Omiru’s 16-Piece Fall Winter Capsule Wardrobe (from left to right): #1: The Blazer Jacket, #2: The Cold Weather Coat, #3: The Day Coat, #4: The Peacoat, #5: The Cardigan, #6: The Pullover Sweater, #7: The Sweatervest, #8: The Day Dress, #9: The Drapey Blouse, #10: The Button Down Shirt, #11: The Patterned Shell, #12: The Dressy Tee, #13: The Perfect Fit Jeans, #14: The Wide Trouser Pants, #15: The Casual Trousers, #16: The Cold Weather Skirt.
After we created our bare-bones list of essential wardrobe foundations, we started getting questions about what makes a more well-rounded core wardrobe. Our 10-piece skeleton wardrobe, though functional, lacks the variety and spice of a real woman’s closet.
Enter our 16-Piece Fall Winter capsule wardrobe. This foundation wardrobe is still purposefully small, but it was designed with versatility in mind to feel much bigger. With a little creativity and some strategic accessorizing, the variety of outfits you can make with it is pretty darned amazing.
As for the pieces in the capsule wardrobe, they’re a mix of designer and more affordable styles. We aimed for a high-low combo that mimics a stylish woman’s carefully edited wardrobe. If your wardrobe looks nothing like this, don’t fret. These are styles that you pick up over time, piece by piece. Not only because most of these items are trend-proof pieces that are worth the investment, but also because your taste evolves over time. On a related note, we don’t mean for our picks to be a straight shopping list; rather we intend for them to inform your own choices so that your wardrobe has your own personal stamp.
Over the next few months, we’ll be making a bunch of outfits from these 16 pieces, plus accessories. And as with our other Ready Made Outfits, we’ll be highlighting core principles about putting together a chic outfit along the way. Our aim, which feels especially appropriate in our economic situation, is to give you the inspiration to do more with less.
Look for our first Capsule Wardrobe outfit tomorrow.
Cheers,
Trisha and the Omiru Team
Posted by Trisha on January 8th, 2009 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |
Q: What color dress pants go well with light brown shoes? Usually, I see men wearing light brown shoes with navy or beige dress pants. What else may work?
A: Just as dark colored clothes are more versatile than their light colored counterparts, shoes are also more versatile when they are dark. Darker shades of brown, for example, work with many more colors than do lighter shades of brown. Because of this versatility factor, I’d recommend that your shoe wardrobe include a few good pairs of black and darker brown dress shoes in a variety of styles (captoe, bucks, wingtip, etc.) before expanding to lighter colored shoes.
Even though light brown shoes aren’t super versatile, you still have a few good options. As you mentioned, light brown shoes complement navy blue nicely. And they also work with light sandy colored pants. Beyond that, you may also want to try dark olive green dress pants with your light brown shoes. Other than these three options, however, it’s going to be tricky. I’m not saying light brown shoes and other colors can’t work; I’m just saying I haven’t seen it done that well (at least, not yet).
Photo Credit: The Sartorialist.
Have a great tip about what pants to wear with light brown shoes? Share it with us in the comments!
Posted by Trisha on January 7th, 2009 in How To, Men, Men's, Men's, Q&A |
Q: I’m going to visit my dad in Washington DC for the Presidential Inauguration in January and have no idea what to pack for the trip. I need be comfortable and casual while catching up with my dad, but sophisticated and classy, yet still young, while visiting museums and attending the inaugural activities.
by Traci Tsai
A: We’ve said this before, but the key to winter style on the East Coast is layers, layers, layers. The weather can be very unpredictable, especially during the winter, so you’ll need to be prepared for anything. On top of that, you’ll be going between indoors and outdoors throughout the day, so you need to be able to adapt quickly. January in DC will likely have lows below freezing and highs around the 40s. Here’s how to get a youthful-yet-sophisticated look for Inauguration:
1. A nice coat is essential. The structured collar on this day coat adds a bit of sophistication while brighter colors keep the look more youthful. Note that you’ll probably want to switch out this coat for a longer, warmer one for evenings out.
2. A textured blouse will keep you young, but is a little more formal than might be your normal every day wear.
3. Most buildings on the East Coast are pretty well heated, but in case you’re in a cooler room, you can pop on a shrug that shows off your blouse but keeps your arms warm.
