rethinking classic

Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly
Images via Pinterest here and here.

 

When it comes to style taxonomy “Classic” is a word often used to describe a specific look. Symmetrical, tailored, polished, presumably timeless. Think white shirts, trench coats, Breton striped tops, black pumps, ballet flats…the pieces that always seem to comprise those “10 Items Every Woman Must Own” lists. While details and silhouettes may change over the decades, the idea is that a wardrobe of classics will cover you for most occasions and look good year after year. I’d always aspired to have a traditionally classic wardrobe, one with that kind of simple elegance exemplified by the style icons venerated by my mother’s generation: Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelley, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. (And more recently, by my own: Carolina Herrera and Ines de la Fressange.) It’s a look I’ve always admired and aspired to…and one that has never felt right on me. Many of those more tailored garments just didn’t fit, either physically or emotionally. They always skewed frumpy on me. But for a long time I persevered, thinking if I could just find the right cuts, the right sizes or lose enough weight, that iconic classic look would finally come together.

Over the last few years my style (both in preference and practice) has been evolving away from the crisply classic, and toward something softer, more fluid and draped. (And I should clarify, “fluid” to me doesn’t mean “flowy,” necessarily and I still avoid very voluminous pieces.) Even though these more fluid styles appeal to me aesthetically I resisted at first, having bought into the notion that opting for less fitted, less tailored clothing meant “giving up.” Giving up on attractiveness, on caring about my appearance, on femininity, and giving up on an ideal I’ve held in my head for decades. Instead, I’ve found that the softness, movement and fluidity feels more womanly, not less, and that I feel more myself, less self-conscious, more bien dans ma peau than when I was trying to force myself into more confining clothes. (Perhaps before I was also trying to fit myself into a mold of more contained, girlish femininity, another vestigial remnant of my mother’s ideals? Just a thought.) The fluidity suits my curvy shape better, too, and looks more current. I’ve bought and worn pants and skirts with elastic waists, even to work. The earth did not stop spinning, and I did not gain 80 pounds or stop washing my hair.  🙂

I’m going to take a sidetrack for a minute about that notion of giving up, or “letting oneself go” and fitted clothing. When Lisa at Privilege and I cross-posted about denim styles, she received a lot of feedback that she looked great in skinny jeans and should wear them more. Lisa has always expressed that she doesn’t like how she looks or feels in skinny jeans, not out of any insecurity but rather because they’re just not her thing. She posted a response to the comments, including acknowledging the cultural messages we receive about “good” bodies and displaying them. I’ve posted before about the notion of “flattering” which for most of us today, boils down to “makes you look thin(ner)” or whatever version of “conventionally attractive” you are attuned to. While most of us want to enhance our appearance, Flattering can become a real tyrant. If conventional figure flattery were my style Prime Directive, I’d probably wear nothing but fit-and-flare dresses. (They create the illusion of a waist, and highlight my legs.) But they aren’t my thing, and I’ve latched onto the notion of Flattering Enough, while opting for clothes that feel like a more organic expression of my self and style. It’s not about hiding or camouflage; it’s about starting from what appeals aesthetically and emotionally, and then finding a balance with what works for my body.

But back to the concept of Classic style, I think despite those “10 Items” wardrobe lists that keep popping up on Pinterest, cultural notions of style have also evolved in recent years. Whether every designer runway reflects it or not, comfort has become a higher priority, and fabrics with stretch have become the norm. (Fashion is having a Comfort Moment in a big way.) And outside of the fashion scene, our culture has also shifted in a more relaxed direction. The internet has globalized style to some degree, and that style is much more casual than even 20 years ago. The kind of tailored corporate uniforms that used to be expected in most workplaces would now be perceived as stuffy and out-of-date. Which isn’t to say that if you have a closet full of pencil skirts and crisp white blouses that you love and wear daily you need to get rid of them, just that there is no longer a single standard for what constitutes a classic wardrobe, or a work-appropriate one.

