This particular person sent me a photograph proclaiming deep, married love for an outfit she spotted in a magazine, and asked me to find it for her asap. She loved it so much she wanted it NOW, not necessarily for an event, but from pure unadulterated adoration and the unwillingness to be distanced from such coveted resplendence any longer. Can't say I blame her - when I get obsessed over a picture or the idea of something, my mind can hardly rest until I've figured out a plan to get the thing in my hands (in this case, I was "the plan"). After I broke it to her that it was possible, but would require a bit of time and thought to set up a reasonable budget then actually hunt, she very sweetly obliged. Hence, I was launched into a search for some unique, individual pieces broken down from the original photograph she sent over:
Skirt: Tommy Hilfiger
Sweater: Michael Kors
Vest: Ohne Titel
Bag: Chanel
The ensemble was comprised of four key parts: skirt, sweater, vest, and boots. Based on these elements, the client and I came up with a budget of $150, with a bit of wiggle room just in case. Despite the cushion, I was determined to find her the 'fit within budget. If anything was left over I told her we could do shoes and/or accessories as an added bonus. So...
TOTAL BUDGET: $150
Item 1: Pleated Gray Maxi Skirt
Brand Originally Pictured: Tommy Hilfiger
Brand Purchased: Garnet Hill
Challenge Level: MEDIUM
I asked the client if she was absolutely sold on the gunmetal color (which I too loved) - the answer was yes. The challenge came in due to season, as the pleated maxi skirt is usually a spring/summer item, and here we were in November trying to pull this look together. The movement and texture from the picture implied a wooly material, and the pleated maxi usually comes in more of a breezy chiffon fabric. Still, I hunted high and low...mostly online. The skirts that came closest in texture were all designer pieces, with price tags triple to quadruple the amount of our TOTAL budget. We got so close as to find a consignment version of the Tommy Hilfiger original, but the size was off. So I found the next best thing, which came in chiffon at garnethill.com. It wasn't exactly the same, so we deliberated for a few days, but then I came across a 20% percent off coupon with free shipping and took it as a sort of omen to bite the bullet. Looks like a midi in this pic, but is definitely a maxi:
http://www.garnethill.com/pleated-maxi-skirt/306940
Item 2: Hip Length Black Sweater
Brand in Picture: Michael Kors
Brand Purchased: HM
Challenge Level: LOW
This was the item I was least worried about. The sweater needed to be slim fit, hip length, and of decent quality. A quick run to my local mall proved fruitful, but sizing was tricky because this client didn't come with me (I HATE shopping....said no woman ever? WRONG. This client did)...so I ended up making two runs to exchange. What is up with sizes these days? If someone of my build can fit into smalls and extra smalls, how are the tiny petite women of the world not swimming in all this oversized nonsense? Boxier, menswear-inspired silhouettes recently seem to have shifted the tides of sizing...but I'm not complaining. It's great for MY self esteem, but when I can't figure out what size to put my small-boned client in...it can be sketchy. I ended up getting a small, which ended up being too big. Doh. Back to the store. Story of my life. :)
Item 3: Fur-trimmed Black Vest
Brand in Picture: Ohne Titel
Brand(s) Purchased: Target (vest) and Amazon.com (stole)
Challenge Level: HIGH
Like most women of my generation, my client is pretty particular about what she will and won't do. And she won't normally don fur. Yet this picture evoked a pretty furry fantasy in both our heads that we'd find the perfect subtle, understated piece which would blend into the background of the aforementioned sweater. I found plenty of items in the higher-end range which were once again out of budget, so the challenge lay in finding a mid-to-lower priced item that still retained the luxe feel the photo induced. Since cropped black vests come mostly in leather, there were very few non-leather items on the market that worked and didn't require shipment from China. As a last resort, I ended up finding a longer black vest and peppering it with a black fur stole. Not exactly the same, but close.
Vest: http://www.target.com/p/mossimo-reg-women-s-asymmetrical-zip-scuba-vest-black/-/A-14747941#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=black+vest
Stole: http://www.amazon.com/Trendy-Winter-Scarf-Collar-Shawl/dp/B00EAGTROU/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1389241598&sr=8-18&keywords=black+fur+stole
Item 4: Some Sort of Dark Chunky Boot
Brand in Picture: Unknown
Challenge Level: Low
I had told the client this would be the lowest priority item on our list, meaning if after purchasing all our other items we had enough left, we'd go for the boots. In the end we didn't, but I had still whittled it down to a basic combat boot in my head (can anyone find me a retailer that DOESN'T carry combat boots right now? I didn't think so. They are everywhere, on everyone from 3rd-grade girls to 40+ year old women). One quick trip to Target would have sufficed, but I didn't end up needing to go.
Bag and Accessories - out of budget (womp womp)
Brand in Picture: Chanel (ya, not happening)
In the end - given budget, seasonal constraints, and the time crunch - we came pretty darn close. As close as possible in my book, without breaking the bank. You be the judge (I should've ran the fan over my mannequin to get the same "blowing-in-the-breeze" effect for my photograph...live and learn!):
Written by Saba Ali of Style By Design (SBD) - Image Consulting
Please gear any questions or comments towards my email - stylebydesign.sbd@gmail.com....merci beaucoup for reading! And Happy New Year!
