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.

Texture Talk - Part 1 - Accessories

I am going to veer away from my usual monthly column for a few weeks to talk about texture. We all know that our clothes are made of various fabrics. These fabrics are woven together from many different materials including plant based items like cotton and linen, to man made items like rayon and nylon. Every fabric has its own feel, swing (or lack thereof) and texture. Many materials might appear to have no texture at all, but even something smooth has texture. Silk for example is smooth to the touch, but a silk blouse feels beautiful because of its smooth, silky texture. Why, then, even worry about whether an outfit has textural elements, when all fabric has texture of some sort? The reason is quite simple. Texture adds interest.

Let's look at a few examples of texture in nature. 

Try to imagine our world without texture? Texture has the ability to tell us something about the thing we are looking at. The bark looks rough. The feather looks soft. The trees have depth. The grass looks wispy. Leaves and flowers speak of life and provide a texture all their own. In the same way, our clothes speak volumes about who we are and what is important to us. 

As I mentioned before all fabric has texture, whether it be smooth, rough, bumpy, itchy, or anything in between, but what sorts of elements can add texture to our outfits to make them more interesting? Think of elements such as ruching, ruffles, buckles, zippers, weaving, fringe and lacing. All of these elements create interest in the palette of an outfit. 

This week I want to give you a few examples of how accessories can easily add texture to your outfits. These are all items you've seen on the blog before and came from my closet. Many of them came from thrift stores or end of season clearance racks. You certainly don't have to spend tons of money to add interesting elements to your every day outfits. Take a look.

Bags

A bag is the perfect way to add texture to an outfit without adding a bulky extra layer. We often think of adding texture by putting on a chunky sweater or a fury scarf, but a bag with ruching, weaving or other textural components is a great way to take your texture IQ up a notch. 

Shoes

You might wonder how a pair of shoes can add texture to an outfit, but think about perforations, laces, shearling or fur, buckles, straps, and bling.

Photo by me

Jewelry

Jewelry is another way to add texture to your outfits without adding a lot of bulk. There are so many choices when it comes to jewelry with just about every material imaginable. Here are some of my pieces.

Scarves

I love scarves and have way too many of them, but scarves are another way to add texture to an outfit. With summer coming to an end and fall on its way, now is a great time to pull out those scarves and think about how you can add them to your outfits. 

Photo by me

Photo by me

Accessories are an easy way to add texture to all of your outfits without having to buy new items. You already have purses and bags and jewelry. Think about how you can combine these for more interesting and undated looks. 

Next week I'll continue this little side series by taking a look fabrics and embellisments that also add texture to our outfits. I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave me some love in the comments section and have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull, unless otherwise specified. 

Color Crash Course - Print Mixing

It is a beautiful day today, but the wind chill is only seventeen, so as much as I want to go outside and take pictures, I am going to be a wimp and stay inside in a sunny window and use some pics from past posts. 

We hear many things about print mixing and a plethora of bloggers do a wonderful job of mixing all sorts of patterns and colors. What follows are some tips on learning to piece together an outfit that has a mix of patterns and colors that will leave you feeling confident and stylish. 

1. Choose a mix of bold/large patterns with more subtle/small patterns. 

In the above post from January 24th (click on the date and it will take you to the original post), I wore a maxi dress with a bold black pattern around the hem line. The dress also has a more subtle print throughout. To top the dress off, after adding a similar blue pullover sweater I added a black blazer that has small white polka dots. 

2. Stripes can be mixed easily with anything - 

If you are at all trendy, then you know one of the big trends this spring is the mix of floral with stripes. I'm seeing this pattern mix everywhere and it works. 

This was my post from Tuesday, the start of my series on the Pantone Spring 2017 colors. The tee from Jacket Society is the perfect mix of stripes and floral. But for another take on this trend see Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb for her interpretation on floral and stripes together using her own pieces. 

Here is a different idea for mixing stripes with another pattern. This outfit was from a Color Crash Course column. In this outfit the stripes are vertical on the brown sweater. The scarf provides the other pattern. One reason this works is because the scarf pattern is kept tight around my neck and face, while my body is elongated by the stripes on the sweater. They are not competing with one another, but complementing one another. That leads me to the third tip for pattern mixing.

3. When mixing it up, think color, color, color -

Most people who do pattern mixing well, would probably tell you it has to do with choosing a color that complements both pieces. For instance in the above outfit, the taupe is found in both the scarf and the sweater. The blue is also found in the jacket and pants, but I am speaking directly to pattern mixing.

In this post from last week the pattern mix is masculine chic with the blue background of my top bringing up the blue stripe in my plaid trousers.

This outfit from my Denim Days series late last summer mixes different size polka dots on the chambray shirt and pink jeans. Part of what makes this work is the varied size of the dots, but also the muted, soft colors mixed with the more subdued neutral accessories. 

