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Sita's avatar

This is an interesting concept. I think sometimes I put too many hero pieces into an outfit and I’m trying to work on that. It’s good to just stick with one. Also the song “holding out for a hero” is stuck in my head now so thanks for that 🤪

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Kelly Williams's avatar

HA!! Now it’s in my head too!! You bring up an interesting point about too many hero pieces in an outfit. I saw a woman at the store recently and I loved her outfit is it was combining tons of fun pieces so I think it depends on the day and the feeling we are after. If it doesn’t feel right it could be too many heroes and if it doesn’t feel right enough, maybe we need more at once??!

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Sita's avatar

Ooo good point. There are no answers in fashion, just more questions!!

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Irene Kim (김애린)'s avatar

I think this is the same idea of grounding your hero pieces with otherwise foundational pieces so that there is a level of comfort and familiarity in your outfits. More than one hero piece can feel disorienting and takes a while to perfect IMO!

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Sita's avatar

Yes I think it takes a lot of skill to mix hero pieces and not look like a mess. I’m always so impressed when I see people do this well. I think Lucinda Chambers is a good example of wearing multiple hero pieces and still looking great.

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Lindsay Sword's avatar

Brilliant! Never thought about hero pieces being statement pieces before, but I think this is 100% right! Also for me, these are your personality pieces, the ones that take all those beautiful basics and turn them into your beautiful look!

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Kelly Williams's avatar

Yes!! Personality pieces is a great way to put it because we all know that personality can be nuisanced and style should be too.

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Caitlin's avatar

Hell yeah here for the Hero Items! Where I used to work, we'd curate the hero items for campaign production aka the Hero product of the content. Love this for outfit building too! 💕

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Kelly Williams's avatar

Brilliant!! I’ll bet heroes are easy to identify in a campaign because it’s the item the brand wants featured most (perhaps for sales) but it’s an interesting way to think about them in outfits. “What piece do I most want to feature?” OR EVEN “What piece most features my personality?” And then that can be your hero.

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Caitlin's avatar

💗 Oh 100% the thought process was always ‘which item best captures the trend/mood/event’ and then styled around it. But nah, my team was oddly against pushing specific brands/product placement 😅 Bunch of anti marketing fashion kids in the wrong job we were lol

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Kelly Williams's avatar

Oh my heart!! I think I love all of you guys.

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Lindsey Johnstone's avatar

Love this! My hero pieces are usually jackets and/or vintage. And hero pieces are always the most fun to shop for, and for me usually spontaneous buys and quite often things I would never have thought to look for.

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Kelly Williams's avatar

Yes!! You ticked off some critical boxes; hero pieces are FUN to find and often meet you in unexpected ways. Usually my hero items are things I saw and couldn’t get out of my head!

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Lindsey Johnstone's avatar

Yes! Usually some crazy thing you can’t stop thinking about but don’t know exactly why, they’re always the things that end up working so well and that you properly love.

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Jennifer Klee's avatar

this really opened my eyes to the fact that when I was younger, I used to have wayyyy more hero items that weren't necessarily extravagant, but like, turquoise shoes or a purple chiffon "jacket" that added a lot of character. Somewhere along the way I guess I started spending more on basics and like, nicer clothes- but I see photos and I'm like "neat! grey t-shirt & $400 jeans...AGAIN" I think I blame the lack of malls, b/c I'm less likely to kookier items online, but I think I need to sort this out. This was an awesome post, thanks Kelly!

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Kelly Williams's avatar

😂 laughing so hard at this! I spent like 3 years investing in basics so I’m all happy that I have nice jeans and a white tee shirt BUTTTT also, I’m so bored! Haha I’m craving a couple fun things that will let me wear my basics without feeling basic ya know?!

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Megan Acierno's avatar

SOMEONE PINCH ME

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Megan Acierno's avatar

Kelly thank you so much. I feel so undeserving to be included in this piece. You have made my year! From beginning to end, you offer inspiration on how to take a garment and allow it to stir the rest of our closet awake in ways that jolt the soul. I needed this my friend, thank you ❤️

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Kelly Williams's avatar

YOU ARE WELCOME!! I am running for President of the Megan Acierno fan club because I find your style so, so inspiring. It honestly flatters me to have you here 🫶

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Angie Uh's avatar

Hurray to our hero pieces! 🎉

I love the point you make about these being all you need to make an outfit easier to put on. I think sometimes we overcomplicate it but you just need to let it do all the work for you! I like thinking of hero items as our emotional pieces - the ones you resonate with and aren’t sure why but they tug at your fashion heart strings and make you realize why you love fashion/style/getting dressed!

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Kelly Williams's avatar

ABSOLUTELY!! Someone else pointed out that they are often spontaneous purchases because I think we are leading with emotion and just letting ourselves love something. Then, hopefully, that feeling carries over to getting dressed.

