Kristen Domingue

Not every girl can say that she has a fashionable father. I’m one of the lucky ones. Though I grew up in uniforms (red plaid jumpers and crisp white blouses for elementary; khakis and white polos for high school) I could always appreciate a good shopping trip with my dad. At the time, I didn’t know my dad was fashionable, he was just my dad. But when I grew older (and especially now) I can see my dad had style, still does. He made being well-groomed and well-coordinated look both effortless and gentleman-ly. And along the way, I learned that there are some things that transcend gender and are the basis for any well-curated wardrobe. Here they are…

Cut is everything. Well-cut beats trendy, every time.

One of my favorite memories I have of shopping with my dad is shopping for my mom with my dad. Whether it was her birthday, mother’s day or a holiday, he’d pull me aside, and ask, “Kris, what do you think of this for mom?” Pulling out a catalogue picture or browsing Ann Taylor, he’d hold up a dress or jacket that was classy. On the hanger, it would always look nice, but when my mom put it on, I would see what he saw: my mom’s elegance, unfettered.

My dad understood that the right cut can diminish or celebrate the genius of your body. And if the clothing is trendy, but not cut well, it can look like you are “trying” to fit into the current style of the day, without caring if you look good in it or not. If you’ve ever seen the wrong cut of low-rise jeans on woman with lots of junk in the trunk, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Quality over quantity

My dad’s closet has always been lean. Still is. And though his closet is small, he always looks well-dressed, without looking boring or like he’s wearing the same things over and over. After watching, I learned his secret, and I’ll share that with you.

He’s a fan of having

• a few great statement pieces (pieces that draw attention whenever you put it on, these can change by the season, and don’t need to cost too much),
• classics that will never go out of style (I still own the 2 suit jackets he bought for me when I got my first corporate consulting job – 8 years ago. I can’t emphasize enough that it is important to think of these as investments, and spend accordingly,)
• high-quality staples (Ladies: black dress shoes, handbags in neutral colors, etc. Gents: sweaters that won’t pill, denim that won’t rip at the heel, etc.)

The bottom line is to keep it high quality, and reserve quantity for things like jewelry. Or if you are my dad…watches.

It’s imperative that you take care of your clothes

As a kid, I used to get allowance for ironing my dad’s dress shirts. Knowing how to make a crisp crease without too much starch (it will flake if you add too much) is a tradition in the Domingue family (my grandmother’s family took in laundry when she was a girl.) Other things I saw my dad do (and both he and my mom made sure I handled):

• Shine the shoes
• Put the clothes away (never, ever, put clothes on the floor or in a pile, too much risk for snagging, foot prints, etc. I’ve lost a couple good sweaters in haste this way.)
• Dry clean the ones that ask for it

You can always tell if a person is taking care of their clothes or not. And it lets you know how well they are taking care of themselves.

The wrong fabric can communicate the wrong message

Cheap fabrics were a no-no for my dad. They would snag, pill, or loose shape after 1-4 washings. If you want to know the difference between cheap fabric and good fabric, take the time to go into a high end store, and compare its black sweaters with the black sweaters in a place like Forever 21 or Wet Seal (love a quick piece of party jewelry from there, but their clothing is suspect in my book.) When I’ve seen women wearing high-quality fabrics, even when they aren’t particularly fashionable in how they wear them, I know that I’m looking at a woman who cares about the quality of things in her life, and the quality of her life.

Other guidelines for the well-dressed:

• Always, smooth your trench (or your dress) before you sit down on it.
• There is a place for classic, and there is a time for trendy. It is important to know the difference.
• Never pile on statement pieces. One at a time, please (even Lady Gaga knows this.)
• Always be prepared to invest when it comes to shoes: you wear them too much of the time to be cheap with yourself.
• When you look good to you, your confidence goes up, and it makes a difference to everyone around you. Make it a point to look good to you.
• Mono-chromatic dressing is a bad idea. Unless of course, you are wearing all-black. (Even if it is supposedly fashionable right now. You still look like a muppet.)

What fashion tips are using as guidelines for your well-curated wardrobe? Leave a comment below – someone else may find it useful!

{ 12 comments }