Breaking My Own Style Rules - 3 Good Oufits #4
Wearing girly dresses, wide-leg pants with closed-toe shoes, and silly pants.
Listen, there are a billion stupid fashion rules. No black & navy, no white after labor day, no swimming after eating… they’renot real. HOWEVER! Personal style hangups, or personal fashion mental blocks? REAL! There’s something to be said for knowing your limitations and honing your style - but still - everyone gets in a rut, and while I don’t feel like I’m stuck in a rut, I notice myself wearing some version of the same thing every day. And yes that’s kind of the goal in terms of uniform dressing, but it honestly does get a little boring after a while.
So these are my specific little hangups.
#1 VERY PRETTY DRESSES
Whenever I go to Doen, or look at their site, I long to be a pretty girl in a gorgeous dress. I’m dying to be one. But then I put one on, and I can’t make it feel like me, and the dream dies. Not this time! I called in a favor and pulled this super simple dress that ia 1) Ultra feminine 2) A bright color 3) a feminine print - and committed myself to wearing it in the most natural way I could think of - to drop off at school. I always feel like if I can make something work for dropoff, when my hair looks like shit, I haven’t brushed my teeth, and I’m on the verge of screaming FUCK in my driveway, then I can really make it work.
At first I thought, let’s make it more tomboy! Add a sweatshirt or sneakers - but then sneakers + dress is also very much not me. So then I thought, lean in to the girlyness! Wear it with ballet flats! But then…. extreme girlyness is also not me, obviously. So THEN I thought….treat it like jeans, what else would I wear if this was jeans. My Maria McManus trench, and this cape wrap thing I got from Goop that I can’t stop wearing. And there - it was easy in the end, just treat the unfamiliar thing like something familiar and it works. I fucking love this dress. The neckline is so pretty, when it’s warm out I’ll try it again in a more springtime setting. I used to laugh when I was an editor and people would be like: How To Wear Double Denim. Like…you put on a denim shirt, and then you put on bluejeans. Ta-da! But the real essence is how to make it work for you. Which is more personal.
1. The Doen Dress! God, so pretty. I want to be this girl! It’s like the easiest, most beautiful, effortless thing ever. And it’s soft. $198
2. The Maria McManus trench - I’ve worn it almost every day since I got it. $1,790
3. And a less expensive version - this also comes in tan and gray. Frankie Shop, $590
4. THIS GOOP THING! Omg, I love it, I can’t explain it, here’s how I tie it, but I also wear it open and flappy - it’s like a sweater but without full sleeves? Or a large scarf with a hole for your head in the center? It’s genius, and makes everything warmer and more interesting. $475
5. This could approximate the effect - a big cotton navy knit. Worn as a sweater, tied over the shoulders, or around your waist. J.Crew, $65
6. These are the Aeyde boots I was wearing and I love them. However! They don’t make them anymore and there are only a few sizes left. $394
7. Since the ones I was wearing are sold out, here’s a good duplicate from Stuart Weitzman. $318
8. And a green suede version! I love how high these go up the calf, they’d also be great under jeans. Jimmy Choo, $460
9. And this bag….at the top of my wish list. I love this brand, and the way its constructed is so useful, I love it. Metier, $2,550
10. Here’s another gorgeous tote - ugh, like the most beautiful treat yourself thing ever. The Row, $2,400
11. Just a totally perfect, classic pair of tortoise shell sunglasses. This is the style I wear almost every day, just in black, but they’re a little softer and easier in tortoise. Celine, $440
12. And finally, one of my favorite sunscreens - it makes my skin look very dewy, but even toned. I don’t wear foundation and this blurs a lot of imperfections. Elta MD, $43
#2 Closed Toe Shoes & Long Wide-Leg Pants
I love long, wide-leg pants, but only in the spring and summer because I can’t stand wearing them with closed toe shoes. I see other people doing it all the time and they look excellent, but for me? I just can’t get comfortable. When I’m wearing wide long pants I like there to not be an ending to my leg, and if I’m in open-toe shoes it’s like my feet and body just go on forever and I am eternal. But my feet end in closed-toe shoes in a way that makes me feel a foot shorter than I am. If my pants are cropped and you can see ankle, then I’m fine. But no skin? No good. Anyone else?
