about a month ago, my friend
rachel asked me to come take look at her clothes and give her a little extra inspiration. she isn't at a point in her life where she can go out and buy a new wardrobe. she just needed a new set of eyes to look at the wardrobe she looks at everyday.
take a look at a few of the outfits created from the things in rachel's closet.
(keep in mind i know the quality of the photos is bad!)
problem #1 - rachel wanted to know what to do with her light pink jeans (yay! colored denim) now that we are going into fall.
solution - i told her to treat them as regular denim and substitute your favorite pair of jeans with the pink ones. it can quickly turn a basic outfit into something a little more exciting. for a fun boy-meets-girl look, i took pieces similar in color and mixed a few prints: blue & pink plaid shirt layered under a fair isle sweater in multiple shades of pink. to tone down the 'almost all pink' outfit, i put rachel in brown oxfords. though the pieces are girly in color, the silhouettes are in menswear shapes. this makes for a perfect mix of feminine and masculine.
*if you want to try mixing prints, but don't want a color overload, pair it with jeans instead of colored pants.
problem #2 - rachel wanted some new ideas for wearing this denim
wrap skirt.
solution - both looks can go from day to night, casual to cool & sexy and definitely play up rachel's own unique personality.
fall, for most people, means rocking a little plaid. so why not take it up a notch and play with textures by adding a ruffled tank. tying it in the front is a little more playful and relaxed. tucking in the plaid shirt, adding a belt and nude pumps gives it a fancier, work-to-drinks option.
for the second look with the wrap skirt, i used one of my favorite pieces in rachel's closet. this peach colored blazer is so versatile and is a great color option to choose from besides the usual go-tos, black and navy. and how can you not love the elbow pad detail! this would work with all kinds of tees and basic tops, but i like this one best, not only because of the great graphic, but because it has similar colors and matches the blazer. like i told rachel about this skirt as well as the pink pants, treat it like your favorite pair of jeans. bot combinations of tops would work great with jeans, but might just be a little more casual.
you can pair both of these looks with either flats, pumps, or booties, depending on where you want your outfit to take you!
problem #3 - rachel owns these wool shorts, but has never worn them. she says she doesn't know how.
solution - here's how: by adding a silk bodysuit and a less sexy cardigan (tucked in or out) with a belt & booties. this turns up the heat on a pair of wool shorts without being overtly sexy.
here is a lesson in primary colors and how great they work together! mustard yellow is a great fall color and pairing it with a navy blazer & red pumps give it a power girl look. the great thing about creating looks like this is that it is just a point of inspiration. you can take the idea of this outfit and use the peach blazer we saw earlier with a gray tee or neutral colored
blouse. it is just a stepping stone to get creative, with colors and shapes. as with all looks, you want to be put together and that comes from paying attention to the details: rolled up sleeves, showing a pop of under color & adding accessories, such as a belt.
shorts are a great alternative to pants, which can some times be harder to fit, as well as to skirts. they show off the leg, but with a little more comfort in knowing you are less exposed. they can easily be dressed up or down and are still a great option in fall & winter by adding a pair of tights.
problem #4 - how to make a sweatshirt appropriate for activities other than sleeping or going to the gym.
solution - so i personally own three sweatshirts: one shaped like a cape, one shaped like a motorcycle jacket, and one that's slouchy & off the shoulder. as you can see, sweats aren't something i think should be worn during the day (unless they are these
pants). but when i saw this green polka dotted sweatshirt in rachel's closet, i knew i had to create an awesome outfit worthy for going out during the day or even at night! i mean, look at that neckline! and everyone needs to wear a few
polka dots this season. i tucked it into a fitted navy skirt (thin materials make it easy to wear tucked in). keeping most of the outfit body conscious, it highlights the neckline even more. you could wear this super casual with your favorite pair of chucks (or in rachel's case, your favorite high top nikes) for day or with fun, red pumps for night.
*rachel has already worn this outfit to a party and got lots of compliments - who says fashion can't be comfortable!
problem #5 - this skirt is amazing. obviously not a problem, but when you get a specific image in your head about how to wear an item, it is hard to see it in a different light.
let me explain.. rachel wore this perfect for summer. she paired it with a blue & white striped tank for a great nautical look. when i asked her about this skirt for fall, she told me she had a blue & white sweater to pair with it. yes, this would be a great outfit, but i wanted to show her something a little less red, white & blue. i mean, a girl needs options!
solution - since rachel was looking for an outfit to wear out on the town in boston, i wanted to give her a look that was a little bold, but super fun. i thought about color blocking and the collections i had recently seen. i quickly looked at what was hanging in her closet. when i saw this purple knit shirt (one she happened to frequently pair with a black pencil skirt), i immediately thought of
dkny's spring show. the color combination is bright & bold, flirty & fun. mixing the pleats with ruffles gives it a little more drama, but only in a good way.
i know we all can get into the habit of pairing the same things together. it saves time in the morning and just seems easier because we know it has already worked. it is not easy to spend time shopping your closet and sometimes we get bored with what we have. this is when having another pair of eyes really comes in handy.
problem #6 - taking your summer dress into fall.
solution - adding a chunky knit! i must say that knits & florals together is one of my favorite combinations. i think it brings a bit of that airy, summer feel into the structured dressing of fall. this dress is beyond adorable to begin with (think betty draper), but to take it into the next season, you need more options than just putting on a cardigan. this look gives the idea of a skirt/shirt combo. however, if you do want to go the cardigan or blazer route, try putting a tee or tank over the dress and belting it either under or over your top layer. this really emphasizes that look of a skirt. when you throw on a chunky knit with something as feminine as florals, you are playing a game of opposites, which always makes for great personal style.
rachel had a similar styled navy blue bridesmaid dress that i belted with a cardigan and added a scarf to. she just as easily could do the same with this as the dress above. it gets you more use out of that one dress you never think you can wear again!
problem #7 - rachel loves this vintage dress, but is a little concerned with the a line shape.
solution - change the shape! though i do love the look of the dress by itself, the a line shape was flattering her body and the length is below the knee, which is very ladylike and perfect for this fall, rachel wasn't the most comfortable in it. so we added the belt. it raised the length of dress and gave her more of an hourglass shape. putting on the blazer just topped everything off. making it perfectly chic for fall.
problem #8 - how to mix prints.
solution - this can be a hard style for some people to make sense of and even harder to wear. the easiest way to get into this trend is to use the same colors in all the prints used. and in this case, we used the same print in both pieces. having both dresses be black & white polka dots made it look like it could almost be one dress. the smaller print was used underneath as an accent, where the bolder pattern was on top. when i had rachel put this on, it was just an experiment. but it actually worked very well. i wanted to use the top
dress as a jacket. we first tried it over a skirt and shirt, but this looked so much better. the key to mixing prints is to keep one color the same in all the prints used and to have as much fun as possible with your clothes!
i am a firm believer in using what you have in as many ways as you can. (remember, i did go 365 days without repeating an outfit and not buying anything new!) it is all about getting creative and experimenting. if this is something that doesn't come easy for you, ask me! i love doing this and more than that, i love helping people feel their best!
enjoy.