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Hey Mrs. Solomon on Style's avatar

Oooh! Very much in line with my friend Christian’s idea that the statement pieces are what secretly make dressing easier when we all think that will be the go-to essentials. Like she wears a vintage Dries opera coat and the rest can be anything 😚

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Kelly Williams's avatar

EXACTLY!! I bet she looks so fabulous. Truly, a good jacket can carry the weight of anything underneath (sweatpants, basics AND evening wear!)

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Sarah's avatar

I totally resonate with this! And this made me realize that most of my closet and how I shop and dress is through Hero pieces, especially dresses and coats, so I don’t have to think so hard in the morning.

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Kelly Williams's avatar

Totally!! I need a few more hero dresses as the summer months are lasting so much longer!

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Julia Norberg's avatar

This makes a lot of thoughts fall into place for me - your articles have a tendency to have that effect on me. I totally agree that there's a difference between the PdR and the Hero item, but both are necessary. At least for the midimalist closet. I think Heroes are my no. 1 most important part of feeling inspired yet still like myself. They may not all be covered in sequins but they give me a feeling of Oumph!

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Kelly Williams's avatar

I'm so, so glad you liked this. Heroes are the number one thing I'm looking for right now. Honestly, I thought about your amazing coat with the fringe detail (I want to say it's Malene Birger) and that is such a stunning hero piece. I want stuff like that!!

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Julia Norberg's avatar

Yes - that piece is such a good one! Always makes for good conversation too hah. As I wrote about in a recent newsletter I find myself dressing more simple than usual for the teaching role I'm currently in, but after reading your piece I think I'm realising I can still work in a few hero items into my looks to feel more like myself. Outfit repeating with hero items just feels right!

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Kelly Williams's avatar

Yes!! And, guarantee, there will be a student who admires your style for it.

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Tina Boetto's avatar

Love both of these ideas Kelly, especially how a PdR accessory can elevate your look. Agree that secondhand is the perfect place to shop for more unique items - most of my hero jackets are preloved and I haven't seen anyone else wearing these irl yet. And House of Sunny has some amazingly OTT sweaters on The RealReal right now.

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Kelly Williams's avatar

Tina I’m so glad you liked this. I was just searching second hand jackets today because I feel like they are the hero pieces of all hero pieces!!

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Kianna's avatar

This is it. This is exactly what I’ve been battling with in my closet. My PDRs are definitely coming together but I need some Hero pieces that really feel like me.

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Kelly Williams's avatar

We sound very similar! I felt like my bases were covered with foundational items and the occasional PdR but I am craving the fun of hero items. I’m glad we can search together 👯

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Jen Clark's avatar

Oh I love this! Sometimes I have trouble with hero pieces that I feel like I can’t wear too often. Like a jacket, no problem. But I have a hero skirt that I feel weird about wearing a lot because it’s so unique! I need to just do it.

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Kelly Williams's avatar

I have this same fear sometimes, like people will be more likely to notice my outfit repeating because it’s unique, but I agree that we should just do it!! Honestly I think it will prove out that we love those pieces.

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Jessie Randall's avatar

Love an outfit maker

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Kelly Williams's avatar

From the queen of creating outfit maker shoes 🥰🥰🥰

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Jessie Randall's avatar

Aw you’re the sweetest!

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Maria Hyde's avatar

OK, now you've convinced me that I need barrel legged jeans!

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Kelly Williams's avatar

I’m nothing if not a shopping enabler 😉

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OFELIA's avatar

Another fantastic article, Kelly! I’ve been thinking about statement items lately and I think switching up the wording and thinking about which one can be a hero is going to be so helpful in getting dressed.

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Kelly Williams's avatar

So much love for you Ofelia 🫶

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OFELIA's avatar

The feeling is mutual!! ❤️

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ET's avatar

Ahhh I love this one! What a great companion to the contrast newsletter too :)

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Kelly Williams's avatar

I’m glad you see that they can (and should be) related. We can accomplish so many things with the right pieces; they can be our hero piece that also provides contrast!!

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ET's avatar

The contrast stuff is so helpful for when you put on an outfit you were excited about in your head that feels off IRL, like fiddling with the saturation on a photo hahah. And hero pieces are for when I don’t want to fiddle at all IMO! I am just like THIS is doing the heavy lifting for me today :)) I have a pair of bright blue wide leg trousers and they do this every time - immediate compliments and I feel wildly confident no matter how cruddy a mood I’m in 😂

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Kelly Williams's avatar

Yes! Perfectly said. When I am in the mood to workshop (less so lately) I’ll play with contrast or proportion, etc. but mostly I just want to put something on and feel good.

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