This week is the first part of a series of written posts where I’ve decided to give you some insight into the way I style my looks and why. I know it sounds sort of simple.. I put things together because they match or look nice but there’s much more to styling than just that. This week it’s about the minefield that is you’re clothes size.
First things first, when I’m buying clothes and creating outfits in my mind I rarely look at or care about sizing labels which probably sounds a bit strange considering most people buy by size. Body shapes and sizes go out the window when I’m styling an outfit because it just doesn’t matter to me personally, if it does to you that’s fine but hear me out. If you take into account that a lot of what I buy is vintage or retro it makes sense because you don’t get a lot of choice sizing wise but even buying new I’ll often go for larger sizes.
Nowadays the ideas of femininity and masculinity has dissipated since (lets say) the 50’s. This is not only because of how far gender fluidity has come but also how far we have come as individuals by accepting people as they are. One example of this is that now men wear skin tight jeans and we take on baggy boyfriend styles and no one bats an eyelid because that’s the norm for us.
I own items in my wardrobe that go up to a size 20 and still wear them on a regular basis even though technically to the fashion world I am a size 8 or 10 (mostly a 10 not going to lie to you guys). These items range from retro pieces to menswear but to me they’re just another piece of cool clothing. This mindset all comes down to the idea that you can create a silhouette that’s so much more alluring than the one you were given and that excites me!
So if you look at a piece of clothing in a shop and it’s too big or small think first about what you can do with it and what look you could create before slamming it back down and finding something that’s in your size. Accessorizing and layers are honestly gifts from the fashion gods and can turn a shabby old oversized shirt into the coolest thing you own.
I’ve worn jumpers as dresses and worn dresses as tops. I’ve turned things inside out and backwards to create different shapes and lines. Belts can turn into the most valuable accessory you have and you can even turn into a design student by cutting and ripping bits of clothing. Every piece of clothing you own will have a loop hole so you can alter and change the way you wear it.
The whole process I’ve explained above is what goes through my head when planning outfits and although it sounds time consuming it can create the most interesting, visually pleasing looks and all it takes is the will to be a bit more open minded and if it all goes wrong and you’re left with clothes 10x too big for you… find a good seamstress.