A few years ago, I would have never put these pieces together for myself. Classic with a twist is ME, however, I always loved the edgier looks that I would see in magazines and on blogs. I received a happy from Lane Bryant a few weeks ago and as soon as I saw these wide leg trousers from their Fast Lane Collection, I knew how I had to style them.
Top: WhoWhatWear | Pants: c/o Lane Bryant | Clutch: c/o Brahmin | Booties: Dolce Vita
I’d nabbed this Who What Wear Collection sheer floral blouse about a month or so ago but wasn’t sure when I would wear it (I’m notorious for doing this). I don’t have to dress up all of the time, but there are certain seasons in life when my social calendar is packed, so I try to keep pieces in my closet that will work (when you stay ready you don’t have to get ready, you know?). Normally I would’ve worn a black cami underneath, but I just felt like it would take away from the design so I said eff it and just wore a black bra. I’m grown, why not?
The pants were a little big so I made them high-waisted (style trick if you ever find yourself in this situation); this also allowed me to forgo hemming them since I’m so short and not have to wear shoes that I couldn’t walk in (win-win!).
The key to mixing prints is to make sure that the scaling is balanced and that there is a common and or complementary color that runs throughout the pieces (in this case, it was black). This will make the pairing not be so jarring. I almost second guessed myself because it was such a different look for me, but I’ve started to become a little bored with the style comfort zone that I live in and needed to shake things up a bit. I never want to copy someone’s style, but I’ve been really inspired by the way a lot of the women I follow on Instagram dress, so whether it’s trying out a different style of top or wearing some structural earrings with a simple tee, experimenting with sartorial choices has been so fun.
So many times we get used to wearing the same ole same ole, but I am totally here for finding different ways to express yourself. Over the last few weeks I’ve been playing around with my looks and I really like the way that my style evolving. I’ll never be Carrie Bradshaw, but I want to always love how I look when I step outside of my home.
If you find yourself feeling stuck, grab a few mags (or pull up the pinterest app) and make a collection of looks that you love and figure out what the elements are that you are REALLY drawn to. Don’t base it on designer, or the person’s size, or anything subjective like that. Base it on the color/print combos, textures, and even the accessories that they have-those small things could be what you really want to play with in order to change things up and step outside of your fashion comfort zone.
How do you switch up your style?
*Special thank you to The Dixon Gallery + Gardens for letting me have a fun day playing there! Also credit to Quaneshia (According to Q) for these awesome photos!