It can still be helpful, though, to think in terms of wardrobe “classics” (though by one’s own definition) in order to build and maintain wardrobe cohesion. What are those pieces that work for your lifestyle, body, aesthetic? What do they have in common and how can they work together? What design elements or colors are you always drawn to? These are your “classics.”

My classics? Jeans, slim black pants, soft jackets, tees, ankle boots, scarves. What are yours, and has your idea of a “classic” wardrobe changed over time?

NEW CLASSICS…


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44 Comments

  1. Like you, I have a curvy hour glass figure and have never looked great in tailored blouses/skirts. Frumpy to the extreme! At the same time, flowy is not great on me either. I THOUGHT it looked good until I saw photos of myself looking like the side of a barn. I’m not as petite as you are and do have some weight to lose. So–I’ve gone with something in between–not flowy, but not severely tailored either. Black pants, boots, V necked tops, soft jackets and scarves are also in my lists of must haves.

  2. Such a great post, most of my clothes are pull on and and soft. I only wear ‘zipped’ clothes which means no stretch on the very odd night out and am always dying to take them off the minute I come home. I like to be able to move with easier my clothes otherwise I feel uncomfortable in my skin.

  3. I think for me classics have stayed the same…trench coat, white blouse, form fitting jackets, pencil skirts, pearls…these all create classic silhouettes we can bank on. I wear them often, but also have joined in with the flowy, more comfortable styles of clothing. I have never considered my jeans classics, but I guess they are. For me, I am more confident at work and feel stronger when I am in classic styles. I feel more creative when I am in the flowy, trendy ones….I am all about the messages I want to send for the day I have in front of me!

  4. Great post! I’ve recently begun to redefine what are my own classics. I feel like I’ve worn it all and loved it all — the tailored look, the flowy look, the bohemian look, the funky look — but now I realize that the tailored look suits me best (no pun intended) and my wardrobe is beginning to reflect that as I shed the other pieces.
    It’s funny — a short story I read in junior high school has stayed with me all these years. It was about a teenage boy who loved his new stepmother but was embarrassed that she was a tall, large-framed woman who wore flowy dresses with big flower prints. She didn’t fit the mold of the neat, petite Grace Kelly-ish mother he thought all his friends had. He came to realize that she was dressing to be true to herself and that if she wore the tailored styles he preferred, she would look like a man. The message of that story has remained with me for 40 years, but now, at “un certain age,” I can truly relate to it.

  5. Great post, Une Femme. I had only a brief fling with “classic” back in my corporate days, and that was pretty unconscious (suit, blouse, hose, heels). Is till like elements of Classic: pearls, knee skirts, cashmere sweaters. But I mix them all up. You have a very authentic, natural style that inspires me. xo

  6. Very thoughtful post. You have really helped me redefine what is classic for me since finding your blog. My classics for winter now are skinny jeans or cords, longer length crew neck tees, longer sweaters, long scarves, booties and fun coats. In summer the elements changes a bit but the silhouette stays the same. The sweaters, tees, and scarves are switched out for long breezy tunics , cotton skinnies, and necklaces. The booties are replaces with neutral sandals.

  7. I don’t know if it is the artist in me or the fact that I have a desire to always be remembered but I bristle when I hear the word classic. Is that a mind set? Do I think it is an “old” term or that it will define me as old? Or worse…boring? Sure it is “good fashion sense”, but that doesn’t mean it is for me necessarily. At least not right now. I can write about classic pieces, suggest items that will go with everything in your wardrobe but for me I’m all about stand-out bold statement pieces. Always have been.

    Every year of my life there is a shifting in the sands of my personal style. It has been that way for as long as I can remember. I don’t mind it. It keeps things interesting and exciting.

    I think you are right that our chosen closet staple pieces need to suit us, our bodies, lifestyles and needs. Then they are classic pieces unto us as unique individuals.

    bisous
    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

  8. I am a classics gal. My winter wardrobe consists mainly of black long sleeve tee (love the Eileen Fisher silk tee), black skinny jeans/knit pants/trousers, and a fitted jacket or sweater on top. Sometimes I trade out the black for brown or navy. I have lots of costume jewelry, but I keep coming back to pearls: they seem to flatter a mature face. The quandary for me with the classic look is how to jazz it up so that it doesn’t look frumpy instead of classic. So, I try to mix patterns (flower scarf w/tweed jacket), add something unique (fabric flower pins are my thing), or change up a classic accessory (long strand of pearls doubled up and knotted). I don’t always succeed at this, as it takes some time and I’m usually getting dressed at the last minute!

