Fashion HAUS

If there's one question I get here at Modernhaus more than, "Why are you so mean?", it would have to be, "Can you share your fashion tips with us?"
I really try to keep the focus on my writing and furniture/design business, but I know that I can't hide my status as a fashion icon forever.

While I was laying face down in the dirt this morning trying to remove the leg from a refinishing project and barely missed rolling into Mr. Knightly's...ahem, deposits, I was suddenly struck with the thought that people really need to know how I dress for such a glamorous life.

Anatomy of a MODERNHAUS wardrobe:

First, forget the obvious. You don't need to shop for new clothes. In fact, to get the true MODERNHAUS look, you shouldn't buy anything new for at least seven years. Your wardrobe should be loosely divided into three main categories, based on common activities:
1) pajamas
2) painting and refinishing
3) church

There are a lot of crossover opportunities here, so you should learn to look for the multiple uses of an item. For instance, I have a brown cardigan that, when belted, works beautifully for church. Then I come home and unbelt it, layer it with pajamas, cover it with dust, and voila! refinishing outfit!

Another trick is to frequently gain and lose a lot of weight so that you can "shop" your own closet. Here at MODERNHAUS, I find at least one of these strategies exceedingly easy to accomplish. Have an assortment of sizes available, which means you'll have to resist the urge to give away maternity and "post baby" fat clothes.

Try to limit yourself to buying one key piece per year. This year, I chose some $7 clearance flesh-toned Penguin yoga pants as my wardrobe addition. Amazingly, they go with just about anything and are appropriate for nearly all activities. I knew I had made a good choice when my husband commented that they could "stand on their own". Well, actually I thought he meant they looked so good, they could stand on their own without accessories. But he clarified by saying that, no, I had worn them so much that they really could stand up on their own by now, and probably knew their way around the house, too. This is the great thing about only buying one key piece per year. You'll be so excited by the garment, you'll be able to come up with a million different ways to wear it all week long!

Now for you visual people, I'd like to provide a guided tutorial based directly on what, in fact, I put on this morning. This is no joke-I truly do come up with outfits just like this EVERY morning and you can too if you just know how!



Pants: baggy, "vintage" GAP, strategically distressed between the thighs, missing waistband hardware, grass stained, and rolled up unevenly to properly expose unshaven white legs (this also gives you that Sartorialist/custom look!)
Don't you love how I made them look all sassy with that kicked-out leg? Maybe I should stand like that....

Undergarments: an unecessary distraction/indulgence

Top(s): "vintage" Old Navy ('cuz the only thing better than Old Navy is OLD Old Navy) topped by "vintage" Target tank for warmth and to camouflage undergarment choices for the sake of the FedEx guy(tank may also be used for jacuzzi-wear later in the evening if, like me, the last time you bought a bikini was pre-baby...crossover opportunities, people!)

Footwear: water shoes originally purchased for rafting trip in Costa Rica, because nothing says "success" like wearing shoes you can hose off at the end of the day!

Accessories: the one earring you went to bed wearing, after taking the other one off to talk on the phone several days ago. Symmetry is totally predictable, no?

So, I hope you've learned a little about how to put together a great outfit, MODERNHAUS-style. I'm here to inspire. You're welcome.

Now to put my clothes back on....