Landlocked in a corner of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh doesn’t exactly permit for the dream summer vacation painted by magazine ads and commercials. When it comes to the beach, the closest thing I have to a tropical oasis is a kiddie pool in the backyard—desperate times call for desperate measures! Although the ocean is over 300 miles away, wearing my favorite tropical prints makes it feels like I’m practically there. So cue the steel drums and swaying palm trees because we’re taking things straight to the tropics!
This week’s look is inspired by the tropical florals and muted pallet of Mara Hoffman’s spring 2015 ready-to-wear collection. Hoffman is best known for her electric prints drawn from both nature and fantasy. However, I personally love how she expanded beyond her usual loud prints to explore a more subdued display in this collection. I chose tropical print shorts to mimic the leafy pattern featured on many of the pieces in Hoffman’s collection. These shorts were my favorite because they really captured the same crisp graphics as Hoffman without flooding the look with whimsical color. Keeping the color pallet dancing on the line between pastels and washed-out allowed the print to take center stage while maintaining that relaxed, beach-chic vibe.
Hoffman continues to features a softer color palette throughout the entire collection, not just in the prints, which gives it a lighter, more tranquil feeling. I opted to incorporate the collection’s recurring beige hues through my blazer and platform sandals, followed by a pop of teal to balance the busy print.
As for my look, I translated Hoffman’s collection through a teal basic pocket T-shirt tucked into a pair of tropical print shorts—again, I’m obsessed with this print! I went with platform sandals, a cross-body bag and gold accessories to dress up the look and topped it all off with a beige boyfriend blazer because I love how sleek, yet effortless blazers can be. Boyfriend blazers are the real MVP here.
By combining Mara Hoffman’s bold style with a hint of yours truly, you get a unique combination of stunning prints and classic pieces that balanced a casual, tropical look that’s coastline ready; no coconut bra necessary.
Get My Look: 1. Boyfriend blazer. 2. Tropical print shorts. 3. Platform sandals.
