Happy Monday and happy TOGS day! I am so honored to be dropping into your inbox this morning.
I’m writing to you from a beautiful and stormy Colorado where we are finally getting some snow and it actually feels like winter. Hallelujah!
Dressing in the winter, and mountain dressing in general, means layers. And pairing many pieces together is the perfect canvas for experimenting with different colors, patterns, fabric, shapes, and styles. Buts there’s an art to it.
Before I get going, I want say that while I’ll be writing about my inspiration and tips and tricks, it’s ultimately your personal style above all else. Wear what you love! Feel confident and comfortable as you navigate your way in this complex world. Don’t let TikTok tell you what is stylish. Forever and ever and for the rest of time, the chicest possible thing is dressing in your own personal style- whatever that ever evolving look may be.
And maybe you’ll think my style is whack, but if it gives you permission to dress in a way that you’ve been hesitant-to but yearning-for, then mission accomplished.
Which brings us to newsletter #1 from me! When I’m feeling uninspired by the mountain uniform that seems like you’re always layering 8 different shades of athleisure teal or dark green, I let the pendulum swing and reach for a big pattern to break up the monotony.
Mixing patterns can be daunting if you think about it too much- am I incorporating a common color? Do these go but not match? Does it clash? Does this come across in an effortless devil-may-care way or she got dressed in the literal dark way?
I have some general concepts I think of, and then just let it rip and don’t think about it too much after that.
First concept- pattern sizes. Pairing a bigger pattern with a smaller one. Or pairing one with a lot of negative space with one that has very little. This is not a hard and fast rule (well none of them are) but I often just like how this looks.
Second concept- colors. Mentally pull some swatches of all the colors you’re incorporating. I love to have a generally cohesive palette, and then adding a pop if it needs.
And another more muted color palette-
Third concept (advanced level)- shapes and fit. Ok now you’re patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. Your patterns look incredible together, but do the shapes create some balance? If they were solid colors would these things look pretty good together? Maybe all you need to do add is a patterned accessory and not a full print pant or shirt.
Here I’m styling a tee shirt as a reminder that text is a pattern too-
This is an example of a negative space pattern paired with busier ones, a color palette I find to be cohesive, shapes that work well, (a baggy soft tee with structured fitted pants) and a scarf that gently challenges the pattern of the cardigan without starting a fight with it. To expound, because those two patterns have similar enough themes and texture as well as complementing colors, it’s clear that a juxtaposition of print was intended but for those reasons it is not visually glaring.
Fourth & final concept- I look like a toddler now what. I actually get a lot of stoke from how toddlers are dressed, so I might love this BUT you’re an adult and you want to be treated as such. (Ok but do you?)
Contrary to what you might feel… add more! When you are now layering a coat and scarf, a bag or a hat, you can redirect the overall feel of the outfit into what you’re looking for more of. That patterned piece is now just an accent and gives you a chic little glimpse of a different design.
I love dressing in the fall and winter for this reason. Layering gives you so many opportunities to tone things down or ramp things up. You could go pattern crazy and tuck it all under a huge balmacaan coat and only you know what’s going on underneath, therefore giving you super powers obviously.
I hope all these tips and tricks give you permission and confidence to wear whatever the heck you want. Break a rule I mentioned, they’re more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules. (Captain Barbossa accent mandatory) The only real rule is the ‘don’t think too much and let it rip’ one.
Your yum will never be yucked here! TOGS is a place for community- a counter to the lonely and comparative world that social media has become. Tell me about a time when what you wore sparked an interesting conversation, or maybe what you’re looking to read more about. I want to hear from you!
~And another thing…
(a place for other random things I liked this week, thoughts, and musings)
-I just watched season 5 of Fargo (after learning that you don’t need to watch the seasons in chronological order) and loved it. Now that’s entertainment, baby.
-I’ve been cooking recipes from Bon Appetite mag. Nothing beats print. I like taking the magazine to the store with me and having it open on my counter while I cook-I hate saucy fingers waking up my phone to read a recipe. And the art direction is phenomenal! I recommend giving a subscription as a gift.
-I will be observing the holy days of Copenhagen Fashion Week starting on the 29th. Manifesting an in-person TOGS coverage of the next CPHFW.
-And the newsletter that got me into Substack, Unsupervised. You and I are earth. This specific post encompasses some big heavy feelings about the state of the world. I’m thankful that when I can’t find the words, I can read hers.
Hadley has a letter for you next Monday, thank you for reading.
Love,
Kellyn
Diggggin this newsletter 🤩 I am inspired to keep spicing up the mountain life wardrobe.
I’m a patterns fiend!! This was an excellent read, Kellyn. I’m a buyer for an outdoor store in the Midwest and like we all know, the outdoor industry is wearing soooo much black, navy and grey. The uniform remains the same season after season with a few bright color thrown in the mix. I just can’t subscribe to the uniform!! It’s fun to confuse my coworkers with an outfit they have never seen before and I get to add in my fav outdoor pieces into the mix.