How I Construct My Outfits
The method to my madness
A friend of mine recently commented on one of my Substack notes, asking how I piece together an outfit. I honestly hadn’t really thought about my process in too much depth until he asked me this. I think assembling an outfit for me has become second nature over time as a girl who has always loved dressing up, but after some thought, I realized that there is some method to my madness. So, for today’s blog, I wanted to share the many ways I construct an outfit.
The Star of the Show
For the majority of my outfits, I start by choosing one piece as my center point and build off that. For example, in the image above, I started by choosing the mixed-metal belt that I bought at a garage sale this past summer.
For this outfit, I knew I wanted to connect the gold of the belt to another gold accent, since I am usually a silver girl to my core. I also knew that I didn’t want to wear the belt normally, because I thought the belt loops would take away from the piece’s uniqueness.
So, I began skimming my closet until I found this vintage Victoria’s Secret dress, handed down from my grandmother. I’ve been loving dresses over pants lately, but with this dress’s tight fit, I decided it was better to tuck it up to a tank-top length instead.
Then, to keep the gold accents and green the center points of the outfit, I wore all other pieces in the color black. If I wore blue jeans and a white cardigan, the outfit just wouldn’t have the same pop or allure.
Similarly, I used this same strategy in the outfit in the top left image in this blog. I started with my blue sequin bandana and wore all white to make the sequins stand out.
Establishing a Theme
Some days, I wake up, and I want to play a character, and in the outfit above, that was one of those days. My vision was a mermaid in disguise as a pirate, and I think I executed the idea as my mom said, “You look like a mermaid pirate,” when I walked into the kitchen.
To execute this theme, I thought of what a pirate or a mermaid would wear. For pirates, I thought of big, oversized blouses and windblown hair. I imagined a sword strung upon their belt in case of an attack. For a mermaid, I envisioned sparkly blue makeup and jewelry reminiscent of the ocean— things she found on the ocean floor during her adventures.
The long pink top served as my pirate blouse, and the belt was where I imagined a sword would be held. My starfish necklace reminded me of the movie “Aquamarine” with her starfish earrings, and similarly, my blue eyeshadow (not pictured) made me think of her makeup throughout the film.
The Good Old Sandwich Method
For those just getting into fashion, the sandwich method is a quick and easy way to construct an outfit. For this method, all you do is match the top and the bottom and have a “contrast in the middle.”
My example isn’t perfect with the blue jeans, brown belt, and white dress, but as you can see, the red socks and cardigan match and make the outfit feel more full circle.
A better example to start with when using this process would be matching your shirt to your shoes, with the pants being the contrast. But rules don’t always apply when it comes to fashion, so test this method, but branch out from there.
For the most part, I would say I use these methods, but other times, I think a fashion fairy awakens me from my slumber, giving me an idea for an outfit or a design for a whole new top. If I knew how to get in touch with these fashion fairies, I’d send them your way, but for now, I hope this suffices.
Celia <3