When it comes to buying clothes, I'm pretty much like a magpie. If it's bright, sparkly, or colorful, I bring it home with me, without first trying to determine if I may own something that will work with it. Which means I have a lot of one-trick ponies in my closet: items that I loved in the store, but don't play well with the rest of my clothes. Take this cute little corduroy J.Crew skirt:
I was blinded by my desire for the bright, festive color and didn't really stop to think what I'd pair it with. Well, I kinda figured it would go with my trusty denim shirt (something that I rely on heavily to pair with any colored bottoms) but that was the only obvious mate. Which means that after its initial wearing (paired with the infamous denim shirt) this lovely skirt didn't see much action.
Now that fall is creeping in and this orange skirt is back in season, I'm determined to get some much-needed wearings out of it. So I challenged myself to style it three ways, with pieces already hanging in my closet, and beyond the plain ol' denim shirt.
Here's the three outfits that resulted:
Miss Top Gun long sleeve tee; J. Crew Chambray Shirt; Frye Campus boots, Target bracelet, Wenger watch
This long sleeve tee is one of my faves! It's comfy and casual, but the appliqued patches and embroidery keep it from being boring. I layered it over a lightweight chambray shirt and pulled on my Frye boots to finish this look.
Old Navy jean jacket; Target tee, Missoni for Target scarf; vintage belt + buckle; Frye Veronica boots
I know I cheated a bit here and topped the skirt with denim, but this crisp windy day called for it. (Which is also why the photos are taken with the lovely garage wall as a backdrop - it was too windy outside for my phone to take photos and not blow over!) The chevron scarf from last season matched perfectly with the skirt and the distressed belt and boots keep things interesting.
Target shirt, belt, watch & earrings; Modcloth tights; Nine West shoes, TJ Maxx purse (similar; similar)
I wasn't sure about this combination at first - the busy floral of the shirt seemed to compete with the bright hue of the skirt. So I tried to tone things down with a grey tight, dark shoe and simple accesories and hair. I ended up loving this outfit the best, even if it's a tad on the dressy side.
The best thing about this outfit challenge? It pushed me to go beyond my "comfort pieces" (i.e., the denim shirt!) and mix and match a bit more than normal. And I discovered some new options for a much-loved skirt, which can only make me love it more!