Meet The LMA
Your instant access to that "got it right" feeling
Sometimes I plan an outfit lying in bed. Have you ever tried it? What’s calming is the idea of getting it right. When I “get it right” with what I put on, I feel a physical bounciness, like bouncing down the street, and I feel right in my heart, and I feel more gracious to the world and I feel more equipped to get things done.
Maybe all of this sounds insane. But I suspect not, because you’re here. Clothes are a joy. They are creative expression, but even more than that, they are a direct line of communication to the world and to myself about who I can be in it, day by day.
When I “get it wrong,” I feel off. Even a little itchy in my skin. I’m almost like “this is weird, don’t look at me” — when generally I like to power through the world seeing and being seen, making eye contact and smiling and waving etc. etc.
So there’s a lot riding on this stuff! Relatively speaking.
The vast majority of the time, I leave the shower knowing what I want to wear. It comes together how I envisioned and off I go. But once in a while, it’s hell. It’s not that I don’t have the right clothes in my closet. It’s not that I don’t know who I am. It’s more like sometimes I have to fight to get to the feeling I want to feel.
This is why the LMA might be my greatest aha yet.
OK, so “LMA” stands for Last Minute Adjustment. What I realized is that there are a few tiny moves that I can make in under two minutes when I am about to leave the house feeling not so good. Things that I can count on to have a huge impact in terms of feeling right in my clothes and therefore my self.
What I suspect is that these small things work because they hit a part of my own personal style DNA and do it without requiring a full-on change. But why I think they’re relevant for so many people is that I also suspect many of us gathered here share at least two basic DNA pillars: ease (approachable, chill, relaxed, low key, etc.) and modernity (fresh, aware, now, etc). These little tools and tricks underline one or both of those pillars, so they turn out to be quite universal. It’s why I couldn’t wait to gather them up and share.
How cool is my friend KC over @therefinedpragmatic? Working multiple LMAs and it’s gooooood.
The LMA (s): Sweater things. DNA Implication: Makes you look more relaxed. It’s also good because: It can add balance (i.e. you put it up by your shoulders to match the weight of what’s happening below). It can add or aid a color story. It can add texture/interest.
Put a sweater around your waist, but put it to the side.
Put a sweater around your shoulders, but do it this way: First, tie the sleeves while holding the sweater versus wearing it. Put the knot on top of one shoulder. It’s now resting on your shoulder like a handbag. Then stick your face through the hole so the knot moves to your other shoulder.
Wear a sweater as a scarf. Like this.
Instead of a sweater, try the above with a heathered gray sweatshirt. (Even more relaxed.)
The LMA (s): Shoe things. DNA Implication: Makes you look more relaxed (if it’s a flip flop, sneaker). Makes you look more modern (if it’s a new shape, unexpected color in the mix).
If you’re wearing black, change your shoe out for white. Or brown.
Put on a black flip flop when your outfit is dressed up and you’re about to leave in a nicer black shoe.
Take your newest shoes to the outfit you’re struggling with, without regard for anything else. (It’s hard; force yourself.) They will be inherently modern and likely unexpected.
The LMA (s): “Paint a stripe.” Put a white T-shirt under your black sweater or black tee with your black jeans/pants. So there’s just a peek at the neck or along the bottom. DNA Implication: Makes you look modern.
The LMA (s): Push your sleeves up. That’s all. DNA Implication: Makes you look relaxed and modern. Do it with anything. Roll any sleeve. Shove up a blazer sleeve. Pushing a jacket sleeve up and pull down the layer under feels especially impactful. So does rolling up 2 layers (or more!) together.
Lisa Ing Marinelli is the queen of style in general, and sleeve pushing is one of her signature MOs.
The LMA (s): Tucking things. DNA Implication: Modern. There’s a freshness to it.
Tuck your hair in. Just tuck your hair into your turtleneck, mock neck tee, button down shirt even.
Tuck your necklace in. Sometimes a necklace, especially when it’s one necklace, medium length, classic, just reads too “lady.” Tuck it in, keep the flash of something in a couple spots. Fresh.
Tuck in a piece you don’t normally tuck. So once a French tuck (half in, half out) was all you needed to feel modern. But these things evolve, inherently. Now tucking something kinda weird works. The LMAs, specifically:
Tuck in all or some of a cardigan.
Tuck in a blazer. (!) Obviously won’t work with every blazer. Just try it.
Tuck a top into stockings, esp. fishnets. Or bike shorts, with a skirt over and the shorts showing.
Bonus: Not really an LMA: Tuck a shirt and sweater (or either) into a transparent skirt.
The LMA (s): Color things. Create one of the pairings below by adding a shot of whatever you’re missing. Can be a little or a lot of that thing depending on your mood (subtle or shazaam). DNA Implication: Modern. These pairings, in particular, are the ones that do it for me right now:
Red + green (play with shades; your green may be more blue and your red more orange)
Brown + red
Lavender + red
Black + navy or black + navy + white (this is an “ease in” option)
The LMA (s): Sock things. DNA Implication: Makes you look more modern. The primary thing it does is give a little freshness, awareness of what’s happening right now. So it’s finite. It might also add “ease” if it’s like a tube/athletic sock with a ballet shoe.
Put on a red sock. Note: It doesn’t matter what the rest of the outfit is. Fight the urge to think about that.
Put on a fishnet sock with a loafer and especially a mule, which looks more wrong b/c you see all this heel in fishnet. My favorite fishnet sock after much trial + error. (Thanks for the intro to Stems,
!)Put on a sock with a sandal. Suggest either tone on tone, red with dark sandal, dark with white sandal.
Put on a white sock with a loafer. Thicker/sportier is better. Shove it in. This also makes you look more relaxed.
black fishnet sock made this feel right to me
The LMA(s): Earring things. DNA Implication: modern. Also relaxed.
De-match your earrings. Decouple studs and put a hoop in one ear.
Add a “wrong” color earring or ear cuff(s). The most nonsensical you can dream up with the other things you have on.
The LMA(s): Belt things. DNA Implication: De-matching instantly feels more modern and relaxed. De-match belt/shoe, belt/bag, bel/clothes. Either in color, texture or both. More:
Add a belt where you don’t need one, e.g. over an elastic waist.
Move your belt to one side, with the buckle no longer centered.
Swap for a white belt. A croc belt (even better if worn out). A suede belt.
Pull your belt tight, close it normally, then make a loop and insert it back through. Like this.
Add a second belt. Like wear 2 belts. One through loops or none through loops. Same belt or different.
p.s.
My LMA requirements:You can do it fast.
You can do it without thinking.
The impact is guaranteed. These aren’t gray-area things (e.g. “try clashing your colors”) but proven, quick hits.
Got your own? Please share in the comments.
And because these won’t work forever (looking “modern” is inherently a moving target), I’ll update them from time to time. Make sure you’re subscribed!
p.p.s.
You might be saying something along the lines of “There’s no such thing as faking it. You either have style or not. You can’t just crib these things and have style.” To which I say: “Judgey wudgey was a bear!” JK. What I say is: Of course! But for those of us who love style, love learning, love tips, and love feeling that certain something, these flick a switch.
Yours in the search for just-right feeling,
Rachel
You have a lot of fantastic tips! Please keep sharing.
Love the Cole’s Notes version for getting out the door with some style ❤️ Thanks for the tips!