On putting together outfits and looking effortless

jacket Mojca Makuc, skirt Emilio Pucci, bag Marjeta Grošelj, shoes Xetra
Shoes: bought in Trieste 3 weeks ago and approximately 20 minutes after I'd realized I really can't wear regular ballet flats no matter how hard I try and how beautiful they might be (my feet are two different sizes and not a standard shape). These work because tying the straps around your ankle ensures your foot doesn't jump out of the shoe. A+ solution.

Skirt: bought in Florence when I was something like 11 or 12. I was a huge fan of Pucci back then, it was my first brand obsession. It's surprising that the skirt still fits, but who am I to complain. Notice how the aquamarine strip on it is exactly the same color as the door in the background. It's not a coincidence! (:

* photos by Nuša


On putting together outfits and looking effortless

Asked about how long it takes her to decide on her outfits in the March 2010 issue of US Vogue, Gossip Girl's Blake Lively said: "My best outfits I put together in five minutes. When I spend more time, I overthink it. What's important for me is to look effortless."

Blake clearly has her time management down to a T, but not all of us share this exceptional talent: it takes me much longer to come up with outfits I like. I usually break the ice by choosing one or two pieces that appeal to me at that moment and build the rest of the outfit around them, but then I want it to be better. I start replacing or adjusting pieces and trying out new combinations to see what works best. Often the final outfit is completely different from what I had in mind at the beginning.

Example: I built this outfit around the skirt. I first planned to wear it with a black poncho and black flat boots, but the boots were too rough for the skirt and I switched to flats. Then it looked like the poncho was eating the rest of the outfit and I chose a jacket that covered less of the skirt. That put it into balance.

Blake Lively also mentions an idiosyncrasy whose logic I always fail to digest: the excessive, all-consuming need to look effortlessly chic, the key word being "effortlessly". Why is showing you put your back into something undesired and frowned upon when we all know no pain means no gain? (Of course, looking effortless and being effortless are two entirely different concepts)

The great irony is that "effortless" is light years away from actual effortlessness: if I want my nails to look "natural", I have to use transparent nail polish and keep them at a particular length. If I don't do anything to them, they don't look natural — they look neglected. When you're shooting a cosmetic ad and want the model to look like she's barely wearing make-up, the first thing you do is cover her face in foundation.

I don't like "effortless" because it thrives on an irrelevant, socially dictated paradigm. What happens behind "effortless" is infinitely more interesting than the illusion it's trying to convey. True effortlessness, though? Forget it, nobody's interested in ugly.


How long does it take you to put together outfits? Effortlessly or not?


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