Clothes and outfits are something I have a little bit of an obsession with.
A lot of people here have seen my extremely expensive hussar uniform that took a few years to put together with all its many components, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
I have so many hats, helmets, belts, gloves, pairs of trousers, jackets, coats, boots, shoes etc. That it overflows my all my warddrobe space!
And it's not that I wear this stuff every day or pose in it in front of the mirror or anything, rather I just collect it with the intention of one day having it as part of new outfits, or just really because I like the idea that it represents. I'm glad to be able to acquire and afford this stuff.but there is never enough and there are ALWAYS new pieces that I want- matador suit of lights, mariachi outfit, 18th centry court dress and wig, red lancer uniform, French Napoleonic field marshal uniform and so on…
Does anyone else have a thing for clothes?
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Comic Talk and General Discussion *
Clothes and outfits
I do like my clothes. I don't have a huge wardrobe, but that's because I stick to the idea that every piece of clothing I own should be able to work in multiple outfits. I'm especially fond of blazers, vests, and jackets because of this, and I'm almost never seen out in public without a black trilby. Seriously, that hat and a nice coat or vest really class up whatever I'm wearing. They even make jeans look damn slick!
I enjoy clothes, although I don't often have money to buy new ones - which is too bad, because I only started enjoying fashion a couple years ago and I think I have a more solid idea of what I like now.
I sometimes like to have a secret theme for my outfits. Today was a Nancy Drew outfit (plaid, neutral coloured wool skirt, sweater, black stockings, ankle boots) and yesterday was an explorer outfit (canvas military-style dress, brown belt, tall brown boots, long elephant necklace). I don't do it to the extent that it's costume-y, but it makes getting dressed a little more fun and helps me pull the outfit together.
I feel like the greatest fashion discovery of my life was fleece-lined tights. It's winter 6-8 months of the year here, so it always seemed a bit useless to buy skirts and dresses that I can only wear for a couple of months. Now I'm not stuck in jeans and long johns all winter! Unfortunately the weather here also makes my affinity for hats pretty stupid, because I end up wearing a toque most of the time.
It's depended on what I wear daily. When I worked in retail and education I had a broad selection of shirts, ties, dress pants, suits, so I had an infinite variety of combinations. Then I went to Hawaii and it became aloha shirts and khakis. I have enough aloha shirts to go away for three weeks and wear a different one everyday. Makes packing to go away really easy.
I have a huge obsession with costumes. I make all of them myself. Most of them are made out of fiberglass and fur, with LEDs wired throughout. I usually make plaster castings of my own body, and then mould the fiberglass over that. I used to make platform shoes out of steel, but I no longer have access to welding equipment. I make most of my costumes to wear to Burning Man, which I have been going to since 1999. Some of my outfits are worn while skydiving, but most of those get torn up in the high winds of freefall.
Up until about three years ago, I weighed close to 300 lbs. I had no fashion choices. I had to buy whatever came in my size in whatever color. There might have been three shirts in an entire store. My only source of dignity was being able to say no to those ugly fashions in the fat people stores.
Now I'm a size that everything comes in. I'm still getting used to having options. One thing I did my first year as not-sizable was create my own steampunk costume for Halloween. It was fun but expensive. I love the shoes I found and all the little details. I also realized fashion/costumes is a hobby for the more financially stable than myself. I currently have a tiny wardrobe due to lack of funds and having to throw out all my 3XL clothes. I wear a uniform to work and PJs when I'm not. Last year, I treated myself to a maxi-dress. It actually looks pretty decent on me. I was shocked. My guilty secret is that I kinda like looking nice. I even bought some make-up last year. (I've worn it four times.) Oh, and my work uniform is fun. I look forward to my stipend to get new pieces. I have a separate uniform closet.
For years, my wardrobe was filled with multiples. I would buy five of every piece I purchased online. I felt it would cut down on laundry, plus I like having a uniform dress code to cut down on decision making in the morning.
When I started working, I opened up all my boxes of nice collared shirts that I would wear to class as an architectual design student and I discovered I had collected a rather professional wardrobe over the years. I love dressing up because if I take the time to look nice, the people around me are more respectful and I have a better day.
I like HippieVan's explanation of outfit costumes
As of late, my job on the military base has me interacting face-to-face with over four-hundred men during the weekend, so I have to make sure I am dressed up to the nines. I stick to basic military colors like tan, olive green, taupe, white, and steel grey. I usually wear a white collared shirt, an A-line skirt, black or nude panty hose, and a pair of two inch heels.
When I tutor, I try to dress professionally as well so my pupil will know I am taking the lessons seriously.
Soon, I am going to start dressing more like a teacher, so that would require me to wear more white collared shirts, A-line skirts, my awesome cat-eye glasses, panty hose, and nice shoes.
