The Case for Buying an Outfit

In the past, I typically haven’t sought out full outfits. I’ve often admired seeing the mannequins put together in stores. Plus browsing online, the model’s outfits online have certainly caught my eye many times. So why have I not typically bought more of said outfits that I’ve enjoyed? I think it’s partially rooted in the past of budget and wanting certain bits and pieces instead of feeling like the outfit was the number one choice. It also had a lot to do with filling holes in my wardrobe. It seemed frivolous to me to be able to purchase an entire outfit at once when I needed several tops for work or just a pair of pants.

I’m sure this is the case with a lot of people. Our wardrobe leaves gaps and spaces at different points. Sometimes it feels like half of my sweaters have rips or holes in them at the same time. There’s also weight change or body shifts to deal with. You could lose a bunch of weight or may be pregnant, or just end up gaining weight. Clearly, there is a number of reasons to be forced to look for new clothing. Of course, some of us don’t have to be forced into looking for new clothing… ahem, the ladies running this blog. But especially if it’s not your jam, we’re happy to help!

Recently Caitlin has spied some killer outfits and either snatched them up in whole or at least taken the time to recreate them. I’ve loved each of them, and it inspired me with this Summer look. This wasn’t the outfit the model wore, but the high paper-bag waisted shorts and this crop top were begging to be paired. I was drawn more to the rust color of the tank top, but I really liked the vertical stripes on the shorts and that it wasn’t your typical bright summery look.

We’ve all seen the grunge-y oversized denim jackets floating around the past few years. While there are lots of great brand new options in stores, there are also endless treasures to be found in a thrift, secondhand, or consignment shop. That’s where I found this Levi jacket, or to be exact, Caitlin found it for me! That way you can save a bit of money, and have it be authentically distressed. Plus we’re lucky as tall women because we can easily grab a men’s denim jacket and have it fit us really nicely. As a matter of fact, I’m sure this one is a men’s. I couldn’t love the fit any more!

Probably the funniest thing to me about buying this as a whole outfit is that I feel more limited now in mixing and matching. Obviously, a lot has to do with the colors in the shorts, but I get in that mindset if I “buy an outfit” that those items belong together. Which is completely silly, but maybe a way for my brain to take a break as I’m gazing through my closet? Hard to say for sure, but I plan to push myself out of that and see what else I can come up with. We always want to reiterate that we’re not buying items here for you to see and then returning them. (Unless they are ill-fitting and we need to alert our tall fam to save the time and energy in a useless purchase)

Ultimately, we want to be authentic to ourselves while still providing value to you! So if you’re looking for a particular item and you haven’t heard us talk about it or cover it, please ask us. It’s not just lip service. Shopping should be fun and painless. It obviously hasn’t always been that way for us, but let us help the trajectory be a positive one. You don’t have to settle for too-short sleeves or pulling in the shoulders or whatever other issues are bothering you! This is your tall community, we got you!

So tell us below, if we haven’t covered something you’ve been looking for! Also, sound off on whether you like buying full outfits or single items and why.

Outfit Details