Tighten Your Belt

  Last night, I was heading to another of Ted's opening night parties  and I had nothing to wear! 

Okay, I have plenty to wear but I was in one of those moods.  You know the feeling.  Flipping through my dresses, I didn't feel like wearing something I'd worn before.  I mean, who wants to show up on Playbill.com in the same outfit more than once?  On the other hand, now is not the time to be spending money on new clothes.

It was obviously time to experiment with putting things together in a new way.   So many things have come back in style (the thrifter's dream!) but what items from days of yore can be reworked and what should we let fade into nostalgia?

I worked for a wardrobe supervisor at college one summer and I remember her talking about the 60's retro revival at the time.  "If you were able to wear it the first time around, you're too old to wear it when it comes back in style."  Doris did teach me how to sew a professional hem, God rest her soul, but I beg to differ on her style advice.  You just have to know what you can get away with.

RETRO STYLES TO AVOID:

shoulder pads

too much matchy matchy

pure polyester, unless the print and style are just too hard to resist...

REUSE IF IT FITS:

skinny jeans

cuffed or cropped boots

tall boots (no square heels or toes), high heel or low heel

large geometric earrings

bangs

multiple bracelets

oversized movie star sunglasses

costume jewelry

leggings and legwarmers (not for the faint at heart, and even harder to pull off if you're over thirty)

oversized sweaters

pencil skirts

tab collar or tie sash collar flowing blouses, look for gathers at the yoke and sleeves

layers

oversized belts

Yes, the belt is back!  And it's a great way to add a fresh look to wardrobe staples.  It's a hard one for me to get used to again, especially since low rise jeans have put the emphasis away from the real waist for so long.  It feels strange to have something cinched around my middle and I can't help but feel I'm breaking up the line.   You know, the line you try to create, the illusion of the hourglass...  But I'm branching out! Patent leather is a great look this fall and sometimes I'll even layer two belts, one over the other.  If I don't feel like I have the perfect belt, I'll throw on three at a time and knot them instead of buckle them.  It gives a great layered look with boots. Even a scarf can act as a belt, tied on like an obie or a cummerbund.  Give it a try.   Go ahead tighten your belt!  

So the outfit I wore last night (pictured above) consisted of things I already had in my closet: 

 

brown leather boots I found at Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg for 25 dollars

a grey wool and spandex pencil skirt that I took in on the sides for 8 dollars

(try it on inside out and pin, undo the hem and waistband if needed, then sew and re-hem)

a violet 80's blouse that I darted in the waist, front and back, and shortened the long sleeves to the cap sleeves for 5 dollars

vintage necklace and bracelet from Love Saves the Day in the Village for 8 dollars

Grandma's earrings

a long brown wool trench that I found at the, you guessed it, Salvation Army Coat Sale for 30 dollars

a big brown belt, cinched tight, of course, from Salvation Army for 2 dollars

A stylish new outfit to wear to Ted's opening night party:  Seventy Eight Dollars.

Getting the chance to be inspired by my husband's acting once again:  Priceless.