Clothing: A method to the maddness.

Ever since I was a kid I loved clothes. Putting together outfits, sewing and modifying clothes, playing designer and coming up with new clothing ideas. I think if you'd asked my parents when I was about 10 what I was going to grow up to be, they'd have said fashion designer.

The whole concept of being a designer, rather than an artist, kind of scared me when I was a kid. In my brain art always seems like a flowing, always changing, full of potential process, while designing seems like magically having a perfect idea, pulling it out of your head and onto paper. I still kinda think this way, and get a bit of a shock when I remember that what I am doing now is designing, but I can do it if I think of it as art.

But the reason for this post was not my feelings on design vs. art. Its my relationship with fashion.

I had my ups and downs and strange explorations through middle school and high school (black lipstick and hair straighteners were involved...) but towards the end of high school and now in college I feel like I've mostly settled in a style.

I kinda described it before with this post. I've always felt color is what ties everything together. I love a chance at some sense of order, and any chance to employ color theory is a must.


My closet looks a bit like this.

You can see colors are fairly neutral. A lot of white and dark earthy tones. I've tried pretty hard to get rid of most bright colors. The only really bright color that remains is yellow (oh and that one hot pink work shirt I just love so much...) but mostly its natural colors.

Another brightish shirt. I guess this color could occur in nature (as proved by leaves.)

Main color: Orange. Neutral: Black. No real accent except pink hair... 

When choosing an outfit I keep in mind what I am doing that day (carpentry, painting, nannying, bike riding) that may require specific clothes or limit me in someway. I think of any specific pieces of clothing I want to wear, sometimes that one shirt is just calling to me... and most of all I think of colors.

A carpentry outfit, but still keeping with a color scheme. 

I start with an accent color. What is the main color I'm feeling that day, usually a blue, green, gray, white type thing. Then I find one other color (the accent) that looks good with it, could be maroon, blue, green, pink, yellow. Anything really (here is where bright colors look best) Lastly choose a neutral, brown or black, once and a while gray becomes a neutral.

Black and red is quite excellent, especially with these pants.

There are lots of other exceptions, and lots of rules on the side. There is usually only one article of clothing of the accent color and the other two should have at least two. Brown or black cannot be the accent color because then it looks like you tried to match them. However if the main color is brown, and the neutral is black, that is A-okay.

Main color: Brown, Neutral: Black and Accent: Pink

I don't always follow this of course, but its my general method for getting dressed and making sure everything looks good together.

Do you have any methods to your clothing? Which is more important to you, comfy or fashionable?

La Mer