What to Wear When: Color Isn't Your Thing

Here's a solution: ...make it your thing.

Only about two years ago, color freaked me out, even so much to the point that I didn't want to be near it. Why invest in a piece of clothing that's far too flashy if it won't match with the rest of my wardrobe? When I bought a pair of shoes, I'd immediately go for black, and when looking at the general palette of my closet, it would be a mix of neutrals, muted blues, and maybe some pastel pinks and rusty oranges. Primary colors were practically nonexistent. But, as all styles change, especially through our coming-of-age stories, bright hues soon became a staple of my sartorial life.

Was it because I was simply exhausted from making up for the lack of color in my wardrobe with bright lipstick (and frankly, pieces that just did not fit my style whatsoever)?

Or was it this new surge in obsessing over Instagram influencers who were themselves obsessing over summer and the colors that followed the trend of #lovesummerhateeverythingelse?

The second sounds convincing, as there lies a whole bunch of photographic evidence:

This is my "Wellness" shirt

A post shared by Leandra (Medine) Cohen (@leandramcohen) on Jun 30, 2017 at 9:26am PDT

You could choose to wear one color in the form of lavender pants paired with some neutrals (if you count a white button-up embellished with fruits and veggies as a neutral),

kick it 🆙 because two dresses are better than one 💃 for @refinery29 @r29fashion pics by @jordantiberio @meganmadden link in bioooo #AlyssaShowsYouHow

A post shared by alyssa coscarelli (@alyssainthecity) on May 8, 2018 at 5:48am PDT

you could try TWO bright colors on top of the other, because two is better than one,

My second favorite fluid ☕️☕️☕️

A post shared by Fanny Ekstrand (@fannyekstrand) on May 13, 2018 at 3:04am PDT

or you could go with one color scheme (red in this case), but splay it across your entire 'fit.


No matter how I got here, I got here. The girl terrified of color has transformed into one who embraces it through and through. While I've resolved my fear, I know many haven't. Instead of introducing color into your wardrobe like a tsunami, it's best to do it in waves. One piece at a time! It's just like getting a haircut—if you have long locks and want to go full-on pixie, it feels a hell of a lot less scary to do it in phases (take me, for example). The same goes with color—if you slowly introduce the trend into your everyday wear, soon, you'll become the human version of a rainbow. Just in time for Pride month!

So! To show you all how to do this, I decided to revert back to my 18-year-old self and start from the beginning. I did exactly what I am telling you all to do now—start slowly.

More photographic evidence below:

Jacket and jeans are vintage (jeans from The Break). Bodysuit by American Apparel (rip). Mules by & Other Stories.

To put it simply, all you have to do to dive into the world of color is to wear color. Who knew!

In all seriousness, it only requires taking one piece that's bold (bright red, cobalt blue, gen Z yellow) and pairing it with neutrals. In a way, this makes the 'fit more interesting, as everyone's eyes go directly to that one piece. The rest hardly even matters, since people will be too busy staring at the singular piece of color. It's easier than you think!

In my case, I made sure to focus on the statement piece, which was this one bright red brocade jacket I discovered at my local thrift store (also handmade and stitched in Hong Kong in the 1950s, if you were curious). I crafted my outfit around this item, which is the trick to working with color—my favorite pair of vintage jeans, a simple black bodysuit, and my go-to summer shoes quickly fell into place. If the jacket were black, I'd be extremely bored and on my way to a business casual meeting. But instead, the red makes me look ready for anything. Isn't red the color of power? No wonder a red lip is the fastest way to immediately boost one's confidence. And the same goes for adding a touch of color to your look—I have a strong feeling it's scientifically linked to increasing your mood. 

Is it just me? 

Maybe it is. But what I do know is that you'll look a hell of a lot more exciting. That's all that really matters, no?

All photos shot by Tori.

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What to Wear When: You Dream of Summer for 14 Months Straight

Six more months, y'all.

It's been a few weeks after spending an entire post pining over the beauty that is summer, where I constantly rewatched '80s summer gay love stories over and over again to cope, and I'm still pining over summer. When will this end?! We're in the midst of winter where going out without a knee-length (or longer) coat and blanket scarf is not feasible, or possible, for that matter, yet I still dream of open-toed mules and breezy shirts and actually having to shave my legs so I can wear that midi wrap dress or that mini dress covered in cherries. I actually want to shave my legs! Now that's really saying something, coming from someone who hasn't touched a razor in months. Waiting for six months is just depressing, watching summer flicks to cope becomes futile after watch #7, but maybe working summer details into your winter 'fit is the perfect compromise. Want summer so badly but it's only January? Why not try both!

Shirt by Urban Outfitters (I like this one better though). Pants are Dickies by Urban Outfitters. Boots by Zara. Necklace by Mejuri. Coat by Madewell.

