While attending “San Francisco State University” I lived in the dorms, and when I first moved in I didn’t have all of my clothes, so I had to learn how to mix and match effectively to get through the week.
Even though it was the early ‘80s, when I look back at the pieces I had to work with-a corduroy jumpsuit, a pair of tailored orange pants, a pair of jeans, a white button-down shirt, a white t-shirt, an orange “Fiorucci” long-sleeved shirt with a detachable white collar, a plaid wool wraparound shirt, a white v-necked pullover sweater, a burgundy pullover sweater, a red/white/ blue checked “Evan-Picone” miniskirt suit, an off-white polyester miniskirt, and a denim “Levi’s” jacket-I’m proud to say they’d work as well together today as they did back then.
Over the years, as I’ve added more clothes to my wardrobe, I’d forgotten how freeing a small selection could be until I started working on Zoom for “Leo Politi Elementary School” (LAUSD) during the pandemic. One day, when I was wondering how I was going to manage putting myself together for a week of Zoom classes and my online MA Fashion Journalism coursework at “Academy Of Art University”, I saw a series of Instagram posts by blogger Sarah Chuck where she coordinated a pair is secondhand lavender pants with various toppers.
Realizing what a perfect solution it was to my problem, I decided to take a page out of her book, and do the same with a pair of Sonia Rykiel jeans I bought awhile ago from a “LeRedoute” catalog. To give the looks my own personal stamp I used five different print tops that were either thrifted or purchased inexpensively at “Target” or “Ross Dress For Less”.
At the end of the week, I realized how stress-free this type of dressing was, and how efficient it allowed me to be during a hectic time.
Breakdown of Outfits:
- Monday: Jeans + light-blue shirt-sleeved cardigan + print halter top + navy-blue tee
- Tuesday: Jeans + black/beige Calvin Klein top
- Wednesday: Jeans + blue print Calvin Klein top
- Thursday: Jeans + peach short-sleeved cardigan + green/pink/white floral top
- Friday: Jeans + light-blue and white polka-dotted shirt-sleeved top
Every Day Fashion: Style for the Mainstream 