I Need a Hero! (AKA: I’ve Got Nothing to Wear!)
I’ve Got Nothing to Wear!
Do you stare into your generous closet and think “I have nothing to wear!”? Some days we are lacking inspiration, but often we have a Heroes/Basics imbalance. Every closet needs both, but when we have too many of one, and not enough of the other, it can be hard to get dressed.
What’a a Hero?
A Hero is a standout piece. It could be the color, cut, or details that make it a Hero. Maybe it’s an artist’s print on a shirt, or a white shirt with dramatic pleating or ruffles all around the neckline and hem, or an oversized pair of cropped trousers. A shocking pink pair of suede pumps can be a hero, as can a bold necklace. You might collect ethnic jewelry that piled together makes a Hero. What kind of Heroes are you drawn to? I have been told that my clothes are boring. I’m okay with that, because I am happier in clothes that are Basics, and love Hero accessories. That’s just part of my personal style. Others prefer Hero clothes, and more Basic accessories, and some like both.
Too Many Basics
When your closet is filled with Basics and not enough Heroes, dressing can be a bore. Think about a recipe with chicken, rice, and broccoli. There’s nothing wrong with the ingredients, but there’s no pizzazz. To give the meal flavor, you need some spices, or at least some onion and garlic! An outfit of all basics with no Hero lacks focus and interest. If your closet is full of Basics with no Heroes to provide the spice, you can feel like there’s Nothing-to-Wear.
Too Many Heroes
Too many Heroes in an outfit gives us the opposite effect. Instead of no interest or focal point, we can have competing focal points. This kind of outfit distracts us from the person in the clothing. There are some people who have a gigantic personality (often Dramatic or Rebellious) and look perfectly themselves in these over-the-top outfits, but they are the exception rather than the rule. The inimitable Iris Apfel is a woman for whom there is no such thing as too much! A closet full of Heroes can be hard to mix and match, and leave us feeling the same Nothing-to-Wear angst.
Finding Your Balance
One rule of thumb is to make sure you include a Hero in every outfit to prevent the snooze factor. Some people wear more than one hero, but keep them corralled to a particular category, like adding Hero accessories to an outfit of Basic clothing, or Basic accessories to Hero clothing. It takes some experimentation to find your comfort level. Taking a good look in your closet and identifying your Heroes and Basics is a great place to start. If you have no Heroes, it may be time to pick up one or two, and if you have no Basics, you may need a trip to the store as well, but beware! Stay focused on what basics will bring out the best in your Heroes. Pick a Hero out of your closet tomorrow and build your outfit around it by adding some Basics, and wear it all day. You might find that you have a lot more to wear than you thought!
What’s your favorite Hero? Let me know in the comments below!
Thank you to Katherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for the link-up!
