How to Wear Those “Problem Garments”
(OK, I seriously just spent about an hour trying to come up with a better blog title than this, but this is the best I can come up with. And now that it’s 11:00 pm, I’m going to say that’s good enough. And goodnight!)
I had every intention of taking this turquoise shirtwaist dress out of my closet and selling it. But I thought I should do one photo shoot with it before it was gone forever. And then I saw these photos and . . . decided that I will be keeping this dress after all! I found it in a thrift shop two years ago and it fits like a dream. I think it is an original 1950’s dress, although it could have been made later perhaps too, and I believe it is a home-sew, as there is no tag.
So, why would I want to get rid of this dress?
Well, I have owned it for a few years, and I have worn it perhaps. . . five times. I never reach for it when I go to get dressed, and almost every time I wear it, I don’t like how I have styled it (which is why it hasn’t appeared on the blog before). It just never seems to work with anything. Since my wardrobe is full of warm neutral tones, a vibrant dress like this one stands out like a sore thumb. Especially since I’m trying to create a more “cohesive wardrobe”.
So how do you reconcile those “problem” garments you have, which don’t seem to go with anything or work with the rest of your closet? Here are some tips I literally just invented right now while looking at these photos (and trying to decipher why this outfit “worked” this time around), but the tips worked for me when I wore this problem dress, so maybe they’ll help you too! 😉
Resist the temptation to over-accessorize.
I think one of the hallmarks of vintage style is the accessories. While modern girls would call a t-shirt, jeans and a scarf an ensemble, vintage girls won’t consider it complete until you’ve got a hat, purse, gloves, stockings, shoes, necklace, earrings, scarf, ring, and parasol. OK, maybe not all of those things at once, but you see what I mean! The problem comes in when you are trying to accessorize a problem garment, and none of your regular accessories match very well. This is when paring down the number of accessories might be a good idea. I always tried to pair this shirtwaist with a matching purse, belt, shoes, hat, jewellery and . . . I discovered that it is just too much. Nothing seemed to “go” and the style of this dress actually works well with a relatively small number of accessories. And I don’t have to worry about looking overdone. My accessories choices for this outfit consisted only of brown laceup shoes, a cognac belt, and (though you can’t even see them in the photos) my pearl earrings. Simple, and definitely not overdone.
Try sticking with one accent colour, or shades of the same colour.
This time I chose my brown lace up flats and a cognac belt. Keeping the accessories to one neutral colour, and shades within a hue, allows the dress to stand out. The dress is bright and it doesn’t need more colour to go with it. Of course, I could have chosen a bright colour such as fuchsia, which would look amazing with this turquoise colour, but that would not have been very “me”. Choosing brown accessories made this bright outfit not feel like too much of a deviation from my regular style. Conversely, if you are wearing a neutral outfit and are having trouble choosing what to pair with it, try one brighter colour such as mint green or royal blue. The effect is just as striking, and never overdone. And it is very “vintage” in style as well, as in past eras women were very fond of coordinating outfits!
Wear what you love, even if it doesn’t “fit” the rest of your wardrobe.
Part of the reason of why I wanted to get rid of this dress, I fully admit, is because it doesn’t go with the rest of my wardrobe. I would seriously love to have a picture perfect wardrobe, where everything blends seamlessly on a garment rack and you don’t have clashing pieces getting in the way when you want to take an instagram photo. 😉 However, I do have a few pieces that “clash” and kind of highjack that plan, because I don’t want to get rid of them. When I think about it logically though, why do all of my clothes need to match? If I love something, why can’t I keep it? Of course I should keep it! Wear what you love, regardless of whether it goes with the rest of your wardrobe. Having a cohesive wardrobe is a great goal, and is one that I am still working towards with my new purchases, but for the garments I already own, there is no reason to get rid of everything. And if I want to take an instagram photo, I can just take the clashing dress out of the closet, can’t I? 😉
Before you give up, take a photo first.
It might seem silly, but when you look at a photo of your outfit, you’ll be able to see what is going wrong with your outfit. Perhaps in real life those pinks look like they go well together, but when you look at a photo, you’ll realize that you should really pair the dress with blue, for a knockout look. Or, maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you see a photo of your outfit, and you see everything that is going right with it! Perhaps you thought that your outfit was really unflattering, but when you saw a photograph, you realized that it actually fit you quite well, and you just needed to step away from the critical three-way mirror! And maybe, like me, you’ll take a photo and realize that it’s not the dress that is the problem, it’s that all of the pairings you tried before were not working because you simply needed to get rid of half of the accessories!
I think that by following these tips, this dress will see more use; I’ve already worn it once since these photos were taken! And I hope they can help you too with your “problem garments”.
Do you have any “problem garments”? How do you decide what to pair with them? Also, I don’t tend to wear very many brights, so what do you wear with bright colours?
September 21, 2017 @ 1:55 am
The dress looks like it was made for you; what a perfect fit. And I like the detailing on the back.
My wardrobe is a mishmash of colors and prints. I do wear a lot of bright colored tops and I usually keep accessories to a minimum, maybe add a scarf.
September 21, 2017 @ 2:33 pm
Thanks!
