As a human being I have many faults, but one of my bigger ones is that I am a total pack rat. I don’t like to get rid of ANYTHING. This doesn’t serve my mother very well, who likes to have her whole house always very neat and tidy, but in my opinion, in fashion being a pack rat isn’t always a bad thing. When faced with the challenge of trying to figure out what to wear, I tend to rummage around in my closet for a while until I find random pieces, like this dress, tucked away in a back corner seemingly forgotten. This dress has been a part of my closet for some time now, I believe since before high school, and although my style has changed I haven’t been able to get rid of it.
Inspired by all the florals hitting the runway in the Resort collections earlier this summer, I was looking for a girly floral piece to don with my black leather boots. I was feeling particularly inspired by the Carolina Herrera Resort collection from this year. With its clean lines and interesting patterns, it is a style I always try to emulate, but in this case my look was particularly inspired by it. The attention to detail that is placed on each of Herrera’s collections is apparent even in the images found online, every fold, crease and button is meticulously thought out and perfectly executed. It was this attention to detail tied in with a feminine simplicity that inspired my look.
This piece’s versatility is what makes it so enduring: it can be worn with chunky Dr. Martens and an oversized jean jacket for a more grunge feel, or it can be worn plain and simple with a pair of heeled black boots. My advice when looking to get rid of a couple things from your wardrobe is to take a moment before you bring it all over to the thrift shop and visualize all the things in your closet you could wear the piece with. If you think about it, and there are more than just a couple things that you could wear the piece with, you should keep it. Even if you don’t like it now, your style could change again and you could really regret getting rid of it.
Fashion is all about up-cycling, and as such, my challenge for all of you is to rummage around in the your closets and find an old, lost and forgotten piece and incorporate it into your current outfit or style. There isn’t anything more fun than finding new life in an old piece!
Get My Look: 1. Summery floral dress. 2. Heeled black boots. 3. Classic cross-body bag.
