Cheap pants make you look cheap

Style into Action loves buying cheap.
Style into Action hates buying anything that looks cheap. 

Direct? 
Absolutely - there is no other way to get this message out to the typical Australian woman.

Let's look at pants. 

The pink pants below, are cheap. They are from asos.
Quite aside from their bad fit, they unfortunately look cheap.

See the rippled seams, inside & outside of the legs?
See the uneven leg lengths?

Cheap clothing sends a messages to the world that you are happy to compromise on your look and yourself. They say: I am not worthy.

Is that the message you want to send about yourself?

On the other hand, the following pants are not cheap (around $300) but they have the beautiful advantage of looking perfect. They may the wearer's image look perfect, classy & totally respectable. 

See how the seams are flat, smooth? 
See how a centre press adds class? 

in a fine summer wool

in a cotton/elastene

I searched celebrity photos for expensive looking pants.
At a moment's notice, I found Jessica Alba in a Fendi pair.
Yes, uber expensive, but uber classy.

in Fendi

Michael Kors sweater
Fendi pants

Dont worry about the few ripples on her inner right leg - its a stance thing rather than a fit or quality thing. 

Objections:

So I know you're all going to jump on me & say "I cant afford Fendi pants!"

Great, neither can I. Even when they are on sale!

The key here is to buy the best quality you an afford.
Look for sales by all means, but dont buy driven by price - buy driven by quality. The moment you start buying on price at sales (eg: what a bargain, its sooo chap etc), you are compromising on quality.

But most Australian women are too busy buying volume rather than quality. This is especially in 2013 when fast fashion (Topshop, Zara etc) are taking over our retail landscape. So they will buy three pairs of pants over the summer rather than one pair of great quality pants. 

The problem with three pairs of average quality is that not only so they look sub standard, but they wear badly. Which makes them look even worse.

What makes it worse, is that in Australia, women are not taught to refresh & update - they tend to replace when its too late. In the mean time, their image suffers. Badly. 

What they dont realise, is that once you factor in the replacement costs, it generally costs more than if you had purchased quality in the first place. 

Cue: I am not worthy. 

You're also going to jump on me & say "I prefer volume & variety." I hear this from the younger set all the time.

Ok - terrific. Stick with it. I am not telling you to change what you are doing. I am merely telling you the impression you are giving by what you are doing. Cue: I am not worthy. 

How to lose 5 kg by changing your hem length

This post is based on the assumption that you want to look taller & slimmer & not shorter & fatter.

If that’s true, keep reading.

The pants from this catalogue show the SS 2013/14 Andiamo Clothing basics range. Andiamo has been doing these cuts for forever. Perfect actually, because there is something for everyone.

I picked up the hard copy of this catalogue today from Corfu Blue in Beecroft. It struck me as a terrific learning tool about the impact of hem lengths. Why? Because it shows the same style/shape of pants on the same model with the same shoes & same other clothes.  That makes it easy to compare the impact of various lengths.  Its what scientists love to call a control environment or “all other things being equal”.

WHICH PAIR IS MOST SLIMMING & LEG LENGTHENING?

ANSWER: #5

WHY? The unbroken line of the pant leg all the way to the foot creates the strongest vertical eye movement.

WHICH PAIR IS THE LEAST SLIMMING & LEG LENGTHENING?

ANSWER: #1

WHY? The pant hem cuts horizontally close to the widest point of the calf creating a strong fattening line. Plus, the shoe ankle strap creates a second strong fattening line. The more places you break the leg line, the fatter & shorter you will look. That's a promise.

Notice also it’s the only photo where the model has turned 30 degrees and isn’t facing the front.  I think that’s deliberate because a front shot will always make you look wider than an angled shot.

WHAT ABOUT #2, #3 and #4?

The closer you bring the pant hem to the foot, the more continuous & unbroken the leg line looks - hence the more slimming. So #4 is more slimming than #3 which is more slimming than #2.

OTHER FACTORS?

Change the style

Obviously everyone has a different body shape – so selecting a different leg style (skinny, wide, boot) can and will make a different impact to the Andiamo classic cut shown here.

Change the brand 

Of course, one brand’s classic may not have the same impact as another brand’s classic.

Remove horizontal straps 

If you wear shoes without a horizontal ankle strap is a high contrast colour, then you will look taller & thinner.  In fact this applies to any horizontal straps and even more so if they are in contrast colours to your skin/clothes.

Change the colour

If you wear a shoe in a colour close to the colour of the hem of your skirt or pants, then you will look taller & thinner.

Go nude

If you wear a nude shoe, then you will look taller & thinner. Make sure nude is as close to your skin colour as possible for maximum impact.

Go for heels

Heels will make you look slimmer & taller than flats.

Go for pointy toes 

Pointy toes will make you looks slimmer & taller than round toes.

Go for a short vamp 

A short vamp will make you look slimmer & taller than a long vamp. Wide feet beware.

Go for a cut out side

Cut out sides (D'Orsay style) are often more flattering & leg lengthening than a shoe with high sides. Wide feet beware. 

