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Last weekend, my husband, daughter and I went outlet shopping. We came home with various items for my daughter, who seems to have hit yet another growth spurt. I came home with a pack of cotton underwear. Does this sound familiar to any of you?!
While I would love to be able to shop for myself more often, my time and budget do not always allow for such things. I “shop my closet” far more often than purchasing new items. In this and other “Pin My Closet” posts, I will share some of my sartorial inspiration garnered from everyone’s favorite time-sucker: Pinterest.
Amen, Sister! (Photo Source)
This week, I’m sharing some tips about neutral outfits–specifically those in black, brown, and grey–for those of you, like me, who have an abundance of neutral pieces in your closet.
I specifically remember having all neutral clothes during my post-baby days and getting creative with either my black nursing shirt or my brown nursing shirt. Although I’m no longer in those post-baby days, I do tend to get into a rut, wearing the same shirt with the same pair of pants. Every so often I have to shake things up a bit. Here are five tips that I picked up on while looking at my neutral fashion Pins:
Pin My Closet Tip One: Go Monochromatic
Photo sources (clockwise from top left): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
I think this is best done when you vary the shades and/or textures of each piece.
Pin My Closet Tip Two: Mix Black & Tan
Photo sources (clockwise from top left): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
I tend to pair black with black and brown with brown, so this would be different for me. How about you?
Pin My Closet Tip Three: Pair Grey with Brown
When I wear grey, I rarely wear brown with it. Hmm…
Pin My Closet Tip Four: Use Brightly Colored Accessories (or Lipstick!)
Photo sources (clockwise from top left): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
I am finally able to start wearing long earrings and necklaces again since my daughter is no longer in the grabby infant stage! (While in that stage, I wore a lot of lipstick and scarves!)
Pin My Closet Tip Five: Neutral-Colored Patterns Add Interest
Photo sources (clockwise from top left): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
In many cases, one outfit has all five tips going on!
Ok, time to try this myself. I picked two base outfits: one that would be more work-friendly and one that would be more casual.
Base Outfit One: Simple black knit dress (Here is a similar dress or try this one if you’re pregnant/nursing.)
Base Outfit Two: Lace overlay tank and black knit pants (Here is a similar shirt or try this one if you’re pregnant/nursing and pants.)
Here is my attempt at incorporating the tips with Outfit One:
Here is my attempt at doing the same thing with Outfit Two:
Finally, here are some of my other neutral experimentations from the week:
In my case, I had fourteen “new” outfits, based ONLY on neutrals, without spending a penny!
Do you ever get into a rut with your clothes? How do you “mix it up”? We would love to see how you re-worked your neutrals – send photos to merelymothers@gmail.com! If you are on Pinterest, follow our Neutral Territory Board for even more inspiration.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
This blogger is awesome. Such a great contribution to the blog. I love how she demonstrates outfits that are work and mom appropriate. I am going to buy that black dress right now!
hadyn recently posted..Banana Bread with Fresh Cherries
Thanks for you nice comment, Hadyn! I appreciate that you are finding the Fashion Friday posts useful!
Amy S recently posted..Fashion Friday!
I know! Isn’t she AMAZING?!?
Really great post–useful tips for moms and non-moms alike!
Thanks Bri! I am glad to know my Pinterest addiction has some utility.
Amy S recently posted..Fashion Friday!
I love the variety, and need to figure out how to shop my closet better. The jeans with pop of color belt, t-shirt and blazer is my favorite. I also think that this demonstrates that accessories can totally change the look and feel of an outfit. Inspiring!
Ali recently posted..Goodwill Hunting: volume 6
Ali, That was one of my favorites too, just because I could wear my $4.98 Target clearance shoes
ha ha ha Thanks for the comment!
Amy S recently posted..Fashion Friday!
I love this idea. In order for it to work, though, I really have to keep investing in great accessories. It’s amazing what they can do for inexpensive, basic clothes! Maybe you could do a post some time about tips for finding great (not necessarily expensive) accessories (scarves, necklaces, belts, and, of course, awesome shoes). I spent $30 on a pair of hot pink pumps and they have been beyond worth it (for me and my girls, who play in my shoes every morning)! And, I know you are the ultimate chic bargain hunter.
Thanks for stopping by, Jess. Accessories are where it’s at. We are planning on a few accessories-themed posts in the upcoming weeks – stay tuned! P.S. I love that you have hot pink pumps – awesome.
Amy S recently posted..Fashion Friday!
This is a great post! One of my go-to neutrals is an all-black ensemble of skinny jeans and a tank top or tee with animal print flats. Insta-glam!
Thanks for the comment Liana. Your go-to outfit sounds FANTASTIC! Send us a photo!
Amy S recently posted..Fashion Friday!
I really enjoyed the tips in this post! Rethinking and reinventing the clothing we already own (and don’t most of us already own enough, if not too much) is such a refreshing idea. When I do this, I often find that I’ll receive loads of compliments on a piece that I’ve owned for years because my colleagues think it’s new! Adding some personality to the neutrals we already own can open up a whole new world of opportunity without costing a penny. An inexpensive scarf can work wonders. They have been my trademark accessory forever! I also love the idea of getting together with friends to swap/trade items that you’re tired of or those impulse purchases a.k.a. “bargains” that just don’t go with anything else in your closet or don’t fit correctly. My sister-in-law and I swap frequently and we both love getting the “new” additions to our wardrobes. Not only does this make sense for our budgets, but I like that it also adds to a sense of returning to basics, appreciating what we already have (instead of the constant quest for more), and sends a great message to our children about what can be reused/repurposed of our possessions vs. discarded and replaced.
Thanks for the comments Maureen. I agree – clothing swaps are FANTASTIC ways to get “new” clothes for nothing. I also like that you pointed out the message that it sends to our children. I know that I rarely got new clothes growing up and I actually had a lot of hand-me-downs from an older neighbor girl. We use a lot of my niece’s hand-me-downs for clothes for my daughter too. I will be talking about secondhand clothes in an upcoming post. Stay tuned!