Texture Talk - Part 3
You might be thinking I covered everything I could when it came to texture and fashion in the last two posts I did on this quick texture series, however, there are two other areas I wanted to address. They both have to do with adding texture to outfits, but in completely different ways. The first deals with adding texture by using patterns. The second will look at taking a monochrome outfit and making it visually interesting by adding texture.
Adding Texture by Using Patterns
We talk a lot about patterns on our clothing. Everything from stripes and flowers, to plaid and polka dots are part of the clothing we choose to wear. I personally love prints and since I have been blogging, I love to mix prints. When I started thinking about this series on texture, I suddenly realized that prints and patterns do add dimension and depth to our outfits, so therefore, must be a component of a series on texture.
The following pictures all are examples of patterns that add an interesting dimension to each outfit.
These first two are in black and white, because I thought that it makes the point even more dramatically. Not only does the pattern of my clothing add texture to the outfit, but you can see all the texture in the back ground from the trees and landscape.
These next two are jackets. The first is a sleek bomber jacket, but it gives the illusion of texture by placing bold colored flowers on a black back ground.
In my opinion patterns like houndstooth. herringbone, sharkskin and others are the perfect textural patterns. We see these a lot in suits for men and women. I found this houndstooth jacket at a nearby thrift store
An all over pattern gives the illusion of texture while hiding some of my more prominent bulges.
The sweater by itself provides texture, but the pattern across the top and shoulder area, as well as the buffalo plaid bag add interest and depth.
This outfit has many textural components, but they all play so well together, what's not to love? The sweater has ribbing, the vest is embellished at the top, the belt, jewelry and bag provide other interesting elements and the patterned skirt is also made of corduroy, thus more texture. This type of outfit, with all of it's textures still looks chic and classy, but is warm and comfortable.
The same goes for this outfit as well. The striped dress is knit, the jacket has polka dots and the bag is not only made of suede, but has fringe. Texture upon texture, upon texture. Going back to my initial post about texture, I showed some photos of textural elements in nature. If you go for a walk in a park or even in the city, you will see layer, upon layer, upon layer of texture. It is perfectly okay to wear lots of texture in your outfits, as long as you think about how you are putting things together. You can see my original post here.
Adding Texture to a Monochrome Outfit
This first outfit from my Spring 2017 Pantone series featuring a color called Pale Dogwood. This pale pink is a great backdrop for adding pattern and texture. Other than the laces on my shoes, the knit fabric of the sweater and the necklace it is the addition of the bold pattern on the scarf that gives the outfit a texturized look. If you wanted to go for a complete monochrome look you could have added a fuzzy pink boa or a wide pink belt with some sort of texture.
Even though this outfit has a patterned dress the look is still monochromatic because the entire look is basically a conglomeration of earthy browns. The pattern and the open weave knit are the texture winners in this look.
Just to give you an idea of what an actual monochrome outfit looks like, I threw these next two in from last years holiday outfit series. The black top adds texture with its draping neckline. The over piece adds texture with shear sleeves. Isn't it funny that something sheer can actually add texture, but think about things like neglige and wedding dresses.
This gray outfit is, perhaps, one of my favorites for a monochromatic look with loads of texture. The sheer drape, the pleated neckline of the sweater, the pleats on the skirt as well as my heels which have almost an alligator pattern on them are all textural components in this outfit.
Now that you have seen a few examples I hope you will give more thought as to how to add more texture to your outfits. With the onset of fall it will be much easier to add texture through fun pieces like scarves, hats and boots.
Let me know if you liked this series on texture. If there are other fashion ideas you are interested in having me do a series on, let me know and I'll give it some thought.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.
