Goodwill Fashion Expert—Bjorn Nasett

Lynn Highum is by her own admission a regular, once-a-week Goodwill shopper. Her employer, Premier Body & Paint in Waukesha, is also a supporter of the yearly Goodwill Retro Rendezvous fundraiser held in Milwaukee. As office manager for the company, Lynn says, “the days fly by because there is always something to do!” While attending the Retro Rendezvous event in October with her spouse and other folks from her workplace, Lynn noticed that yours truly was offering a personal shopping experience as well as a $100 Goodwill gift card as one of the silent auction prizes. She immediately informed her husband that it was just what she needed. With her position in the busy company Lynn needs to look professional, yet not too corporate and buttoned down. Since she’s always stated that she has struggles with her lack of fashion sense, her spouse agreed and urged her to place a bid. Later on in the evening, she found out she had won!  Lynn got in contact with me via email and expressed her excitement for the opportunity to get some new ideas on personal style out of the experience. She was hopeful that I could provide some insight that could guide her when it comes to making smart fashion choices while shopping at Goodwill. Below, she shares some of what she took away from our time together in her own words. Knowledge is fashion power, and we ALL have it in us to learn a few new tricks!

Plaid has been around for centuries. But is it a design, a textile, or both? Where did it come from and why does it have such great staying power in the fashion and design world? From shows like “Forever Plaid” on Broadway to the iconic lining of the London, England based Burberry brand, it goes without saying that as a culture we’ve been inundated with plaid for a long, long time! The origins of the plaid archetype itself come from the Scottish Tartan, which is most commonly associated with plaid. Think of bagpipe player’s kilts and you’ll know what I’m talking about. This well-known red and black pattern traditionally features crisscrossed horizontal and vertical lines of yarn that create that recognizable crisp look. Many plaid garments are made of wool or wool blends, so this pattern and texture is totally associated with the winter months, especially around the holidays. Though the pattern is considered traditional, designers today use a range of variations on it to create interesting garments for year round wear. Other examples of plaid patterns might include summery Madras, which is a very light weight cotton fabric with a checked design, and to a lesser degree Gingham that has equal sized bands in a simple woven pattern, and Tattersall which has wide bands alternating with narrow bands of contrasting colors.

By now we all know the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, correct?  If not, here’s a quick recap of their contributions and why we should be thankful for them. The very first thanksgiving celebrations that we know of were most likely held by Spanish settlers during the 16^th century. But, the most famous was the feast held by the settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. Pilgrims, or early settlers of the United States, came to the new colony seeking religious freedom from the tyranny they encountered in England. Inadvertently their fame over these almost four hundred years has spawned several fashion movements in addition to the holiday meal tradition. How many of us have had the pleasure of making Pilgrim hats, or other iconic symbols of Thanksgiving in grade school?  But, what are the stylish trends that suggest this central theme of the historic culture of our country? The following paragraphs highlight what styles we should be thankful (or perhaps not) to the Pilgrims for providing to us.

There is an old saying that goes something like, “beware the wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing!” So in other words, it’s dressed in the textile that is made from the shorn fur of the humble sheep. That textile is called wool! I realize that most people know what wool is, but it often gets a bad rap in the modern world of wash-and-go fashions. In fact the proliferation of synthetics in the twentieth century definitely put a crimp in the wool trade. Personally, I love wool garments and coats. Understanding the natural properties and peculiarities of this wooly wonder can be summed up in a few simple facts that anyone who loves fashion and design should know.

Leopard prints are on the prowl these days on the fashion scene. But, they’ve come quite a long way from the tacky polyester looks that are offered for sale by Frederick’s of Hollywood and other purveyors of questionable and sometimes tasteless clothing. Today’s leopard prints are all about standing out in a fashion forward kind of way rather than a flashy retro/costume look. Learning to embrace your inner animal kingdom is not a bad thing. Just because you’ve never worn or owned a leopard piece before doesn’t mean that you can’t partake in this trend that has shown real staying power. I like these prints in fall and winter, because they can play a supporting role in so many ways to otherwise ho hum attire! Let’s go on a style safari and get the low down on leopard.