  9. My classics have become Eileen Fisher slouch pants, a tee shirt in grey or blue, grey open cardigan and low boots or ballerina flats. Being a petite curvy, a more relaxed fit works best.

  10. i love the fact that these days one can find clothes in a variety of great styles. i recently got a PEOPLE STYLE WATCH magazine which defines the 5 styles as classic, chic, feminine, glam and cool. something for every taste! i have always preferred classic, tailored stuff but can cheerfully acknowledge that women who prefer to walk on the cutting edge or to go in a very feminine direction can put together very good looks as well. chacon a son gout (pardon my french).

  11. Thank you for your posts and ongoing commitment to the blog – I always look forward to your thoughtful insights and comments. Funny – I do think of your look as “classic” and think your style is cohesive and truly “you”. By the way, doesn’t the link for the beautiful scarf above look like something you’d wear? http://www.net-a-porter.com/intl/product/505868/Marc_by_Marc_Jacobs/spliced-jerrie-rose-printed-voile-scarf?cm_mmc=LinkshareUK-_-QFGLnEolOWg-_-Custom-_-LinkBuilder&siteID=QFGLnEolOWg-vlZUEksnoeAsRSG1PYQXCA

    And the new black Eileen Fisher jacket for spring – thinking of that myself and wondering – how many black jackets is too many?

    Thanks again for a great piece of writing.

  12. Wonderful, wonderful post. You are so thoughtful and articulate. And much of what you articulate–here and in other posts–gives a voice to many of us for whom the Official Voice of Fashion doesn’t speak. Thank you!

    I, too, am curvy (not overweight) and relatively petite (5’5″), and though I aspire to that sort of willowy “Classic” dressing you mentioned, it doesn’t suit my body–or my lifestyle. The style I’m most comfortable in could be summarized as “soft and streamlined.” In winter (I live in a very cold climate), that means slim jeans, slim cashmere sweaters, perhaps a graceful cardigan and/or silk scarf, boots (and lots of long underwear beneath it all!). In summer, it’s basically lighter-weight slim jeans, slim tee shirts, elegant cardigans, linen scarves, flats or sneaks. Because what I wear is relatively simple (ie, not adventurous), I like the material to please me, so I emphasize silk/cashmere/linen (plus I have a sensitivity to wool, even merino).

    Reading your blog over the years has helped me further consider and define my “style” (such as it is, not terribly stylish!), which I appreciate. You bring something fun and unique to the internet-fashion discussion, and I always look forward to reading a new post.

  13. Great post Sue. Crisp white shirts…love. Slim black pants..love. Jackets of almost any size and shape…love. Jeans with boots…love. All of these are my classic looks, and have been for years. What’s changed is the cut or length or fabric of all of these, and the way they work together. Drapey or flowing tops make me feel like I’m wearing someone else’s clothes. Although I love all the stretch in jackets and jeans now!

  14. The “white blouse, pencil skirt, pearls” has never, ever been me, even when I was working and had to wear some version of it to be “professional” (and try teaching kindergarten in that kind of outfit!) Now my own “classic” style is mostly the Eileen Fisher black pants and leggings with longer tunic tops – sometimes traded out for skinny jeans and sweaters (especially now in MI!) – and my ever-deteriorating feet seem to call for boots in winter and sandals in summer. My signature accessory is simple silver jewelry, especially earrings. I’m “trim” (as someone called me recently) but I also love elastic waist pants and materials that feel soft on my skin. In fact, a garment has to pass the “touch test” on the hanger before I even try it on! I really enjoy hearing everyone’s take on this post – vive la difference!

