I’ll never forget where I was when everything clicked into place. Target. Last week.
Holding up a white t-shirt for the what felt like the thousandth time when I had my realization. Right there in the kids’ department while Emma pulled at my trousers leg demanding Goldfish crackers. Over laughing text messages and nostalgic stories, my former co-worker Sarah (who now lives life as a divorced woman in New York!!
Girl, live your best life!) told me all about her current career situation. Sarah recently started working with stylists on editorial shoots for magazines.
But what she told me about her days backstage completely changed my mindset when it came to shopping for the basics.
My very glamorous life apparently has some crossover with the world of magazine fashion shoots.
Who knew?! Mind= blown.
Bear with me here. I could probably write a whole book on my Target mishaps last week, but I’ll try to sum it up. I was talking to Sarah a few months ago (way back when huggies were plentiful and wipes were actually germ-free! ), and she was telling me about how a lot of stylists will use “JCP”; as she so eloquently put it; when helping celebs get ready for events.
Gap. Target. TJ Maxx.
Stores we all know and love! “Wait,” I said through spit up covered teeth while rocking Jackson in my arms. “You’re telling me that people who work with FAMOUS PEOPLE don’t ONLY shop at runway inspired stores?” Sarah confirmed that they, in fact, do not. Backstage at these fancy shoots, she’s watched people pull boring black tights from grocery bags and plain white t-shirts from who knows where, only to pair them with thousands of dollars worth of designer goods. And you know what?
They still look good. Like, actually amazing. Is it wrong that I feel somewhat offended on behalf of Target?? !
If it’s good enough for fancy photoshoots and celebrities… that must mean they have some great stuff hidden amongst the poo donations and all the homeschooling supplies I apparently never stopped buying. Think about it. My PR brain immediately went to clothing photos.
How something looks on someone is EVERYTHING to us photographers. And it turns out, the reason many items photograph well has absolutely nothing to do with the price tag or name of the brand. Let’s start with the obvious.
Underwear. Good underwear is GOOD UNDERWEAR no matter where it’s from! Unless you’re really into holes, I’d recommend spending the extra money on underwear that you like and feels good.
There’s nothing worse than unflattering underwear ruining an otherwise stellar outfit. Sarah told me that many stylists specifically look for basic white tee shirts at department stores for their shoots because they photograph better than most “designer” shirts. She said that many whites have polyester blends that will show up too transparent on camera or give off a blue hue.
Others might photograph with a yellowish tint that makes your brand new white shirt look dingy. (Uh, HELLO?!?!) But easy white cotton from stores like JCP runw photos beautifully, because they’re notSee? Told you we overlap! But what really got me thinking were the basics we wear every day but might not typically think of as “stylish.” Think- socks, leggings, even thermal underwear (yep, that stuff matters too!).
Sarah described pulling white tee after white tee off racks for a shoot, only to learn that none of them were “good enough” for photographing the designer shirt they were trying to feature. Finally, they gave up and pulled a basic, inexpensive tee from Sarah’s bag. It ended up photographing leaps and bounds better than the sixty dollar shirt they were meant to showcase.
Sarah actually laughed and told me that she’s learned over the years not to trust most designer “basics.” Sure, they’ll make your boobs look amazing in your fav instagram filter. But can they wash well? Will they hold up to everyday wear?
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Do they photograph well? “Oh please,” Sarah’s convincing voice sounded through my headphones. “Runway inspired tops are crazy expensive for a reason! They’re literally cut for models walking down runways, not real people wearing them in real life.” Real talk. Does anyone else always destroy a cute pair of tights somehow managing to put them on?
Between chasing kids around and barely making it out the door on time, I’ve ruined countless pairs of tights each year just living my best life. It took me way too long to realise that when it comes to tights- I’m probably overthinking it. The lesson I learned from Sarah’s story: stick with old faithful!.
White button up shirts, leggings, and even socks that won’t rip if my kids sit on them. Sarah explained that when stylists are shooting outdoors, they’ll usually outfit their models in relatively cheap thermals as a base layer. Like you’d buy for camping or staying cool in the summer.
They somehow make those billowy jumpers and beautiful coats look like a million bucks, but they rely on those plain white tanks and leggings from Target to get the job done. No one ever thinks about how much thought and planning goes into making those coats look so perfect in a windswept field. But without affordable basics that work well together, those outdoor shoots wouldn’t happen.
What does this all mean for me as a not-paid-to-style-hired mummy? This talk with Sarah made me realise that I was way overthinking shopping for basics. Most days I’m shopping for basics.
Grounded me back into remembering that just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it will work well for me and my lifestyle. Sure, I still love a luxury treat every now and then. But that doesn’t mean I should ignore the stores I already know and love!
I’ve also started questioning whether things are truly “worth it” before I buy them. Will this white button up actually photograph well on me? Am I going to be reaching for my black tank every day under this jumper because it’s not opaque enough?
Do I need three pair of these socks or will the other two colours actually get worn just as much? I’ve also realised that there’s way less pressure when you use affordable basics while dressing. If a cheap t-shirt rips or gets messy during a shoot, it’s no big deal.
Another one will probably be in their fitting budget. But sample dresses or trousers that cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars are another story. They have to use what they’ve got and make it work.
This lesson spoke to me on SO many levels as a mum. I need clothes that CAN get worked on as a mother. That can survive kids, and tantrums, and meltdowns.
I don’t have time to worry about ruining something nice, so why wear it in the first place?
This isn’t to say that expensive brands don’t offer options that will work for me and my family.
Many of them do!
My Sarah told me that they often find the designer basics don’t fit her quite as well as some of her JCP brands. Which makes sense when you think about it! Expensive basics are usually geared towards one body type.
Straight sized. Petite. Slim.
Many cheaper brands have outfits tested on hundreds of women of different shapes, sizes, and heights to produce well fitting basics for all. A $30 jumper that fits great and holds up to being washed repeatedly is WAY better than a $150 jumper that doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong- I still love a good luxury shopping trip.
But when it comes to basics, I’ll take affordable every day staples every time. Working with what I know and love has not only saved me a ton of time, but it’s helped me zoom in on the pieces that matter- timeless styles I know will work for me in my every day life.
