6.03.2014

Wildwood Flower












Maybe it was the onset of festival season or maybe it was due to Waylon Jennings plunking around in my head (thanks, Mad Men), but something compelled me to slip my boyfriend's cowboy hat off the wall today and hightail it to this field of daisies for an afternoon in the sun.

As I was putting this outfit together, I never thought it would fly. How do you dress a cowboy hat without looking like, well, a cowboy? As it turned out, most of these items are things I dearly love the look of, but have proven to be remarkably finicky in wearing. This Calvin Klein dress, for example, has slightly-too-long shoulder straps which always wind up introducing the world to my bra. Coincidentally, I have a favorite psychedelic-patterned, beaded & sequined softcup which I lovingly refer to as "The Rogue Mermaid," because you can't take her anywhere. (The beading makes t-shirt pairings useless.) I've had equal difficulty with the front-clasping belt and wrap bracelet.

But then I put them all together and it was like The Breakfast Club.

This week, I challenge you to see how many "trouble items" you can bring together in one outfit. Who knows? You might just start the next festival trend.

(Side note: Can anyone tell me where to find an actual wide-brim fedora? I've lusting for one since George Harrison cannon-balled into my fashion radar....)


Dress: Calvin Klein
Bra: Victoria's Secret Shoes: Josef Seibel
Hat: Eddy Bros
Bracelet: unknown
Wide Belt: thrifted
Narrow Belt: vintage

4 comments:

  1. Rachel this is the CUTEST outfit! I used to design jewelry and love the way you used that bracelet to bring out the colors of the tricky-to-utilize bra. Bonus for organically working with the ensemble!

    I bet I could wear something like this on a casual Saturday afternoon, and carry it over to the evening by slipping out of the tennis and into a pair of embroidered platform heels.

    Well done!

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  2. First, I LOVE that bracelet. So many beautiful colors. Second, I adore that you took a really simple dress and turned it into something special. Makes me want to go out and get myself a chunky belt. I've always been intimidated by them.

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    Replies
    1. Christine, I'm totally intimidated by chunky belts too! I have a very short torso. I think the secret to pulling them off is pairing them with an otherwise monochrome outfit -- a solid dress like this one, or a skirt and blouse in similar shades. That way you're not dividing your body in half!

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  3. How do I love this outfit? Let me count the ways..... But truly, it's such a happy combination of things! Also, I want a Rogue Mermaid.

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