  15. Fascinating fashion essay, my dear Pseu. Soft is beautiful on you. On me soft looks, and feels like I’m trying to hide something (which, btw, I usually am in one way or another — pathetic as that may be). I think it looks so chic on you because you’ve reined it in. You don’t swim in masses of material and you keep the base lean.

    You’ve definitely figured it all out, beautifully.

  16. Wonderful post! As a fellow petite, it is nice to read how the fashion “rules” can be too restrictive. If the fashion rule is to wear something that you are uncomfortable in, then you won’t be able to pull it off and you’ll be miserable as well. I too have embraced a more relaxed style in the past few years and I actually receive far more outfit compliments now than I did when I followed the petite style rules! My classic looks include skinny jeans, more relaxed knit tops, jackets, and shoes or boots with style but definitely not high heels. I really am sick and tired of petites being told to wear high heels to look taller! I’m not tall and don’t feel the need to hide or change that. I suppose that is also part of the reason I wear my hair in it’s natural color, grey/white. It’s not about letting oneself go, it’s about caring about your appearance along with being authentic which leads to confidence (and confidence is a good “look”!). Thank you for your great blog – definitely one of my favorites!

  17. This is a marvelous post! So relevant. Susan you helped me fall in love with Eileen Fisher. I’m not curvaceous but I am also relatively petite (5′ 5″) so too much fabric overwhelms me. At 68 I’m fit but I don’t have a 20 year old body!! I like what Tish says about ‘keeping the base lean’–clothes that are comfortable but not too much fabric. Sue I would say that you pull this off with aplomb!
    My favorite look would be soft tees, lean pants/skinny or straight jeans, loose sweaters and jackets. I like scarves, watches, bracelets for my accessories and tend to keep the accessories simple. I wear my hair as it’s natural silver (it won’t hold color any more). I try to get shoes that are comfortable but still stylish (Sue you have REALLY helped me in this category also!). I go light on makeup and prefer ‘le no makeup look’.
    Currently I’m having a crisis with purses. 😉
    Sue, your blog has really helped me with my current ‘look’ which feels very natural. I grew up in southern California and have a natural inclination to desire a casual comfortable every day look (tees and jeans). I would wear a white shirt or white tee, faded jeans, silver jewelry and flip flops every day of my life if I could–and fortunately I can much of the time here in beautiful Sonoma County, California.

  18. Sue I think you are defining the New Classic for many women, a touch of flow, some California insouciance, a few modern and irreverent accessories. I think it’s all the doing of your Hermes bracelet;). Some items of clothing have souls.

  19. Another excellent post! I also love the ‘classic’ style but my mistake was to use it too much like a formula without any sense of myself – unintentionally (but in the workplace this is the very reason such a single standard is required to maintain the corporate image and not that of the individual). The thing about classic is that it’s a framework and anyone can make the style their own, the trick is knowing how to do it and I for one took decades learning! 🙂 I adore your style and interpretation of classic – it has an edge I think is modern yet still very womanly. Thank you for that!

  20. I’ve been hoping for one of your think pieces and here it is. So well expressed and thought provoking.

    I’m still figuring out my classics with help from you, Duchesse (Passage des Perles) and Imogen Lamport (Inside Out Style). Living in Toronto I need several looks to match the weather – winter is simple pants, cashmere sweater and scarf, summer is linen shirts and pants, necklaces and bracelets. It’s the inbetweens that are more of a challenge right now, as spring and fall temperatures here can bounce up and down by 10C (18F) in a few hours.

    BTW Imogen had a similar themed post the other day – Finding your Style Recipe. Must be something in the air:-)

  21. You express much of what I feel or have felt the past ten years. I grew up without any weight problems. I was 5’7″, 117 lbs in college. I could wear anything & it looked good. I began the perimenopause cycle at 42 when I weighed 138 lbs & wore a size 6. It didn’t change much at first. But, after an 11 year menopause & two hip replacements, my body rebelled.Twenty years later I now weigh 165 lbs. Tailored clothes, my favorite go-to for years, are uncomfortable. I no longer tuck in shirts, nor do I emphasize my waist with belts. I cannot wear sweater sets. My bosom is too large. Perhaps if I still lived a metropolitan life I would struggle to continue with suits, which I’ve always loved. I now like “flowy” sweaters that fall softly around my hips. I buy long shirts with curved or finished hems that don’t require tucking in. I do wear skinny jeans because I like them. They are Levis with some give & they really look great. I think really good foundation garments help people like me (big boobs & hippy). Also, a well made sheath dress flatter most anyone and isn’t restrictive.

