June 29, 2011

Today's Everyday Fashion: Take My Picture






































One of the most interesting things I've learned from blogging is how different something can look in a photo. I found this skirt at Ross recently for $8 and was so excited because a. $8 is a steal, and b. I thought it was really flattering. That's until I took a photo... You may or may not agree that this skirt is unflattering on me, but the point is that it looks totally different in a photo than it did when I looked at it in the mirror!! Not at all what I was expecting and I ultimately decided to return it. What I'm hoping we can learn from today's fail outfit:

1. Try taking a photo. Blogging has changed me forever - I will run home and take photos of my new purchases to make sure they fit well, probably for the rest of my life. Don't feel silly about doing this - especially if you are unsure of the fit on something, or if it's an important event such as engagement photos.

2. Return unwanted items. I am a big fan of returning something if you decide you don't love it. Of course, making smart choices while you're shopping is the better strategy, but if you don't wear something within the first 20 days or so, then I say don't be shy about returning it!

Tell me - Do you ever return items to the store? Have you ever had a clothing item look totally different in a photo than what you were expecting?

Cardigan: Gap (returned it)
Skirt: Ross, $8 (returned it)
Shirt: J.Crew, $20
Belt: Gap, $10 (recent)
Shoes: Guess via DSW, $20
Necklaces: c/o Stella & Dot

56 comments:

  1. Yes this is so true. I think the lighting in the stores plays tricks on your eyes and makes everything look beautiful until you get home and try it on again.   I return items without hesitation.

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  2. I've never taken pictures of my self in outfits, but I've recently started getting items tailored. I used to just wear everything off the rack, but if I find a cheap dress that I love and its a little too big, a $20 fitting can make it look stunning vs just ok

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  3. I do! I actually have clothes in my car that I will be returning to 3 different stores. I do that especially when I go to Ross because I know that if I don't buy i and later change my mind, I can't go back and expect to find it. I am always buying and returning stuff. I would go home and try out with different outfits and make up my mind. By the way, the outfit on the left picture looks very good!

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  4. I would've thought this one was a keeper ^^ But nevertheless you are right. Taking photos makes a huge difference, which is also one of my motivations behind style blogging!

    Relatable Style

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  5. Great point! Because of my sweet iPhone which I love dearly and guard with my life, I've started taking fitting room shots when in doubt and have absolutely used those pictures to decide whether I'm buying an item or not. It has sent a lot of items back to the rack instead of home with me. I also definitely return to the store if not happy.

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  6. I wish I had this advice to follow in years past...I have a tub full of clothes with tags still on them, some ranging back 3+ years. My problem was that I wanted to buy cute things but was hung up on losing weight and now that I did those clothes are a little big on me, but they were cute and I should have worn them at the time, especially since I paid for them! Too late to return and I paid too much to want to donate them.

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  7. Everything looks great in the fitting room, right? 
    I am the worse* at returning items and can't even count the number of tags still hanging from unworn clothes. Blogging really has made me look at my closet completely different. I also realize I can take cheaper items and pair them with more expensive and wear my F21 stuff proudly. lol :)

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  8. I take pictures of my outfits in the dressing room mirror because I can't 'see' myself until I do.  I've avoided alot of mistakes that way, lol.  Now I just have to work on returning things.  I have a sweater now that is horrible, but I am stuck with it because I forgot to return it.  Great lessons!

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  9. Great tip! I do return stuff -- but never if I've actually worn it.

    It's crazy to me that the outfit looks SO different (and much more flattering) with the cardigan and the belt in a different position!  

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  10. FINALLY!! Someone else who returns things if she does not like them! Now, you must tell my hubby that I am not the only one! I agree with you 100%...why keep it if it does not work? By the way...lovin' this look on you but if you are not happy, I say it goes back!

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  11. I completely agree about the picture thing! I bought a skirt very similar to this from Forever 21 a couple months ago. I wore it in Mexico on vacation for the first time and until I saw the pictures I thought it was great. Then after seeing them I looked completely frumpy. It was too short, too baggy and no shape! Bummer.

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  12. I agree Michelle! It looks a LOT better with the cardigan, but in Florida it doesn't make sense to keep something if you can only wear it with a sweater, haha! :-)

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  13. Love this idea!! I might have to start snapping pics in the dressing room myself. :-)

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  14. This happened to me just last week.  I was trying on dresses and decided to snap a pic with my phone.  They were so much less flattering on film.  Weird.  I would totally return something if I got it home and saw that it was unflattering in a picture--what would be the point in keeping it?  Plus, my grandma returns everything, so I stopped being scared to take things back.  Most stores will take just about anything back, so I just go for it!

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  15. I've tried to get better about making good purchasing decisions to cut down on my returns, but my lack of time to hit the malls leads to hasty internet shopping which usually leads to returns.  I agree with the comments about taking pics in the dressing room- good for fit of an item, but sometimes my issue is that what I thought would be a great look (i.e. a skirt that would go with all these tops in my closet) is actually terrible once I put it together.  For those times, I like your idea of putting it together at home and taking a picture.  My love of returns is actually one of the biggest drivers of where I shop- it must be relatively pain-free to make a return.  Sometimes it's just necessary!