Try ons are a must 

Ultimately you need to try on & compare & to do this in one session so that all other things remain equal.

10 Ways with Sweatpants

Tips for Sweatpants

The key to sweatpants is fit. Dont wear them baggy unless its deliberately so. Have them skim over your curves (skim, not cling). 

Next it's about styling. You dont have to wear them with elastic ankles and high waists. You can, but you dont have to. You can go for a low rise, a boot cut, a lean leg or even a drop crotch for a really directional look.

You also need to maintain "the look". Grooming & accessories are more important with traditionally casual pieces, to stop them slipping into "casual eew". 

Try any material or colour or print you can think of. 

Maintenance wise, dont treat them like the sweats you use for painting the house. Please. 

Wash them frequently (gently in cold water) so the cotton shrinks back to original size - no droopy seat or knees.

And you know what's really funny? Sweatpants are twice as easy to wear well as leggings because they dont hug to every curve.

1. Trenchcoat

The trench hides big bums. Not good for petites. Great for big bums. 

 Taupe & grey are made for each other.
Ground the look with black or navy &
this can take you to any lunch with the girls.

More neutrals with an animal shoe.

Camel, white & grey, grounded by tan. 

Any coloured trench will do the trick.

2.Tailored jacket

 

Neutral shoes against the grey sweat look dressy. 

With boots, she looks happy. 

A traditional riding jacket shape will always work to jzoosh it up.
Also love the belt & boots the purple shirt. 

You cant tell me you wouldnt wear this my friends?

3. Sporty bands or side stripes

4. Cropped

Cute tee,, bow in hair, fun comfy sandals. How cute!

Fine knit tucked in, waistband rolled & exposed.
In a pastel.

Loose oversize tee worn over, but
not too long so it looks sloppy. 

This time its a cropped jacket! 

With boots, belt & scarf to pull it together. 

Why not?

5. Drop crotch

A brave look, but can look amazing!

6. Total comfort

100% knits on sweats

 

Sweats on sweats with a belt & boots to pull it together.
This is Hannah McGibbon, a former Chloe designer, after Stella McCartney.

Matchy matchy but what an impact with colour!

More matchy matchy with animal shoes & tan accents.

7. With a sweater

The sweaters with colours and/or texture work best to amp up a sweatpant.

Duo fabric sweatpant. Definitely not for painting the house.

8. In leather or with leather

9. With fur

Good enough for Christine Centenera? Good enough for us.

10. With denim (or chambray)

Anyone who tells me there is nothing here for them, is lying. IMO!

What I Wore: Max pop with opposite sides of the colour wheel

True to form, I took a piece from yesterday (the white string tee) & re-wore it. With very different partners.

The top

Nathan Smith white cotton tee, David Jones, $70

The pants

Lime 3/4 cotton pants from the New Zealand brand, Verge.

SHOP TIP: Verge is sold in independent boutiques rather than the majors. Its market is 30s+ (IMO) but rather than boring stuff, the colours & cuts are quirky versions of classics. 

I found these at a store called Plumage on the ground floor of Macquarie Centre.

I have NOTHING in my closet in lime or anywhere near lime. 

Except for these pants. 

I love the fact that they are wide in the leg. Dont try this at home unless you are tall.

The scarf

Confession: I have had this for years & never worn it previously.

"What I Wore" is definitely making me wear my stuff more.

The scarf is a 100% wool Fendi ,which i bought at David Jones in the Sydney CBD for $300.

Its mainly red (a burgendy red) with the brown/black "F"

logo running down one side of the scarf. Its front is the same as its back - that's where the money went on this one.

The necklace

The necklace is a Valerie special.

I have taken one Isabel Marant bauble (green) & combined it with the blue, red & amber which were all from a Diva bracelet. The chain is sterling. This works well with lots of things as it has all the primary colours and sits near the face.

The bracelets

A whole stack of bracelets in the colours of the outfit. I lied above when I said I have nothing else in lime - her is a borlotti bean bracelet.

The ring with squares is a stainless steel from Fossil.
The chunky ring is from Dinosaur Designs for $95.

SHOP TIP: I got the chunky ring at the Dinosaur Designs annual warehouse sale. For anyone who likes their stuff, put yourself on their mailing list & you'll bag some serious bargains.

The shoes

Here is where the outfit went from OK to pretty special.
I added a pair of pretty shoes by Jimmy Choo which I have had for over 10 years. 

The shoes are red & its no coincedence that I chose colours on opposite ends of the colour wheel (red & green). This gives you maximum pop. 

They were bought at the David Jones warehouse for $90 because the straps were broken. A bootmaker fixed them easily and I had a $1,200 pair of shoes, box included. 

I never wear these shoes any more but doing "What I Wore" has definitely encouraged me to wear them.

The reasons why I dont wear them is because of the sling back design - they dont fall off the heel, but when I walk they flip flop as the heel lifts off from the sole. Drives me mad but since I wasnt going any lengthy distance today, I gave them a whirl. 

See you tomorrow.