As many of you know by now I have done a campaign with Mango. One of the fun things about it, aside from hanging out in Venice California and meeting an amazing team of creatives, was getting to style some clothes from the brand and create outfits of my choosing. As someone fairly new to the world of fashion, it means much to me when a client trusts me and gives me free reign to enact my own creative vision. It allows me to have the experience which is the reason why I wanted to do this to begin with and that is to exercise my creative wings. But it also creates some anxiety about doing something new.
So for the first challenge I decided to do streetwear and created my look for Subversive Glamour. It was pretty much centered around the T-shirt that said “Afraid of nothing” so I went for it! In creating this new look I asked myself the question, ” Can someone wear Mango to a ball?” Oh indeed yes she can. I am in love with these trousers for many reasons: the high waist, the color black, the beautiful drape and the fact that they are made from recycled and sustainable textiles. Perhaps most importantly they make me feel glamorous, tall, elegant and like the belle of the ball. This time they were the center I then created around.
Sometimes I get a comment from a reader saying they would love to dress like me but cannot afford the clothes I wear. So I think the moral of these two posts are; if you are confident about who you are (flaws and all) and are willing to take a risk, personal style does not have to break the bank. We need to look past categories and labels and just let our instinct lead us to what attracts us. Like a magpie I was drawn to the metallics in my previous post, something I thought I would never wear. Who knew it would work. and it became one of my highest liked posts. So as the title of today’s posts suggests…just do it!
Did you ever style an inexpensive piece that made you look like a million dollars?
Smashing!
Smashing!
You are such an inspiration!
You are such an inspiration!
That’s what I said to myself the first time I jumped an 5.24 ft horseriding jumping obstacle ! I survived…
That’s what I said to myself the first time I jumped an 5.24 ft horseriding jumping obstacle ! I survived…
Q: "Did you ever style an inexpensive piece that made you look like a million dollars?"
A: Well not sure if I ever look like a million dollars but I often buy through second hand, vintage and charity (thrift) shops so a huge percentage of my wardrobe came to me through the inexpensive route. I love styling up ‘finds’ and wearing them gives me a thrill!
I love following your blog because it constantly reminds me to be myself not based on trend or current "it" pieces, but rather on what I know works for me. I love your style…it is not mine, but it reinforces my belief that we all have the ability to wear whatever works for us! In terms of wearing something that made me look (I hope!) and feel like a million $$$, like some of your other readers, I am a thrift store junkie and have quite a range of haunts from which my wardrobe emanates. One of my best finds was a hand-nailed pair of rust colored suede Ferragamo loafers – purchased for a dollar at a church basement thrift store.
They were in excellent condition. That find has been hard to top, but still many awesome treasures have been found over the years. Those shoes really made me look and feel like a millionare!
I love following your blog because it constantly reminds me to be myself not based on trend or current "it" pieces, but rather on what I know works for me. I love your style…it is not mine, but it reinforces my belief that we all have the ability to wear whatever works for us! In terms of wearing something that made me look (I hope!) and feel like a million $$$, like some of your other readers, I am a thrift store junkie and have quite a range of haunts from which my wardrobe emanates. One of my best finds was a hand-nailed pair of rust colored suede Ferragamo loafers – purchased for a dollar at a church basement thrift store.
They were in excellent condition. That find has been hard to top, but still many awesome treasures have been found over the years. Those shoes really made me look and feel like a millionare!
"…if you are confident about who you are (flaws and all) and are willing to take a risk, personal style does not have to break the bank."
I would have loved to see these pants from the front. They look super elegant from the sides, so I’d like to think they do too from the front. I also wonder if this look is Mango head to toe, because if it is, you’ve just given so many women a LOT of hope.
I’m a personal style blogger and my blog is centered around affordability, but I never really talked about LOOKING expensive while dressing affordably, but I should! What a perfect point you just demonstrated.
XO, Liyana Aris
"…if you are confident about who you are (flaws and all) and are willing to take a risk, personal style does not have to break the bank."
I would have loved to see these pants from the front. They look super elegant from the sides, so I’d like to think they do too from the front. I also wonder if this look is Mango head to toe, because if it is, you’ve just given so many women a LOT of hope.
I’m a personal style blogger and my blog is centered around affordability, but I never really talked about LOOKING expensive while dressing affordably, but I should! What a perfect point you just demonstrated.
