Nobody wants a closet full of unworn clothing. Everyone wants to feel like what they buy they will wear. Even if it wound up being a mistake, every item hanging in a closet was bought with a good intention. We all make fashion mistakes and purchase things that just don't suit our needs the way we thought they would. Yes, even me.
With the goal to get wear and value from what we buy, I want to talk about versatile fashion and the idea of buying one thing and having it transcend and be useful in many areas of your life.
Versatile Fashion: How to Get More with Less
I have put some outfits together below, but before I get to the looks, here are some tips to keep in mind when selecting something that will work for more than one area of your lifestyle.
The fabrication can be worn multiple ways
If you want to get more from your pieces, make sure the fabric doesn't slot that piece into a small fraction of your life. Fabric plays a big part in versatility. There are some fabrics that just aren't versatile. Take a heathered grey wool dress, for example. The likelihood that you can dress it up and wear it to a cocktail event isn't likely. However, a solid black dress in a fabric that isn't strictly daytime looking can be more versatile and probably worn in multiple parts of your life.
The details don't pigeon hole the piece
Does the piece have sequin, lace trim, ruffles, rugged leather details, or anything else that will restrict the item from being versatile? If you want to get more with less, avoid too many details that keep it from being worn for different occasions.
Look at your lifestyle
Versatile fashion needs to be versatile for you. Just because something can be worn multiple ways doesn't mean that these ways have any meaning for you. Look at your life and how much time you spend doing each thing. Despite the fact that a dress can be worn to work and to a wedding doesn't mean all that much for you if you wear a uniform to work and can't remember the last wedding you were invited to. Instead, calculate the percentages of time you spend doing each part of how you live. The areas where you spend the most time are the areas where you should be focusing on buying versatile fashion.
Versatile fashion is classic, but it doesn't have to be
Typically, versatile fashion is classic and simple. The more simplistic the pieces are the easier it will be to style them different ways. However, this isn't always the case. As you will see from one of my outfits below, I used a less classic piece and styled it multiple ways. What is most important is that you can find multiple ways of wearing an item for your unique lifestyle. So don't shy away from novelty. As long as you can find multiple ways to wear it it's versatile.
Let's take a look at some outfits
Looks #1
This classic trench from Burberry will never go out of style. It's also an investment so it is important to know ahead of time that it will earn its worth. This is where looking at your lifestyle is important. You may have heard that a trench will never go out of style, but do you need it? It's too easy to get swayed into buying these pieces simply because they are a timeless classic.
To show the versatility of this trench, I styled it three very different ways. In the first look I styled it with a navy dress for work from Reiss, blush pumps from Nine West, blush bag from MICHAEL Michael Kors, and drop earrings from Banana Republic.
The last look is a dressy casual outfit that I styled with a pair of kick flare crop pants from Theory, relaxed sweater from Chico's, tassel pendant and ivory backpack.
Looks #2
I have spoken in the past about how a black blazer sometimes not be as versatile as it appears and offered some solutions about how to make it work. As you can see in the outfits above, using this simple style from Theory, there are somme ways to make tis piece more versatile.
The last outfit I styled for smart casual weekend using a printed dress from Reiss, wedges from Jeffrey Campbell, blush bag and drop earrings from Banana Republic.
Looks #3
In these last looks I am showing how a more novelty piece can be just as versatile as a style that is more classic or timeless by using this skirt from L.K. Bennett.
The first look is a dressy casual weekend look that I styled with a ruched t-shirt, wedge sandals from Nordstrom, turquoise handbag from Halogen and beaded necklace from Fairchild Baldwin.
I hope these tips on versatile fashion helps you get more from less in your wardrobe.
