To begin with, we are going to focus on some ways that you can revamp your wardrobe for the coming year in some (hopefully) inexpensive ways. I don't know about you, but I always get the "new clothes" itch after Christmas and that's generally when funds are tight (not to mention my existing wardrobe...thank you, Christmas indulgence!), so this year I'm taking a creative approach to scratching that itch. Here are some things to look forward to:
1) Shopping your closet--how to reinvent items you already have in new ways (and encouragement to rid yourself of items you don't need anymore).
2) Choosing your personal neutral
3) How to measure yourself/fit a new bra--a fabulous guest post by a young lady who used to work at Dillards and KNOWS what she's talking about!
4) The evolution of your personal style
Today, I'm going to focus on the second topic--choosing your personal neutral.
Now, I know that most folks would classify the term "neutral" as anything but ambiguous: it means a color that meshes well with other colors, that doesn't stand out on it's own, that blends colors together or serves as a bridge between two bolder colors. I'll bet that when I wrote "neutral", you all thought of beige. ;) The truth is, we all have our own "personal neutral" that works with our own style in a unique way.
For instance: my personal neutrals are purple (any darker shade) and chartreuse. I can pair these colors with almost any item in my wardrobe and it will work. Granted, sometimes I like to add other colors alongside these to make the outfit "click", but these are my go-to neutrals. I have tanks and camis in both colors that I wear under just about any of my dresses, shirts and sweaters to make my personal statement. I also have the traditional white, black and gray tanks as well, but they're not nearly as much fun to wear. ;)
So, how do you choose your personal neutral? Well, the fact of the matter is, it's probably already chosen you! Accessories are probably the best place to spot your neutral, so take a glance through your jewelry box, scarf collection and purses. Generally speaking, your neutral is probably some shade or variation of your favorite color.
If all you see in your jewelry box is gold or silver, all of your scarves are gray and all of your purses are black, then you get the fun task of actually choosing your neutral! Here are some quick rules:
1) Glance through your wardrobe; do you see a predominance of black or brown? If black, you can choose red, purple, blue, green, pink, cream or gray (though the last two are definitely neutral neutrals, so choose a secondary color as well) to accent with. If brown, you can choose any of the colors above along with orange and yellow. Of course, these are not hard-and-fast rules and they are made to be broken!
2) Are your clothes typically bright colors? Choose a lower-toned neutral. Do quieter colors dominate your wardrobe? Go with a neutral that is fun and bright to spice things up.
3) Once you have chosen your color (and it might take a while, so be patient) experiment with saturations and shade...if blue is your neutral, try turquoise with your browns and royal with your blacks. Or reverse them! The main thing is, have fun with your neutrals.
Now that you know what color you'd choose for your neutral, head over to the nearest clothing store and purchase a couple of tanks or camisoles in that color (but try not to get the same shade--variety is the spice of life!). Even if you don't normally wear a tank underneath your shirts, this is a great way to introduce a secondary color and give your wardrobe a shot in the arm. And the next time you're out shopping and think, "This could use a black cami underneath..." remember your personal neutral and try that first. It could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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