# Alright Ladies...I Finally Admit I Need Help...



## LessThanAnn (Apr 22, 2009)

Okay, so here we go....For the last 2 1/2 years I've been finally caring about my appearance...When I was in High School I was into that whole Goth scene, so all I wore was band tees and those huge pants with the chains on them...lol. So then after I moved back to MA I got into the graphic tee, jeans, and sneakers thing...but now that I'm 22 I want to start dressing a little more trendy and a little more mature. 

I'm 145 lbs and 5'5 ( and a fourth...we all need an extra fourth! Lol!) But yeah...thats really my specs I suppose you could say. Cost is sort of an issue. I can afford some more expensive things but I def. would like to keep it in the cheaper price range, lol. Any help would be great! Thanks so much girls, your all life savers!


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## doomkitteh (Apr 22, 2009)

Forever 21, srsly. And thrift stores.

I'd get a floral dress with an A-line skirt and a wrap dress to start off with. A neutral coloured (grey or beige or whatever) cardigan and a knee-length skirt with a pretty print or something, if you haven't already got thtat. Neutral-coloured sandals with little kitten heels, or proper shoes with little kitten heels, whichever's more sensible for your regional weather.

However, I typically dress like a nun going to a summer wedding and I have a special collection of clothes for raves, so my advice should be taken with a grain of salt.


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## Simply Elegant (Apr 22, 2009)

Start with basics. Like a couple of cardigans, dark jeans, little black dress, a few pairs of flats and heels, a few dressier tops to go under cardigans or alone, pencil skirt, a-line skirt, trench coat and work from there.


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## Shimmer (Apr 22, 2009)

Daily Outfits

Lurk that community and draw inspiration. There aren't any rules in life really, except that you wear what makes YOU happy.


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## metal_romantic (Apr 23, 2009)

I wouldn't consider what you were wearing before to be "immature".
It's simply a matter of taste. If you want to try a new look to reflect and express who you have become now, then that will be a really positive change and a lot of fun too 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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Do you want to have a complete image overhaul or would you like to take the style you talked about, and update it a bit to become congruent with where you feel you are in your life now?*


There is nothing wrong with T-shirts in general. I love T-shirts. If you are comfortable in jeans and T-shirts you can still wear them but dress it up a little.
If this is what you want to do, I'd suggest investing in some high quality jeans. If you want to look trendy, you can get a fashionable brand for cheaper on eBay (beware of fakes if you are buying something expensive, and ALWAYS get measurements! I am a big fan of jeans, especially sass & bide, and also tsubi, but these are both Australian brands.) For basics, I'd recommend a dark, plain pair with a  straight or skinny leg that you could dress up or down, and a more casual medium wash in either straight or bootcut. Definitely get them hemmed if they are too long, as scuffed, frayed, dirty hems can ruin an otherwise perfect outfit. When you have the money, I'd also recommend you buy a pair with detailing that you love, so they can be your "special" jeans that will make you feel special each time you wear them. They could be distressed, or have unusual detailing on the pockets, or a different wash- whatever you like.

Embellished tees are a more chic alternative to the faithful old T-shirt. sass & bide make some gorgeous ones with a bit of quirk.
Here are some example of the kind of thing what I mean:







(It doesn't have to be sequinned. Choose ANYTHING that appeals to you!)

For the warmer weather, you could try a cute bolero over your tee, either plain or something pretty and detailed.
A fitted blazer is a more sophisticated and grown-up alternative to a hoodie or zip-up fleece jacket (don't know if you wear these though).
Imagine an embellished tee with a fitted blazer, well-fitting, high quality jeans, and cute heels, flats or boots- still a tee and jeans but a lot more dressed up. You could even wear plain tees with these items for a more casual look. For something different, try different styles of tops- buy inexpensive ones when you are discovering your style so that if you find that they aren't "you", you won't have wasted a lot of money.

For those more formal occasions, find a well-cut pair of plain trousers that fit you perfectly- probably either black or charcoal (or even dark brown), depending on what suits you and your taste. Team these with your more dressy tops.

If you're new to wearing skirts and dresses but are willing to try, start with a classic little black dress (or another colour you like if black isn't your thing) and then branch out to different styles when you develop more confidence and a greater sense of what you like and feel good in.

When following trends, I'd suggest buying cheaper accessories and tops to save money that you could spend on more classic pieces. Eg. you could wear a plain tee with a trendy statement-making necklace or scarf and you will look trendy even though you are wearing a plain top. Definitely steer clear of trends that don't suit you or that you don't really like though! Style is much more important than trendiness!

Don't forget to dress for your body shape! There's plenty of info about this on the net or in books like Trinny and Susannah's "Body Shape Bible".

To help you choose colours, I highly recommend Leatrice Eiseman's book "More Alive With Color".

Please let me know if this helps at all, as I am studying to become an Image Consultant


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## ambicion6 (Apr 23, 2009)

I love H&M for trendy clothes that are still affordable. I'm about the same specs as you just more heavier (5'6, 170#) and there are tons of cute outfits that I've bought at h&m (white tee, with a cute black vest paired w skinny jeans and ballet flats).


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## luvsic (Apr 23, 2009)

Hey girl,

There is such a vast array of definitions for "trendy" - I don't know if I really believe in liking what's trendy...after all it varies from person to person. I just buy stuff I personally am in love with, regardless if it's mainstream accepted or not as "wearable" or "fashionable" by society's standards today. I think the most important thing when wanting to shake up your style is to read lots and lots of fashion magazines and window shopping. Building a personal style takes a lot of time, trial and error, patience, and a pinch of luck. 

When you window shop, try a whole bunch of different things on! I think the girls already stated what's good for the basics, but once you get past that everything's fair game! Personally, when something catches my eye immediately and I MUST have it, that is when I know that I have picked out a piece I will wear to death and never regret buying. So far doing this has worked with a lot of items I bought - I love each and every single one of them. If I have second thoughts about stuff, it usually gets returned or never worn. So my policy now is - I have to love it/be borderline obsessed with it, or I'm not shelling nada out for it. 

American Apparel is great for basics. They're a little on the pricey side, but not too bad.

One way to dress more mature is to stick to classic pieces - Banana Republic and Ralph Lauren (Polo) are good stores for very classic pieces that can never go wrong and will never become outdated. I love love LOVE Club Monaco but they tend to be on the pricier side.

More trendy stores, I would say, are Guess, Bebe, XOXO..they're a little pricey but not mind-boggling. Forever 21, H&M are very good alternatives to finding great trends for cheap prices, but you can sacrifice quality for design. More expensive stores are Neiman Marcus (they have many designer outfits, and Neiman's outlets have designer finds for great prices), Saks Fifth Avenue, and anything that has a designer name slapped on it. Try Macy's or Dillard's for something in between.

So notice clothes that make you happy, and you feel great in! GL!


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## metal_romantic (May 6, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *luvsic* 

 
_Hey girl,

There is such a vast array of definitions for "trendy" - I don't know if I really believe in liking what's trendy...after all it varies from person to person. t just buy stuff I personally am in love with, regardless if it's mainstream accepted or not as "wearable" or "fashionable" by society's standards today. I think the most important thing when wanting to shake up your style is to read lots and lots of fashion magazines and window shopping. Building a personal style takes a lot of time, trial and error, patience, and a pinch of luck._

 
So true


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