Fashion, or more accurately style, is a very personal thing…
THE STORY
…It’s a statement to the world in regard to who we are, how we feel and what we think. And it can change with the wind.
“Fashion is what you buy. Style is what you do with it.”
I can go from full-on boho queen to all business in the blink of the eye. With the change of an outfit I can try on a new persona, highlight a particular aspect of my personality or if absolutely necessary camouflage myself to blend in with the crowd. Mind you, that last bit doesn’t happen often, like I said, I only blend in if necessary…think funerals, parent meetings at work…anywhere that rules and common courtesy dictate my fashion choices.
If I’m in a slump style-wise I’ll sometimes turn to Instagram or Pinterest for inspiration and ideas. The key words are “inspiration” and “ideas”. When I find a look that speaks to me, I interpret it as my own; I don’t copy the look, I use it to build a look that is 100% me and expresses an aspect of who I am.
One of the primary reasons that I started this blog was to inspire other women in regard to personal style. Not to dress like me, but to dress like themselves; to dress in a way that expresses who they truly are; to share their individuality with the world and to feel like their most authentic selves in whatever they choose to wear. The only rule there is in regard to style is to wear what is right for you, what makes you happy, what makes you feel beautiful on any given day.
The beauty of fashion is, is that what works for me, doesn’t necessarily work for you and that is perfectly fine. For example, my undying allegiance to shredded jeans is no secret, but I know that they definitely aren’t for everyone. And that’s okay, because like I said, style is a very personal thing.
Oftentimes it’s all in the styling. You and I might have the very same dress in our closets and absolutely love said dress. However I might style it and look like I’m headed out for a night of rock and roll and debauchery while you might appear as if you would be at home at a church social…and that’s what makes it all so much fun. It’s like the grownup version of playing dress up. There truly is no wrong interpretation when it comes to fashion and style…there is only your interpretation and that’s the only one that matters.
THE OUTFIT
This month’s Ageless Style Link Up theme is Jodie’s brainchild. Since her birthday is this month she thought it would be fun for all of us to dress up for her “Cocktail Birthday Party”. Just so we’re clear here, I’ve never been to a cocktail party in my life. Where I come from it’s more of a “cooler full of beer in the yard” sort of environment as opposed to cocktail parties so I put my own spin on the theme and interpreted it to fit my style.
The black velvet ruffled skirt and sparkly socks that I wore to see The Nutcracker a few years ago would maybe be more cocktail party appropriate, however I felt that adding a hefty dose of velvet to my black skinny jeans via my velvet blazer and velvet booties would also do the trick…think cocktail party casual…like business casual, but way more fun.
This luscious paisley velvet blazer is actually part of a suit that I got almost two years ago. As luck would have it, my friends Jennie from A Pocketful Of Polka Dots and Sheela from Sheela Goh both had the same suit so we did a fun collaboration featuring different ways to style it. As you can see, the blazer works just as well on it’s own (as do the pants) and makes just about anything I pair it with just that much more special.
The same goes for the bright pink velvet booties. I’m pretty sure I could pair them with a burlap sack and they would make it look fabulous. They particularly stand out with my black skinny jeans while highlighting the hint of pink in the blazer. The nice thing about black jeans is that they’re super easy to dress up because, well, they’re black…black jeans, in my opinion, are the elevated version of denim and can work for a variety of occasions depending upon what you pair them with.
Finally, the sweater. I currently own it in five colors so obviously I love it. It runs big so it’s perfect for an off the shoulder look. The nice thing is though, the neckline isn’t cut so wide that it can’t be worn on the shoulder as well. It’s a nice lightweight knit and it’s perfect for wearing to work, casually with leggings or dressed up like I styled it here.
THE TIP
Velvet is an easy way to elevate any look for day or night. It’s such a rich luxe fabric that it can’t help but dress up just about anything you pair it with. The nice thing is you can add it in so many ways; you can find literally anything in velvet from socks to shoes/boots and clutches. If you want to go big, choose a velvet skirt, pants, a top or cami, a dress, kimono or blazer/jacket…the possibilities are endless.
THE LINKUPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas… BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND LINK UP WITH MYSELF AND MY LOVELY CO-HOSTS FOR THIS MONTHS AGELESS STYLE LINK UP!!
Blazer: Similar; Sweater: Amazon; Jeans: American Eagle; Boots: Similar
Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks blog, instagram, pinter
Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust bloglovin, blog, instagra
Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots blog, instagram, facebook
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style blog, facebook, instagra
Julia ~ When the Girls Rule blog, facebook, instagram, pinterest,
Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag blog, instagram, bloglovin
Lisa ~ Coast to Coast blog, facebook, instagra
Paula ~ Dimples on my What blog, facebook, pinterest
Shelly ~ The Queen in Between blog, instagram, blogl
Shugunna~ Nzuri N* Simplicity blog, instagram, pi
