With the fall season rapidly approaching, it would be a great time to start planning for your fall working wardrobe. As many plus size women know, finding styles and selection can some times be difficult, so getting a head start along with having a game plan is always a great idea.
Do an inventory of your stuff
First things first, go through your closet and do an inventory of your clothes. While it may seem a little much, dressing for the seasons can have a big effect on your credibility. For casual clothing, dressing in seasonal fashion is an indulgence, but for career wear it can have a direct impact on your earning potential. Investing in the right working wardrobe is a sound investment. With that said its time to see what you got.
- Put aside all bright colors. for the fall season bright colors should be used very sparingly and only as an accent piece.
- If you are not comfortable with the way it looks do not keep it. This rule should really be implemented at the buying stage. Too many times we rationalize a bad fit or weird style, or off color because its on sale. Trying to “make it work” usually ends up in a piece of clothing that sits in your closet. Its a waste of space and of money. Add up what you have spent on clothes that were on sale that you do not wear, compare that to the price of something you really loved but felt was to expensive. Usually you will find they are pretty close in price.
- See how many outfits you can make with what you got. How many are anchor pieces (meaning that they are the main part of the outfit) and how many are accent pieces? You should have at least 7-10 days of outfits with out repeating. Write down what you will need.
Time to fill in the clothing gaps
So now you know what you need, its time to plan what to buy. Plus size clothing is a big challenge as the styles often are either to over sized and frumpy or too skimpy and revealing, expect a full day of store hopping. using your budget correctly is the key to getting the most out of your trip.
- For fall you want heavy LOOKING fabrics but do not want it to actually heavy. Look for flannel jackets, instead of tweeds, heavy Gage cotton instead of heavy Poly. Heavy fabrics add bulk and you want as stream lined a look as you can get, textured fabrics like flannel gives the right look of fall with out the added bulk.
- Invest in classics. Spend a bigger portion of your budget on classic items with less frills. A perfect classic custom suit whether it be a pant suit or skirt suit, can be worn for many years and easily updated with more fashion forward tops and accessories.
- Dark colors are not only slimming but fit the season well. Look for dark earth tones like chocolate brown and pair them with rich leathers.
- Opt for cow hide for a more structured look. Heavy looking yet smooth cow hide is a better look for a plus size that buttery smooth lamb skin. Soft leathers appear to hug your curves which can give a sloppy appearance, a more structured and stiffer leather gives a more streamed line look.
- Do not be afraid of price. Buying one thing you really like is better than buying five mediocre things. Again follow the “invest in classics” rule and you will end up with a great purchase. Avoid spending money on trendy things. That top might be the “IT” look right now but blowing 30{e7d6fa4e8694ee13263b5b1b267d343b9ec32481fb17b24e2dd9c88ec2e630a8} of your budget on a seasonal item is just not a great idea. To know what you should spend more on use the “which is the outfit” method. Ask your self, “what part of the outfit will be the focus”? If its the jacket and everything is matched around it then budget for the jacket.
