Style Story: Surf and Sparkle

I’m so glad Prada brought back the polo shirt because I haven’t worn mine in quite some time. I’ve always thought of it as my surfer shirt. Something about the retro coloured stripes reminds me of the old woodie cars from the 50’s and 60’s filled with young surfers and their boards headed to the coast to catch a wave.

I’m wearing my brown velour oversized polo, Old Navy, with an apricot sequin pencil skirt, Amazon. Needless to say, the two pieces are polar opposites but together they look beachy laid back and comfortable. The casual vibe cancels out any uptown pretense from the skirt for a look that’s fun and funky yet cohesive. Proportionally, they are perfect because the longer polo covers most of the skirt so it doesn’t make my short body look “chopped up” and since both pieces lack volume they lay flat for a nice straight line. My brown flip-flops, Havianna, along with a crochet bucket hat, Mango, reinforce my beachy Summer vibes. I finished with a blue bandana, Amazon, twisted into a skinny neck scarf. This extra little detail completes and elevates and is the difference between throwing clothes on verses styling a look.

style-tip: opposites attract but knowing how to make them work together is key. choose one theme to dominate that can build around the other for a cohesive look

Style Store: Capri’s and Other Summer Trends

One of the biggest Summer trends is the return of the Capri pant but I’m not a big fan. I don’t like the way they stop right under the kneecap especially on a shorty like me. My workaround to wearing the trend without having to wear actual capri pants is to take a pair of straight jeans or cargo pants, Venti 6, and cuff them up to where it looks best on my leg which is right at the top of my calves. To create a good proportion, I went with a gauzy cropped flowy top, Gisele Tune. The straight fitted “capri” under a short full top makes the legs look longer and the body look more lean – always good.

Another big trend for Summer is Animal prints so I grabbed my old leopard fur pumps, Kenneth Cole, that have a touch of orange in the print. My orange headscarf, Casharel, was stylistically the obvious choice for a couple of reasons. It brings that “cool girl” vibe that this look is all about and more importantly it’s an ombre’ dye that goes from the lightest shade of peach to a deep orange citrus tone. I’m using my gold jewelry to play off of my orange tones for a warm shine against my skin. A simple link chain and a tiny gold/ turquoise necklace, Gorjana, large but thin hoop earrings and my tricolor Trinity bangle, Cartier. To complete this bohemian look I went with my straw bag, Bohemia Marrakech. It’s the perfect bag because it’s neutral and screams Summer fun!

style tip: don’t feel left out if a trend doesn’t look good on you find the workaround

*please treat your wardrobe well. many people worked very hard to get it to you