Translating Inspiration

I've written here before about shopping in your closet, but I realized what I was trying to express was the art of reinventing or re imagining your current wardrobe in new ways.

To do this you need to do some research. Be it perusing fashion magazines, visiting websites or just looking at people you see on the street. And then taking the ideas you find there and using your existing wardrobe to translate those ideas. Here is an example:

I, like just about every fashion editor and blogger in the world, was blown away by the creative Spring '09 collection by Marc Jacobs.





Obviously, these ladies are styled for the runway and I am not likely to walk down the street dressed exactly like them. (Lakeview Joe I am looking at you and your literal mind) So then I break down the elements of what I like about these looks:

- The silhouette. (The retro feel, the emphasis on high tight waist)
- The belts (Wide, wrapped)
- The pattern mix (gingham and plaid paired with solids, florals and anything really!)
- The fabrics (layered shiny and matte)

So then I go to my closet and think about the pieces I have and how I might put them together in a way the utilizes elements I liked so much about the collection and came up with this:

So I took a gingham shirt and paired it with a pinstripe shirt. (you can't really see the pinstripes in the pic). Now if I just wore those two things together it probably wouldn't look like they went together. So I pulled in the black vest to lessen the impact of the gingham. Then to really make it MJ I tied this faboo scarf/wrap my sister gave me for Xmas as a belt. (I couldn't get it to lie as neatly as I wanted to unfortunately.)

I did get at least one compliment on the belt! ;)

I am satisfied in that I was successful in nailing the essence of the look, while using winter appropriate colors and fabrics. I was inspired by the collection to combine patterns I never would have thought to use together before and to use the wrap in a way that I probably would never have thought of on my own. So voila- shopping in my closet!

3 things:
- I am starting out this economic slide in a relatively secure financial position. (watched frontline on Lower 9th in New Orleans Katrina victims last night. What is going to happen to those poor people now....)
- pants that were tight 2 months ago that I now have to keep hiking up. (what a difference 7 lbs makes!)
- neon bright purple flowers