XO, Liyana Aris
Oh Lyn,
how could something like this MANGO-campain meet your often communicated sense for sustainability and sharing of Yohji’s anti-fast-fashion attitude??????
Soooo disappointed by this post,
Marion
This MANGO-, ZARA- etc.-stuff is RUBBISH. Everybody knows: These brands steal the great fashion designer’s looks right from the runways, produce those garments in simply no-time (for no-money) in the most terrible places in Bangladesh, China, etc., using the cheapest materials. And throw their "copies" on the market within 6-8 weeks – and months before the carefully manufactured designer’s "originals" could even make it into the boutiques.
Please do not support this! However attractive an affiliate-program might be …
My style is not a reflection of my money. Buying from ZARA or Mango is a privilege to me an I believe what they do is make expressivness accessible. Not all of us are able to reach your standards, or fresh off the runway trends for that matter. Accept this or don’t mention it.
Rachel you make a good point and I think using the phrase "a million bucks" was the wrong metaphor for what I was really talking about in the post which was as you say being able to express yourself creatively through your style and clothing choices. It should not be about looking "expensive" but rather expressing who you are. Putting a money value on that feeling of creativity interfered in the intent of my message. Thanks for getting me to think more deeply about the language I used.
Thanks Miss Lyn,
You inspire me.
I’m am quite young and can’t afford a lot so I have to find inventive ways of show my style. You’re unique in a world that values difference, the fashion world and I really respect that.
Thanks for the comments Marion as it allows me to address something others may also be wondering about.
One of the reasons I agreed to this campaign is because Mango like other brands has been making an effort to transition to becoming more sustainable. As usual I did my research before making a decision. The pants I am wearing in this photo are from their Committed Collection which is made from 100% recycled and sustainable textiles that have a number of international certificates and come with a certificate guaranteeing this sustainable origin. Unlike other brands that think that one Collection addresses the issue, the brand’s other collections are now comprised of 44% sustainable and recycled materials as they continue to struggle to find ways to become sustainable while remaining affordable, an important point for them. It is easy to produce sustainable clothing if you have a high price point because being sustainable for a company is much more costly. The Committed Collection is both sustainable and still affordable extending access to sustainable clothes for those with a limited budget which is an important way to change the culture. Mango has also developed a tool to calculate their water footprint with the goal of reducing their water consumption. They have signed on to the elimination of toxic chemicals by joining Greenpeace’s Detox Campaign. They have also signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety and offsets their carbon emissions in a number of ways. They communicate in their audits Code of Conduct breaches in their audits of suppliers by country and code violated. They also have a program of in-store recycling.
So they are a company that as I always say is "in motion", not there yet but evolving and I support their efforts in becoming more sustainable and promoting diversity and inclusion by having me in their campaign.
I have never presented myself as an either/or person on this issue. As I have written before I am not 100% sustainable in the products I use or the clothes I wear yet but I am making a conscious effort to include this thinking and value in all my life decisions. Change is hard and if someone has moved past the contemplation stage and is now starting to take action they are on the way to where we might like them to be and I support that effort.
In my opinion one hasn’t necessarily to be 100% sustainable (nor am I myself) to identify those narratives for what they are: The fast fashion companies attempt to "green-wash" their "dirty" products. Clever marketing. Zeitgeisty.
Notice: Making bad products a little less bad, is not the same as making good products!
Surprisingly enough they are most successful with their main clientele: The generation Y. And now they even managed to get an academic influencer on their hook….
Dear Lyn, (without trying) you KNOW it: Your 40$ trousers are not sustainable! They CANNOT be. They are produced under bad conditions, made of cheap fabric, and – most important – they are not supposed to be worn many times. They are made for one season (or even worse: one occasion) and then … they go right into the trash bin.
Sorry, but I can’t understand your transformation: From Japanese Designers to Spanish Fast Fashion. What comes next? A pleading for H&M? (They sell tons of green-washed products, too: e.g. H&M Conscious, H&M Exclusive Consious Collection, etc.).
Thanks, but no thanks.
GOOD BYE!
Rachel you make a good point and I think using the phrase "a million bucks" was the wrong metaphor for what I was really talking about in the post which was as you say being able to express yourself creatively through your style and clothing choices. It should not be about looking "expensive" but rather expressing who you are. Putting a money value on that feeling of creativity interfered in the intent of my message. Thanks for getting me to think more deeply about the language I used.
