(Part 2) Top products from r/femalefashionadvice

I think the first step in starting to change your style would be to start a Pinterest mood/inspiration board and start pinning photos of looks or general style that you think you'd like. Once you have enough photos you'll start seeing certain items, themes and moods repeating there. Once you've got that down, go through your entire wardrobe and get rid/sell/donate any clothes that don't fit your new preferred look or that you just aren't into anymore (I personally really liked doing KonMari on my wardrobe). Once you have a half empty wardrobe with only the bare essentials, you can start slowly building up your new look by buying new items. Always stick to your style board's vision and don't make purchases like "oh but this top has cute cats on it!!". Those purchases comes after you've built a functional wardrobe that gets you through work, free time and being at home. By then you will have such a good sense of your style and wardrobe that you can buy the cute cat shirt and know that it will go with the majority of your wardrobe.

This was the way I approached my style revamp, but it's obviously down to the individual and whatever works for you. I was in a very similar position as you two years ago, hitting 30 made me want to purge the teenage years' influences from my wardrobe and replace it with something that reads a bit more adult, but still me.

I have a board on Pinterest for simple outfit formulas that show a kind of distilled version of my aspirational style. Maybe some of this is relevant to your style preferences as well? There's lots of flats, jeans, cashmere knits, warm coats, cigarette trousers and sensible boots. Add some sexy perfume, a classic watch and some Chanel nailpolish, heh. I suck at summer style but this is my inspo/mood board for that.

Also, looking at your photos I think your style is already quite nice. It's cute and girly but not juvenile if that's what you're worried about. But if you feel in your heart that it's time for change, then embrace it and enjoy the journey!

I think depending on the style of the loafer or oxford, it can be fine. I wouldn't cheap out and get something trendy or casual, which will not only look juvenile, but will show wear much easier. Some examples of what not to get: this, this, this

The last pic may seem fine, but I think it's lacking in terms of structure, so it comes off as pretty casual.

Some examples of what to look for: this, this, this, and this

FWIW, I've had better luck finding nice quality loafers than nice oxfords/wingtips. There are some UK brands which make some excellent wingtips for women, but since I don't know my size and it'd be an (expensive) international order for me, I just admire them from afar.

I wrote this on another post last week:

I discovered these heel grips recently and they're AMAZING. It is almost impossible for me to find flats/heels that fit both feet perfectly because my left foot is a tiny bit smaller than my right. My left foot used to slip out pretty frequently. I've stuck the grips on two pairs of heels and they fit great now. The suede feels really nice and the adhesive is strong. I recommend purchasing them if you have problems with shoe sizing.

I found the Konmari method in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up to be very helpful. It was therapeutic to accept that it's okay to get rid of things that don't make you feel good (or "spark joy") when you wear them.

I had several dresses that were basically new, with the tags still on, but didn't fit quite right... I was holding onto them with a sense of optimistic potential (maybe someday I'll get them altered, maybe after I lose some weight they will work, it seems like such a waste to get rid of them). After I Konmari-ed my closet it felt like a weight was off my shoulders and I could actually see the clothes I wanted to wear!

For old clothes -- I had been keeping a lot of old shirts that used to look great, so I had almost sentimental attachments to them, but I hadn't worn them in years. The Konmari perspective is that if they felt good and worked well in the past, then they have done their job. It's okay to let them go if you don't enjoy wearing them anymore.

I love thigh highs! I wear them sometimes. I always recommend pairing them with something a bit looser or casual on top so it doesn't come off as too saucy. Also, sock glue is your friend!

I think that solid patterned socks work best for everyday wear. Like black, grey, dark red.

This serum has been working great for my acne scars and frown lines, or if you don't trust it, just straight up Vitamin E oil is good for my skin as well. I also use the Biore Aqua Riche sunscreen which is perfect for my oily skin. I also found this toner to work much better with my skin than the Kate Somerville one. I now only use the KS one when I have a breakout.

Thanks a bunch for your response!

I do use the timer on my watch quite a bit at work, but I need to replace it soon and I'm not opposed to switching to something a little more feminine. Maybe something like this, this, or even just this? (My wedding band is silver, which I assume matters for metallic-colored watches.)

