What We Wore

A few weeks ago during a free magazine reading session at the Longwood bookstore (this anecdote is making me nostalgic already), I handed a copy of Nylon magazine to my friend.  He looked at me skeptically, but having just looked over everything of real interest to him he had nothing to lose.  After a few moments of quiet contemplation he looked up and exclaimed “I wish more girls dressed like this!” 

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 One of the things I love about Nylon is the way that they pick a character (often from an older film, but sometimes from pop culture in general) and outline interesting modern variants on their style.  They also tell you new ways to construct outfits and transform blasé looks to blazing ones (à la Nicki Minaj).  I love their ability to make weirdness work, and they always introduce me to styles I want to emulate.  In addition to this they always include really interesting color schemes, which I particularly love because I have a tendency to dress in the same colors all the time (primarily blacks, grays, and blues).

So in the true sense of their experimental attitude, I often choose a theme and base my outfit for the day around it.  It helps me utilize the funkier pieces in my wardrobe and it also makes that certain weirdness blend in a little better. This particular outfit was M.I.A. inspired, and I wore it on my Friday off to run errands on a hot day made even hotter by my A.C. being broken in my car.

  Often in the summer light colors and floral patterns rule.  While this is a pretty and classic look, I like to break out of the ordinary, and this outfit does that without being too strange for everyday.  I like to sub out the traditional summer sun dress for a high-waisted skirt paired with an African batik print top.  The top and the skirt are both from Gabriel Brothers for about $6 a piece.  It takes a little hunting to find something amazing there, but it’s completely worth it. You could also pair a similar skirt with a striped shirt for a nautical style (my other favorite thematic twist to a summer outfit).  More on that later.