Oh Lyn,
how could something like this MANGO-campain meet your often communicated sense for sustainability and sharing of Yohji’s anti-fast-fashion attitude??????
Soooo disappointed by this post,
Marion
This MANGO-, ZARA- etc.-stuff is RUBBISH. Everybody knows: These brands steal the great fashion designer’s looks right from the runways, produce those garments in simply no-time (for no-money) in the most terrible places in Bangladesh, China, etc., using the cheapest materials. And throw their "copies" on the market within 6-8 weeks – and months before the carefully manufactured designer’s "originals" could even make it into the boutiques.
Please do not support this! However attractive an affiliate-program might be …
Thanks for the comments Marion as it allows me to address something others may also be wondering about.
One of the reasons I agreed to this campaign is because Mango like other brands has been making an effort to transition to becoming more sustainable. As usual I did my research before making a decision. The pants I am wearing in this photo are from their Committed Collection which is made from 100% recycled and sustainable textiles that have a number of international certificates and come with a certificate guaranteeing this sustainable origin. Unlike other brands that think that one Collection addresses the issue, the brand’s other collections are now comprised of 44% sustainable and recycled materials as they continue to struggle to find ways to become sustainable while remaining affordable, an important point for them. It is easy to produce sustainable clothing if you have a high price point because being sustainable for a company is much more costly. The Committed Collection is both sustainable and still affordable extending access to sustainable clothes for those with a limited budget which is an important way to change the culture. Mango has also developed a tool to calculate their water footprint with the goal of reducing their water consumption. They have signed on to the elimination of toxic chemicals by joining Greenpeace’s Detox Campaign. They have also signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety and offsets their carbon emissions in a number of ways. They communicate in their audits Code of Conduct breaches in their audits of suppliers by country and code violated. They also have a program of in-store recycling.
So they are a company that as I always say is "in motion", not there yet but evolving and I support their efforts in becoming more sustainable and promoting diversity and inclusion by having me in their campaign.
I have never presented myself as an either/or person on this issue. As I have written before I am not 100% sustainable in the products I use or the clothes I wear yet but I am making a conscious effort to include this thinking and value in all my life decisions. Change is hard and if someone has moved past the contemplation stage and is now starting to take action they are on the way to where we might like them to be and I support that effort.
I love those pants too – I so prefer big swishy pants than the legging-like ones that are so popular now. About 80% of what I wear has been purchased secondhand, and to be honest, I avoid the fast-fashion brands like H &M, Zara, Forever 21, Mango, etc. because as has been pointed out, the stuff is not made to last, it is disposable fashion, and I would rather spend $30 at my local thrift store than on one cheaply made garment. What I do buy new is from local independent retailers that carry smaller design lines, which means they cost more, but I feel better about where my money goes. I have found several pieces in thrift stores for under $20 that make me feel like a million bucks when I wear them.
I love those pants too – I so prefer big swishy pants than the legging-like ones that are so popular now. About 80% of what I wear has been purchased secondhand, and to be honest, I avoid the fast-fashion brands like H &M, Zara, Forever 21, Mango, etc. because as has been pointed out, the stuff is not made to last, it is disposable fashion, and I would rather spend $30 at my local thrift store than on one cheaply made garment. What I do buy new is from local independent retailers that carry smaller design lines, which means they cost more, but I feel better about where my money goes. I have found several pieces in thrift stores for under $20 that make me feel like a million bucks when I wear them.
You are a QUEEN! Love your story
Hi Lyn,
I just read about you in a Washington Post article…many congratulations! Some years ago, I hesitated to buy a Yohji satchel very similar to the one you are modeling in this post. It has haunted me ever since! Would you mind letting me know the maker of your bag so I can be on the lookout? Thanks so much. xx Teri
Believe it or not that purse was given to me by Mango.
Hi Lyn,
I just read about you in a Washington Post article…many congratulations! Some years ago, I hesitated to buy a Yohji satchel very similar to the one you are modeling in this post. It has haunted me ever since! Would you mind letting me know the maker of your bag so I can be on the lookout? Thanks so much. xx Teri
Believe it or not that purse was given to me by Mango.
I agree – You area queen. My style hero !!!
Thanks I try to inspire but never tell you what to wear only you can know that!
I agree – You area queen. My style hero !!!
Thanks I try to inspire but never tell you what to wear only you can know that!