I do sometimes wear zip-up hoodies in lab, but I know I can't be mad when those make me look like a kid. :) I have a few cardigans that I really like, so I'll see about adding some more to my wardrobe. And I can make an effort to wear blouses more often. Sometimes I worry about wearing clothes I like to work because of how often I'm over at the mouse facilities, but that's not really an excuse, since I'm already in the habit of changing pants before heading over anyway.

Thanks so much for the shoe suggestions. Those are all lovely and along the lines of what I was picturing, but I didn't know the names (again, I suck at shoes) so I was having trouble even googling them to confirm the look.

I had Sam Edelman's Tinsley boots in polished black for a couple years and loved them. I needed a wide width so I recently replaced them with A New Day's Alex boots and I'm loving the matte black because at first glace they can pass as normal boots. I wear them with cuffed jeans like this and a jacket similar to this. It's great because it doesn't look so obviously 'rain gear' like most are.

>The main problem is that I feel anxious committing to pieces... my style/taste changes sometimes and I end up not loving pieces nice bought even just months ago.

I think this is something that a lot of people feel, which is the exact feeling fast fashion companies are trying to exploit. They thrive on constantly pushing trends out, selling clothes with weird bells and whistles that go out of style quickly rather than quality basics (ever wonder why there are so many cold-shoulder tops and tissue tees with sayings on them??), making consumers go through the churn of buying so quickly that they never get the chance to be thoughtful about what they buy.

In addition to what everyone's suggested (The True Cost & other educational things), I think a suuuper important thing is to get a handle of what your style really is. Please note that you don't have to limit yourself to one siloed style! But it is important to get a sense of overarching themes of stuff you both love and actually wear. Once you have that down, whatever random trend won't look that appealing anymore when it comes around.

There are lots of ways to do this. Personally, I found starting a pinterest board the easiest--it's pretty passive, you just get on every once in a while, pin some stuff and look through their related pins, but I've learned a LOT about what I love through doing this. Another method people here like is the visual wardrobe, or the curated closet/Into Mind.

Also, to add onto the reading material people have suggested, I highly recommend Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lusture for anyone curious about how fashion has in modern times become the massive, unsustainable and unethical mass it's become.

For purses/bags, I use an over-the-door hanger like this. It gets a little crowded but easy to find my bags.

For scarves, I use a scarf hanger, which you could also use for leggings/tights as well. I keep my scarf hanger in my coat closet by the front door in the wintertime. I keep a basket for gloves and hats too, in my regular closet. Is your wicker basket lined? I can imagine threads getting caught and pulled!

For tank tops that I rarely wear (mainly for layering under sweaters), I use a tiered hanger. I suspect this could work for many types of shorter tops!

I have two and really want a third. I wore mine all the time last fall/winter/spring and they still look brand new. They haven't stretched out at all, and I've had them almost a year. I also wash them pretty rarely... like, maybe twice or three times each, since I don't sweat in them and they breathe really well. I use this to handwash them, and they come out smelling amazing and looking perfect.

Currently wearing these in the brown (a little darker than cognac but not chocolate brown either) and they're suuuper comfortable especially with the insoles I have to wear-- I walk probably 5 miles a day in them-- and good quality/durability so far!

Edit-- I got these instead of Bass weejuns for the same reasons you list below, and am happy.

Ha! My parents did the same thing which is why I took over my own laundry at a young age :)

First, never buy anything "dry clean only" and if you have to, I typically use Dryel.

For normal laundry, only bras with underwire get hand washed. Everything else gets washed on warm/cold, gentle cycle. I use Charlie's Soap laundry detergent- no dyes/fragrance/etc; it's really cheap and gets clothes cleaner than most liquid detergents I've tried.

I hang dry all of my everyday shirts, bathing suits, and anything else delicate (like nice underwear or Spanx). Everything else- cotton underwear, workout clothes, pants, etc- I dry on medium heat.

