Any% Fashion Speedrun

I am not a fashion expert, but have taken an interest in fashion over the past few months. For decades I gave no thought at all to how my clothes looked or what they might express. I bought workwear brands like Carhartt and Dickies for their durability, and when I bought new clothes it was because I had gained or lost weight, needed something for a special occasion, or had worn out my clothes completely. Aesthetics were a secondary consideration if I considered the visual appear of my clothes at all.

Things changed when I stumbled across andrea’s fashion galaxy on TikTok. By talking her way through putting together outfits, Andrea showed me that fashion is an intellectual exercise. She modeled how to use space, proportion, color, and contrast or to simply wear pieces differently to create outfits that generate interest and appeal.

After lurking on online fashion advice spaces for a bit, what I noticed was a lot of people looking for a shortcut; either a quickstart guide for one specific style, one brand to buy from, or a universal algorithm that can mimic what someone like Andrea does.

I am convinced that there is no style guide, ruleset, or fashion brand that can do that for you. What I can offer instead is my any% route from zero to a non-zero amount of sauce.

It starts with the first piece you ever owned; your birthday suit

A primary reason that a piece of clothing either will or will not look good on you is how it fits. Again, I am no fashion expert and in no position to gatekeep… but, the final aesthetic value of clothes depends on the body upon which they are worn. Creating pleasing outfits begins with honesty about your body and its qualities, and is possible no matter what your size and shape.

Andrea alludes to this with regards to women’s fashion that sometimes requires a sufficient amount of “boobage”. I faced this fact my first few hours scrolling outfit inspiration on Pinterest. I was initially drawn to the style of actors like Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, but the fact is I lack the guns to look as good as they do in a nothing but a t- or polo shirt. I simply do not possess the pecs for that right now.

Which is not to say that every piece of clothing you own should be form fitting or reach some specific length. There is plenty of general advice on fits for people of different heights and weights. You likely already have a preference on the continuum of loose-to-tight fitting, or for where waistbands begin and cuffs end. How these factors impact the final look, however, depends on the you underneath it all.

Which is why understanding and accepting your body extends to another piece of fundamental fashion advice; knowing your measurements. Take the time to measure the clothes you already have that do fit well so that you can repeat that success. Honesty about the qualities of your physical build, and objective information about the size of the space you inhabit, are going to be foundational for making decisions about the clothes you wear and purchase.

Create interest by recalling your K-12 art education

Did you pay attention in your K-12 art classes? If you were awake for a few of them you may recall that elements like form, space, value, color, and texture are often combined to create visual interest and aesthetic appeal. When choosing clothes, these elements are in play.

Clothes take on a form that is a function of both their shape and yours, are worn together and can be layered to create a sense of space, and come in an almost infinite combination of tones, colors, and textures. Use this to your advantage.

This is one of the most important lessons I learned watching Andrea. What was significant to me about the way she would build outfits was how she could describe what was wrong or missing. Adding a piece of a different color or material to a an otherwise monotone outfit would make a world of difference. A simple belt would create instant visual interest by breaking up the space of the outfit.

Building outfits with some of my poorly fitting clothes, I have had to fill in space left by too-short sleeves with accessories, or roll sleeves up on shirts that would otherwise look too big. A simple rule that I sometimes apply choosing shoes, pants, and a shirt is that they have to be a “light light dark” combo; two light colored pieces with one dark colored piece for contrast. When layering clothes, creative tucking or folding is sometimes required so that as a whole my outfit makes wise use of space.

Quality fits are made and elevated by thoughtfully employing these basic visual elements. An outfit that is all the same shape, color, and texture is boring. An outfit with too many layers and colors lacks emphasis and focus. The thoughtful balance of form, space, texture, value, and color, in my opinion, is what makes fashion interesting in the first place.

Don’t buy new clothes

Before you even think about going to the thrift shop or mall, assess the clothes you already own against what we’ve talked about. How does each piece fit you? What colors, values, and textures do they have? Which pieces can be worn together, and how are they alike in quality or contrast each other?

This move does a few things for you. First, you can identify any pieces you already own that you feel particularly good about. If it’s the fit that feels good, measure that piece. If it’s something about the color or texture, hold that thought. Brick by brick you’re building a personal style.

Second, styling pieces you already own will quickly draw attention to holes and highlight genuine needs. When I first started experimenting with “dark dark light” or “light light dark” combinations, I realized I was limited by the fact all my plain t-shirts were white. I started wearing a belt for more than just its utility, and while it worked well to divide outfits and delineate space I wished I had more than just a plain black pleather piece to work with.

Lastly this step saves you time and money in the long run. Doing your homework by making the most of what you have prevents you from running out and buying clothes to chase a trend or a specific look, which risks filling your wardrobe with more clothes that you won’t wear. When you do finally find yourself digging through the bins at Goodwill or the racks on Black Friday, you will be on a mission. Having a sense of what will fit your body, what you like, and what is missing from your outfits does not mean you will never make mistakes, but it vastly increases your chances of success.

If you are especially ambitious you can explore DIY fashion. Tailor or crop shirts and pants you own that don’t fit. Patch pants and sweaters with decorative sashiko embroidery. Cut and sew, dye, or add patches to pieces to transform them in part or completely. These methods can fill wardrobe gaps and extend the life of pieces you particularly enjoy.

A little goes a long way

I’ll end with an anecdote about a fashion risk that I took that for the first time in my life made me feel like I might have just the tiniest amount of sauce.

Every year in the summer, around my birthday, I get the itch to start working out and this year was no exception — except that this year shortly afterwards the company where I work started a fitness challenge, and putting those minutes towards my team’s weekly totals was weirdly motivating. Between that and diet changes I actually lost weight that I had gained drinking tons of beer during the pandemic (and after).

I needed a few new clothes, not to show off my babby gains but because a lot of my fits were objectively too baggy. I started by dusting off a small pile of pants and shirts I had stashed in the back of my closet years ago after I got too fat for them, wearing them with a new confidence and a mind towards what exactly I liked about them. This included one t-shirt I got as a hand-me-down from a friend who felt that it was too small; a form hugging dark blue t-shirt, soft fabric, covered with cats printed in a pattern in gold.

When I did go shopping I found another piece that hit many of the same notes that I liked even more. It was a white t-shirt with a similar fit and fabric, but the pattern was black line drawings of a rabbit making shadow puppets. I liked the cleverness of the pattern, the versatility of the simple two tones, and importantly the fit. Until then my t-shirt purchases were all plain, band merchandise, or souvenir; I would not have given this bunny t-shirt a second look. But my wife, an animal lover, nudged me and I decided I would try it.

I wore that shirt to a company dinner during our annual staff retreat. Nothing else about my outfit was remarkable; I followed the “light light dark” pattern I had heard about online with the white bunny shirt, tucked into darker khaki work pants with my cheap black belt, and my cheap light gray sneakers. The next day at lunch a woman started a conversation with me, saying I’d sat next to her at dinner the night before. We hadn’t spoken, but she knew it was me because she remembered the shirt with the rabbits.

I am a very shy person, so this episode was at first mortifying. I do not wish to be perceived. But really I do. I was glad that I took a risk expressing myself and someone noticed.

A single well chosen piece is enough to have some sauce.