea of scarves as another thing to make outfits more fun, but in practice I don't wear them much except to go outside in cold weather, which fortunately we rarely have.
I don't want eight copies of the same outfit that I wear every day though. I'm not really a minimalist; I just really like some of their principles. In moderation.
Flattering
Most of my clothes make me look dumpy. It's not just me (except for my crooked teeth); I know clothing can make a big difference. I tried to look at fashion sites to figure things out.
Pear Shape
I have a tiny head, small, short torso, and long regular-sized legs. They call that not a triangle, but a pear shape.
Apparently most people who are pear-shaped want to de-emphasize their legs because they feel like they have big, fat thighs and butts. I'm the opposite--it's my top half that's not quite as good, with much subtler curves that can, for example, disappear when I wear vertical stripes.
Short Torso
Some of the things you do for a short torso are the opposite of what you do for a pear shape.
Dumpiness
Bleh, I don't think I need to disguise certain icky body parts. I have, however, noticed that some sleeve lengths, skirt lengths, sock lengths, and shorts lengths look better on me than others. So I should at least look for more of those.
Modesty
I am not comfortable with blatent sexiness. I do not want plunging necklines, hip-high slits, etc. I don't need to look like a Pilgrim, but I do prefer the modesty end of the spectrum. I don't mind shorts and sandals and sleevelessness, though.
Skirts
I like how skirts are whooshy. So are there any good ways to combine the whooshy-ness of skirts with the practicality of pants/shorts? Here are some ideas I've brainstormed:
* skirt + bloomers - ha ha!
* skorts(?) - those shorts that have skirts on top of them. I think some hiking skirts are like this.
* a skirt that is form fitting down to the thighs (hard for the wind to blow up too high) and then flairs out. A lot.
* skirt + opaque tights - maybe a slip will keep them from sticking to each other when I try to walk
* skirt + what is it that the cool people are wearing these days? Yoga pants? Stirrup pants? I never really paid much attention.
* top with peplum or other kind of wooshiness (heh, fringe)
In the video game I'm playing ("The Trail"), you have to make your own clothes and you do it based on the materials available to you, your sewing skills, the practicality of the different garments, and the look of the different garments. The game characters are all skinny, which is close to my shape. And I have found that I really like wearing skirts with hiking shoes and short socks. Weird, eh?
Conclusion
I was once walking around a mall with some friends and they were making fun of this fifties poodle-skirt-shaped dress, I think with big polka dots on it. I said, "Actually, this is the kind of thing that looks good on me." I tried it on in front of them. They agreed.
So, I guess I have a clue. But I still haven't decided which of the flattering things I'd actually like to wear.
If there's anything you especially like seeing me in or think would flatter me, let me know, especially if it's practical. And especially if you have any more whooshiness/pants solutions!
Articles of the Day
Here are some articles if you haven't cried enough today. Or just read my brief summaries to learn the important parts less emotionally.
Human Trafficking - Only 5% of human trafficking involves kidnapping. Much more common is being "lured away from our family and friends with false promises and then kept there using coercive and fraudulent tactics." - Rebecca Bender
For access to short videos from several survivors describing how they would like the media to handle human trafficking stories, see My Story, My Dignity.
Gay Therapy - I always knew it was stupid, but I never really got just how really horrible it could be. Like "A Clockwork Orange" or much worse. For more information, see Salon's Conversion therapy is "torture": LGBT survivors are fighting to ban "pray the gay away" camps.
My favorite part: "After a video went viral of Shurka detailing the horror of “ex-gay” programs, he reached out to his former therapist to discuss what happened to him. The two conducted a side-by-side interview about what the experience was like for both of them. Shurka has since reconciled with his former counselor, who has given up practicing conversion therapy." (There are two additional links in that sentence, which I did not follow.)
Currently, I'm wearing jeans or shorts and t-shirts, mostly because they are the clothes I like that I couldn't wear to work. But maybe I can find something more flattering and/or more fun.
Practical
Above all, it has to be practical. I realized this when I was walking home in wind so strong it sometimes stopped me in my tracks and I was very happy that I was not wearing a dress or skirt. So sad--I like the look of dresses and skirts.
Another problem is that since I am not willing to give up Robin, grocery stores, movie theatres, etc., I will usually be in places that are uncomfortably cold to me. So even though I love summer clothes, I will often be wearing extra layers on top of them. I used to wear blazers; now I wear sweaters or hoodie-type jackets. At the very least, I'd like to find way nicer top layers, since you don't even get to see my shirt much of the time.