Although it makes the most sense to do the whole transitioning between seasons thing when a transition between seasons actually exists, you can fake it 'til you make it, especially when the weather feels like a transition in itself. As I type this, it is currently below freezing with harsh winds, making this outfit impossible to work today. But only three days ago, it was just below 50 and sunny! Although I despise this erratic weather, aka climate change, it comes in handy when you want to test the waters of summer for one day. Obviously 50 degrees isn't 80, meaning I couldn't jump head-first into summer clothing. Legs had to be covered; a coat had to be involved. So how exactly did I test drive summer when a coat was involved?

Incorporating summer into a winter outfit is actually really easy. The key is to look for things you admire about summer and restructure them to work for winter. Thanks to Call Me by Your Name, I would like to wear a breezy short-sleeved button-down for the rest of my life, unbuttoned most of the way, partially tucked into cut-offs or maybe even tied at the waist. I couldn't pull off shorts in January, but I could pull off the top—I found this oversized men's button-down from Urban Outfitters, of all places, that also happens to have sketches of naked women displayed all over the shirt. Probably meant to be styled by some dude-bro, unbuttoned all the way with a white tee under paired with baggy jeans and Vans, but I continued to purchase it because I imagined all of the outfits I could create with it that did not resemble the aforementioned dude-bro look. Instead, I tied it at the waist, added my new favorite jewelry brand's layered choker for a touch of feminine, and paired them with light pink Dickies, a staple I wore all summer long in 2017.  I typically would pair them with mules, but instead I went for my favorite red boots—still perfect for winter, but something about the color and exciting style screamed summer. And voila! There you have a perfect winter/summer 'fit, which I thought was an impossible pairing until I did some experimenting. 

If you want to feel more like you belong in winter, add a coat of any flavor; I chose my favorite classic wool one from Madewell so I wouldn't take away from the summer vibes, but would still keep warm. Strip that baby off when you're indoors to show off that you did, in fact, pull off a summer 'fit when there's still two more months left of winter. Congratulate yourself! And hopefully feel a little less desperate for summer. Maybe this will make things worse; having a taste of summer but not getting the real thing makes people long for it more, no?

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What to Wear When: The Cherry Blossoms Have Bloomed

I've never been more excited for a season, well, ever.

Because flowers make everything so much more fun! Being able to live in the city that's famous for this ~wonder of nature~ makes one of the best seasons that much more enjoyable. Unless you have allergies.

Here are some alternate titles for spring to get you excited:

• The Less Is More season
• The Return of the Bees
• That Season When White Clothing is Accepted by Societal Norms
• The Season of Groundbreaking Florals
• The "Pajamas are In" Season (according to NYFW's predictions)

Leave other suggestions in the comments below, if you wish.

So yes! Spring is actually here! Even if the weather sometimes likes to tease us with a sunny 75 degrees and immediately drops to 40 and rainy the next day, I've officially decided to put away my turtlenecks and oversized coats and pull out open toed shoes, garments that reveal my freshly shaven legs (yes, I shaved for this occasion!), and investment pieces that make this season so much simpler, even though it's already simple enough. I want easy pieces that make getting dressed in the morning a fun activity, not a task, like, maybe this blush coverall jumpsuit, these pleated accordion pants, or this reformation dress that matches my favorite Glossier lipstick shade (Generation G in Zip, if you were curious). And maybe pair all of the above with pastel pink slides? Lately, I've been straying away from feminine pieces–I can't remember the last time I wore a flared skirt or heels, unless those heels are paired with black denim. But now the cherry blossoms make me want to do the opposite! I want more pink items, more items that don't involve a crotch (weirdly worded, I know), more pieces that have ruffles and frills and details that just scream femininity. I want pieces that also make me look good while napping under these cherry blossoms trees, as seen here:

study break: napping under the cherry blossoms

A post shared by Natalie Geisel (@fracturedaesthetic) on Mar 29, 2017 at 4:18pm PDT

Not featured: me getting extremely awkward tan lines due to my bandana bracelet and v-neck dress

Below are two ways that showcase this ~new style~ that truly reveal this strange mood that can only be encapsulated by the above Instagram post.

1. When You Love the Cherry Blossoms so Much That You Literally Want to Become One:

 

Dress, loafer mules, and sunglasses by Madewell (can you tell I'm a sales associate there?). Bandana used as a bracelet is thrifted. 

In my first attempt at spring 2017, I took a literal approach and did the florals thing. Groundbreaking, am I right? 

Sorry. I had to. 

