Closet Questions, Part Two

for Part One, click here.

Q: Would love ideas on wearing navy (and what shoes to wear with it). Navy seems to be the “new black”. I have navy pants and tops but want to wear them with fun colors. Any ideas? — Nat
A: you can pretty much wear navy with any color, maybe except black. you can swap out something black, white, brown (or another neutral) with a navy piece and it should work. bright colors like coral, pink, mint, or even a sunshine yellow would look best with navy. or whites and greys, of course. the same goes for the shoes!

Q: What essential jewelry pieces should every girl own? — Lindsey
A: i think every girl should have a great watch, a statement necklace, some fun bracelets, a pendant necklace, and a variety of earrings (if you’re an earring wearer). if you like to wear rings, a collection of stacking rings or simple rings are also an easy way to add some style to your look. below you can find my most often worn jewelry. (for details on where each piece is from, check out this post.)

Q: Are jean skirts out of style? I have a fun assymetrical one, but never see people wear them anymore. — Steph
A: mmmm, in my opinion, yes. i really haven’t seen a jean skirt in stores in years, so i kind of forgot about them. of course, if you like it and want to wear it, rock it. there’s nothing wrong with having your own style and wearing what you like. in fact, that’s exactly what you should do!

Q: I’m moving to Seattle this September and have never lived in a cold state. I was wondering what you think every “winter closet” needs? — Constance
A: i like chunky sweaters, sweatshirts, striped long sleeve tees, and slouchy sweaters. leggings are one of my favorite things to wear in the fall and winter paired with boots, a sweater and a scarf. i have some summer dresses that are good for transitioning into fall and winter by adding tights and a sweater or blazer. layers are my favorite, so plain tees are great to throw on under a cardigan or open-front sweater with jeans and boots. oh, and scarves! i love scarves and wear one almost every day in the cold winters.

Q: What patterns are okay to mix? Chevron, stripes, polka dots…? — Anne
A: great question, Anne! this is one that’s kind of tricky because it can depend on the scale of the patterns and what exactly you’re pairing together, but i have some basic guidelines for it. in most cases, you can mix patterns. here’s some things to remember: 1. don’t mix patterns that are on the same scale. for example, if you want to wear polka dots and stripes, either do large polka dots with small stripes or vice versa. if you want to do two items with polka dots, make sure one on a large scale and the other item is a small scale. 2. try to stick with just two patterned items. for example, you can do a polka dot scarf and a striped shirt, but don’t throw on floral pants, too. or you could do polka dot pants and a floral top, but stay away from striped shoes. 3. try to keep the color scheme similar/don’t introduce two highly colorful patterned items into one look. so, if you wearing a blue and yellow polka dot top, try not to add a pink, green, and orange floral scarf. or if you’re doing floral pants, stay away from a colorful striped top. you get the picture, right? keep it “simple” by having one of the patterned items neutral and the other colorful, or both of them neutral. that way you may feel more comfortable by mixing patterns because you won’t also be mixing colors!

Q: How many ways can you style a jean jacket with your closet? — Michelle
A: personally, probably a lot. i would wear a jean jacket with just about anything, except jeans/jean shorts. any colored shorts or pants, skirts,  or dresses. if you have a dress or skirt that you feel like is too dressy for everyday wear, trying throwing a jean jacket on over it to make it more casual. i also really like jean jackets with patterned shorts and a plain top. so, there’s pretty much endless options!

Q: How can I decide if a piece of clothing is really necessary to keep when trying to downsize my closet? — Haley
A: if you haven’t worn in it once in the past 3-6 months, get rid of it. if you’ve worn it once or twice but aren’t sure if you still like it or will still wear it, try it on with a couple different tops/bottoms to see if you can style it in a way that will make you continue to wear it. if not, get rid of it. if it’s just not your style anymore but you didn’t wear it very much or bought it recently enough that you would feel bad, i’d say you should still get rid of it and clear up some space in your closet! have a clothes swap with a girlfriend or drop it off at Goodwill for someone else to enjoy!