Low effort max return clothing

[timeforteaforyouandme]

What's your favourite item of clothing or make up or hair thing that makes you feel/look like you've made an effort without actually making much effort?

I'll go first: mine is a John Lewis navy wool coat (that I got cheap in an August sale). I wear it instead of my usual puffa (with trainers) if I want to look a bit smarter going into town but it is a bit warm.

What's yours?

Anything bought in the sales from Studio Nicholson.

Flat pointy suede ankle boots from Think! (expensive). They make every pair of jeans/trousers look better.

Cashmere hoodie.

Necklaces.

I recently saved this photo for the brooch inspiration. I’ve been looking in charity shops but I’ve only seen modern ones recently. I want old gold toned. As an aside I notice a lot of self depreciating comments regarding plus size here. I’m a size 16 but I don’t really find it a barrier to dressing well or being stylish.

Ok so I can't pick just one thing really.

But if I had... diamond stud earrings, a jewelled hair clip for putting it up, primer and lipgloss for my face, a faux fur coat, bootcut jeans and painted nails... then I'd feel fine. Even if I had nothing else, not even underwear and shoes! 😆

I guess if you're going to force me to just pick one thing, my nails are always painted. Always. I do it myself.

If you're looking to revamp your wardrobe, go get rid of all the jeans that don't fit or are uncomfortable when you sit down. Jeans are so personal whether their shape fits your body or not and if not, they drag your outfit down regardless of what size you wear.

A camel blazer style coat from River Island in the sale, makes my normal skinny jeans, converse and sweater look so much nicer. I have a light blue blouse that I got for about £12 that always looks really good with jeans and I always get compliments when I wear it

Jeans are actually on my to sort next list wild poinsettia.

I think it's my puffa jacket that makes me feel drab, even just for the supermarket.

I would bin it but it's so practical

Some great ideas here.

Since my original post I bought some convincing looking inexpensive pearl stud earrings to wear during the mask on/mask off times (have to wear masks at work) so it doesn't matter if I lose one.

Where is that jumper dress from @BitterTits ?

I have a dress similar shape and style to Bittertit's, came from Tu in the sale. Really nice with a pair of thick black tights.

turquoise suede biker jacket that's about 30 years old. Suits my colouring perfectly and can through it over a black tee and jeans and know I look good

Ooh, I've though of another one. I have a vintage Jaeger red jacket, a knitted one. Only vintage as I've had it about 30 yrs, and got it secondhand, probably a charity shop or jumble sale. Really lifts ordinary stuff. A stylish young assistant admired it in Next, so I took that as a compliment!

Another brooch fan here. I like a slightly fussy 1950s/60s one on the lapel of an otherwise masculine jacket or coat. I'm not joining in any campaigns though, sorry but the prices are already starting to creep up in charity shops round here, so I think it's only a matter of time before they become fashionable and blow us longstanding fans out of the water.

Re: brooches. Too many people wear them too low down so it draws the eye downwards often where you don't want it to, i.e around the boobs. Also lots of them are weighted stupidly so they are too heavy, which is really annoying.

Try it higher towards the shoulder on your lapel and it immediately looks less droopy.

I look for them on eBay- you can still get some lovely 60s and 70s Trifari or Sarah Coventry ones for not much.

I've been looking at those on Ebay since your post @DedalusBloom. I have a few of that stylee, some were my Grandmothers. TBH I've got quite a few, so for me there is an optimum no I should own (unless I see a very special one) I think I'm about brooched up tbh

@timeforteaforyouandme

Jeans are actually on my to sort next list wild poinsettia.

I think it's my puffa jacket that makes me feel drab, even just for the supermarket.

I would bin it but it's so practical

I have to question the practicality. If something makes me feel as though I look like a stereotypical homeless person (how drab clothes make me feel), I don't consider that practical. There are lots of things in life to drag a person down, I don't need my clothes doing it too. If there's nothing wrong with your puffer jacket, I say pop it through the wash and donate it ready for someone genuinely in need or who likes and suits the style. Then go buy yourself something fabulous that makes you smile when you wear it.

@SpongeBobJudgeyPants

I've been looking at those on Ebay since your post *@DedalusBloom*. I have a few of that stylee, some were my Grandmothers. TBH I've got quite a few, so for me there is an optimum no I should own (unless I see a very special one) I think I'm about brooched up tbh

I've got my eye on this one at the moment!

I know what you mean about optimum number of things - I've reached that with earrings recently!

@BitterTits

This. I am deeply unfashionable but I wear this for work and feel so much more professional than my usual got-dressed-in-the-dark ensembles. I'm size 16+ so I often feel like a sack of shit, but I think this looks ok.

I love this, where did you buy it please?

Ooh, that's a beauty @DedalusBloom. Must not go on Ebay. Repeat.... :)

In this weather, my black Uniqlo merino roll neck. Instantly makes a pair of jeans and boots look more chic

I haven’t worn a brooch in ages but I have a decent collection, including a gorgeous set of 3 Marni brooches bought for a steal in the NAP sale years ago. I might start wearing them again when I’m back in the office and trying to navigate our new, ever so slightly more casual but still very formal, dress code.

My hardest working items over the past 2 years have been Saint + Sofia Runway trousers. I have 3 pairs and they’ve been the perfect balance of comfortable home wear and not too scruffy to go out and look vaguely put together.

Other than that it’s coats and jackets. A black leather biker, a green faux fur coat, an AllSaints two tone wool coat and a Karl Lagerfeld teddy coat all make a huge different to my outfits and how I feel.

Sorry to be a pain but I was watching an episode of The Repair Shop just now and this was an absolute perfect example of where not to wear a brooch vs where you should.

In this case it should break the line of the t shirt under the cardigan. Potentially I wouldn't wear a necklace either but there you go. I'm a Puritan.

A smarter coat is also my go-to when I want to look like I've made an effort. For winter I have a lovely navy coat that looks like wool but is actually a New Look cheapy I've had 8 years. For summer it's an oversized black blazer.

@Divebar2021

I recently saved this photo for the brooch inspiration. I’ve been looking in charity shops but I’ve only seen modern ones recently. I want old gold toned. As an aside I notice a lot of self depreciating comments regarding plus size here. I’m a size 16 but I don’t really find it a barrier to dressing well or being stylish.

Etsy

I have a huge vintage brooch collection. I’d forgotten about them after having babies and this thread has reminded me! I’ll need to dig them out.

My favourite items for making me look as though I’ve made an effort are leather trousers and gold multi hoop earrings.

Im pretty drawn to monochromatic looks - obviously head to toe black works although I probably prefer navy which is a bit kinder to my complexion. I have also got a forest green look to try comprised of blazer, trousers, wool coat, shoes and bag but haven’t been brave enough to wear that yet. ( I don’t know why I feel I need to be brave). There’s something about similar tones which looks chic and cohesive to me. A “good” coat thrown over a casual outfit definitely takes it up a notch - I love a wool coat and have a few in different colours.