Since we have limited space, we use these for hang drying:

For shirts- http://www.amazon.com/Household-Essentials-Collapsible-Indoor-Clothes/dp/B002E3KYTS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1374752652&sr=8-6&keywords=clothes+hanging+rack

For everything else- http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6023-741-Folding-Clothes-Drying/dp/B001UE8ILI/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1374752681&sr=1-2&keywords=clothes+drying+rack

When steaming isn't enough and I actually need to wash delicates, I hand wash with Forever New. It's a powder that dissolves easily in water, has a nice scent, and I feel like it does a good job of cleaning (and rinses easily!). I only use a little bit at a time, so I expect the bottle will last quite a while.

After months of searching/hoping, I finally found true high rise black jeans with 93% cotton... and I got them for $35!!! thank you Gap!

I've only worn them once (after washing) so I'll have to see about longevity, but so far it feels like a Christmas miracle.

I also finally got some Chelsea rain boots after holding out for ever. The Sam Edelman ones went on sale on Amazon for $22 (usually $55) a few weeks ago and I pulled the trigger.

What's a cheap way to launder wool/cashmere? I am so tempted to buy The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo - Cedar but it's expensive... is there a good alternative or is it worth the hype?

I have a fair amount of wool cashmere that I probably need to wash like 1 or 2 times per month.

We have 1 closet to share between two people- me and my husband. I hang dresses and skirts there. I have a door-mounted shoe rack on the back of the bedroom door, and hooks for purses, scarves, belts and jewelry on the walls in the bedroom. I have a single 3-drawer dresser for pants, shirts, cardigan and, underwear, and my nighstand is a tiny 2-drawer dresser for pajamas and leggings. Our bed has drawers under it where I store some of the sillier things like halloween costume pieces, or holiday gear, as well as bulky things like snow jackets. I had to downsize by about half when I moved into this place and I've never looked back!

I recommend giving tiered hangers a shot -- they make them for [shirts] (http://www.amazon.com/Organize-All-0312W-B-Blouse-Tree/dp/B000IF4TCC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451318356&sr=8-1&keywords=tiered+hangers) and for [pants/skirts] (http://www.amazon.com/Tier-Trouser-Skirt-Hanger-Chrome/dp/B00F2NOE9I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451318356&sr=8-2&keywords=tiered+hangers). I've never personally tried [this type of tiered hanger] (http://www.amazon.com/StorageManiac-Cascading-Hangers-Clothing-Organizer/dp/B00W983TF4/ref=pd_sbs_201_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51QrkP-2I4L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0HCR1DZ6N303M83PHY02), but it looks like it would be pretty functional.

I have enough shelving now, but when I was in school I had a cheap shoe rack like this one. Another great option for space saving is an over the door rack.

It's this awesome practice outlined in this book by Marie Kondo. Honestly it's an organizing / tidying up book but it's so spiritual for me! Once you start you can't stop and I promise it works if you do it her way. I love it!

i love my timex watch. super affordable (here it is on sale for less than $25) and classic and it's lasted me for years.

Linen spray! My husband and I use this incredible, all natural, linen spray on our clothes to cut down on washes: https://www.nancyboy.com/scented-linen-spray-1/

We use it every night — selectively spraying inside our items like jeans or blazers when we take our clothes off to change into lounge wear. We also spray our shoes every night, with athletic shoes getting heavier sprays and leather getting a light mist carefully applied to the interior. On my leather flats and my loafers, I mist a tissue and lightly stuff it inside.

I also weekly mist the entire closet with the spray because lavender and spearmint deter moths. We also mist our bath towels between uses and sometimes the entire bathroom.

My other tip is fashion tape! I use this to tack hems, hold plunging necklines together, keep blouse bows from unfurling, seal the gap between buttons on tighter blouses. It’s great stuff. https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Fashion-Tape-HFT-101/dp/B0006IO3NG

I've seen lots of recs for Soak as a no-rinse delicate wash though I've never used it.

I personally am a fan of the Forever New wash for handwashing delicate items and bras. It's super easy to use. I fill a sink with cold water, add the detergent and swish to dissolve, put in my clothes and agitate for like 30 seconds and then wait for 3-5 minutes. Then I drain the sink and rinse each piece quickly and hang dry. I find that it gets out stains really well (even old yucky ones) and doesn't leave a residue.

I just bought three pairs of these heel grips and lined the back and sides of my oxfords with them. My half-size-too-big shoes now fit! They're pretty cheap (but you do need to buy them with something else since Amazon is now doing that add-on item thing), so I think it's worth a shot.