4. Skinny pants tucked into a pair of flat riding boots is a little classic and a little modern at the same time. The flat boots will keep you comfortable while walking all over town and through museums.
5. You’ll want to keep the bag small, especially with all the security everywhere – but use it to add an extra bit of flair to your outfit!
Have a great tip about how to pull off youthful sophistication? Share it with us in the comments!
Posted by Trisha on January 6th, 2009 in Q&A, Ready Made Outfits, Women, Women's |
We asked: Would you wear Shawl Collar Sweaters?
You said: Yes to Shawl Collar Sweaters, with a 69% to 31% vote.
Style tip? Shawl collars provide an elegant twist to the everyday cardigan or pullover sweater. The style is very American Classic, so it naturally works with other All American pieces: tailored button-down shirts, tweed skirts, and blazers. But you can also mix things up and pair it with edgier pieces: skinny pants, asymmetrical skirts, and biker jackets.
Next question: Military pants are an interesting casual pant alternative to jeans. But what do you think? Tell us, would you wear Military Pants? Cast your vote on the sidebar!
Pictured: Chelsea Shawl Cardigan | $24.80 at Forever 21.
Posted by Trisha on January 5th, 2009 in Men, Trend, Trend Predictives, What's In and What's Out, Women |
Hi everyone,
Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and (in a few short days) Happy New Year.
Thanks to wonderful readers like you, 2008 was a great year. Over and over, we heard stories about how you grew more confident with your fashion choices. How you tried on new styles (and new colors) that you didn’t think would work—but did! How your evolving sense of style is changing your life for the better.
Every time we hear one of these stories, it affirms what we’re doing here at Omiru. So–thank you for sharing, and keep the stories coming!
2008 also welcomed a lot of new faces to the Omiru community, in part thanks to nods from Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. (On a related note, thanks for your continued support through some of these growing pains. We’ve had more outages lately, and we just completed a software upgrade this morning to address this–and speed up the load time of our pages. We’re also looking to make some more back end tweaks to make Omiru even better for 2009 and beyond.)
What’s next? We’re taking a short vacation, returning bright and early (and full of fresh style inspiration) on Monday, January 5.
In the meantime, we want to know what’s on your mind for 2009. As for us, we’re looking to (1) discover new designers and stores to share with you, (2) try on even more new trends, styles, and colors (so we can share what works and what doesn’t), and (3) make it easier for you to find the style information you’re looking for on Omiru.
Have any New Year’s Resolutions to share?
Cheers,
Trisha and the Omiru Team
Posted by Trisha on December 25th, 2008 in Off Topic |
So, it’s official: we’re in a recession. But the silver lining is that the poor economy is chasing out some of the best deals we’ve seen in years. Here’s seven pieces that will allow you to keep stylish and save money at the same time:
Flannel-lined chino | Was $85, select colors now $49.99 at J. Crew.
Every winter, J. Crew comes out with these flannel-lined chinos, allowing men to stay warm and stay stylish at the same time. If you live somewhere cold, these are pretty much mandatory, whether or not they’re on sale.
Barbour Putney Jacket | Was $250, now $129 at Barneys.
Simple and understated, a Barbour jacket is a staple of the traditional man’s wardrobe. Don’t miss the chance to get it at nearly half the price.
Garment Dyed Reverse Seam | Was $178, now $148 at Steven Alan.
Steven Alan has quickly become my default for casual wear. Their dress shirts are the only ones I’ve seen that look better wrinkled than ironed. As a result, Steven Alan has that kind of “I don’t care, but I still look good†vibe to all their shirts—the epitome of American style. Plus, they’re a cinch to pack: literally throw them in your suitcase and then pull them out, wrinkled and ready to wear.
Cotton Shirting Tie | Was $55, now $29 at Steven Alan.
Also from Steven Alan, this plaid tie is more fashionable than stylish. But fear not, the plaid trend will last past this season. At 2.5†wide, this plaid tie is fine for the office or a night out on the town.
Want more? Check out these ties (all were $62 each, now $39 apiece), also from Steven Alan.
Biker Jacket | Was $310, now $155 at Oak.
This biker jacket is from Oak, so it’s no surprise that it’s a bit edgier and more urban than most things in your closet. Traditionally, biker jackets are in leather, but hey, we’re in a recession right now. Also note the white leopard lining detail. Eccentric lining is one of those things that drives true Sartorialists crazy; they love it when these kind of details are known only to the wearer.
