What’s your hero piece?

Jan 21

Everybody loves an underdog, including your wardrobe.

Welcome to the Sunday newsletter.

An every seven days curation of touch sight taste and sound in relation to fashion and beyond. An accountability marker to maintain the never-ending curation of style, and to stay in contact with the senses through fabulous things.

The Hero Piece

I was working with a client this week who is a full-blown classic maximalist. Saturated colors, purple paired with red, texture on top of neon type of maximalist. During our style-out, I was absolutely enthralled by all the color combinations coming out of the closet. It got me thinking about some of my own color pairings I’ve been feeling inspired by, but what stuck with me most during our time together was this little neon Michael Kors bag.

During my first style out with clients, we re-define what could be considered their “base outfit formulas.” So instead of starting with a T-shirt + jeans, we now start an outfit with blazer + maxi + T-shirt, and then style to make different variations from there. This little bag sneaked its way into almost every single formula we built together—being used for a pop against a bright red coat or as a divider between two opposing tones in tops and bottoms. It proved to be a true hero piece.

A hero piece is what I like to call those items that just keep coming back. They’re usually an underdog. Something people tell me upon first introduction, “I don’t ever know what to wear this with,” or “I love this, but I only wear it with this top.” Because the idea that something so statement could be so neutral just feels wrong. In another client’s wardrobe, it’s a pair of bright red boots; here, it’s the neon bag. It’s usually very unique and therefore, different for everyone. But despite its ability to stand out, if you give it the opportunity, it will bend to nourish just about any outfit in your wardrobe.

I’m often asked how people can identify what their unique neutrals are, and it’s a fabulous question. I talk a little more about it from a component perspective here but if you’d like to discover your own, I suggest also taking a look at any pieces you love but can’t quite seem to get out of the house. If you set aside 15 minutes and style it as if the piece in question was black, you might be surprised how many unexpected outfits it could flow with.

Color Combinations

When I got home, I did a little digging on color combinations. I had a few ideas swirling in my head, but I wanted to see them on paper.

Soft periwinkle and deep crimson red–

Chartreuse and baby blue–

Apple green and primary red-

And lastly, dark brown and silver-

Chartreuse and baby blue, of course, as mentioned in previous newsletters and often worn in the form of my favorite turtleneck and shoes.

I saw the photo of dark brown and silver, and was immediately taken by the idea of vintage silver rings peeking out from a fuzzy brown sweater, or hands adorned in thick silver bracelets wrapping a brown scarf around the neck.

You can shop the knitwear and jewelry here.

`Is Lululemon a necessary evil`

I have another client who is currently postpartum. Because of this, fit and practicality are among our top priorities as we rebuild her wardrobe. We were shopping in Williamsburg the other day when she turned to me and, asked: “Is Lululemon a necessary evil?”

She was referring to a previous conversation we had about whether technical clothing—workout wear, rain gear—can truly be styled in a practical and still personal way. I resonated with this question deeply, especially in light of my own recent thoughts on the liminal wardrobe, and how to blend practicality with uniqueness. It reminded me of some recent data I’d been collecting on the topic, some of which I compiled into a style board I lovingly titled Untapped Potential-

It seems there’s plenty of outfit inspiration for outside and plenty of inspiration for inside, but what do we wear when we need clothes that oscillate between both? And how do we shop for practical pieces that still have personality?

There are a couple of formulas I’ve been testing out as a gather my thoughts on the answer-

Rain jacket + trousers + shiny loafers

Sneakers + Shorts + Rain jacket

`The airport outfit`

I got to put this theory into practice this week when I flew to Virginia for my sister’s birthday.

I’m very grateful to be able to say that I fly often. My average flight is 8–9 hours in the air, so when I get to take a short hour-and-a-half stint, there’s a bit of novelty to it. It feels less severe, and I have more room to play with my outfits.

You might remember my last flight look: brown sweatpants, brown sweatshirt. This time, I took the same base and pushed it a bit further.

Vintage Nike track pants, paired with my absolute favorite cotton tank top I recently picked up in Paris. Its featherlight material sat so nicely against the harsh sportiness of the nylon in the pants. I popped on an elevated zip-up I’ve been living in since I bought it last week, which made the look a little too Tony Soprano—so I finished with a chocolate brown hoodie and my thick, structured loafers on the bottom. I loved this look. It felt equal parts relaxed, sporty, and intentional.

It is absolutely possible to make sporty-chic come to life in a practical way. But it’s a muscle I’m not as familiar with as I’d like—and one I’ll absolutely be spending more time stretching in the weeks to come.

`Outfits of the week you may have missed`

`Style exercise of the week`

Let’s talk neutrals. Because your neutrals might not be what you think they are. Choose three pieces in the wardrobe that you bought out of passion but never wear.

This could be a thrift find you purchased in a haze, or a bag you spent way too much money on but just HAD to have despite never wearing it. These are purchases that often signaled something in your gut as being aligned with your personal style, but something unidentifiable makes it impossible to wear.

To combat this, style this piece as if it were one of the most basic things in your wardrobe. If its a crazy patterned and textured top, build an outfit as if it were a black t-shirt. This will help you build the confidence to try new combinations.

Don’t panic and give up when you start to see lots of new visual points of interest. Keep pushing and finish the outfit through to the end. Remember to add an accessory at the bottom, middle and top of the frame, and have your hair shoes and bag on as well.

That’s everything for this week. Do your exercises, stretch those styling muscles, and don’t forget,

Style is everywhere—don’t miss it!

INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR OUR STYLE NEWSLETTER?