I don’t know about you, but I like to make lists. I put together lists all year round that suit whatever I’m working on at the time. My list today is about the essential items that a good working wardrobe ought to include for the upcoming fall/winter season. These are items that you should have multiples of in most cases so you can adapt them to the layering trend that’s so prevalent in fashion these days.  But seriously, has layering ever been out? Multiple layers not only keep you toasty warm with the pendulum swing of the temperature, but they can also keep you looking smokin’ hot on the style scene to boot! Knowing what you need to own and what you lack is the key to having a successful and less stressful shopping experience. Let’s list the pieces you must have this fall and winter, and if you’re missing these important wardrobe building blocks, you know that your local Goodwill is a great place to start searching them out.

Maybe it’s because I have spent my entire life in the Midwest, maybe it’s because I like the fashion choices they provide.  Maybe it’s just because when the weather gets cold, I like having options. All right, I’m going to come clean, it’s really because I am obsessed with outerwear! There’s just nothing to me that spells out F-A-L-L like a fantastic coat or jacket. I know that most of us own serviceable coats, but every stylish guy or gal knows that where the climate is chilly it’s important to have a wide variety of coats to complement not only your fashion moods, but also the wildly changing temperatures in this part of the country. This week let’s talk about styles of coats and jackets that will help you lay a good foundation for cozy, cold-weather style.

Every spring/summer or fall/winter, fashion mavens around the globe are touting what’s new for that particular season. This fall we’re told that neutral is the latest and greatest, but what exactly does that mean? Let’s first define the term neutral. Neutral, by dictionary definition is an adjective used to describe a color such as white, black or gray that does not belong in the spectrum, or not strongly or strikingly colored and thus relatively inconspicuous and able to blend easily with other colors. While that’s an accurate overview, where does that leave the fashion follower? It simply means that it’s time for you to take a look at the neutral pieces in your wardrobe and see how Goodwill and some new ideas can bolster your style quotient as you dive head first into fall and winter. There are a few key pieces that you should have, and I’ll give you some tips on how to wear them. 

For those of you that read my column here last week, you’ll know that a large part of New York City’s twice yearly Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, is all about the personal style people show off out on the street. Quite honestly the sidewalk is hands down the best runway in town! I’ve always thought that what people actually wear is much more of an indicator of where fashion is going, or for that matter, precisely where it is at this moment. So, I’ve combed through my shots and pulled together some more of the good, the bad, and the questionable, as they strutted their stuff and posed for pictures. 

As you read this, I will be winding up my time spent at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Twice a year, fashion followers, movers, and shakers gather at Lincoln Center and around the Big Apple to see just what the world’s top fashion and accessory designers have cooked up for us to covet and possibly interpret into our own wardrobes. As I always say, not every idea is a good one, and some are just a continuation of movements that are still on the upswing. But great or terrible, these ideas on style are there to help us create our own thought process on what we like and what we don’t. All great fashion icons knew exactly what looked fabulous on them, and perhaps more importantly what didn’t! Below you’ll find a round up of the newsworthy trends that made the cut on the runways of New York Fashion Week and those that are making repeat appearances.

As the end of summer approaches all too swiftly, its time to examine and possibly clear out the warm weather clothing from our closets, and prepare for the fall season just ahead. I know that this seems a tad premature, but now is the ideal time to try everything on and make some tough sartorial decisions. One of the first things that I do at this time of year, is carefully look at all the items I could have worn this summer, but for some reason didn’t. You know what I mean, the pieces you bought last year that you thought would work well with the wardrobe you already own but for the duration of the summer you overlooked them. If you’re like me, you probably have things that you NEVER wore this season or quite possibly the one previous! Well as they say, “use it, or lose it” and when it comes to good fashion choices it’s that simple.