There’s nothing wrong with keeping outfits simple- there’s less to fuss about that way 🙂
September 21, 2017 @ 3:30 am
You live in such a beautiful location Nicole! Stunning scenery. I really like this dress on you, it’s actually not that bright a blue, and so I don’t think it stands out as being ‘not you’, if you see what I mean? I could see it working with brown boots also in the colder months, and as it has a collar you could layer a neutral coloured sweater over the top with the collar sticking out, and then you’d only see half that expanse of colour.
I have quite a few problem items in my closet. I keep trying with them, but eventually sometimes I have to let one or two go. I have the opposite problem to you in that I love colours, and I have a few neutral coloured items that just don’t feel as ‘me’. It’s all in the accessories though! x
September 21, 2017 @ 2:36 pm
I really like your idea of pairing the dress with brown boots and it just so happens that I own a pair!
And, bright colours are definitely very “you”! I always expect to see you in brights and patterns. It appears we have the complete opposite of wardrobe difficulties! 🙂
September 21, 2017 @ 6:45 am
Well I love this dress and am happy you chose not to part with it. Should you need to in the future I will happily take it off your hands ; )
I have some garments that don’t make me feel as good about myself as I’d like and those are my problem pieces. Sometimes I love them enough to keep hanging onto them hoping that somehow I will magically drop 15 lbs. Other times I just choose to sell or donate them and I actually feel lighter when I do.
Funny enough having my Etsy store has reduced my need to keep pieces.
I would have styled this dress exactly as you have done here. It looks wonderful.
bisous
suzanne
September 21, 2017 @ 2:38 pm
It can be so freeing to finally rid yourself of those pieces that are just not working, no matter how hard you try to keep them! And when it comes right down to it, it doesn’t matter what it looks like- if it’s not making you feel great about yourself, it’s time to pass it on. That’s funny how having a shop makes you let go of pieces easier- but it’s probably because you see them going to new loving homes?
Thanks for your comment Suzanne, and for your stamp of approval on how I styled the dress too! 🙂
September 21, 2017 @ 2:15 pm
Well I think that is one adorable dress and I would wear it in a heartbeat! It looks just perfect how you accessorized it. The warm brown tones are very complementary to the turquoise in the print. And the beautiful field you photographed in is a stunning backdrop to this outfit.
My closet would probably horrify you, there is such a mix of colors, prints, eras, styles. I can’t seem to get a cohesive mix at all because there are just too many things I like! This just means I need to have lots of supporting pieces, either accessories or basics, that can work with a multitude of garments.
Theresa
http://www.vintagestylefiles.com
September 21, 2017 @ 2:44 pm
Thanks so much Theresa for your lovely comment!
And I don’t think your closet would horrify me- an abundance of colours and prints work well too! 🙂 You are totally right- the key to patterns and colours, is the need for basics that go with everything! More “filler pieces” is what I am working towards with my own wardrobe.
September 21, 2017 @ 6:21 pm
I am glad you decided to keep that dress, it is lovely. It is very becoming on you.
Marilyn
September 21, 2017 @ 9:43 pm
Thanks so much for your sweet comment Marilyn!
September 22, 2017 @ 3:21 am
It is a beautiful dress, and I’m glad you found a way to make it work for you. Sometimes it seems like my whole wardrobe is problem garments! But I think that I’m expanding my comfort zone with time and finding more ways to make things work. I too would love a cohesive wardrobe, but there are some special pieces that I will probably never part with! (And if I had more closet space I wouldn’t mind so much)
September 23, 2017 @ 12:24 am
Haha- I am with you there on closet space! If there was more space to keep those things you never wear, without feeling guilty because they are using up valuable space, it wouldn’t seem so bad 😉 It is nice to keep those special pieces though, even if you don’t wear them often.
September 24, 2017 @ 3:09 am
Beautiful photos and a great move to try again with this dress! It works so well worn with simple accessories, it really is a whole look that doesn’t need anything more. I’m in awe of your jumping photo – I don’t think I’ll ever nail that one!!
September 26, 2017 @ 10:49 pm
Haha- thanks! I have tried many times and never succeeded at getting a jumping photo, until this time I thought I’d try again and ended up with one where I didn’t look terribly awkward 🙂
And thank-you for your comment on the dress- I’m so glad I decided to keep it after all.
September 26, 2017 @ 1:59 pm
I like the simple accessories with this dress and it is a lovely colour. Great scenary too!
September 26, 2017 @ 10:50 pm
I agree- we have pretty great scenery where I live 🙂 And thank-you for your comment, Kate-Em! I am so glad I decided to keep the dress after all. Sometimes simplicity is what is needed in an outfit.
October 2, 2017 @ 3:52 am
This really is a lovely dress! And to Have styled it beautifully! I think we all have a dress in our wardrobe that is nice, but just doesn’t get worn. Great tips on pulling it out to wear!
October 12, 2017 @ 6:59 pm
I’m so glad you enjoyed my tips and found them to be useful! One of the hard parts about vintage style, I think, is not in finding/sewing/accumulating many wonderful things to wear- but in actually wearing them! 🙂