Another challenge from Tresi’s brain to my blog, and this time it is all about quest clothing. I’m sure once I explain what it is and showcase it, you’ll find how it applies to all of us.
I Love the idea of “working” and “thinking” about our wardrobe instead of just putting outfits together. Don’t get me wrong, I love putting outfits together, but I’m an analyzer at heart.
Quote of the day: “By three methods we may learn Wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” Confucius
From all of my reading and research, I believe that we all go on these fashion journeys. We picture something ideal and then go looking for it. But often, we come home with a handful of close enoughs instead.
And the funny thing is? Those almost-right pieces end up multiplying, crowding our closets and making us wonder why we still don’t feel like we have the right thing to wear.
This is what I’ve started calling “quest clothing” after Tresi brought up the idea. I consider it pieces we buy in search of the perfect version we’ve imagined in our heads.
Yet, our “perfect version” is flawed. No clothing OR person is perfect, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve become adept at being the boss of my clothes. We can make them fabulous even if they aren’t the quest clothing we imagined.
Insider tip: If you can relate to this quest clothing scenario, I hope you can “embrace” the flaws of the pieces you already own and be happy with them. It’s the same idea of loving our bodies as is.
This is what I like to call “quest clothing”…the pieces we collect while searching for that one perfect item we’ve imagined. We’re not buying duplicates out of carelessness. We’re trying to chase a very specific feeling.
I wouldn’t automatically say that these pieces we’ve collected aren’t good. It’s coming to the realization that we don’t need to keep adding the same thing to our closet.
To those women who collect white blouses and black pants…I’m talking to you.
So many of us fall in love with potential. With the idea that our dream version of the clothing might finally deliver everything we wanted. That this one will be the Goldilocks fit: not too boxy, not too tight, just right.
But by now in our lives, we should realize that there is no perfect, and our quest clothing can become a collection because we aren’t willing to make what we have work for us.
With that in mind, Tresi and I are sharing our stories and styling of our version of quest clothing.
Because when it comes down to it, I figure that rather than feeling bad about our quest clothing detours, let’s make the most of them. Sometimes those pieces just need the right styling moment to shine.
“It started when I saw a lovely peasant style midi dress with tiered skirt and three quarter length sleeves in dark olive green online. I looked and I thought “I want that dress”, but sadly it was way out of my budget, and I’ve sworn not to buy new anyway.
Insider tip: I’ve found that when I’m on a colour quest, I have to be prepared to dye! I’ve found a brand that works better, it’s cheaper, and has a better color range. The only downside is that there are no English instructions, but a cup of salt or a cup of white vinegar for synthetics gives good results; I use my washing machine, and that’s fine too.
Searching eBay for the dress of my dreams. I found the pale green dress, which looked olive in the listing, and turned out to be wishy washy sage. When it came, I dyed it, with no visible result.
It didn’t help that it looked mumsy on me – it was too short and the sleeve frills were ‘too much.’
Total reject, because no redeeming features!
Then came a sleeveless number – perfect colour, but a bit mundane, even with a belt, and it has two splits at the front, which looks strange – I might sew one up.
Finally, I found a dress that was spot on…except the fabric is thick and warm – lovely for autumn/winter, but not at the moment. One out of three is not what I’d consider good odds.
Then I thought about a skirt or trousers, the logic being that I could use items from my existing wardrobe to give me a green hit and vary with the seasons.”
The chartreuse skirt is lovely (although not olive) now that I’ve shortened the lining so that it moves more.
This one with the asymmetric hem needed to be dyed as I consider it too brown and shortened – worth fiddling with though. I popped it in to dye, and added a white blouse that had suffered a colour bleed in the wash.
Once I’d fiddled, I was pleased with the outcome and decided to style it with a scarf at the waist.
I liked the colour combo and also feel I’m overcoming my horror of asymmetry.