Plaid Belt | Was $120, now $60 at A.P.C.
For the most part, plaid is best as a layering piece or a detail. Either way, its best served in moderate doses. This belt is great, but how long you’re willing to wear plaid when its no longer in style is up to you.
Double Layer Waffle Henley | Was $49.50, now $19.95 at Martin + Osa.
If I had my way, henleys would replace t-shirts as the standard casual guy shirt. That is, except for the simple white t-shirt. Nothing beats a simple white T.
UPDATE (12/24): Ok, now I know what you’re thinking: "148 down from 178 may be 17% off, but it’s still not that cheap." You’ve got a point. As Warren Buffet says, "it doesn’t matter if you’re 300 or 325 pounds; you’re still fat!" (it has something to do with investing, I swear).
Enter New York’s Housing Works Thift Shops, a chain of secondhand stores of which profits benefit people with HIV and AIDS. Steven Alan has donated more than 1,000 items from his line and his stock, which is discounted as much as 70%. The items go on sale on December 27th at 11am, and you can be sure that the store will be packed with thrifty sartorialists, so get there early.
Housing Works, at 143 W. 17th St. New York, (212) 366-0820, housingworks.org.
Posted by Trisha on December 24th, 2008 in Men, Shopping Guide |
Whether or not you’re traveling this December, you can look the part of a euro chic jet setter. We’re partial to the polished yet insouciant look of Parisian women. Here’s how to look perfectly Parisian this winter:
1. Start with a pair of military style cargo pants. A brooding brownish olive green is ideal to capture the look.
2. Toss on a warm horizontal striped sweater. If you’re in a super cold climate, don’t forget your layering shirt underneath.
3. Layer on an elegant cape–as essential for warmth as it is for drama.
4. Accessorize with a brightly colored scarf, a pair of boots, and a perfectly polished handbag.
How would you wear this perfectly Parisian look? Share your style with us in the comments!
Posted by Trisha on December 23rd, 2008 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |
We asked: Would you wear Lace?
You said: Yes to Lace, with an overwhelming 77% to 23% vote.
Style tip? No matter what your personal style, there’s a lace for you. If your style is flirty and feminine, try a light colored lace blouse or skirt paired with other light, bright colors. If your style has a harder edge, try a dark colored lace paired with tougher fabrics.
Next question: Shawl Collar Sweaters are all over the place–for both men and women. But what do you think? Tell us, would you wear a Shawl Collar Sweater? Cast your vote on the sidebar!
Pictured: Lace Skirt | $65.99 (sale) at Banana Republic.
Posted by Trisha on December 22nd, 2008 in Trend, Trend Predictives, What's In and What's Out, Women |
As much as we love bright colors, sometimes the chicest outfits are constructed from black and white. Here’s how to combine black and white for a look that’s anything but boring:
1. Start with a plain white button down shirt. Extra style points for special details, such as tuxedo pleating or french cuffs.
2. Pair the plain white button down with a pair of dark rinse jeans. Dark blue jeans are classic, but grey jeans are also a chic choice.
3. Slip on the visual centerpiece of the outfit: a swing jacket in oversized black and white buffalo plaid.
4. Accessorize! For warmth, a pair of cashmere gloves. For style, a bow-tie necklace, a top-handle black and white handbag, and a pair of shiny black booties.
How would you wear black and white? Share your style with us in the comments!
Posted by Trisha on December 19th, 2008 in Ready Made Outfits, Women |
Plaid may be a classic, but it’s also particularly relevant this season. From buffalo to tartan, black & white to red (even yellow), there’s a plaid for everyone. It works for all body types, and you see great pieces at all price points. Here’s seven of our favorite plaid pieces, each (well) under $100.
Buffalo Plaid Short Skirt | $17.80 at Forever 21
Dark Plaid Strapless Dress | $24.80 at Forever 21
Utah Plaid Scarf | $28 at Urban Outfitters
Kimchi Blue Plaid Ruffle Neck Blouse | $34.99 at Urban Outfitters
Bow Back Tartan Skirt | $45 (approx) at Topshop
byCORPUS Pocket Work Shirt | $49.99 at Urban Outfitters
Plaid Belted Coat | $89.99 at Gap
Posted by Trisha on December 18th, 2008 in Shopping Guide, Women |
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