Strapless

I don't think strapless tops look good on anyone, at least not when worn alone, and I'm certainly no exception to that rule. Why I own two of them is really a mystery to me; though both of them look great when layered with other pieces, I'm shocked that I even tried them on in the first place, let alone purchasing them without knowing what I'd layer them with. I must have been feeling particularly adventurous that day.

This particular strapless top is by Weston Wear. The cardigan and scarf are from La Redoute, the linen skirt is from H&M, and the boots are Bata. The knee high linen socks are a handmade pair I bought in Latvia, and the hat is one I knitted myself. The pattern for the hat can be found here.

Mixing Patterns

This is something that took me a long time to get over: mixing different patterns together. Then I started taking courses in interior design and learned that many of the same principles can be applied to putting together outfits. In a room you can pair, say, a simple stripe pattern with a complicated floral. Generally, you'd let the floral dominate in terms of complexity and choose a stripe pattern with some of the same colors, but not all of them. I've used the same approach here; the cropped vest includes brown, orange, green, teal, and a dash of magenta. The abstract pattern of the vest is toned down by the geometrical pattern of the pants, which include only the brown and teal colors. Finally, there's yet another pattern in the orange tank, however the subtlety of the pattern and also the fact that it's a simple uniform repeat prevents it from clashing with the others. The pattern is in fact tiny skulls, which I think is fantastic. It appeals to my inner Harajuku girl.
The cropped vest is by Hale Bob, teal t-shirt from H&M, tank by Chloe K, pants from H&M, and shoes by Born.

Sassy

Wearing these John Fluevogs always makes me feel a bit sassy; it must be the little satin bows. This is the first time I've tried pairing them with these cropped pants, which are from Poleci. The pants have a cute tuxedo stripe down the sides of the legs, and the very fine lines of yellow and pink interspersed with the gray and black make them perfect for combining with bright colors. The aqua tank is Old Navy, t-shirt from Supermaggie, and yellow cardigan from Solemio.