clothes, Why this works

Why This Works

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The time has come for something new on The Spiff.

It’s a fresh segment I’m going to call, “Why This Works”.

I’ll show you a picture of an outfit and tell you… (audience shouts back) Why! This! Works!
Or in some cases, Why This Doesn’t Work.

In doing so, I think it will help pass on little tips and tricks to putting together good outfits that will make you feel your best, which is pretty much what we’re all about here at The Spiff.

To start off this mind bogglingly good idea, I think a little pattern mixing is in order.

Pictured below is a mesh of pattern mixing and color pairing that’s a little out of the ordinary. “Army green with stripes and leopard? Isn’t that a bit much?”, you say.

No, I say!

And here’s….Why! This! Works! (if only I could get that crowd in my head to record a sound bite out loud)

1. Treat army green like a neutral. Especially one this muted (and by that I mean not so GREEN). It will open up new possibilities in your closet if you’ll treat this color as a kaki or gray. Try it.

2. Stripes are also now days pretty neutral in the fact that you can pair them with almost anything-including other patterns. My favorite thing to pair it with is leopard. It’s so fresh and new looking, I love it!

3. Just the stripes and the jacket alone would make this outfit ok. But what I think takes it over the edge and pulls it all together in peaceful harmony is the leopard belt. What the belt does is pull the gold from the jacket’s hardware and merges it fluidly with the striped shirt by being a smaller pattern than the stripes and just clash-y enough.

Paired with some little gold earrings (no necklace that would be too much) and black pants (and even a leopard shoe to give it one more interesting note) and you’ve got yourself a slammin’ look (although leave out the use of “slammin'” when you’re wearing it as that would take away from your beauty).

One more thing, this jacket didn’t come with a belt for the outside, nor does it have belt loops. But after cinching it together I realized there was a space just screaming for a belt! Pay attention to your jackets and empty spaces like that. A little skinny belt like that can liven up the oldest of jackets!

Everything you see here, by the way, was purchased at Forever21.

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clothes, spring

Dear Spring,

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Let me start by saying, I’m not your biggest fan. But it’s not your fault. It’s Summers fault. You are the precursor to a seaon I’ve had my fill of, and the curtain that closes my second season love-Winter.

No hard feelings, though. You do a marvelous job of making everything look so lovely and cheery outside. The dogwoods and tullips are a nice touch and I greatly adore them.

For the white flowers that fall so dreamily from the trees, I say thanks, for they keep the memory of snow alive.

This year I’ve taken steps to be excited about your arrival. I’ve purchased clothes that will help me ring you in with joy. Specifically two skirts that I admittedly can’t get my mind off of, and will help me create so many looks that are Spring worthy and beyond.

Spring, if you were a person and not a season (that’s not even deemed worthy of capitalization), I would sit and chat with you outside (because of the gorgeous weather you’ve brought) and tell you how JC Penny has the greatest clothes now, and it’s there that I got my two favorite spring skirts.

I’d also mention that when I first saw them I decided to wait till they went on sale, and sure enough about a week later, I got two skirts for the original price of one.

I’d tell you all of that, but then I would look like a crazy person sitting outside talking to myself or saying things into the wind.

So I thought I’d write you this note to say welcome. Thanks for being the (second) greatest season change. It’s nice to transition into some fresh looks, lighter nights, and prettier days.

Spring, I think this is going to be your best work yet.

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clothes

Casual Fridays Done Right

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If yours is a casual Friday kind of office, then yay! That’s a great opportunity to give your “office clothes” a break, and put your cute weekend clothes to work.

When I say “cute weekend clothes” I don’t mean the t-shirt that’s three sizes too large either.  Use Fridays as a way to put together cute and comfortable outfits that you can potentially use while running errands on Saturdays.

That’s what I do.  Somehow putting together a casual outfit is wildly more difficult then a night on the town for me, so I get my practice on Fridays figuring out what works and sometimes knowing by lunch time-what doesn’t.