This next outfit was from my Fall 2016 Pantone series and actually fits into two of my mixing tips, so I'll start with it in this color category.

Originally this was just the skirt and top, which is its own version of print mixing. I will address that under the next tip. I added the scarf for a post I did on styling a pashmina scarf, only because the green in the scarf matched the green of the top. Voila! Print mixing with similar colors. 

4. Consider mixing prints with texture - 

If you a bit hesitant about mixing prints, try mixing a print with a texture. 

My Lush Meadow top is a textured pattern. My maxi skirt is obviously a print. Part of what makes this work is the pattern shape. The diamond shapes on the top are similar to the diamond shapes on the skirt. The other trick to making this look work well is adding the belt. The belt divides the patterns and keeps it from looking too busy. Adding a solid piece, like a belt, vest, cardi or jacket can help tone the busyness of prints down and give the outfit a cohesive look.

In this picture you can see the textured lace pattern of the top works beautifully with the leopard print cardigan. Inspired by Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, you can see my original post here.  If you still feel a bit intimidated by mixing patterns. try envisioning this same look with a black lace top or a more neutral tan. You are still mixing prints because of the texture, but it will be more subdued. 

5. Go for a monochrome look - 

This outfit was based on a post by Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy (see her post here). Instead of trying to pull one central color out of two crazy patterned pieces, going for a monochrome look allows print mixing with a crisp, clean vibe. I seem to have this thing for polka dots that I didn't even know I had. Ha, ha. See my original post here. 

6. Try an accessory - 

If you want a more subtle look, try just adding a simple patterned accessory to your print. Check out the following ideas:

Patterned Scarf

Adding this scarf to my snake skin jeans is a perfect pattern mix.

Textured Bag

Patterned Bag

Textured jacket

Print mixing can be intimidating, but you probably are already doing it and you didn't even know it. Don't be afraid to mix it up. Print mixing can be fun and it can also make your outfit more colorful and interesting.

Even my daughter likes to print mix. She sent me this pic of her most recent attempt. She pulled this off by using the base color of both her top and her scarf as well as mixing the larger scarf print with the smaller dots on the top. 

We'd love to hear from you. Leave me some love in the comments section!

Have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style.    Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, 

Piece Perfect

I am playing with some new ideas on my blog. I feel the need to do a little more intentional posting about fashion related subjects. After all, there is so much more to fashion than just showing a picture of an outfit. Since I am truly a writer first and fashion blogger second, I thought why not put a little more emphasis on writing about fashion. I have no idea who will be interested, but the point is to use the ability I have been given, and if I can use that on an area other people are interested in, win, win! 

My intention, then, is to begin a series of monthly columns, if you will, on different fashion related topics. The first Thursday of the month I will focus on clothing pieces. 

Clothing is like a puzzle. Each outfit is a finished picture made up of a few, or many complementary pieces. An outfit is not as locked in as a puzzle, where the pieces have to go together in an exact way to make the intended picture. We have more freedom with our outfits to throw pieces together that, a few years ago, might have been considered taboo. Pairing a pair of jeans with a dress for instance (see my post of that here). We also can pair colors in an array as varied as the wildflowers along the highway (see my take here). The point is up to us. What am I trying to say with the outfit I put on this morning? If it is a jeans and sweatshirt sort of day, I am probably feeling a need for comfort. If I am wearing something I usually don't wear, I may be feeling bold or daring. This, of course, can transcend our closets and seep into our make up and accessories. I never wear red lipstick. The day I do, I will be saying, "Look at me! I have made a change and I am proud of it!" Ha, ha.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Clothing is part of our language. It enables us to speak without using words. Perhaps that is why I like bright colors and fun textures. It speaks volumes about the person I am on the inside, not just the woman on the outside. Colors speak to the deep inner joy I have found in my relationship with Christ. I expect that heaven will be filled with colors I can't even imagine. Color is such a powerful form of expression. On a drab, gray, winter day I often reach for bright pink or blue to chase the blahs away. Think of your favorite place to vacation or your favorite local coffee shop or restaurant. I bet one of the reasons they appeal to you has to do with color: the blues of the ocean on a sunny day, the oranges of a log fire on a cool fall evening, the calming greens of the coffee shop walls or the dark wood of that Irish pub. Color can speak volumes. Textures can also add a dimension to our clothing language. When I am feeling girly, I reach for ruffles or lace. When I am feeling cold and want comfort I reach for a heavy cable knit or a soft cashmere sweater.

Piece Perfect will focus on different pieces in our wardrobes that can be foundational for building a great outfit. I will try to have an outfit post to go with the piece I have selected. Occasionally,  I might show pictures of the piece along with possible complementary items and accessories. I hope that you will enjoy reading this new portion of my blog and that you will come back each month as I feature a different clothing piece. The first piece I will be styling next month will be a pleated skirt. Be sure to check back the first Thursday of next month.

Leave me a comment below about the colorful places you like to visit! Until next time.