Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Don't Sweat It!

While we may no longer be elbow deep in a recession, we are not out of the woods just yet. Many fashion magazines are still telling consumers to continue shopping their closets, and are featuring editorials chock full of merchandise from stores such as H&M or Forever 21. As an avid and long time subscriber to the high/low theory of style, this is not a foreign concept to me. Rather, I embrace the challenge of mixing lower-end pieces with discount designer goods to create my signature style. But while I openly accept the discount store as viable means of acquiring essential elements for my wardrobe, I still have yet to fully be on board the shop your closet bandwagon.

Attempting to analyze this hesitance, I can only attribute it to the fact that I do tend to wear the majority of what is hanging in my closet (well, what still fits), and I have been inventive enough to make the most of my options. So what can one do, you may ask.  Don't give up! A lot of people like the idea of doing a clothing swap with friends, but I went a step further: I went to my dad.


Quite simply: what is a staple of winter wardrobe wear? I happen to think it is the sweater dress.  It is cozy, comfy, and one easy step to looking effortlessly fashionable.  Very little outfit planning is required (let us not forget the lazy girl over here writing this blog). And if you think about it, a man's sweater is over-sized for us women, and therefore can serve as the perfect dress or tunic. Sure, proportion and size can be tricky: shoulder seams can droop, sleeves can drop, and the shape can be boxy.  But there is an easy solution: Roll up the sleeves, add a belt, and depending on the amount of extra fabric, you can have quite the avant-garde look! Trust me, when it comes to the versatility of the belt, I'm an expert.

So there you have it: when money issues are getting you down, and you are sure you have maximized all the possibilities that your closet is currently providing; just open your eyes and mind, and then open your father's closet! You will be surprised what an easy update an over-sized sweater can provide. Sometimes it is what is right in front of us that we never notice. Now that is what I call an exercise in an easy wardrobe makeover. I didn't even break a schvitz.

1 comment:

Jose Montero said...

Oh! When I saw you wearing a different grandpa sweater everyday at work, I just assumed your apartment had been burglarized and your dad was helping you out.