Workhorses Only, Edition #9
Can a trend be a workhorse?
If you’re a new subscriber, welcome! You’ve likely found me through a Substack essay related to being a working mom, through LinkedIn where I share my expertise as a marketing professor or maybe through Instagram where I fiercely advocate for hobbies—and now you’re seeing a post about fashion??
Let me explain.
On Saturdays, I publish a weekly column called ‘Workhorses Only’. As I’ve built my career in brand marketing and studied the science of consumer psychology, I’ve realized how easily we are persuaded to buy things we do not need. You won’t hear me recommend shopping abstinence and I do not want to make you feel guilty about consumerism. Instead, I want to build a community of smart consumers. We buy things that serve us, make us feel confident and, most importantly, make getting dressed more efficient.
Every week, I take a different category or topic and boil it down to the best and most useful things: from 5-Minute Make-Up to Work Travel Packing to Dresses.
I follow the Workhorses Only rules when shopping:
Are there 3 different functions it gives me?
Will it make getting ready more efficient?
Does it make me feel confident?
If the answers are yes, it qualifies as a Workhorse. Yay! This seems simple until you realize you are seeing six to ten thousand messages a day about the new thing you must buy. Don’t you want to be on trend?
A Word On Trends
Workhorses and trends run counter to each other. Trends are like the GameStock share price–they go up and down before you even understand what happened. A workhorse is like a Warren Buffet stock pick–you hold onto it for a lifetime.
My problem with trendy clothes–even more than how quickly I feel outdated–is that they linger in my closet, creating visual noise and slowing down the process of getting dressed. Aside from everything we hear about fast-fashion/sustainability/landfills, trendy things will literally add weight to my mornings!
I’m not a complete trend puritan—I do own a pair of barrel jeans that are currently trending and I love them—but generally as I’m rounding out my closet for the season I look for a unicorn: something trendy that I know can become a Workhorse.
I have found it for this season.
When I saw this image, I thought: “This! This is what I want to look like this spring/summer (and for the next five, too).”
Since I saw this photo, I’ve been doing double-takes—the school events of Maycember, swim practice, cafes, dinners—stripes are everywhere and they look fresh.
I am all in on stripes. I feel confident that anything I scoop up will be great for this season and for the next five years. I know this with certainty because here’s Jackie O. looking great in them 60 years ago! If you want more of a history deep dive on stripes, this is a short and excellent read from a few years ago.
I went through hundreds of dresses, tops and bottoms and have curated the one that fit the bill of Workhorses Only.
Stripe Button-down
Let’s look at the Stripe Button-down from the Workhorses Only lens:
Are there 3 different functions it gives me?
Work: Wear tucked-in with trousers
Life: Wear with shorts or jeans
Play: Wear unbuttoned over swimsuit
Will it make getting ready more efficient?
Yes! Fits multiple occasions and can be worn with almost any shoe: white sneakers, platform sandals, strappy flat sandals, loafers. WOW!
Does it make me feel confident?
Yes! I don’t feel like I’m trying too hard and this fits my personal style of ‘Classic’.
Yellow and White Stripe: This is a wider stripe from Marine Layer. It’s oversized, Tencel and Linen blend (breathable). Machine wash/dryer. I have Marine Layer pants that have made it through hundreds of wash cycles due to their great quality.
Lime Green Stripe: Oversized Boyfriend shirt from Old Navy. Incredible price point for 100% cotton (under $30). It will last a few seasons and the color combo of the lime green and hunter green is fresh.
Red and White Stripe: It’s perfect,fresh and timeless. Bravo Tuckernuck! Machine wash cold, lay to dry. Generally this means you’ll need to steam/iron.
Brown and White Stripe: Premium 100% cotton poplin is what makes this price point higher than you’d expect. There’s a huge variation in cotton quality (that’s why the Old Navy one is $30). This cotton poplin would serve you for 10+ years. Brown is my favorite neutral of the last few years.
Green and White Stripe: Also poplin cotton. The crispness! Our swim team color is green so I’m scooping this up to support the team while it’s 40% off at Madewell.
Blue and White Stripe- Nothing more classic than blue and white stripes.
If you want to see a few more options that I curated but aren’t pictured, I included them here.
Stripe Dress
Let’s look at the Stripe Dress from the Workhorses Only lens:
Are there 3 different functions it gives me?
The functions depend on the dress but I can unequivocally say yes. Most dresses can flex from Casual Friday to Running Errands to Dinner Out.
Will it make getting ready more efficient?
Yes! Maximum return for time spent. It’s a one-and-done. No shirt coming untucked. No hard pants. For me, dresses are the unsung hero of my life.
Does it make me feel confident?
Yes! A dress presents you as put-together and chic all while giving comfort. That adds up to feeling confident.
Green and White Stripe: Sleeveless shirt dress with a belt tie. This will never, ever, go out of style. It’s fit and flare which is universally flattering. Boden does high-quality cotton and I appreciate them for that. It’s what makes the colors last.
Rainbow Stripe: I’ve been eyeing this for so long because every time I look at it, I smile. This is the kind of dress that will be complimented over and over so get ready to with your demure thank you’s.
Blue and White Stripe: Classic cornflower blue with stripes. The cinched waist. The pop of white from the collar. Great job Tuckernuck, again!
Red and White Stripe: A relaxed t-shirt dress. Great for running errands, great for pool. Under $20.
Yellow and White Stripe: Likely too short for work, but sometimes we just need to play. If you’re lucky enough to have your size available, snag this one as it’s 60% off a sale price.
Red and White Stripe: I have a crush on this dress. It screams French Riviera and, yet, I want to wear this every Fourth of July for the rest of time.
Green and White Stripe: Nap dress. But, make it short. My nap dresses from Hillhouse are going on 5 years. Quality is impeccable.
Red and White Stripe: Tuckernuck made my favorite and most worn dress in a red and white ticking stripe. Praise be!
If you want to see a few more options that I curated but aren’t pictured, I included them here.
Stripe Separates
Since I’ve sufficiently defended stripes as Workhorses, I’ll rest my case and instead leave you with a few more unique options.
Blue and White Stripe: I purchased this from Boden a few weeks ago and have already gotten a few wears. It’s a high quality cotton, with crisp colors and the red embroidery stitching makes it look so luxe.
Blue and White Stripe: I’ve eyed this sleeveless shirt from Tuckernuck for two years now. I love it with white shorts but this would also be ideal for work in Hotlanta.
Rainbow Stripe: If I can’t have the dress version, perhaps the shorts would satiate me?
Red and White Stripe: These pants are too thick for Atlanta life but if you live on the West Coast, I think you could get three seasons out of them. From white button-down to navy sweater, they’ll Workhorse for you.
Green and White Stripe: While these are on sale for under $50 at J.Crew, it’s a yes. I like the length and material and that they make me smile.
Blue and White Stripe: Nap dress, but make it a skirt ;)
Happy Summer!
My goal for us is that we look great, feel confident and use as little of our brain-share on the endeavor as possible. Let’s not panic about “what to wear” as we stand in bulging closets trying on item after item only to be left with frustration and a closet to clean.
I hope looking at these stripes made you as happy as they made me—but more importantly, I hope it demonstrated how you can participate in a trend and still be timeless. When you buy useful things, they serve you.
Confidently Yours,
Marina
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The bright stripe dress and shirt/shorts are gonna live rent free in my head.