But I match the flowers right above my head! It seemed more than fitting, considering this is my first spring being surrounded by the thing that attracts so many tourists. Luckily, this is a fairly simple approach: wear absolutely anything with florals. Investment pieces like this Madewell wrap dress that resembles Reformation's warm weather aesthetic work especially well, considering the flowers on it actually do resemble the pale pink cherry blossoms. I decided to tie a vintage neck scarf (which I thrifted in Seattle!) around my wrist because I'm trying to break my neck scarf habit, and this way I can still have my fix without actually covering my lovely collar bones. Kind of like those Nicotine patches? I then slid on my loafer slides, a style of shoe that should become the official shoe of spring because they're just that easy (and not too summer-y like open toed slides), and only three steps later, my first spring lewk was complete. Where's my "That Was Easy" button?

2. When You Don't Want to Change Your Androgynous Personal Style Completely but Also Want a Touch of Feminine:

Tank and Denim Jacket by Madewell. Pants are thrifted (or find some similar ones here). Clogs by Anthropologie.

Even though it's technically spring and pants season is long gone, the weather the day after my cherry blossom nap dropped about 20 degrees, so I knew covering my legs would be a necessity. But that doesn't have to mean jeans! I got these Dana Scully-esque trousers that used to go past my toes before I found a pair of scissors while thrifting in Seattle, and they're perfect for this in limbo transition–they still do the same job of pants, but its thin material and ankle-revealing properties make them a perfect spring pant. So even if it is 70 degrees, these babies are your best bet if you can't seem to hop off the pants train. As I said earlier, this new season has only made me crave more feminine styles, so to emasculate the look, I paired them with a red sweater tank, also similar to my favorite Generation G shade, and my blush clogs, which exactly resemble the tint of those cherry blossoms (and Glossier's Cloud Paint in puff, I suppose?). This is a nice way to ~transition~ into spring if you're not really into floral prints or ruffle hemlines because that peep of shoulder and ankle (and arm and chest and foot, for that matter) prove that the sun is about to be out for good. Because denim should be the official layering fabric of spring, I wrapped my arms and shoulders in my new collarless denim jacket (from Madewell, of course) to change things up a bit–collared jackets seem so last season. Minutes after taking these photos, I realized I should have definitely worn socks with these clogs; I guess I got a little too excited for the new season. 

Are any of you guys amazed that I haven't used a spring pun yet? Well, time to end that shock, because spring has officially sprung.

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What to Wear When: It's Holiday Party Season

But you really don't feel like wearing a cocktail dress or sparkly tights or pumps or, God forbid, anything that will show your hairy winter legs.


Or, in other terms, it's also finals season so your effort to get dressed in the morning has drastically decreased, and this lack of effort also applies to these infamous holiday parties. Let me first ask: why do these parties exist? Sometimes presents are exchanged but other times they are not and they only consist of christmas lights; holiday tunes (or, nowadays, Hamilton??); well-dressed people conversing about their pets, feminism, or the election; and a lot of picture taking (polaroids are a must!). They really are just like any other Dull Adult Party™, but a stigma surrounds the huge cluster of them: you have to look your best. Similar to the rules for any other party, but heightened to a certain level that seems almost impossible, and that is romanticized by Instagram because let's face it: no one really looks this good in real life:

In a year from now I won't remember how bloated I felt from eating everything in sight, I'll remember how freaking amazing the food tasted 👌🏻 #eatingEverythingInSight @jimmychoo #chootravels 📷 @katcollings

A photo posted by Courtney Trop (@alwaysjudging) on Nov 7, 2016 at 2:56am PST

Photo from Courtney Trop's Instagram, or the fashion/music blogger in charge of Always Judging

Apart from the ~deep analysis~ of how social media really screws us over for achieving our most desired looks (I've definitely been watching too much Black Mirror (season 3, episode 1, if anyone is interested)), holiday parties are difficult and sometimes more work than it's worth. Kind of like wearing a full face of makeup that you're not even comfortable in -- was it really worth it?

But parties should be fun! It's Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate), there shouldn't be this upsetting stigma around the most wonderful time of the year!

I'm here to change that (as I always am with every fashion dilemma I stumble upon). I'll make a fantasy where pants are acceptable and you're allowed to cover both your arms and neck, and you can still reclaim your ~holiday charm~ while most of your body is covered. It's cold!!!

When you've been stress eating because finals so you can't comfortably wear that tight dress, and sweats are the only solution:

Joggers by Anthropologie. Turtleneck by Asos. Tank by Urban Outfitters (or try this beaded one). Boots by Topshop.

Photos shot by Maddie.

