Hi Gorjis!
Ah here we go again with lockdown 3.0...But I’m trying not to let it get me down, and you shouldn’t either. If we follow guidelines and stay inside we’ll be out partying again in no time!!
With the onset of this lockdown I thought this was a better time than any to start up our blog again and give you an even deeper look into the goings on at TCD HQ…
I’m spending these three days trying to get back into the creative zone and whipped out my sewing machine on Monday morning to get onto some design experimentation. What are you finding you’re needing at the moment? I hear it’s 4 degrees down in Dunedin 😯 That chilly weather seems to swoop in out of nowhere…
I got those creative juices flowing and thought I’d give you some more ideas about styling up bias slips using our Recipe Dressing technique.
A bit of background on Recipe Dressing:
For 30 years at TCD I have loved putting together layered looks, the more pieces the better. I love wearing multiple straps, different fabrics, and different colours together, it just comes naturally to me...For the last wee while I have wanted to help make putting together a layered look as easy for you as it is for me... I know how much of a struggle it can be putting an outfit together, which pieces should I pair? Do these lengths work together? How can I cover my tum and bum without wearing a tent?
My Team and I have been working on the concept of recipe dressing; a formula you can follow to end up with a gorjis well styled look every single time…
Anyway...enough talk...let’s get into it…Recipe dressing follows the rule of thirds...you may have heard us mention this rule in past emails and instagram posts…
Generally you want to split the body into thirds, with your head, arms and chest as your top 1/3, and your waist to toe being your bottom 2/3rds.
What this sectioning does is make our legs and bodies look longer and draws the eye away from our larger areas like our hips, tums and thighs.
The Recipe:
This consists of 3 basic ingredients which can all be played with in their own way
- A base (something close to your body, like a bias slip, leggings etc)
- A middle layering piece (something to add fabric and texture to the centre of your outfit)
- A final layer piece or an additional base (this separates your top third from your bottom two)
Let me give you some examples using the bias slip as our base:
To begin I used the long bias slip in black to create some length through the body. This sits close to the body and lets me move as I please...no tight waistbands getting in my way…I next put on the Athena as my middle layering piece...see how it splits me into ⅓ at the bottom and ⅔ up top? I always have people come into store and say “wow I thought you were taller!” ladies I’m only 5 4” would you believe it? I look almost 6ft here!!!
This would be an outfit in itself, I’m split up into 3rds and look really put together but for those of you who need that arm coverage, a lockdown crop over top is the perfect final touch.
Notice how I’ve split myself up into 3rds the whole way down the body...it draws the eye away upwards and away from my hips and ensures the parts I want to be covered aren’t showing without covering me in lots and lots of fabric.
Here’s another example using the bias slip base but applied slightly differently:
I’m wearing the midi bias slip to section off my bottom ⅓ with a bit of leg and used the freefall tunic as my middle to add a bit of texture and interest to the middle. If I had paired this tunic with a longer bias slip it would have split me in half and drawn attention to my middle but through using the midi I stick to my rule of thirds and elongate the body.For the final piece, I needed a bit of arm coverage but something that would stick with the ⅔ we have already paired together. See how the Ravish cardi frames the cream and slims me right down? It’s all about working with our levels…
Here’s another:
Simplicity is key...a t-shirt underneath the bias splits off ⅓ in green up the top and the remaining ⅔ in pink elongate and slim. This works perfectly on its own but we can add a layering middle piece to cover any lumps and bumps nice and easy. The reveal on the middle breaks up the colour a little bit and grounds the look with black while splitting the body into ⅔ up top and ⅓ of pink at the bottom.
I’ve styled up a few more things following these rules to give you some ideas...Been having a bit of fun while cooped up in the house…I’m using the lockdown to get re-inspired, I hope you’re taking time for yourself too, it’s quite a stressful time...
What do you think I should try and style up next time? Are there any things in your wardrobe you never wear because you don’t know what to put them with? I know I have a few of those pieces...maybe that’s one for another post...
As always...Thank you so much for your constant support
Caroline + The TCD Team 💋
2 comments
Have just discovered your great videos showing how to do wonderful layering. Fabulous !!!!!
When will you be coming to Australia?
Thanks heaps Caroline. I really look forward to your posts and find them very uplifting. Your fashion ideas are wonderful and I love wearing your clothes. I am still learning though so please keep up the good work.