A few key pieces to have that make it a lot easier to put these types of outfits together are:
First, tailored hoodies.  A tailored hoodie is much different from a normal one in that it gives you more shape and looks less like you’re in the middle of a Lifetime movie marathon.  Look for well structured shoulders and a mid section that curves inward (like this one from JC Penny!).

Causal flats are another good thing to have in your arsenal. Just because it’s casual Fridays doesn’t mean it’s the one time of the week to bust out your Nike’s. Start looking for cuter shoes that fall in the “comfortable yet cute enough to wear to the movies and not be embarrassed if you run into someone you know” category.  These are so easy to find, and you’ll love it once you get a pair that’s so You!

And what’s always good to have any time of year, for any occasion are a ton of basic shirts-in every color under the sun.  These shirts will help you not just on Fridays, but everyday ending in Y.  They’ll give you a good foundation for layering and look casual, but still put together at the end of the week.

Comfortable doesn’t have to mean slouchy-people!
Keep the confidence going strong with some good weekend clothes and you’ll be cruising cute allll the time!

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clothes, goals

My 1 Closet Resolution

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You may think I’m reheating old January posts this week, talking about goals and resolutions and what not. But au contraire, my friends.
I feel as if February is the perfect time to set realistic goals that you can break down and actually keep, rather than the ones you set in the high of a new year fresh off the holidays.

So what are you closet goals this year?

I’ll tell you one of mine: to buy less black. Notice I didn’t say wear less black, I said buy less black (geez, I’m not an animal).

I’ve found that too often my default purchase is black or gray, and I’d like to change that. Last year a friend bought me a pinkish/red sweater for my birthday. It’s a color I probably wouldn’t have grabbed (because I would have gone for the black), but you know it’s totally woken up other pieces in my closet and I love it.

Because of that, I’m starting to realize too often I play it safe with “neutral” colors that I get to go with everything but end up looking like nothing fancy. Then when I get dressed and start craving color I have very little to pick from.

Therefore my goal from now till the end of spring is to buy no black! (Now that one fancy black jacket I got at TJ Maxx a couple weeks ago TOTALLY doesn’t count because it was like 150,000% off ;)

What are your clothing goals?
Do you notice one thing your closet is deficient in?
Be real with yourself, what could you use more of? Print? Neutrals?
Think of those times when you can’t find something to wear, what’s at the heart of that frustration?

If you need help with this, you can always email me at thespiffblog@gmail.com
Let’s set some good closet goals to get this to be our best dressed year yet!

Have a spiffy weekend everybody!

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clothes, sweater

My Snuggie Sweater

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On a cold rainy day such as this one, I reach for one thing (well too if you count my Uggs) a sweater that’s as close to a snuggie as I can get without being embarrassed to go out in public.

One of the 100,000 reasons I love fall/winter the most because on a rainy day in winter you can dress all cozy and still be cute. In the summer cozy and cute translates to sweats and that translates to, “we need to have a talk about your clothes.”

My two favorite sweaters to wear on days like today are the big/waterfall kind that cascade down in layers of-what I tell myself is my comforter which makes it easy to get and stay out of bed in the mornings.

You should think about getting a sweater like this. Or just any article of clothing you can go to on a day when you know every fiber of your being is going to want to lounge. Buy something you can secretly lounge in, but to the world reads-I’ve got it all pulled together and don’t I look cute!?

These types of pieces help tremendously lift your spirits and get you excited about cozy, rainy cold days. It doesn’t take much to get me excited on those days (I love weather that makes you happy to be indoors), but it just sky rockets my happiness when I can take the comfort with me where ever I go.

This is my cold/rainy uniform, so I’m sure to buy a sweater much like this one whenever I see it on sale, so that I can switch it up while still feeling comfortable. You should too!

It’s a blanket with sleeves, that doesn’t make you look like a lazy monk! :)

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