Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Comfort Meets Class

Comfort Meets Class


It's been kinda cold in Australia at the moment. That, and surprisingly rainy. Still not having found a job - I've been wearing my own clothes (as in not ones I allocated for specific work use) whilst doing things like laying in bed reading, sitting on the couch with my laptop, playing some air guitar in my room and painting. So I've had some kind of dilemma. I've decided that I want to dress nicely in case I have to go somewhere with my mum, but I don't want to dress too uncomfortably, because I'm most likely going to be spending the day inside, rugged up in bed, reading. And, then I thought, like the little girl in the taco ad "Why not have both?" and I think I found a way to look good and feel comfortable.

Why should we have to sacrifice comfort for the sake of a good appearance. When you think about it some of the most elegant, beautiful people in the world aren't fidgeting  with their skirt or adjusting their straps. It's all about simplicity and the smile you've got on your face. With some smart styling and a few accesories comfort is class.

Obviously, everyone's Idea of comfort differs. I like clothing items that aren't too clingy and that I don't have to fidget with. I'm a bit of a skirt person. And, I don't like anything that hugs my hips too tightly because I get sore hips and clothing that is too tight only makes it worse.

Some of these ideas came from my recent infatuation with Tumblr and some of the very beautiful, yet comfortable looking models in some of the pictures.

For those in a similar predicament (and a similar idea of comfort) here are some ideas:

OUTFIT IDEAS:
-Loose top (not tucked in) worn with gathered skirt, cardigan and stockings: Believe it or not I find stockings to be extremely comfortable and classy looking. This outfit is most like the one in the Polyvore set above.

-A Loose long sleeved shirt or knitted sweater and jeans (or leggings depending on the length of the shirt/sweater and a nice necklace

-A dress with either tights or leggings and an open long sleeve shirt or cardigan. Got this idea from an outfit that Lanie (charcter) wears in 'She's All That'. She wore a summer dress with a short sleved button up shirt worn over the top.

-Sweater (Not too long), ruffled skirt and stockings.

TIPS FOR EXTRA COMFORT:
-Make sure when buying stockings that you've bought the size closest to the biggest  measurement (weight or height). According to my mum's height she only needs a Small or Medium in stockings, but her weight suggests she needs a Large. I'm only light, but because of my height I am supposed to wear Large. Now I just purchase extra-large, because I like that the stockings feel thicker and aren't trying as hard to stretch over my legs.

-When purchasing a top or Jumper, don't be afraid to go a size bigger or go to the men's section. However, be sure that the top fits loosely stylish, rather than loosely fits like a sack.

-The More Gathered the better when it comes to choosing a skirt.

-Go for fabrics that feel nice against your skin. I've been avoiding jeans because of this.

-If you are wearing stockings around the house and don't want to wreck your floor with shoes or wreck your stockings with the floor, you could wear slippers.

TIPS FOR EXTRA CLASS:
-A nice necklace, hair accessory or pair of earrings never goes unnoticed. Don't go over the top though.

-A bit of eyeliner or lipstick never hurt anybody.

-A pair of dressy brogues or ballet flats can add class to any outfit.

-A belt or ribbon can be used to create a "waist" in a baggy shirt or dress.

FOR THE DARING:
-Thigh High Stockings/ High Socks.

-Patterned/Coloured tights

DIY IDEAS:
-A Button up high waisted skirt can be created using an old men's shirt, some spare material and some elastic. Cut off the collar and sleeves, Create a waist band and line the inside with the spare material and voila! If you have a petti-coat you could skip the lining part.

-A loose fitting shirt can be created by using another shirt as a pattern. Lay the shirt flat on the chosen fabric, trace the outline and cut out two identical sides. Sew the pieces together at the sides.

-If you've got a Smock style top with the elastic at the bottom you can cut off the elastic and sew a new hem to create a new shape.

-If your stockings are too small cut them off at the thighs to create knee length socks (They loose some of their stretch once they have been cropped) or, cut off the toes to create footless tights. Be careful which tights you do this with as the fancier fishnet or knitted ones may unravel once cut.

-A Tube scarf is a way to save on wool and time. They also look pretty snazzy. Knit or crochet the scarf until it is the length that you can put it over your head if the two ends were joined. Cast off and sew the ends together. This idea works well for patterns with some gather in them.

So what do you think? The first outfit idea is my favourite. It feels kind of like a modernised school uniform. I'm still not too sure about the painting. I'm either going to have to be really careful or I'm going to need to allicate daggier versions of this outfit for painting days (which is like, every day...)

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

2 comments:

Lauren @tear stained said...

you should definitely do some of those diy ideas and show photos! would love to see that :)

Natalie_vintage_girl said...

I'm hoping too some time soon. I'm in need of a good op-shop trip :)