Also, I love spaghetti straps, but I don't like strapless undergarments, going without, or having straps sticking out.
Style
I don't care about keeping up with styles so it's best for everyone around me if I stick with "classics," that won't hurt other people to look at in two or twenty years. Uh, yes, I will wear the same thing for, shall we say, way too long by any measure. At least I patch the holes now.
Minimalist
I don't want millions of clothes. I want everything to fit in my half of the closet (that's three feet of closet rod) and my one (large) dresser. I once decided to have only black and brown shoes (plus white sneakers) and belts (with a few exceptions) and found this to be very liberating. I still like that rule.
At work I decided on all solid tops, pants, and blazers that I could easily mix-and-match, tying them together with jewelry.
I like the idea of scarves as another thing to make outfits more fun, but in practice I don't wear them much except to go outside in cold weather, which fortunately we rarely have.
I don't want eight copies of the same outfit that I wear every day though. I'm not really a minimalist; I just really like some of their principles. In moderation.
Flattering
Most of my clothes make me look dumpy. It's not just me (except for my crooked teeth); I know clothing can make a big difference. I tried to look at fashion sites to figure things out.
Pear Shape
I have a tiny head, small, short torso, and long regular-sized legs. They call that not a triangle, but a pear shape.
Apparently most people who are pear-shaped want to de-emphasize their legs because they feel like they have big, fat thighs and butts. I'm the opposite--it's my top half that's not quite as good, with much subtler curves that can, for example, disappear when I wear vertical stripes.
Short Torso
Some of the things you do for a short torso are the opposite of what you do for a pear shape.
Dumpiness
Bleh, I don't think I need to disguise certain icky body parts. I have, however, noticed that some sleeve lengths, skirt lengths, sock lengths, and shorts lengths look better on me than others. So I should at least look for more of those.
Modesty
I am not comfortable with blatent sexiness. I do not want plunging necklines, hip-high slits, etc. I don't need to look like a Pilgrim, but I do prefer the modesty end of the spectrum. I don't mind shorts and sandals and sleevelessness, though.
Skirts
I like how skirts are whooshy. So are there any good ways to combine the whooshy-ness of skirts with the practicality of pants/shorts? Here are some ideas I've brainstormed:
* skirt + bloomers - ha ha!
* skorts(?) - those shorts that have skirts on top of them. I think some hiking skirts are like this.
* a skirt that is form fitting down to the thighs (hard for the wind to blow up too high) and then flairs out. A lot.
* skirt + opaque tights - maybe a slip will keep them from sticking to each other when I try to walk
* skirt + what is it that the cool people are wearing these days? Yoga pants? Stirrup pants? I never really paid much attention.
* top with peplum or other kind of wooshiness (heh, fringe)
In the video game I'm playing ("The Trail"), you have to make your own clothes and you do it based on the materials available to you, your sewing skills, the practicality of the different garments, and the look of the different garments. The game characters are all skinny, which is close to my shape. And I have found that I really like wearing skirts with hiking shoes and short socks. Weird, eh?
Conclusion
I was once walking around a mall with some friends and they were making fun of this fifties poodle-skirt-shaped dress, I think with big polka dots on it. I said, "Actually, this is the kind of thing that looks good on me." I tried it on in front of them. They agreed.
So, I guess I have a clue. But I still haven't decided which of the flattering things I'd actually like to wear.
If there's anything you especially like seeing me in or think would flatter me, let me know, especially if it's practical. And especially if you have any more whooshiness/pants solutions!
Articles of the Day
Here are some articles if you haven't cried enough today. Or just read my brief summaries to learn the important parts less emotionally.
Human Trafficking - Only 5% of human trafficking involves kidnapping. Much more common is being "lured away from our family and friends with false promises and then kept there using coercive and fraudulent tactics." - Rebecca Bender
For access to short videos from several survivors describing how they would like the media to handle human trafficking stories, see My Story, My Dignity.
Gay Therapy - I always knew it was stupid, but I never really got just how really horrible it could be. Like "A Clockwork Orange" or much worse. For more information, see Salon's Conversion therapy is "torture": LGBT survivors are fighting to ban "pray the gay away" camps.
My favorite part: "After a video went viral of Shurka detailing the horror of “ex-gay” programs, he reached out to his former therapist to discuss what happened to him. The two conducted a side-by-side interview about what the experience was like for both of them. Shurka has since reconciled with his former counselor, who has given up practicing conversion therapy." (There are two additional links in that sentence, which I did not follow.)