College student here, used to shitty dorm closets: If you don't mind having to iron things at the change of seasons, I like to keep off-season clothes and things I don't wear much in my suitcase. The suitcase is just sitting there taking up space anyway, and by packing it well (rolling!! roll as much as you can!!! I only fold heavy knits and sweaters) you can fit a lot into a simple carry-on. Multi-pants hangers and multi-skirt hangers are really useful for maximizing closet space, but I personally don't like multi-shirt hangers and find them incredibly inconvenient. I keep all of my jackets on an over-the-door hanger like this and use the basket (mine only has one) to hold my clutch, spare wallet, dry umbrellas, and sunglasses. On the other side of the door I have a shoe organizer that can also hold scarves and gloves and such. Honestly, seeing what college students are doing could be really good inspo for you since we live in tiny spaces with almost no closet and find a way to make it work.

As far as shoes go, I have the same thing going on with the super narrow heel and normal width forefoot, and what I end up doing in almost all heels/flats is adding one of these padded heel grips to the back of each shoe which simultaneously improves the fit and creates a buffer from any irritation from the back of the shoe itself.

A long long time ago on a thread like this, somebody recommended this cheap Casio watch and I swear I haven't taken it off in probably 6 months, I love it!

I highly suggest reading KonMari's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She has a bit about "thanking your items for their service to you" and the enjoyment they brought when you wore and bought them. It really helped me clear out my closet!

Have you tried these particular inserts? http://www.amazon.com/Pedag-Stop-Padded-Leather-Grips/dp/B004BD71JK

I find that they seem to be pretty much permanently attached to the shoe. The adhesive is extremely strong, they don't fall out.

the sam edelman tinsley is really similar, has great reviews and would probably be available in nordstrom or other department stores!

i have the stormy and they are definitely not comfortable - i have narrow feet and they're almost too narrow for me.

I recommend picking up a seam ripper at your local fabric store, but if you're careful, scissors still work in a pinch. A seam ripper just works better as it's designed for this purpose.

Oh man, I struggled with this for SO LONG. It doesn't feel right hanging up worn clothes right next to my clean clothes, even if I consider them 'clean' enough to wear again.

After a million years of keeping them in crumpled piles somewhere, I finally got this compact laundry/drying rack. I keep it in the corner of my bedroom and anything that's in this 'in between stage' gets hung on it. Keeps everything separate, unwrinkled, and I also have a good visual of what I need to wear again before I start dirtying more clothes. I love it so much.

Oxyclean and other peroxides are good for getting out protein stains (e.g. armpits, non-greasy food stains, grass, blood), whereas bleach will react with the protein and make the area yellower. So, you're already doing Step 1 correctly.

The next step is to add a bluing agent to your laundry! Mrs. Stewart's is a good brand.

There are a lot of Japanese brand peels that are around $10-20! They work well. :)

I use this one

Does anyone have recommendations for a toner that's good for oily skin and <$30? I'm currently using the last of my Thayer's rose petal but would like to branch out

I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to toners so I haven't used many outside of the Thayer's and Proactiv's when I was a teen ^shudders

• For stain/ spot treatment, I use Grandma's secret spot remover, I put a small amount on the spot and some water, rub a few times and let it sit for 10 mins, then rinse clean. Works really well, I tried it on cashmere, white leather shoes, cotton shirts.
  
  
• For wool, I use the laundress wool & cashmere shampoo, and wash in machine on hand wash cycle with sweater bags, cold water only, low spin, no drying.
  
  
• For white, I wash with white color clothes only with Whites detergent

Sometimes you can get away with wool BLENDS in the dryer (depending on the specific one and the fabric care label), but I would never put a 100% wool sweater in a dryer, ever.

I do wash wool sweaters specially labelled as “machine washable” in the machine (on cold, on delicate, in a front loader with no agitation arm) and lay flat to dry, but that’s as far as I go. I’ve felted too many sweaters in my past to take chances.

I usually prefer just to fill up my bathtub a couple inches deep, add some wool-specific detergent and let my sweaters soak for twenty minutes or so while I’m doing other housework, then drain and rinse, carefully squeeze the excess water out, and lay flat to dry. Keeps them looking nice and fitting correctly for years.

