Friday, May 11, 2012

My Style >> Mixing It Up


I've always been a fan of mixing it up when it comes to fashion.  I really like the pattern mixing trend that's going on right now, and I think if it's done right, it can look very chic without being gawdy or overwhelming.  I also love mixing soft, feminine styles with harder, edgy pieces, and muted colors with bolder ones.  For this outfit, I may or may not have combined all of these things.  When I first looked at the pictures, I was like, "wow, there is a whole lotta mixin' going on here; maybe I overdid it."  But since each piece on its own had sort of a boho vibe, I think it worked.  My opinion is that if you're going to be integrating a lot of different elements into one look, the key is to keep the overall style the same.

I ended up wearing this out to see live music later that night (the same day we took the photos), and will likely wear it again to at least one of the festivals I attend this summer.  The outfit was all sorts of comfortable (and kind of perfect for dancing, even with the wedges), but I felt "put together" enough for it to be ideal for a casual night out.


This dress was actually a trade I did with a friend.  My closet is literally overrun with short dresses, but I've really been digging (and wearing) the maxi length lately.  My friend had just purchased this dress, and it was way too long for her.  I'd offered to hem it, and when I saw it in person, I just couldn't shut up about its awesomeness.  I mean, look at that print!  The cut is kind of amazing too, and the fabric is all drape-y and summery and perfect.  She declared that it was meant for me and I therefore had to keep it, but I told her no way, that we were going to fix it up for her as planned.  She insisted, so I told her I'd only agree if she picked out something of mine.  Thankfully, the plethora of short dresses crammed into my closet were right up her alley, and she ended up with something she really adored.  Don't you love it when things work out that way?!

The top was thrifted years ago, and despite the fact that there is now a fairly large hole in the arm from wear, I can't part with it.  The fabric is this really great loose-weave, gauzy cotton, and the muted floral print reminds of old farmhouse curtains.  It's my favorite.  It's ultra feminine, and I liked how the sweet flower print contrasted with the tribal print of the dress.


You might remember the stunning feather necklace that I gushed about in my 'Farms and Feathers' post last month.  It was given to be by the oh-so-lovely Laura of Roots and Feathers, and I wore it almost everyday (literally) for a good month.  It was officially my favorite necklace of all time.  This changed, however, when I received another package from Laura last week.  Now the feather necklace is my second favorite, because I am completely and utterly smitten with the arrow necklace (aka the 'Baswell' necklace; that's my last name!) that was beautifully wrapped up inside.  Laura told me that she designed it with me in mind, which pretty much made my whole year.  For someone I have never met in person (we initially 'met' through her amazing blog), Laura knows me and my style to a tee, and this necklace pretty much proves that.  I. Love. It.  She also sent me these gorgeous triangle earrings, also from her Roots and Feathers line.  Like the necklace, I am absolutely crazy about them, and have worn them incessantly since the moment they arrived. 

Both pieces of jewelry were perfect for the "mix it up" vibe I was going for with this outfit.  The metals and harder, geometric lines of the triangle shapes in the earrings and arrow pendant on the necklace were perfect for providing contrast with the soft, feminine fabrics of the dress and top.  At the same time, the wood and turquoise elements have the same bohemian feel as the clothing, which allowed everything to flow together and remain cohesive.  (And yes, I have been known to over think my outfit styling on occasion.  I like to blame it on the styling work I've done for bands, but in reality, I think it's just a weird, OCD-style quirk that comes along with designer brain.)

Blowfish Shoes Terrabiza

Can we talk about the shoes for a minute?  I mean, these shoes.  They're call the Terrabiza Sandal and they're from Blowfish and I want to snuggle up with them and whisper sweet nothings about how they're everything I've ever looked for in a shoe. The print (called 'Brown Belize Blanket') is a really cool tribal design, and I love how they found a way to mix such an earthy pattern with 3.5 inch wedges and all that strappiness.  It's like they extracted all of the very best parts of every type of sandal out there, stirred them up in a magic cauldron of goodness, sprinkled in a dash of comfort, and ended up with one glorious, goddess of a shoe.  In all seriousness, these truly are my favorite pair of shoes right now.  Best of all, they were exactly what I needed to put the final touch on my super-mix-it-up outfit.