  22. Thank you for this post, a very thoughtful and thought-provoking piece of writing. To me, classics are the simple pieces – clean lines, unpatterned, neutral colours – that form of the core of a wardrobe. Sometimes, but not always, they will be the “classic” classics like trench coat, white shirt, pencil skirt, but more usually they will be the variations on those classics that best suit one’s shape, outlook and life. I think you have it nailed. You have a look that is contemporary and interesting, but unforced. From a certain age, the classics classics can sometimes look frumpy (unless your initial are IDLF), but for those who either don’t care much for clothes or don’t have confidence in their style, they have the advantage of not looking ridiculous. I look forward to more of your contemplative posts!

  23. How great that you’ve arrived at your sweet spot of style, and feel good about your choices! It’s reflected in the serenity of your photos and posts.

    Looking for what feels right can be a lifetime quest. I realized fairly early on, that my fairly small, pear shaped, long-waisted and somewhat curvy outlines required a clear-eyed assessment of what makes me feel like I’m presenting my best, AND most authentic self to the world. So, unlike most women, I rejected pants– I truly look awful in them. My classics are skirts, both slim-mish and A- line, button down shirts, cardigans, easy jackets, tights, flats, boots, reefer type coats, scarves, and distinctive jewelry.

    I guess they’re classic? Clothes that have some structure always draw me, and I couldn’t carry off too much “flowy”. But I’m not a symmetrical Grace Kelly type, and I don’t think it’s classicism per se that attracts me. I do love history and many things retro and, above all, the genre of film noir. Maybe that’s part of the appeal.

    When I’m home by myself, my favorite outfit is cozy, man-tailored pajamas. Or if I’m chauffering my teenager around, a denim skirt, tights, T shirt, and soft jacket. Basic and comfortable.

  24. Such a good post — one of your Classics! My lifestyle has never been one that’s called for the Classics, but I’ve conscientiously tried them over the years. I do have a Burberry trench (in a non-class pewter metallic), but that belted waist is not a good look for my short torso. Ditto the white shirts which I’ve almost completely given up on. Over the last few years, I’m moving toward what might be classic for me — cleaner, simpler shapes, less (or more judicious use of) colour. And jeans, jeans, jeans. . . I think this term of yours, Flattering Enough, is a great one, btw. Hope it catches on!

  25. One of the best posts ever! It’s interesting that just this week I discovered and read about each of the Kibbe image archetypes. I have always been a Classic style-wise and, when younger and way thinner, it suited me fine – but – was never “comfortable.” Over the past few years, I have transitioned to softer fabrics and designs with less exaggerated structure (no more “crisp” anywhere but I still must find designs that show my waistline or at least hint of it – in order not to look like a box.) I completely agree with you – there ARE different versions of classic style and the softer version is also beautiful and feels great.

  26. My style does tend towards the tailored, buttoned-up type that hasn’t had great results for you. But I am on the tall side, small-boned and -busted, and fairly lean, so tailored styles might hang better on me. I also like this style because it plays against my face and hair (round face, very thick and curly hair). I could easily work an old-fashioned, Gibson girl vibe, but that style isn’t appealing to me at all. I play against my features by dressing in a modern, la garconne style.

  27. I love the look of classics but am on the shorter side with a very curvy body. It took years for me to realize that I had to modify the standard so I could look good. I needed to get items tailored for my curves. I needed to wear a shorter version of the jackets because of my body proportions. I looked better in A-line skirts instead of pencil skirts. Still classics, but with modifications.
    Another thing I would do is to add a romantic factor that was very different than my mother’s definition. I go for ruching and draping instead of ruffles. My prints are a little more bohemian than my mother’s flower prints. I may wear pearl earrings but my necklace has colored beads as well as pearls.
    I like to think of these as generational adaptations.