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  16. PennyPincherFashionistaJune 29, 2011 at 10:30 AM

    I have learned this very same thing from doing outfit posts!  Isn't that funny?  It makes you realize that when we criticize how celebrities look on the red carpet, they probably thought it looked better in the mirror & just didn't translate as well on camera. :)

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  17. PennyPincherFashionistaJune 29, 2011 at 10:30 AM

    I have learned this very same thing from doing outfit posts!  Isn't that funny?  It makes you realize that when we criticize how celebrities look on the red carpet, they probably thought it looked better in the mirror & just didn't translate as well on camera. :)

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  18. Hi J!
    I am new to your blog -- I love it! I have to say though, I do not agree with you thinking that this outfit is unflattering. I think it looks adorable on you! It's super cute -- so much so that I am going to copy it as I have pieces that look quite similar.

    As for returns...oh, I am SO not shy about returning stuff. I return stuff all the time. If I can't decide on an item in the store, I'll buy it and then if I haven't worn it within the next week or so, back to the store it goes.

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  19. I return unwanted items all the time & I Am in No way shape or form shy of doing so!! I agree with you 100%. Why keep something that doesn't really fit you well... :)

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  20. Missy, welcome to the blog! I love this outfit idea so it's definitely worth a copy! I just don't like the shape of the skirt on me by itself. :-)

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  21. Perfect Outfit!!!
    lovely

    xx

    www.ilovenystyle.blogspot.com

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  22. Too funny, I think about this all the time! If I were walking the red carpet, I would have someone snap SO many pictures from every angle to make sure it looked okay. I have no idea why celebs don't do this too!

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  23. http://marketingindependence.wordpress.com/

    The first post on this blog has really interesting stats about modern day shoppers and how smartphones have changed the way we shop

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  24. Mindy, this happens to the best of us! :-) May I suggest selling your items on eBay or to a consignment store? You will get some of your money back that way!

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  25. Yes, I do the same thing at Ross and/or TJ Maxx! If you come back the item will be gone, so I usually pick it up "just in case"! 

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  26. I agree that in the second photo  the skirt isn't super flattering, but I think it looks really good in the first!! The cardigan seems to make it not as "billowy."

    I hardly return items because I feel bad! I need to man up!!

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  27. I return stuff allll the time!

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  28. Bahaha, I think I am the only person who doesn't return anything. But I do have a policy, that if I am trying something on, and do not love it immediately because of the fit or I am "talking " myself into wearing it, or buying- then it's not for me. This curbs alot of purchases!

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  29. I have no qualms about returning things that I don't like when I get home.  If I don't love it, I wont' wear it and even a deal isn't a deal if I can't wear it!

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  30. I think the skirt looked good with the cardigan but not alone...I would have returned it too.  I think I will starting taking photos myself...great idea!  I often wonder if others see it the way I do and have often thought if I could see myself in a picture with it on....

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  31. I do this too and then i take those photos in my phone and really check out how those pieces look on my body - if i love them, i get them. otherwise, i dont buy and save myself another shopping trip!

    cool post!
    http://navlandstyle.blogspot.com/

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  32. I completely agree about taking photos.  I never realized how different things could look in a photo than they do in a mirror until I started doing it everyday!
    http://work-it-blog.blogspot.com/

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  33. I need to adapt your 20 policy!  I am the 30 days and I make the decision the day before because I'll keep holding on to it!  Just goes to show, $8 returned and saved is $8 to put towards something else!

    www.bravoerunway.com

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  34. I have to disagree with many posts here.  I think just because something doesn't look good in pictures doesn't mean it doesn't look good in person and isn't worth keeping.  Now, if your job involves being photographed (celebs) or posting pictures of yourself (bloggers), then obviously you must consider the photogenic-ness of an outfit.  But for us regular folks, looking good in pictures isn't really a requirement!  I can think of many tops and dresses that flow really well in person but make me look like a boxy mess in photos, so I just know not to wear them when i'll be photographed.  I do, however, recommend a good 3-way mirror :-)

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  35. Tory, that's an interesting way to think about it, I'm glad you posted this. I really think of them as one in the same - if it doesn't look good in a photo, it doesn't look good on you. I really believe the photo is just providing a better view point of how you actually look, versus you looking at yourself in the mirror, which can be distorted.

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  36. Sophie, I agree that a tailor can work wonders! When your budget is $100/month though, it's tough to spend that $20 to get something fixed, on top of what you already spent at the store!

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  37. I don't usually return stuff but sometimes I'll buy a shoe or a shirt for more than I would normally pay and then feel terribly guilty...so I'll take it back...is that considered buyers remorse? Either way, I do think you need to feel cute and sexy in the clothes you buy or else...return!!!