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no subject
on 2017-03-25 07:26 pm (UTC)Spaghetti straps. I'm totally with you there, and my solution is to buy tank tops that have built in support. I have some that are more athletic - sorta like an exercise bra with a tank top attached, and some that are more like a camisole. I always buy mine at the thrift store, but a quick Google search says the appropriate terminology is "shelf bra".
And on skirts. Have you thought about denim skirts? Seems like the fabric would be heavy enough that wind wouldn't be an issue unless you were out in a hurricane or something.
Best of luck with it. Even though my work place was very casual, my wardrobe still changed significantly after I left my job. I fear these days I wear sweats all winter and sweat shorts all summer - I do upgrade to jeans or capri pants if I'm going "out" though.
:-)
Cat
no subject
on 2017-03-28 03:26 am (UTC)The thing about skirts is that I like them to be wooshy! So denim doesn't sound ideal.
Ha ha! Sweat fashion! When I worked at summer camp, we also wore jeans to dress up (normally shorts). And maybe even a button-up shirt, such as a Hawaiian shirt (normally t-shirts).
I vaguely recall seeing a picture of you in a long skirt that looked really nice, so I would happily take fashion advice from you! Well, at least listen to (read) it!
no subject
on 2017-03-26 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2017-03-28 03:51 am (UTC)(Indigo Rose, check it out! They also have purple, but it's kind of reddish. Oh, but it's cotton/poly, which I like, but I think you don't.)
The hem looks a bit sloppy for my taste at first glance, but I do kind of like this dress. And a belt might be interesting, too.
Heh, there's a size chart. I guess you would go with your chest size; the others don't seem relevant.
Thanks for sharing! And thanks for reminding me of that thing I called "what the cool people are wearing" - leggings!
P.S. I don't know where I know you from, but I know I've checked your blog before--maybe you didn't used to write much. But checking it again, I see that I like your monthly wrap ups, so I've added you to my friends list, too.
no subject
on 2017-04-02 09:34 pm (UTC)Yay to friends! I don't remember when I found your journal first... maybe through Patrick?
no subject
on 2017-04-03 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
on 2017-03-28 01:08 pm (UTC)SUPER comfortable with pockets! But not swishy and a bit long for your legs.
Swishy dresses: I'm fond of Toad & Co. Very soft, with decent cuts that don't make me look like a half-used tube of toothpaste. I try them on at REI, who only carry a tiny selection of the colors but do make it possible to figure out the appropriate size. I suspect you would be a small, if not an extra small. My current favorite in their current line is the Rosemarie (https://www.toadandco.com/womens/dresses/rosemarie-dress/t1172123/494/). But let me recommend their winter line, currently on sale, especially the Nena (https://www.toadandco.com/womens/dresses/nena-three-quarter-dress/t1771508/478/). They work well with leggings in the winter.
no subject
on 2017-03-31 02:24 am (UTC)And after yesterday, I'm ready to admit that all else being equal, I care most about practicality. Would I have slipped in that mud had I been wearing my (all-purpose) sneakers I wore to Norway instead of my prettier hiking shoes with worse traction? I don't know. That mud was quite deep, so probably.
Can padding and helmets be flattering? :-)
no subject
on 2017-04-04 01:31 am (UTC)One thing I find contributes to the dumpy problem in general (don't know if it applies to you) is clothes that are too big/too baggy/too 80s pleated poofy etc.
I haven't seen you in a LONG TIME but I do remember thinking that regular boy-style t-shirts are overwhelming on your small upper half.
Like some of the other commenters, I think dresses would be a good choice for you. Depending on how their styles work with your aesthetic, a place like eShakti that allows you to customize the dress to your measurements (and select your desired sleeve length etc) might be a thing to try. I was just looking at their web site and they do have a lot of swooshy options.
-Sally
no subject
on 2017-04-04 01:34 am (UTC)-Sally
no subject
on 2017-04-04 02:54 am (UTC)You were the person I suspected most likely to reply. Thanks!
You're right, I do have some gigantic t-shirts that were the smallest size available. Boy-style t-shirts in medium boy sizes are better, but a more fitted style is certainly nicer.
eShakti sounds expensive, but looking at their site I see that their prices are quite good for brand new clothes, not even counting the customization. Interesting.
no subject
on 2017-04-04 03:09 am (UTC)