Sometimes, we grow bored with our wardrobe or struggle to find a personal style. If you believe you don’t have a personal style, you’re wrong! Everyone has a style and you’d be surprised by how many pieces you can mix and match in your wardrobe. We often feel like we need to buy a new outfit for every event or occasion, when we have it sitting right in our closet.
A few months ago, I styled Tanisha Alston, a writer and one of the founders of Dyme Magazine, who has had her work featured in the Philadelphia City Paper and Philadelphia Inquirer. Her most recent work is called Love, Lost, Found, her first collection of short stories. Based on Alston’s wardrobe, I could tell she loved to be stylish, yet comfortable. I was amazed by the prints and bold colors I saw and started mixing and matching different pieces that I though would make for a great shoot.
I loved the wide leg striped pants in the first look and I immediately knew it would complement a graphic tee so well. A classic sleek heel is all you need to pair with wide leg trousers. The silver bracelet and watch were a subtle touch to this casual outfit. I am a huge fan of pops of color, so I recommended she wear a red lip since it went well with all of the outfit choices. The second look featured a printed jumpsuit that was a statement in itself. With such a bold print, you want to keep styling on the simple side. I found gold jewelry that I thought would make the mustard color in the print stand out. For shoes, you also want to keep it simple. These strappy taupe wedges were the perfect complement to this jumpsuit. They did not distract from the outfit, but had enough design and interest to them to not be boring. Lastly, the striped harem pant jumpsuit was by far my favorite piece to style. It is so much fun in color, print, and silhouette that I wanted to push that mood even more by adding a wedge that had a design engraved in it. Alston had these eclectic beaded bracelets in her closet and I could not resist! They were the perfect match for the striped jumpsuit and I loved the idea of having a wooden wedge with wooden jewelry. 3 looks for 3 different occasions from 1 closet.
Alston was amazed by the fact that we did not need to go shopping because everything we needed was in her closet, while I was amazed by the variety and options she had in her closet. After I picked out all three outfits, Alston said “I would have never thought to put any of this together”. Sometimes all it takes is a little playing around in your closet or getting a second opinion to change your perspective.
The next time you have an “I don’t have anything to wear” moment, mix and match pieces from your wardrobe for some inspiration and before spending money.
XOXO,
Featured:
Tanisha Alston, writer featured in photos
https://www.tanishaalston.com/
Derrick Hogue, photographer