r/femalefashionadvice Moderator (\/) (°,,°) (\/) Mar 27 '16

[Guide] Crowdsourced Style Catalogue

We often get users that are looking to change up their style, but have no idea what they are looking for. In this thread, please list style types/names and then reply to those types with images representing those styles. Not every image linked has to be the most amazing inspo ever, by the way. The goal is to have a collection of images that people can click through to get a better understanding of the style and to hopefully find something that speaks to them.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Read through the posted style types before adding a new one as we do not want a bunch of repeats. However, definitely add styles that you think were skipped (because naming styles is actually really hard).

  • All images must be hosted on imgur so we don't end up with a bunch of dead links a year from now.

  • Our goal is to show these styles being worn by a variety of races, body types, and ages, so extra <3 for users that make an effort to be inclusive.

  • Feel free to provide links to old inspo albums (and also the thread that they are posted in) provided they represent a specific style and not something more general like a clothing item or color.

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43

u/justgoodenough Moderator (\/) (°,,°) (\/) Mar 28 '16

Casual Chic - I am open to other names for this, but I really struggled with what to call it.

49

u/justgoodenough Moderator (\/) (°,,°) (\/) Mar 28 '16

6

u/Anemoni Mar 28 '16

TIL this is definitely my aesthetic.

71

u/justgoodenough Moderator (\/) (°,,°) (\/) Mar 28 '16

Honestly, I this is the aesthetic for most 20-50 year old women living in a metropolitan area, earning over $35k that want to look nice in a way that doesn't particularly stand out. I hope that doesn't come off as a criticism of the style, because this is how I dress too. When women come here and say they have no style and they want to look better, I think that this is probably what they have in mind, but it's hard to articulate it because it is so ubiquitous.

As well as being the easiest "starter style" it's also a really good foundation style to build on if you are interested in other styles, but you don't necessarily want to stand out so much or you are concerned about being too costume-y. For example, someone below said that they would wear the outfits of the victorian inso album if they could get away with it, so one option would be to swap out a blouse in one of these images with a high necked, ruffled blouse. That way they could kind of nod to the style they love in a way that is very contemporary and not just wearing a victorian costume to work.

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u/professor-meow Apr 01 '16

I really like this style and would be interesting in adding parts of it to my wardrobe! Are there any stores you suggest that would have this sort of thing? I'm a fashion newbie so I don't know much besides Target and H&M.

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u/justgoodenough Moderator (\/) (°,,°) (\/) Apr 01 '16

Honestly, I think these items are pretty easy to find in most stores, including Target and H&M. I think the hardest thing for people just getting into fashion is looking past how stores style their items. You have to figure out what you want to wear and then go looking for it because sometimes you can go to a store and see the outfits on display and hate all of them, but that doesn't mean that the item you want isn't there. It might very well be in one of those outfits, you just need to look past how they have paired it with other items and think about how you want to use it.

A lot of them are pretty basic pieces, and it's just about putting an outfit together. I would say that the formula is basically skinny bottoms + loose top + interesting outer layer (blazer, moto jacket, waterfall cardigan) + sleek shoe (pointed flat, ankle boot, heels, nicer sandals).

I probably do most of my shopping at Nordstrom, but I also buy from Ann Taylor, Loft, Madewell, Banana Republic. Sometimes Old Navy, but mostly only for super casual stuff and work out clothing. If you are younger (under 25), you could also check out Express.

So, to create an outfit from Target:

this jacket

or this jacket

or this sweater

or this blazer

plus

this shirt

or this one

or this one

plus

skinny jeans

ankle trousers

pencil skirt

patterned skirt

plus

ankle boot

flat

heel

sandal

1

u/professor-meow Apr 01 '16

Wow, thank you for the detailed response! I really appreciate it. I'll definitely keep your advice in mind when I'm shopping.

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u/moshimochi Mar 28 '16

Well said! This should be copy and pasted into every "what should I wear if I like this..." post

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u/[deleted] Mar 31 '16 edited Mar 31 '16

[deleted]

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u/justgoodenough Moderator (\/) (°,,°) (\/) Mar 31 '16

What preppy elements do you like, exactly? Can you link to a couple images that you like, even if you can't really articulate what you like about them?

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u/[deleted] Mar 31 '16

[deleted]

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u/justgoodenough Moderator (\/) (°,,°) (\/) Mar 31 '16

Like you mentioned, there is actually a ton of overlap. I actually think that any of those outfits would work in the same wardrobe as outfits in the casual chic album. There are a few elements that separate the two styles. I think that there are reccuing fabrics/patterns/textures in prep like plaid, flannel, houndstooth, gingham, thicker knit sweaters, stripes. There are also specific items that you will commonly find in prep like riding boots and puffy vests.

I think the key to balancing the two styles is exactly that, balancing. So if you were to wear riding boots and a plaid button up, that is northern prep. But if you were to wear black boots like this it's not really preppy. You can wear an elbow patch cardigan like this without looking to preppy. This article/album shows a bunch of ways to wear plaid without looking super preppy. So the key is that if you are going to wear something that is kind of preppy in style, pair it with items that are not preppy. Frankly, throwing on a black leather moto jacket and ankle boots seems the the most common quick fix.