I had a cunning plan for the darker top that I considered too big- I pulled it down, tucked in the sleeves to make ‘ pockets ‘ and wore it as a skirt (after all, I am the boss of my clothes!).
The neck was a bit big around the waist, but with a belt, no problem.
Actually, looking at the picture, it would look very good as a top with straight jeans (teal, not blue!). The green trousers were too baggy, but I was trying to get the layered effect of the dress I had lusted after.
JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…look at that green “skirt” (on the left) and realize it is the SAME shirt on the right. You’d never know, right?
The dyed green blouse with the trousers was a winner, picking up the colour without being matchy.
Tresi’s motto: “Experience is what you get when you’re looking for something else in this quest clothing challenge.”
My emotional start to this quest clothing was when I started seeing this woman on Pinterest in a bunch of different colored oversized blouses.
Of course, this led to wanting my own version, and my first purchase was a white blouse that I used in a discussion of ways to wear an oversized shirt.
I then wore it for our article about rattan purses (photos below).
After that, I started looking for these same types of tops when thrifting, and I seem to have collected quite a few.
In my defense, I have learned many different ways to wear the same type of shirt, so it doesn’t always look the same.
One of the reasons I was drawn to this yellow and white striped blouse is that the stripes are so subtle, which makes it perfect for print mixing.
For this yellow striped linen blouse:
– I’ve tied the one end in a knot and then threaded through the other end (great trick for scarves too, as shown in this video)
-Worn open as a kimono/jacket
A friend gave me this silky blouse that is a couple of sizes too big. Even though it’s big and not linen/cotton, the color is stunning, so I had to give it a whirl.
-Worn with our silk button up showcase.
-Styled as a halter with sleeves tied behind my neck…it’s upside down with the collar at my waist.
-Buttoned halfway down and pulled over my head (seen in this video) to create a bolero.
The sun print linen blouse I found this spring on the Old Navy site.
-I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to button it all wrong (as seen in this video)
-And I layered it with 2 other prints and just tucked it in normally.
Since you can never go wrong with stripes, I found this beauty for $2 at Goodwill.
-Worn as a wrap by buttoning the last button behind me (shown in this video and styled for ideas of what to wear for watching the grandkids)
-Even oversized tops can be layered under something else, as shown with one of my handknit vests.
Last but not least is this cotton oversized blouse found thrifting.
-Not only did I use a scarf clip to hold the ends together, but notice that I tucked the collar under (like in the beginning of this video) to make it a “v” neck.
-Held together with a scarf by placing a safety pin on the side seam and threading a thin scarf through the safety pin and button hole.
Want more ideas of how to make an oversized blouse like these work for you? I created an entire article showing all sorts of examples.
My emails are my way to share fun and positive content with you from all of the sites I visit during the week. Sure, you also get my free eBook when you sign up, but that’s not the best part.
The best part is you get a daily dose of positive energy.
Here’s the truth as I see it…quest clothing isn’t a failure. I like to think of it as a phase. It is part of the process of discovering what really works for you. It reflects your style curiosity, your hopes, and sometimes, your Pinterest-inspired dreams.
There are times that we can get caught up in our quest clothing to discover that perfect item.
However, let’s look at it differently, too. The fact that we are analyzing what might be considered quest clothing could also mean we are finally paying attention to what we want from clothing, and that’s a good thing.
If you like these challenges put forth by Tresi, then check out a couple of other ideas:
–How many jeans do you need?
–Revive your reject clothing
–Get out of a style rut
The moral of the story is to stop beating yourself up if you’ve been collecting the same type of clothing items. Then again, remember, there is no “ideal” piece, and I bet you can make what you have into something wonderful.
Did you like what you just read?
Consider buying me a coffee as a thank you. The best gift you can give a content creator is the gift of sharing or supporting. You could share this article on Facebook, or Pinterest or even email it to a friend. Thank you so much for your support!!
Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
The post The Shopping Trap of Quest Clothing Explained appeared first on Jodie’s Touch of Style.
