DORÉ

When I read Garance’s post about “the bad outfit” a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t stop laughing because it resonated so much with me. I guess that’s one of the beautiful things about Garance’s writing, she gives a voice to those little vulnerable moments that we all can relate to, and lets us joke around about them.

As I sit here writing this text for you, it’s the second day of the circus that we like to call New York Fashion Week. I’ve been working in fashion editorial for a couple of years now so I’ve attended quite a few of these shindigs. Throughout the course of my week-long fashion adventures, I have worn many, MANY “bad outfits”.

It starts with that little voice inside of my head. “Everyone is going to be dressed up, that outfit is way too boring,” it whispers to me. “Did you see how cool *insert trendy editor here* looked in her *insert trendy item here* yesterday? All the photographers were taking her picture. You should wear something like THAT,” it continues. On and on, the little voice would nudge me. Soon, my heels and my ridiculous outfit would be thumping down the stairs of my walk-up apartment.

I don’t begrudge the courageous people who take fashion risks or wear wild outfits, I admire them! It’s just that as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that I simply am not one of them. The problem with my fancy fashion week get-ups wasn’t that they were too bold or too bright, it’s that they simply were not ME. I’m a girl who likes to keep it classic and comfortable, and that can be just as cool.

Once I started to take ownership of my personal style, things got much easier. I love basics– jeans, t-shirts, a good pair of pants, a classic trench. Ask any of my coworkers or friends and they’ll tell you that’s what they see me wearing every day. I’ve learned that for me these simple, essential pieces are enough to build a wardrobe out of, and that’s why I wanted to share this fashion story. If you need a palette cleanser, or a guide to dressing simply, I hope you’ll get some ideas from these pictures. Trends are fun and inspiring but sometimes, cool classics are all you need to make a look.

Jacket, Rejina Pyo; Tank, For Days; Pants, PSWL; Sneakers, Common Projects; Earrings and Rings, Ursa Major

Blazer, Tibi; Shirt, Vince; Jeans, NEED; Earring, SVNR; Sneakers, Veja

Trench, PSWL; Jeans, FEEL Studio, T-Shirt, NEED; Sneakers, Veja; Earring, SVNR, Bracelets and Blue Ring, Aurelie Bidermann; Watch, Hermes; Silver and Gold Rings, Ursa Major

T-Shirt, NEED; Pants, Vintage; Sneakers, Common Projects

Blazer and Pants, Paris Georgia Basics; T-Shirt, Frame; Earrings, Aurelie Bidermann; Sneakers, Common Projects