Five Different Looks with Three Key Wardrobe Pieces
What is Style?
"Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years." -Iris Apfel
This is a quote by Iris Apfel, a 96 year old fashion icon. Check out her documentary on Netflix, "Iris", if you haven't already. She's lead a fascinating, stylish life. This is my favorite fashion quote ever spoken because it rings so true. Style is not just about wearing the latest trends and it takes a long time to develop it. Wearing the latest trends doesn't necessarily make you stylish. Style is about creating a look that is all your own. Interestingly enough, my most stylish days are the ones where I put in the least amount of effort. I could have an outfit planned out in my head, and then tragedy strikes.........the key piece I needed to pull the look together is MIA. So at the last minute, I find myself pulling one of my favorite key pieces (i.e. my Levi's wedgie jeans, or Madewell cropped jeans, etc.), pairing it with something I've never really done before, making it look fresh. On these days, more times than not, I get multiple compliments on my outfit. A huge part of style is finding something that you love and not being afraid to wear it......to death if necessary. When you wear something that you feel good in, your inner creative juices are always at their best. Trust me.
How to Find Your Personal Style?
The first step to finding your style is simply incorporating items that you absolutely love to wear on a daily basis. What are you always reaching for? Is it a scarf? Is it a pair of heels? It can be anything. You just need to build a wardrobe around the types of things you really love to wear. The second step is to make sure you look and feel comfortable in these pieces. They should fit your body type well. An amazing fitting item in your closet is usually fairly easy to style multiple ways. No matter how much you love an item, if it doesn't fit well, that limits what you can do with it. For example, if its too big in the waist, then you may only be able to wear it with shirts that cover up the belt loops, etc. That's why there are always a few pieces in your wardrobe that you shouldn't be afraid to spend a little money on, if the fit is perfect. For example, my favorite spot for denim at the moment is Madewell. Their jeans are expensive AF and never go on sale, but they do denim better than almost anyone in the industry. Their jeans are worth every penny. The third step to finding your personal style is to be adventurous. Stop trying to always match colors in your outfits. You can wear black and blue denim together. You can mix prints, as long as the prints have the same base color. Colors don't have to match, they just need to compliment each other. And last but not least, don't be afraid to take style aspiration from other people. Most artists are inspired by other artists, so why are you afraid to be inspired by someone else? Art is inspiration and fashion is art. Once you apply all of these tips, you will begin to understand what your true inner style really is. It truly is a growth process and it involves the act of letting go of preconceived ideas about the rules of fashion. Fashion is also fun. Never forget that.
Consumerism
I also want to talk about consumerism and the false narrative that bombards our brains telling us that we need to constantly shop to be fashionable and on trend. I think we get so caught up in having a multitude of options in our closet to look relevant, when the majority of us only wear about 20% of what's currently in it. And that number may be generous. We don't want to get caught wearing the same thing on Instagram or even with friends, so we're always on the hunt to buy a new outfit. I even get caught up in this because I want to be able to shoot and post about items that are currently available for my readers. But my reality is that there are still a ton of items in my closet that I've had for 1-2 years, maybe more. I don't need to buy a ton of new items. So guess what? I'm not doing it this year. Now don't get it twisted. There are still several items on my wish list. This includes mostly knits and outerwear, because this is the first real winter we've had here in decades. I also need a couple of pairs of boots, because I purged a ton of my high shaft boots before I moved last year. But I'm not going to constantly buy things just to have something new to shoot. You guys will live.
Less is More
A couple of days ago, a friend of mine said to me "you must really like those jeans because you wear them a lot". Some people may have been offended by that statement, but I was simply not bothered. I did wear them a lot. As a matter of fact, there are a couple of pairs of jeans that I probably wear once a week and I no longer care. I always style the looks differently and I always look good. I remember a day that I wore an item that I wore the previous week, and a coworker told me that she wished she had my closet. So the point is that if you have a personal style and own it, then it doesn't matter how much you wear an item because your look will always look fresh. So today we're discussing how to style the same three pieces five different ways. The pieces are simple, but they are versatile and can be implemented into numerous looks fit for any occasion. The key pieces include a check blazer, check pants and a black basic graphic tee. Two of the three pieces were purchased a few months back from H&M pre-racism, so I will not be linking to any of their pieces today or any other day in the future. They are officially cancelled until further notice. But I will link some alternative options below. Comment down below and let me know which was your favorite outfit. Enjoy!