Earrings and Necklace: c/o Roots and Feathers  //  Shoes: c/o Blowfish 
Top: thrifted // Dress: trade (originally from F21) // Bracelets: thrifted and gift // Ring: Vividot


Do you guys like to mix it up in your outfits?  Do you combine different pattens in one look?  Different textures?  Color schemes?  Tell me tell me!

P.S. You might notice that I'm carrying a yellow sweater in the second to last photo.  A mustard cropped cardigan to be exact.  I originally had on that very sweater, but decided at the last minute that it just wasn't mixin' it up enough.  So it got kicked out of the party, and floral cotton button-down stepped in.  It's still one of my favorites pieces of clothing (I've had it for 5 years), but it just couldn't keep up with the rest of the outfit this time.  Sorry cute little mustard cardi.  I still love you.


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28 comments:

  1. you're beautiful in this look!
    http://alwaystheyun.blogspot.com/

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  2. This is beautiful and I love all the thriftiness :) I am a sucker for thrift store scores! and the shoes!!!!

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  3. Very pretty! You mixed it up very nicely!

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  4. I love mixing patterns!! This is a great look from head to toe!! I live how you styled it. The earrings and necklace are sooooo beautiful and I love those shoes!! I might need to go shopping haha :-)

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  5. mmmm.... they are so ridiculously perfect on you love. i love your outfit. that dress is soooo beautiful on you! goodness gracious you are a gorgeous woman. okay... ill stop gushing all over you now :) just love love love.

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  6. That dress is so pretty! It's so perfect for easy summer days.

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  7. Your patterns go very well together and the shoes kick it up a notch...love it!

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  8. did robbie take these shots? very well executed, mixing it up outfit! now i'm dying to see how you styled bands in the past. ;) how serendipitous about the dress swap, & laura choosing the perfect jewelry for you! great writing & word description melissa. the blowfish shoes sound heavenly.

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    1. Yep, Robbie took the photos. :) That's they look decent. Ha! You can see more about band styling work I've done here: Inspired: Music Festivals

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  9. Love your outfit!! I would wear that necklace everyday too.

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  10. Good googly moogly, those shoes are fantastic!
    Jillian
    http://epic-thread.blogspot.com

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  11. I also love mixing patterns, wearing lots of colors together, just having fun with clothes. Love those earrings. Happy weekend! :)

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  12. Thank you for introducing me to Roots and Feathers! I just treated myself... :)

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  13. Love this look! I'm wishing I could wear heals like that. So cool!

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  14. this. is. perfect. the outfit, you describing it, that awesome trade, everything!! :)
    that dress is perfect.

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  15. you look like audrey hepburn

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  16. I adore these photos!! Gorgeous outfit & beautiful scenery too. I love that necklace and earrings from Roots&Feathers -her work is just astounding. Beautiful :)

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  17. I really like the outfit! And I absolutely love the photos! They have such a nice glow to them!!

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  18. I work at F21 and as soon as I saw the print of that dress I knew it was ours. :) We ran out of those dresses within two weeks of getting them. I wasn't sure when I first saw it in the store if I liked it, but seeing you style it I wish I would have bought it when I could have! Looks so great!

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  19. You look so lovely! I ALMOST bought that dress just yesterday! You may have convinced me I need to make a second trip out to the mall. ;)

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  20. You guys are all awesome. Thanks so much for your comments! Glad to see I'm not the only one loving the pattern mixing :). xo, m

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  21. You are so gorgeous and I love your sense of style. Totally beautiful pictures and outfit.

    http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com

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  22. Oh my gosh, you are SO beautiful, Melissa. I love your style. Those earrings and that necklace are so cute! I kind of feel like I need them.

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  23. YOU ARE SO GORGEOUS!!! And preeetty sure those shoes were made for you. :) So stoked you like them!

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