Wise Fashion Investments

There are some fashion investments that just make sense.  Knowing “your” colors, for instance, will save you a lot of money on unworn clothes or clothing that you don’t feel your best in – so even if you have to pay a little to find this out up front, it will save you in the long run.

Along similar lines, a site called Fashion Fit Formula offers a unique service.  Using your measurements, they tell you what the proper lengths are for your personal hemlines, sleeve lengths, etc. for your clothing to be properly proportioned.  (Check out the site to see visual examples of how just a change in length can make a huge difference in visual appeal of an outfit.)

Besides this service, Fashion Fit Formula also sells several ebooks.  I was privileged to have the opportunity to review An Extraordinary Wardrobe is Hiding in Your Closet and Changing Sizes?  A Guide to Altering Your Clothes Without Sewing…Quick and Easy Fixes.

An Extraordinary Wardrobe is Hiding in Your Closet

An Extraordinary Wardrobe is Hiding in Your Closet is Fashion Fit Formula’s premiere ebook, and its aim is to show you how you can alter the clothing you already have – the stuff that’s “not quite right” – to suit you perfectly.  (A frugal fashionista’s dream, right?)  Before reading the ebook, I was a little concerned that it might be useless without having my FFF measurements (which I haven’t gotten around to investing in just yet).  I was pleased to find that this was not the case.  Obviously, if you’re going to change a hemline or something, it’s best to know how long you want it to be, but nothing in the ebook is dependent upon having these measurements at hand.

After the introductory sections (foreword, etc.), the book opens up by talking about core wardrobes for summer and winter, and how to accessorize for each of these seasons.  Even if this information is “old hat” for you, it’s a good summary and good reminder.  Following the core wardrobe information, we are introduced to the fictional Suzie Q and the contents of her closet.  Suzie Q’s is a representative wardrobe.  It contains the same types of clothing owned by the average woman – a few good core pieces and a handful of more random items that are outdated, no longer useful, or just don’t quite work.

The authors then proceed to rework Suzie Q’s wardrobe.  First, they show new ways of combining the core wardrobe pieces.  After this, they move on to the unworn clothing – pieces that need to be altered or remade.  Piece by piece, they show us what doesn’t work about it, offer a solution, and then show several ways the remade item can be mixed with the existing core wardrobe pieces.  Assuming that Suzie Q has basic mending skills (sewing on a button, for instance), but that any significant sewing must be contracted out, they tell us how much each piece cost, how much the alteration cost, and how much was saved over having to purchase a whole new garment.

I found this to be the next best thing to having someone come and personally go through my own closet with me.  Although the fixes they offer will obviously not all apply specifically to the items in my closet, a wide enough variety was offered to get my creative juices flowing.  I am not very good at seeing potential in items that don’t work as-is, but the sample items in this book are specific enough that they were helpful for me.

The only potential downside I see is that the clothing costs are not realistic for those of us who don’t often shop retail.  Just keep in mind that your costs will probably vary from the examples, and this should be a non-issue.  An added benefit for thrift shoppers (especially if you do sew, yourself) is that the examples may give you ideas for ways that thrift store pieces have potential beyond their immediate state.

A newer ebook, Changing Sizes?  A Guide to Altering Your Clothes Without Sewing…Quick and Easy Fixes, is designed to offer interim options for those in the process of losing weight.  If you haven’t reached your target weight yet, you don’t want to invest in a whole new wardrobe (yet!).  And you probably don’t want to make full-scale alterations every other week, either.

The “alterations” in this book are not official, proper alterations – and they aren’t intended to be.  Instead, they are quick fixes that will allow you to wear the clothes for a few weeks until they need to be taken in again.  Like in An Extraordinary Wardrobe…, the suggestions made are very specific.  Fixes use safety pins, glue, iron-on hem tape, and/or the occasional minor stitching.

All of these fixes seem very practical, and they all take overall proportion into consideration.  (You won’t end up looking like you’re wearing a potato sack that just happens to have a belt around it!)  Be mindful as you read, however, that some of them will allow the garments to be remade later, but others probably will not.  Don’t cut into your all-time favorite garment for a temporary fix that can’t be “un-fixed” later!  Instead, go with a less permanent alteration, or hang onto that one until you reach your goal weight.

If you’re intrigued, you can find out more about both ebooks, as well as the Fashion Fit Formula, at www.FashionFitFormula.com.

Legally-required disclosure:  The ebooks reviewed in this post were provided by Fashion Fit Formula.  All opinions expressed in the post, however, are my own.