Well, it is back to work for me. I didn’t really blog between Christmas and New Year’s and yesterday was my 40th birthday! I am a Capricorn. From the tone of my blog, I am certain this comes of very little surprise to many of you. Capricorns are typically not flashy people, we’re not big fans of frivolity, things that aren’t practical and we can be a bit dull and serious at times (If you know anything about astrology, thankfully my rising sign is Gemini which lightens me up a bit). Being a Capricorn (or just dull, in general), I’m not big on fairy tales, living outside the realm of reality, being wasteful or sticking my head in the sand. I am, however, not against wearing a tiara on my birthday.
I think being a Capricorn has been one of the things that has made me a successful stylist over the years. My advice has always been grounded in reality and I’m really serious about what makes it into my own closet as well as the closets of my clients. Yes, fashion can be fun and playful, but it gets serious when you spend good money on something you can’t wear. I just don’t see the point.
That said, I am kicking off my first post of the New Year with my tips on how to make a dress a workhorse in your closet. I quite like the word workhorse because, to me, if means that something you are wearing is giving you so much value that it practically owes you money for the amount of wear you get from it. While not everything in your wardrobe will ever be a workhorse, I think you need a few good stalwart pieces that you can rely on to get the job done…sort of like the loyal Capricorn.
Here are workhorse tips on how to get more from your clothes
#1- Go for neutral workhorses
Contrary to popular belief, your workhorse items are not limited to black but you will get more wear from an item when they are in a neutral color. For example, I have a navy blue dress that has affectionately has gotten the name “Old Blue” because when in doubt I reach for it. Sometimes I get tired of Old Blue, but, in a pinch, or when I don’t have time to go shopping, it’s always there for me. The beauty of the neutral shade of this dress is that I can wear any color I want with it. I’ve worn this dress with gold sandals, orange heels, yellow wedges and brown boots. Remember, any color you can wear with black you can wear with any other neutral color.
#2- A workhorse item isn’t flashy but it isn’t boring either.
The more basic an item is the more use you will get from it. However, this does not mean that the piece has to be boring. This is a common affliction of many women. In order to get the most use they go for the most boring of pieces. It’s hard to create a workhorse from any item that has too many details, spangles, or other embellishment, but, interesting seaming, cool cuts and sharp silhouettes can often play the part of a workhorse. I like to call these types of pieces novelty basics because they function like a basic but look like a novelty.
#3- A workhorse item should be able to be worn for at least nine months out of the year
A workhorse item should be able to be worn for at least nine months out of the year. Sure, you can have seasonal workhorse items, like a summer dress that you live in or a cashmere sweater that you’d be lost without in the dead of winter. Yet, to really get your money’s worth from investment pieces, look for items that are season-less. You should be able to wear these things at all times with the exception of seasonal extremes, like when it is sweltering hot or blistering cold. Fabrics like lightweight wool, matte jersey are great for this.
#4- Accessorize
If you are going to have an item that is going to be a workhorse in your wardrobe, it is important that you have an ample amount of accessories, shoes and jewelry on hand to wear with it. One of the reasons women stray from investment items is because they tire quickly of wearing them. However, a successful workhorse item depends greatly on how many different ways you can make the piece look. With accessories you should be able to dress up or dress down this item, change up the color combinations and even fool others into thinking you haven’t worn the same piece several times.
Workhorse Outfits
Look #1
For the office, using this dress as a backdrop gives you unlimited possibilities on how you can accessorize it. In this outfit I chose to style this dress with burgundy, but, truly, the skies the limit. Loving navy and burgundy together, the shoes are by Zappos and I loved the way the Vince Camuto bag picked up both the colors in the outfit. The outfit is finished with a pair of earrings by Robert Lee Morris, and ones I’ve used many times before on this blog, and a simple gold bracelet.
Look #2-
Now, let’s say you have a dressier event for work or you just want to take a work staple and wear it out for the evening. You don’t have to get a new dress, unless you want to, but it’s not necessary. Just change up your shoes and accessories. This workhorse dress is accessorized with gold pair of peep toe pumps from MICHAEL Michael Kors and popped with a coral clutch. The outfit is finished with a pair of coral and navy earrings by David Aubrey and a bracelet by Lisa August.
Look #3-
This last outfit goes back to my tip about choosing workhorse pieces that are season-less. A dress like this is great for spring with colorful strappy shoes but also works with a pair of fall boots, like these from Ivanka Trump. To add some color, I chose a green MICHAEL Michael Kors bag and pulled the outfit together with a blue and green scarf from Banana Republic. The outfit is finished with a pair of green earrings from Kendra Phillip and a gold Ralph Lauren bracelet.
Of course, I could go on and on with a whole bunch of looks. But for the sake of time and not making this post a gazillion years long to read, hopefully these few looks and tips will give you an idea of how to get more from your clothes by utilizing the workhorse items to the best of their abilities.