So here’s what I did. On one hand, I thought - ok, just wear them with a big old button down, go for the comfort zone. But something about all that closed off skin made me feel even more contained, so we needed some arms in there. On the left is my favorite version: arms out, slinky pants, shiny loafers. And a cutie pie little bag, obviously I was VERY into this when I put it on. I felt like hot shit. On the right is more practical - a pair of my favorite Kallmeyer pants and then my very old Converse, which I painted with flowers, and a navy sweater vest.
1. My leopard pants are Dries van Noten, and these are the same shape. Just gorgeous red velvet (and unbelievably on sale) instead of leopard. $268
2. Same brand, same pant, but yellow wool. Heaven. Dries van Noten, $425
3. The actual pants I’m wearing. These are very nearly sold out, but they’re wonderful. Dries van Noten, $347
4. And now a pair from Ganni! These might be too cropped, but what do you want from me. $225
5. Gorgeous drool all over me shiny loafers from The Row. I liked that the loafers I was wearing didn’t have a super high profile. They’re not chunky or clunky….they’re sleek. And so are these. $940
6. Hello! You know what these are! Converse,$65
7. A shiny silly bag to make you feel like a winner. Nanushka, $385
8. Ooooo consider this an upgrade to my satin pouch, a yellow leather soft, soft pouch. Hi. The Row, $1,393
9. And for tops - this is the tank top I’m wearing. I like how washed and unstructured it looks. It’s not exactly a contrast to the formality of the shoes and pants, but it’s a nice element to push it towards louche. Re/Done x Hanes, $85
10. This one looks much more structured, and also has wider straps for a bra. I really am into a lot of what Banana Republic is doing lately! Who would have guessed! $30
11. And then, maybe if I was going to cover my arms, I’d go for this perfect cropped navy cashmere sweater. La Ligne, $295
#3 i guess not really a hangup, just something i couldn’t figure out how to wear and i loved.
Right. So. At the end of the day, I couldn’t really think of a third roadblock. There are lots of individual pieces in my closet I love and can’t figure out how to wear in a way that feels like me (maybe we’ll do more of these), and maybe part of it is how to wear things that are very STATEMENT these days. I used to be much more into making a statement, not anymore. But then when I saw these Tory Burch pants, I felt this deep need to have them. It’s been a while since I fell so hard for something so silly. But still I couldn’t totally figure out how I’d wear them. So I got them.
And you know, this isn’t the best picture of me ever but I fucking love this outfit. Going back to point 1 I kept trying different things with them and trying to figure it out but then I thought…no….Laurel, how would you style these if they were jeans. And presto! I wore them with my navy sweater vest AGAIN! And a vintage Prada blazer and Row flip flops. I felt very much like me, and very cool, but not like a clown or like I was wearing a costume. I will wear these all the time.
1. The pants! The pants! Tory Burch, $419
2. I’m running out of room here so I’ll just say - a great navy sweater vest! J.Crew, $138
3. A chunkier version, in gray. I love this one. COS, $79
4. A beautiful, perfect sculpted blazer. This has nice wide shoulders and a nipped waist. Raey, $700
5. An even better one! I love this asymmetrical closure and the back has a sweet little tie. Proenza Schouler, $2,072
6. I love these foam Birks. So, so pretty. Birkenstock, $50
7. The shoes I’m wearing here! I love these. The Row, $790
8. From the new Dorsey collection, which is so beautiful, I am dying for this choker! Dorsey, $1,000
9. And then…the only fashiony bag I want. I have no words. I love it. Alaïa, $3,030
Ta-da! I went over the space limit, so thank you for sticking with me.
I love you, your friend,
Laurel
I totally have the same issue with long wide pants and closed toe shoes. Have been looking for soft loafers to see if that works. Almost ballet slippers but more tomboy.
Love the Alaïa bag too