I'd like to make a claim and state that fancy joggers are the definition of 2016. Who knew they even existed? Designers were probably observing the mess that is this year (19 more days until this cursed year is over, btw), and they decided it would be best to make sweatpants acceptable in public, and even in high fashion, because everyone is so over 2016 that we can only reside to sweats to get through the day. So commence the fancy sweats! Maybe try silk ones, or chiffon, or even velvet, a.k.a. the fabric of this year. Velvet seems so fitting for a holiday party! The holiday party I attended in 2015 incorporated me wearing a velvet turtleneck LBD, shown here:

velvet + turtlenecks are all I need this holiday season (follow @fracturedaesthetic to read more about this!!) #AsSeenOnMe #asos

A photo posted by natalie (@nataliegeisel) on Dec 17, 2015 at 12:34pm PST

                             

                              Photo from my personal Instagram (follow it along with @fracturedaesthetic if you'd like!).

which seems more suitable than sweatpants, of all clothing items, but I decided it was time to switch things up and stay true to the inner comfort in me. So I slipped on my new pair of velvet joggers that literally feel like pajamas (my writing professor even asked me if I ever forgot to take them off before going to bed), and felt, well, unready to attend a party. But that doesn't mean I didn't look the part! Something about velvet fixes every conflict -- how can it not when it literally feels like a cloud? I squeezed on a tight black turtleneck because this seems to always be part of my outfit template when it gets cold outside, and to ~fancify~ it I layered a red eyelet tank to give a shout out to Christmas with half of the holiday colors and to add unnecessary layers that seem to go along with the party season. I finished the look with black ankle boots, gold heel and all, to make yet another shoutout to the holiday but to also make sweats even more sophisticated. Looks like it worked, and I didn't even actually wear this to a holiday party. Hopefully it will come to good use when (if??) I go to one in the next 13 days. Maybe New Year's??

When your Levi's have been glued to your body and you can't seem to peel them off just to go to a holiday party:

alt girls + L.A. boy ready for the holiday season

A photo posted by natalie (@nataliegeisel) on Dec 10, 2016 at 9:26am PST

Top by Zara (or try this other Zara blouse). Turtleneck by Asos . Levi's jeans by Anthropologie. Bracelet by Madewell.

Photo from my personal Instagram.

Ever since I bought my first pair of Levi's two weeks ago they have been literally stuck on my body, like they're the only saving grace I have to get me through the rest of this semester. So how does one go about when their obsession with their new jeans has not yet died, but they have a party to attend at 9?
Keep
Them
On.
I'm creating a world where pants are acceptable at holiday parties, remember? Just like the previous outfit, I opted for a skintight turtleneck because it's cold and it seems to be the best base layer for events like this. I did the unnecessary layering thing again but instead went for an even more extra top to make up up for the casual jeans, and as for the shoes? You can use your imagination here because they're obviously not shown in the above picture (where I actually attended a holiday party!). The above boots that I wore with the joggers would work perfectly here, but also these clogs with these socks would work just as well. 

Or we could throw all of these ideas away and just wear tacky holiday sweaters. Is that too overdone?

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What to Wear When: Tights Feel like Mini Prison Cells

I broke No-Shave November for this!

It's that time of year when there are two options for your legs: tights or jeans. We all know jeans are dead (bitter sweet about this concept; jeans are also another form of leg prison), and tights just feel so, well, unappealing right now. Is it our desire to rebel against the cold and let our bare legs suffer out in the open?

To break fashion norms and release our hot dogs into the wild?

Or is it just because tights give us that weird line right above our belly button that is a) unflattering and b) the last thing anyone wants to deal with and c) an inconvenience when eating pizza.

Most will say they risk the well-being of their legs due to my first excuse, but we really all know it's because of the second. Reasoning aside, tights are no fun. Are they even considered stylish anymore? I wore them for 15 years under a leotard several times a week, and ever since I stopped this routine, I can't get myself to slip them on. Not slip, but tug and pull and struggle. They've become an inconvenience, no longer a fashionable warming technique.

So do we just get rid of them altogether? Let our legs freeze in the tundra* when we don't want to wear jeans or those weird pants that don't count as jeans that only really cool people own (not including myself)?

The simple answer is: yes. Suffer through it. You will survive (beauty is pain!!).

The complex answer is:

Dress by Madewell (similar here). Turtleneck by J. Crew. Clogs by Anthropologie. Bracelet and socks by Madewell.

It's called overcompensation. What lacks on your legs goes on your feet or your arms or your neck! This works super well for turtleneck enthusiasts like me or people who are fans of socks. I almost cheated and wore thigh highs instead of these, but covering 3/4 of your legs vs. 1/10 completely defeats the purpose. We're here to free our legs (can this become the new Free the Nipple campaign?). I covered my neck and arms with my favorite tissue turtleneck (sidenote: what an investment!! I'm about to buy the same one in five different colors) and this flannel shirt-dress that someone told me looked like pajamas today but then I told them that technically pajamas are so in in high fashion right now. I wore socks with clogs instead of chelsea boots because this whole project made me want to try new things -- I feel like fashion is evolving a lot right now. Is this just me? 

Styling bare legs in late November should be enough to prove that fashion is, in fact, evolving. Despite the cold, the lack of tights felt liberating. My legs were free!

* The "tundra" in D.C. today was 60 degrees... this experiment would work better if global warming wasn't real.

Photos shot by Maddie.

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