  28. Thanks for a very informative post. A lot of this resonated with how I feel about fashion and what feels ‘me’ when dressing. I have tried on many pairs of skinny jeans, but they all make me look like a tube of toothpaste. So, that was a fashion that was never going to suit me. I would love to put on weight, (yes, you read correctly,) which has been a lifelong battle. At 50+ I think I have to face up to it never happening! Hence, I am continuing to evolve a wardrobe on what I like and what flatters my figure.

  29. I am 5′ 2″ , slim through the hip and leg, but with a Ruebenesque poitrine and the shoulders of an NFL linebacker. Blazers, button-down white blouses and crew necks. Lily Pulitzer dresses….they just don’t work for me. Skinny jeans are an anathema.

    At 50 I’ve learned to embrace my inverted triangle figure and more importantly, my lifestyle. In my dreams, I am Jacqueline Kennedy,but in real life I’m well, me. My 10 must haves are:

    – Dresses that skim but do not hide or hug my curves too tightly— no stiff fabrics.
    – Eye-catching skirts, pants or even shorts — I just bought cream colored lacy shorts on a whim and they look adorable with a tee and a black cashmere V-neck and ballet flats for a Saturday at home.
    – Solid color tees with a vee or surplice neckline.
    – Outrageous shoes
    – A Barbour jacket (for walking the dogs)
    – Good quality bootcut jeans
    – Good walking boots
    – Artisan jewelery—-why have big diamonds if you can’t wear them when you’re going about your daily life?
    – Luxurious lingerie. I’ve discovered that you get what you pay for.
    – Serious perfume. Fell in love with Eau des Merveilles and got some for Christmas. I will never change perfumes again.

    Oh- almost forgot—- workout gear

  30. I’m another petite curvy, I like slim silhouette pants and jeans, fitted but not tight t shirts and polo shirts, unstructured jackets, slim line cardigans and flat shoes. I adore the look of a tailored shirt and skirt but I long ago accepted that it’s a look that would never suit me.

    Susan I’ll be reading this post again it is one of your particularly superb ones. Thank you.

  31. What a great post! It is so interesting how our notions about things change according to time, space and history.When I was a teenager c”classic” meant “preppy” which meant Villager kilts, sweaters and coats and Bass “Weejins”. The it was the Gap and now I have to say my classics are slim tailored black pants, white T-shirts now long sleeve, a classic button down white blouse except now longer. Stuart Weitzman black flats, Longchamp Le Pliage bags for accessories.

    Accidental Icon
    http://www.accidentalicon.com

  32. I feel at my most majestic and powerful in long fluid layers, made from fabrics of substance. I no longer even try to relate to the lists of “must haves” that clutter the Internet. I am not frumpy, I am swooshy and witchy and fabulous. Really the only thing left to do is to release the last few things from my closet that do not fit the mold.

  33. with the exception of a few “hippie dressing” years, my style has changed very little over the years. Jeans, always, plain blouses, t-shirts and pullovers, structured jackets or long button up sweaters, no ruffles or anything that would be considered “girly” by the old standards, boots of any and every type . Yes, my blouses and pullovers are longer now and not form fitting, heels are lower or flat No statement necklace for me. Fewer pieces of jewelry, but high end. I love my style. Great article!!!!

  34. I think the best part of ageing for me is having the confidence to wear what makes me happy. For me this meant ditching navy and all blue except for jeans. I stopped lisitng to those who states all black is ageing and too harsh. I love black and feel at my most confident and happy when I wear it. I don’t like dresses so they have also been jestioned. Currently I do not even have a skirt because I cannot find one I am happy with so the search continues. My classics are skinny/cigarette pants & jeans, knitted tops (i hate ironing), tailored jackets and flat shoes. I love jewellery and scarves which add colour and interest. I am also a handbag addict!

