Styled by Sunshine
I wear this outfit everyday.
Do you ever look in your closet and sigh, like “Ugh, I have nothing to wear” even though it is likely that your closet could not be more full of clothes if you tried. Of course, you probably have tried, because this feeling of defeat provokes many of us to activate our purchasing power, pulling the trigger on so many pieces that we might only use, dare I say, once? Well, fear not, that is what I am here for.
**Queue the day dreaming (zoning out) that triggered this whole idea**
Yesterday, I was sitting in my bed staring at my closet from afar when I got to thinking about choices, specifically outfit choices. It dawned on me that so many of us feel some level of fear or dread in the morning when trying to find an outfit. Do you ever feel like we are constantly shopping but when we wake up in the mornings, we can never find what we are looking for? I wondered, would dressing become easier if we all had the proper foundation?
Please stop me if I am overstepping, but perhaps the fix to this dilemma is as easy as we are just purchasing the wrong pieces. Sometimes, all you need are a few perfect basics that you can mix and match with a few perfect loud pieces.
Am I confusing you? Perhaps a few visuals will help with this explanation.
1. An Outfit I Wear DAILY
The best thing to do when deciding what to buy is to purchase a few great basics. I love having a great collection of jeans to choose from. I adore pairing my jeans with a basic top, and then letting the styling tell the rest of the story.
Honestly, I wear a lot of renditions to this outfit. When I want to switch up this formula, usually, I start by changing around the tops and keeping consistent with my jeans. Perhaps, this is too bland for you. That’s okay, here are some ways to rework this look.
Want to dress this up? Easy, let me tell you…
Sub out the sneakers for kitten heels, ballet flats, or sandals.
Sub out the baseball cap for a hair clip.
Add in a blazer.
Okay, I lied. Well, fibbed, if you will. I know I just said I was consistent with my jean choices, and that is true, I am. However, I found this pair of jeans from a random store in Milan that have taken over my daily outfit roundups (so, you will usually find me in the pair below). A great pair of jeans are key, and having two or three to rotate between can make all the difference in the world.
The moral of this post is… I love jeans. Why? Well, because they are super easy and great for day to night dressing. Sometimes, you want to be comfortable, like Scenario 1 (above) relays (perhaps a little too obviously) but you are going out with the girls for dinner and drinks, so you obviously need to dress up a bit more.
If that’s the case, Scenario 2 is perfect for you. A cute little top with your favorite pair of jeans and a comfortable pair of ballet flats or loafers. Throw on an easy bag and shades if you want to look important and mysterious.
Sunglasses + Bag = people thinking “they are important and mysterious.”
Both of these outfits are comfortable and chic, while being simple enough to let your personal style take the lead.
But, is it too hot for jeans? Perhaps it is time for shorts. However, if you are like me, I usually prefer jorts, because they are more comfortable (and far more acceptable) for work and class. I love a pair of denim cutoffs, but I have yet to find a pair that I want to purchase yet (dad, see, I am being responsible), so I usually throw on a pair of jorts instead.
Scenario 3 was, in all honesty, thrown on in about five minutes. The ballet flats and the nice white top give this seemingly oversized look an elevated feel. I love wrong shoe theory, and many of you may never think to pair ballet flats with jorts, but personally, I live by that combination.
Maybe you are not a fan of the blue jean? Totally cool. In fact, you can keep everything I said here but just sub out the jean for something that speaks to you!
At the end of the day, nothing I said above may resonate with you. Honestly, this may not be your style at all, but you get the idea. We don’t need 1,000 clothes to choose from. Perhaps, it is better to have quality over quantity, so then we can properly mix and match to find what makes us feel the most comfortable.
If you take what I said here and impliment it, you might notice that you have elevated your style. How so? Because, sticking to the basics allows you to add all of the accessories that you have always wanted to experiment with.
The cold hard truth: NO ONE will notice you are wearing the same pair of jeans, but they might like how you styled your outfit today. Regardless, when you are comfortable, you are confident, which is most important.
xx,
sunshine