Somehow the genetic code for putting an outfit together escaped me. No really...if ever you have seen me and thought that I looked fashionable or at least put together...I promise you that was an accident or...pure luck???
A few months ago I reached my "pre pregnancy" weight and then lost a few more pounds. I mostly blame the children (lovingly blame them) for this accident. Sadly, I sold all of my favorite "skinny" clothes wayyyy back thinking that I would never, ever be "that small" again. Oh well...they were probably too flashy for my new mom style anyway.
For months now my husband and I have been trying to find ways for me to not only shop but also BUY something! I truly have an empty closet. Lots of people say they have "no clothes" but I'm not generalizing. I have nothing but a few ribbed tank tops and some summer nursing shirts. I'll gladly wear those, but my husband is not so keen on me wearing a ribbed tank top with a yoga skirt to a nice restaurant. Oops, another fashion don't for me.
Enter
Tog+Porter. Long story short- but I basically found this amazing service when I read about
Eco Emi, a natural product sample box subscription. At first, I didn't think there was any reason someone like me would use such a service because that would mean buying clothes that were not on a clearance rack at Target. However, after 3 attempts at making my clearance finds into outfits I decided that being frugal just wasn't working. If I kept all my cheap clothes, I would fill the hole in my closet but I still would not have anything to wear. There is just something about paying for a cute shirt that costs $39. I mean, if I did take that shirt home, what would I wear it with? That $39 shirt would turn into a $90 pair of pants and an expensive pair of shoes...would it not? Yeah...that wasn't going to work for me...and besides, I can't even spend an hour in the store trying on clothes if I wanted to.
What is
Tog+Porter? Well, other than the best service a mom could dream of...it is a styling service. I completed a survey of my preferences, submitted my credit card information (for a deposit of $110) and waited. It was pretty soon afterwards that I was contacted by a stylist. We scheduled a Skype appointment and she really grilled me on my preferences and my empty closet. A few weeks later and my first box arrived! Now the rest of the skinny on the service- I get to buy any of the pieces that I like and send back (with prepaid label) anything I don't. I will meet with my stylist tonight to go over my box and get more styling help. I'll let you know how that goes.
On to the fun stuff....here are the NINE pieces found in my box. I must say, she did a fantastic job finding pieces that fit my style.
**One thing I will point out...obviously I could spend lots of time finding the pieces I want to buy online and probably for less. However, the styling service is free, so I feel like it is fair to purchase the pieces directly from Tog+Porter and then track down the designers to find more items...so wait...not only do I get some great pieces but I also learn of new designers that fit my style...nice.
**Other fact- while some of the pieces may cost more than I would *like* to spend...I have spent so much time, cumulatively, shopping and buying NOTHING that I love. So..to me, it is worth it to spend a bit more per piece. Before kids, I didn't think twice about buying a $59 shirt in every color at my favorite store...so why are things any different now?
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| Outfit One |
Outfit One: DownEast Cap sleeve tee $29, Alternate Apparel Indio Skirt- Indian Wells $53 and Sam Edelman Gigi Almond Patent Sandals $49. The fabrics in this outfit are right up my alley. The sandals are cute but the style doesn't really stay on my foot real well. So far, I think I'm keeping the shirt and skirt and I'm going to DownEast's website to buy a few more of the shirts in other colors.
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| Outfit Two |
Outfit two:
Alternative Apparel Racerback Maxi Dress- Eco Rust $59. I LOVE this dress, the fabric and the fact that it is fairly eco-friendly. It feels like NOTHING. My husband says, "Absolutely not" on the color. I think it looks OK in photos. I'm going to see what my stylist thinks...but I have already scoped it out in a plum, a greenish and a gray online...so I think I may be sending the rust back but picking up a color that is better for me. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress on. I don't care if you don't think it is flattering...I feel naked and wonderful in it and that is all that matters.
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| Outfit Three |
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| Outfit Three |
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| Outfit Three |
Outfit three: Potters Hi Low Button Down shirt $59, Splended V-neck t-shirt $49 and Level 99 Lily Straight Wheat capri/pants $98. Um no...to all three pieces in this outfit. I just threw those shoes on for fun...sorry if I ruined the outfit with them (Fashion illiterate, remember). The photo makes it look like a decent outfit but the pants have so much room and are so stretchy that I could put a couch pillow in the front and the back and you can actually see the extra room when I walk. I'm not a fan of the hi/low shirt- plus it made me hot just putting it on. The t-shirt isn't a good cut for me either. Bummer...but it was fun to try on!
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| Outfit Four |
Outfit four: Downeast Maxi Skirt $49 I think this is a skirt and a strapless dress...if not...oops. It has bunching so I think it can be worn as a dress. I like this one but I'm not so sure on the fabric. It feels a little too much like swim suit material...and I just think that will be hot. I'll be asking my stylist if this is "fancy" or can be fancy because I may keep it for special occasions. It looks fancier in the photo but I think it seems more casual fabric-wise in person. Again...those shoes are totally not right for the dress but I have had them for years.
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| Outfit Five |
Outfit five: Downeast Two Tone Skirt- Spa Blue $49. (My own organic shirt...I have no other white shirts...and those stink in' black shoes again!). LOVE this skirt. I love the blue plus gray and white. I can't wait to find out what type of shirt to put with this skirt! Definitely keeping this one. Perfect length, nice airy fabric...LOVE the skirt.
OK so tell me what you think- be honest!