Bringing Home the Bacon "Fit"
The first outfit includes all three of the key pieces that will eventually be styled into 5 different looks. You can't tell, but the pants and the blazer are not technically the same print, but it still works. I'm not typically a suit kind of girl, but I liked the idea of freshening up a suit look with a basic graphic tee. It makes it look less corporate, but still professional. I found the tee recently at Zara. I'll try to link it below if it's still available. The ankle boots are also from Zara and are still available. For accessories, I paired this look with my monogram pendant from Anthropologie (I'm currently obsessed) and a pair of hoop earrings from Lucky Brand. The bracelets are from BSGO Jewelry......of course.
Jacket: Alternative Click Here
Pants: Alternative Click Here
Tee: Click Here
Booties: Click Here
Pendant: Click Here
Earrings: Alternative Click Here
Brunch with the Girls "Fit"
There is absolutely nothing like a good blazer and a pair of comfortable jeans. These Levi's wedgie jeans are currently one of my favorite things to wear because of its high waist, straight leg and raw hem. They are simply a classic pair of jeans with a little of bit of edge which stems from the hem. The length is perfect and the high waist makes it a perfect candidate to stick virtually any shirt in this jean to look instantly pulled together. Almost any shirt would do, to be honest. A classic tee, jeans and a blazer are my "go to" outfit. I paired the look with a pair of my favorite booties of the season and I'm good to go!
Jeans: Click Here
Earrings: Click Here
I'm Just Here So I Don't Get Fired "Fit"
This is the outfit you pull together for a Thursday or Friday at work, when it's usually a tad bit more casual. Maybe you had one too many margarita's at Chuy's happy hour and you're not really feeling it today. This outfit looks like you put in a tad bit of effort, but you're still super comfortable. Of all of the looks, this is probably the closest look to the original outfit, which simply replaced the blazer with a jean jacket. That instantly makes this look more casual. I prefer my denim jackets to be distressed, particularly for this look. But any denim jacket would work. The booties were switched out with a pair of classic white Vans. You can also wear a pair of classic white Chucks to get the same look. If you wear a women's size 8 or smaller, be sure to buy the kid's version of Vans and Converse shoes if they go up to size 6 in youth. The bigger sizes are usually hard to find, but if you're lucky you can save some coins. And if you're anything like me, even on a casual day you still may want to take it up a notch. The earrings help with this significantly.
Date Night out with my Boo "Fit"
When you want to be really pulled together without looking like you tried too hard, throw on a pair of faux leather trousers. Or the real leather ones if you've got it like that girl. I'm not even going to try to find this coat, because this is something that I bought nearly two years ago from Banana Republic and it was significantly reduced on the clearance rack. Most of my outerwear was purchased on clearance at the end of a particular season. Shrugs. But this is the epitome of a statement coat that doesn't try too hard. For the ultimate cool girl vibe, finish the look with a pair of sneakers verses heels. It's unexpected, yet chic. I've been talking about my classic black and white Vans for awhile now, so I'm not sure why you don't already own a pair. And notice how I mixed the abstract print on the coat with the floral print on the handbag. They compliment each other well because they both have a black base. The contrast of the pop of floral gives this look dimension. It's probably my favorite look of the five.
Vans: Click Here
I've Got Sh*T to Do "Fit"
This is the look you need when you have important business meetings and you need to close the deal. You've got places to be, things to do, and money to make. It's perfect for the day when you have jam packed appointments and you will not have a chance to go home and change clothes. So you've got to make an outfit be appropriate while taking you from day to night. You're dressed to discuss that contract you're about to sign during your lunch meeting and you're also good to go later for drinks with the girls. I paired the tee with a basic pair of skinny black distressed jeans with my favorite pair of Zara black booties. I threw on a coat I coped from Forever 21 for near pennies about a year ago, if not longer. I found this coat online, and again, at the end of the season. So watch out for these types of bargains now that we are approaching spring. However, since the look is basically all black, any statement coat in this style will do. The earrings are from a brand that shall remain nameless.
Jeans: Click Here
Photography by Victoria S. Jackson