You want bluing for this for sure - https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Stewarts-Bluing-1101-MPLS-8oz/dp/B001NEMV3Q Better than bleach and then just stick them in the sun to dry/naturally bleach when finished.

For the heel grips, I swear by Foot Petals which I usually buy at Target. They don't come unstuck like gel ones always do to me, and they're very comfortable.

Non-mobile: I like this one

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

How about a Timex? Mine has lasted forever, even through an accidental laundry wash. Lots of options on amazon and I think they carry Timex at Target/Walmart.

I have the gold face black band version of this:
https://www.amazon.com/Timex-T2H331-Indiglo-Leather-Silver-Tone/dp/B000AYW0M2

I inexplicably bought my first one for $100 from some fancy store in Williamsburg (In God We Trust). Lost it at the gym and then googled to replace it and found out they’re like $30 on amazon... and basically any other store you would buy them.

It really depends on the shirt. First and most obviously, was the fabric behind the dart cut open after it was sewed? In other words, if you undid the stitching would you have a hole in the shirt? Second, what type of material is the shirt made of? In my experience, needle holes and pressing remain more visible in cotton than in synthetic fibers like polyester crepe. If you do choose to take it out, you may want to buy or borrow a seam ripper. How to use a seam ripper.

Grandma's Spot Remover works really well for me! https://www.amazon.com/Grandmas-Secret-Spot-Remover-2-Ounce/dp/B0021JD2S0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473801623&sr=8-2&keywords=grandmas+stain+remover

I use Forever New to handwash my bras, and I like it. Haven't tried it in a machine, though.

I've never personally tried it but this gets recommended on here a lot!

I've been using Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel quite recently as a pre-makeup application toner and it's been doing a great job with keeping my skin more balanced, which then keeps my foundation in place. I'm obsessed with this stuff.

P.S. Keeping an eye out for future answers in this particular thread. I've had the worst luck with primers and setting sprays, so I'm curious to see what others have to recommend.

Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster is incredible and important in today's market that focuses on aspirations towards high end purchases.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Fast Fashion is another good one.

I machine wash all of my wool and cashmere with The Laundress wool and cashmere shampoo on cold delicate in a lingerie bag. I find that my sweaters don't shrink any further after the first initial wash.

Here are some options: first second third fourth

What about chelsea rainboots? I have a pair in black from J.Crew, they're waterproof and I got matte ones so you can't really tell that they are rubber boots from far away.

You might could try using a seam ripper (can find at Walmart/Target/any store with a crafts section).

I keep them in my closet on the floor, with my built-in shelf, but my house is almost entirely hardwood. I take them off as soon as I get inside anyways I carry them around.

Have you considered one of those shoe organizes that hangs on the back of a door?

Look for slightly looser ones and use a body adhesive to keep it up - one swipe lasts the whole day for me.

Under $200? Heck, if you don't have a brand preference then here are six options under $50 from Amazon in a variety of styles

I recently bought this face peel from Japan on the rec of someone in this sub. I'm so in love (so I'm recommending it) but now I want to try some more foreign products I have never heard of here in the US. They don't have to be Asian, preferably available on Amazon. I have normal/dry skin that sucks up moisture like crazy. Have any recommendations?

I recommend a minimizer as well--this makes a big difference. Hollywood Fashion Tape is also really helpful--just tape a strip above and below the offending button, and voila!

I'm not sure if bleaching will ruin the spandex, but it will ruin the white, if that makes sense. White clothing isn't just lack-of-color, it's often treated with a bluing agent like this one. Bleach on white items will make them more yellow-ish. It also looks like this version of Oxiclean might hit the mark. I'm actually going to buy some of this myself now that I stumbled across it!

Jeebus, that's awful! I'll probably read more about it soon enough, though. I just borrowed the book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster from the public library.

I guess if I want to buy a Kate Spade bag in the future, I should actually purchase it by walking in a Kate Spade store (and allow both the colors and the price tags blaze into my eyes).

This is typically popular casio. I have this but it’s larger, have no regrets about buying it and wear it almost daily.