MY BACKGROUND AND NEW SERIES. . .

before becoming a full-time stay.at.home.mom, i worked full-time as a Visual Stylist for Forever 21 here in Chicago.  straight out of undergraduate school i started my career as a Visual Merchandiser for this retailer then worked my way up to the career that I always wanted.  I styled mannequins and display windows and loved every minute of it.  (i'm working on retrieving my portfolio from my old Mac laptop...it crashed and my portfolio pics of my work are being held hostage by this laptop that won't wake-up).

i do miss the environment of being dead center in fashion, always coming up with innovative ways of styling and outfit and making consumers think out of the box (or think out of their closet).  i'm not sure what direction God will lead me in with my post-poned career, but i wouldn't trade being home with my kiddos for anything. 

so....to keep my stylist skills current, i'm starting a new series here on the space called O U T F I T T ED.  i'll be taking apart outfits or putting together items i see across the web and hopefully explain why it works and how you can use items in your closet to keep trends and classics just right for you. 

hope you enjoy this series...

mixing the unexpected:  this is defined as putting together textures, prints, patterns and colors you would have never "expected" to work together.  for example in the outfit above the logo/graphic tee and satin pants might not go well together in our minds, but when layered with the right pieces they go SO WELL together.

why this works:  the layering is just right, nothing too overwhelming and the pops of color are subtle from the crops and bright lipcolor. 

how to layer this look:  we'll talk more about layering in future posts, but the key is to have one or two statement pieces and layer over classics that you could easily take off or interchange.  sometimes your eye will tell you if something is a bit off. for example if the outfit didn't have the button-up layer, it would look sloppy and not intentional as an outfit.  but the button-up creates a texture that brings the outfit together in an odd-quirky way.  the logo/graphic tee makes the outfit have personality to what you (the wearer) likes. 

styling pointers:  the important styling here is the rolled up button-up sleeves over the cardigan (gives a laid-back casual feel), the not.so.perfect top-knot bun (gives a less-serious aura) and the bright lip-color keeps the outfit not-to-boyish and slouchy.  also, the sandals need a heel.  there's nothing wrong with a flat sandal, but the look would go whole other direction.  if you want boyish/femme, stick with a heel and nothing to clog-like.  popping the collar will also add personality.  styling is really about changing up the character of clothing for many uses. 


okay i hope you enjoyed this first post for the series.  if there's anything you'd like me to discuss in the series don't hesitate to leave a comment.



♥ happy thursday.