  35. I really enjoyed this post because I bought “classics” for so long for a body that I no longer had. I gave an audible sigh when I tried on a chambray shirt that J.Crew told me that I needed and “the girls” were pulling at the buttons. I live in black tunic tops and skinny jeans. Learning and trying to do it creatively and cheaply. However, I find at 52, I need well tailored and hence more expensive – but fewer! – pieces.Getting ready for the next purge. and thanks for the clue about Eileen Fisher jeans.

  36. I just listened to a podcast this evening from another blogger all about the classic 10 that you listed here, almost verbatim, and then saw your post! While I appreciate the classics and prefer chic tailored clothing, I have always considered my style “classic bohemian.” I HAVE to have something flowy or unique to express my inner artist. Part of reaching a certain age is the joy of knowing yourself, your body and your own style, which can make for a unique foundational 10 for each woman. My gawd, if everyone was walking around in tan trench coats, sensible ballet flats, and navy and white Breton striped shirts my inner artist would be bored out of its every loving mind! While I can’t stand the level to which people are shlumping out these days, fashion needs to be liveable and creative as well as beautiful.

  37. Love the way you ponder style! My classics, for winter it would be wool skirts, usually plaid including pleated or pencil skirts and a ribbed turtleneck, boots and tights. For summer, I like simple feminine high-waisted dresses of soft fabric. I am a 12, only 5’4″ and these feel flattering to me, because I like the overall silhouette.

    Look forward to your posts!

  38. In many ways, this post has set me free from memories of restrictive waistbands, gaping buttons and skewed lines of the fashions I attempted when I was young…because who doesn’t want to have classic style? I’m small with a short torso, and the common list of must-have classics has never fit me. Also, I crave color and touches of pattern. They are non-existent in the carefully neutral lists of classics. As another poster commented, what about the inner artist?

    When I read your post my response was, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Those freer, moderately flowing clothes with stretch and movement are exactly the ones I like best. I’m in my early sixties, and I guess I’m a slow study, because until I read your post I couldn’t come up with a style descriptor that pleased me. Now I’ll call my preferences ‘color-fluent classic’.

    Thank you for your perceptive ideas about how each of us can have a highly individual collection of classic clothes.

  39. I’m always looking for the sweet spot, yet most of the time what I see is too mannish (have to forgo menswear blazers though love sharp tailoring), the desperation of virtually all “wearable art”, and the sexless shroud of “comfort clothing” marketed to over 40s. (If a salesperson leads me straight to Eileen Fisher, I bolt- not that it doesn’t look terrific on some of my friends.)

    To me “flattering” means the clothing highlights your best features, whether a fine bosom (and I do not mean cleavage), legs like yours, or a swan’s neck. Flattering only means slimming when women are fixated on their body size- and many of us were taught to be that way, as you have eloquently and movingly described in past posts.

  40. What an insightful post! I have been dubbed a “classic” by two personal stylists. I have a closet full of classic items and appreciate the style, but I don’t love wearing it anymore. My eye is craving something different..I just haven’t figured out what.

  41. Excellent post! I love the idea of defining what your own classics are to suit your taste and body type. It’s really got me thinking as I plan a new wardrobe after significant weight loss. Personally, I love a well-tailored jacket or cardigan for work – I feel it gives me a professional, authoritative look that really helps in the male-dominated business I’m in. Plus a defined waist works well on my pear-shaped, short body. But can I tell you a secret my mother would be so appalled by? I don’t even own a single blouse – to me they’re just stiff and frumpy looking under a jacket and they never fit right on me – plus they need to be ironed, which is too annoying for words. So I wear the jacket over relaxed tees or knit tops. Comfortable stretchy jeans or slightly flowing pants or dresses or skirts on the bottom. Nothing binding, nothing I can’t move in. An arresting color or pattern or a great piece of jewelry or scarf up top for interest. In my mind, it’s classic enough without being too stiff or formal, which I think is the hallmark of my mother’s generation, not mine.
    Keep up the good work – your site has been super helpful.