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  38. yup, I totally get that. And trust, there are some things that I will never want to be photographed in again after seeing pictures.  But a photo is only 2-dimensional, so "swinginess," for example, will just look like volume.  And I definitely believe some mirrors distort the way things really look.  My mirror at home is 100% a "skinny mirror" but I'm ok with it, because it helps me feel good in what im wearing.  And that's the bottom line, if after seeing yourself in a photograph or an unflattering window reflection, you know that you'll never feel good in something again, time to get rid of it!

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  39. Rachel, some may call that buyer's remorse, but I don't think that's a terrible strategy. It's a balance because you don't want to leave an item at the store for fear it will be snapped up, but then I am always thinking much clearer AFTER I step away from the mall, so if I realize at that point that I've spent too much, the smart thing is to just return it, rather than hold onto it!

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  40. whoa that's a new concept to me...ppl who dont return stuff.  I can understand ppl who dont return undergarments (and thank you for that), but other clothing items?  hm...very strange b/c mb I'm return-happy.  I dont get the pt in keeping smthg you'll never touch when you can go back to the store & get your money back and hope that someone else buys it & it will look good on him/her.

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  41. I think it looks awesome...but I know that doesn't help when you're not comfortable in it yourself.

    Honestly, I end up being too lazy to return things. I'll put them in a garbage bag to donate. And yeah, I've found things look completely different in photos although much of the time, they end up looking better than I'd thought. I don't really think things look very flattering on me when I first put them on but sometimes the photos make me feel a little better.

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  42. I love your style!  I thought the skirt looked great, but YOU have to feel it looks great on you too.  I absolutely return things.  In fact I have a dress and cardigan that I need to return now.  I take pictures of what I wear every day and post it once a week on a meme (don't bother looking at my photos, I don't have a cute style like you do, lol!) and I have discovered that some clothes look cute on but in the photo they add weight or have a funny shape or something.

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  43. I think you look great J! this is one of my favorite outfits you've posted but it's all relative and why would you wanna wear something that you'll feel insecure about. And speaking of returning I'm returning some clothes today! I don't mind returning stuff at all, I don't wanna keep something I wouldn't wear. 

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  44. This happens to me all the time. Even worse, sometimes it just looks different in my mirrors at home!

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  45. Why did you return the cardi?? i love it!

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  46. Yes! I made returns to 2 stores today.
    I agree with the others about Ross...if you don't purchase the item when you see it, it will probably not be there when you go back for it.  I've also started trying on clothes a lot more when I shop (especially at Ross). I'm learning to not purchase items that I don't feel good in when I try them on. I'm still regretting buying a pair of black wedges that I didn't "really" like while in the store, but felt I just had to have a pair. They were only $22, but that's $22 sitting in the bottom of my closet that I'm not utilizing. Oh well, lesson learned! :)

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  47. I'm actually embarrassed to admit how often I return stuff. I'm very, very picky, so if I don't LOVE it when I get home, it goes back to the store!

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  48. I agree that photos look way different than it does in the mirror.  But I have to say, that the picture on the left is really cute and I think the skirt looks great.  

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  49. Honestly, I'd hardly have any clothes if I decided to take pictures and judge them on that.
    I hardly have any outfits that look as good in pictures, they look better in person (I think).
    I don't return clothing often but I have done so in the past.

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  50. Actually think you look great in both pics X

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  51. Are you kidding?!  I return stuff all the time!  Dressing room mirrors are sometimes distorted or have weird lighting, so until I get it home and try it on in my house (in about 5 different mirrors), I'm never sure if it's a keeper.  Once I've seen it in the full-length mirrors in my bedroom AND my bathroom-- cuz they both have different lighting-- then I can make a decision!

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  52. I love this post! I am very picky about the things that I would even look at and during the winter (in Miami) my boyfriend picked out a similar skirt in black, a baby blue blouse with ruffles and a black cardigan so that I would wear it to go see Jerry Seinfeld perform live. I hated everything (except the cardigan) until I put it all together. I loved it. And I think it's also one of the things I've learned from reading your blog. You need to try it, if you don't like it try it a different way. I have to say that I might have looked better than Jerry Seinfeld!

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  53. I really like the idea of taking a photo. I don't know why I've never thought of that! The question of "does this accentuate my fat?" can always quickly be answered on the digital screen before you find yourself tagged in a photo on facebook! I've also talked myself into trying more clothes on in the store so I can avoid having to do returns. I just hate dressing rooms for some reason but sometimes ya don't even need a photo to go "Um, NO!"

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  54. Unfortunately I am in the minority here and I rarely return stuff though I need to. I have spent wayyyyy tooooo much money on my wardrobe the past decade and I realized that even more a couple of months ago when I got rid of 60 boxes of stuff. At least half of my stuff had tags on. A lot of things I have bought because I thought they were cute, trendy, my style or they were on sale but there is really no justifying that. From now on especially with the New Year starting my main resolution #1 is not spending a lot of money on clothes, especially since I barely need anything and #2 -- be very frugal with what I buy and be very careful as in do I really need that and does it really look good on me and will I be able to pair it in at least 3 outfits. Also, I will definitely start returning more if it is something I don't want, need or that is not flattering on me. Wish me luck J, this is a bad area for me so I need to work on this.

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