Ever since I turned thirty, I have stopped wearing flats and have been going out wearing heels. Dita Von Teese is definitely my style icon. It has come to the point that I need to restrict myself from browsing eBay because I need to be on a shoe buying hiatus. Recently, I was in the shoe store and while trying on a pair of high heels I let out a, "Mmm!" because the shoes looked and felt soooooooo good. I am starting to think that I may be getting a shoe fetish, or at least I now understand why such a fetish exists.
usedbooks wrote:That's totally not something to feel guilty about, usedbooks! I think just about everyone likes to look nice when they can. (Actually I sometimes feel annoyed by people who show up to things really underdressed, but that's another conversation for another time.)
My guilty secret is that I kinda like looking nice. I even bought some make-up last year. (I've worn it four times.)
Let me know if you want any tips about starting out with makeup - I didn't wear any at all until a couple years ago and I really enjoy it now. :) (And congrats on the weight loss!)
kawaiidaigakusei wrote:
Soon, I am going to start dressing more like a teacher, so that would require me to wear more white collared shirts, A-line skirts, my awesome cat-eye glasses, panty hose, and nice shoes.
Ever since I turned thirty, I have stopped wearing flats and have been going out wearing heels. Dita Von Teese is definitely my style icon. It has come to the point that I need to restrict myself from browsing eBay because I need to be on a shoe buying hiatus. Recently, I was in the shoe store and while trying on a pair of high heels I let out a, "Mmm!" because the shoes looked and felt soooooooo good. I am starting to think that I may be getting a shoe fetish, or at least I now understand why such a fetish exists.
You always looks very put-together in the few pictures I've seen of you. And your new wardrobe sounds lovely! I'm a big fan of A-line skirts.
I wish I could get into shoes…my feet are about a size 4, which no mainstream brands sell in, so that really limits my options. :( My favourite kind of shoes are boots (also a practical choice for the climate here) and oxfords, because I can usually get away with those being a bit big. Heels and flats really have to be the right size.
Btw you may like Pin Up Girl Clothing! I've never actually ordered from them because $$$, but I love browsing through it. I'm saving up for this dress right now.
Interesting stuff about outfits here!
@Fallopian - I would love to see your costumes :)
@ Hippie - I had to look up "toque"! We call them "beanies" here. I think they're also known as a "fisherman's cap".
@Usedbooks - I know the unusual size thing! I'm a smaller sized guy so it's always been very hit or miss to indulge in my love of clothes , especially used clothes from opshops, where you always got the most interesting things. But between the internet, hand sewing, getting things altered or made for me, I've been able to do what I like in the last few years. :)
Interesting the crossover between "costume" and everyday outfits.
I can see that, I've often thought that way. Like today when it's hot and I'm at work- I have a bit of an old "explorer" thing going on, like hippie: Khaki cargo shorts, white button up long sleave shirt, unbuttoned at the top, with the sleaves rolled up, sandals, white panama hat, and khaki satchel (matches the shorts) for my tablet.
So it could allllmooost be a costume, but it also passes as reasonably formal gear you wear in hot weather.
I'm loving long sleave button shirts more and more these days. I used to hate them- I go through stages where I hate things and get rid of any example from my collection. I did that once with T-shirts. I've since just been though another love afair with tight, plain T-shirts and collected a whole lot, mostly black or white.
Which is because years ago I had a purge of all T-shirts with logos or prints on them- blue shirts too, I could not abide blue T-shirts!
I also had a purge of ALL polo shirts, all hoodies, all track pants, all stretchy cotton windcheaters (ESPECIALLY with prints), and anything oversized!
I've since relaxed my fatwa on T-shirt prints to some small degree. It has to be prints that I really like, not just stuff that's on something that happens to fit me well.
Also, I'd like to get more red stuff. Red was always my most favourite colour as a child.
ozoneocean wrote:I had forgotten that toque is a very Canadian term! I'm not even sure how I would refer to them to a non-Canadian…I had never heard "beanie" and I'm pretty sure "fisherman's cap" is something else.
@ Hippie - I had to look up "toque"! We call them "beanies" here. I think they're also known as a "fisherman's cap".
"Fisherman's cap could indeed refer to a couple of things but one of the old meanings was a knitted wool beanie. They were also called "stocking cap"… Names and meanings change over the decades though- Obviously "stockings and now something thin and shere that women wear, but back in the day all woven, tight things that you put on your feet were stockings, including thick wool knitted socks XD
These are the things most commonly refered to as "Beanies", back in the day beanies ALWAYS had to have a pompom or they weren't beanies. They'd be fishermans caps or stocking caps or some other name, even commando cap.
I thiiiinnnk that's what you mean when you say "toque"? I'm not sure where "beanie" comes from but I know that Toque is a french word for ceratin kinds of caps- still generally used by Non-Canadians for Chef's hats.
I Apologise for going full-bravo here… (or is it full-ozone now?), but I LOVE the intricacy names for clothing and cross cultural stuff like this.
It's a knit cap. If it is longer in the back with a tassel and in bright colors I have heard it called a ski cap. Commando caps usually are folded up balaclavas like the original WW II commandos wore and the SAS still wear. I did both outfits when I used to costume. In fact I did the WW 2 Commando complete with burnt cork face paint for a "no naked face " costume party. The modern SAS I did for a paintball outing
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