STYLE GURU STYLE: Blast From The Urban Past

Guy Laroche’s spring 2015 ready-to-wear collection was full of leather color-blocked minidresses, cocktail dresses and tailored suits. As I browsed through this collection, a particular set of outfits caught my eye. They incorporated a modern, feminine twist on the old school overalls from the ’90s. Laroche took that retro trend and transformed it into a sophisticated set of slim-line overalls. The overalls were dressed with bikini tops and open backs, adding just enough sex appeal to the outfit. My undying love for bodysuits and onesies was awoken and inspired by Laroche’s interpretation of a classic trend.

Over the years, classic denim overalls have been transformed into a wide variety of different styles. One of those transformations was the creation of jumpsuits. Jumpsuits come in so many different styles and can be worn to a variety of occasions. The problem with ready-to-wear items like jumpsuits is that they are not ready-to-wear for many people. Oftentimes, ready-to-wear clothing items come with a daunting “one size fits all” or “one size fits most” tag. Even when ready-to-wear clothes are tagged with traditional sizes, they often still have to be altered or adjusted to properly fit. In my case, “one size fits all” usually means all but me. Most of the time, clothing that is tagged in my actual size still doesn’t fit my body properly.

Regardless of what seemed to be an impossible feat, I took Laroche’s collection and transformed it with an urban twist. I purchased this black jumpsuit from eBay. Although I bought the jumpsuit in my size, it obviously doesn’t fit my entire body properly. Instead of doing away with it, I drew an inspiration from Laroche and turned the jumpsuit into a type of high-waisted overalls. In place of the bikini tops present in Laroche’s collection, I paired my jumpsuit with a black mesh, halter-style crop top. I wore a black sports bra underneath. Laroche’s collection was very sophisticated and simple, but I decided to up the ante to create this look. I paired the jumpsuit with a men’s plaid button-up (I love oversized shirts!) and a cheetah print scarf that I tied into a turban. I love the way gold jewelry pairs with my skin, so I opted to wear a pair of gold wire hoop earrings, a gold braided bracelet and a gold hand chain. I completed the outfit with my favorite Timberland boots and a bold purple lip.

My interpretation of jumpsuits in comparison to Laroche’s is a precise example of the versatility of these pieces. This collection reaffirmed my belief that style boundaries for any article of clothing do not exist. With a little imagination, style options are endless.

Get My Look: 1. A black jumpsuit. 2. A plaid button-up shirt. 3. Lug-sole boots.

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