Xenia Walschikow broochThis post is going to show you how difficult styling is. I am often told off for saying this, but really, I am not a good stylist. I know because I have been shopping with a real one. The difference is significant and that difference will be clear when you have read this post.

Trying to style new outfits means taking pictures of every attempt with your smartphone in bad light. Which is what you are about to see: crappy pictures of me. But at the top of a blogpost should always be an attractive photo, so this is the one. The only one. 

Below: a close-up of the lovely brooch. A piece of art, which I got for my birthday in April from Ron and my mother. Maybe for some people too big, but I was hunting for a big, contemporary, colourful brooch. Mission accomplished. It is made of paint and the artist is Xenia Walschikow, who lives in England. She is such a lovely person. The process of making a brooch with paint is on her website. Xenia was like a friend in helping me to get just the right piece. Great service. We will meet in real life as she will be at the Jewellery Art Fair in Amsterdam, November 9-12, 2017. Such an event is soooo nice, but sooo bad for my bank account.

Xenia Walschikow brooch

Before you are about to see all the bad pictures of my styling journey, let me first tell you about the first photo above. These grey trousers haven’t been on the blog much, but they are easy to style. I use the same black sweater or black silk blouse and vary with belt, shoes and accessories. The easiest trick: black and white and a pop or colour. (Black and white is in this case black and grey.)

Below: Me (and my colleague Isabelle) with the grey trousers and a green necklace. We got the memo.

Grey trousers with green

Below: And here the grey trousers with yellow shoes and necklace. You see? This is an easy trick. Even I can do this.

Grey trousers wih black and yellow

Now to the more difficult part.

First you need to know which item will go with the item you need to style: both in colour and in shape. You want the colour(s) which suit you best and go with the item. And the items together should make your body look good, perhaps even awesome. This means a great, big heap of clothes, shoes, boots, belts, scarves and (in my case) necklaces all over the bed. And I HATE that. Because I am the one who has to put everything back in the closets. In a shop I don’t have that problem, although I am always very tidy with the merchandise.

Below: Take for example these ochre trousers. They looked perfect in this post with the fitted green jacket. And that was the only way I wore them. A bit of a shame, so into the closet I dove. First try: my navy blue jacket by Kenzo (it looks black because of the bad photo, but it really is blue). The jacket is another item I cannot style: too wide, too boxy. Combining it with these trousers, make me look like a clown.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: Another blue jacket? More fitted? Hmm no, these items have nothing in common. You could say the white shirt and the boots match, but as a whole .. mweh.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: Fitted black jacket then? Probably the best but the length of the trousers bother me. Not with high heels, but with these boots they do. Besides, green fitted jacket (the original styling) or a black fitted jacket? What’s the difference?

Trying to style new outfits

Below: Why not try a top instead of a jacket? One with yellow in it. Oh gosh NO!! I love this top to death but the sleeves are too short. Anybody have a solution for that?

Trying to style new outfits

You see, a stylist just KNOWS what to pick and what will go together. I only achieve a good outfit by either getting advice from a shop assistant or by blood, sweat and tears (well.. no tears really) in trying and trying again.

Below: White Irie Wash jacket with blue/white striped trousers and yellow sandals. Not bad but the jacket starts to look a bit frumpy. Not frumpy as in “old lady” but as in “crinkled”.

Trying to style new outfits

Trying to style new outfits

Below: I like the idea, but the execution is bad. Big white front is not flattering. And the sneakers make the outfit look heavy.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: With high heeled shoes then? No, still a failure.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: The silk Diane von Fürstenberg shirt. Only styled it with white trousers and a black and white belt for summer. Black and white with a pop of colour again. I quite like this outfit with the skirt. Just need my modern summer shoes to stay away from too old fashioned.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: Anything combined with my G-Star boyfriend jeans looks good. This black and white sweater (is there a theme here?) is in my closet for 40 years. No wonder I have no space left. But I still like it. Cannot find a single reason why I should get rid of it. Green vintage mini bag is the pop of colour.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: A succesful outfit: white tuxedo jacket, green jogging trousers with silver side stripe and EIJK black flat shoes.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: Ron said I looked like a model from a German post order company in the sixties. He is right. I tried to style that darned blue Kenzo jacket (boxy, wide… trouble). Oh and the stripes on the photo? I am afraid the mirror was dirty. Honestly, our house is pretty clean. No idea how this happened.

Trying to style new outfits

Trying to style new outfits

Remember last week’s post with the sequined T-shirt? It took a lot of try-outs.

Below: Not bad.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: Hmmm, from the side it looks strange on the tummy though.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: No, no, no no no.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: With a pleated skirt and sneakers? Don’t think so!!

Trying to style new outfits

Below: With high heels? Better, but not good. Which is why I chose the pencil skirt. Should have given that more thought as that skirt wasn’t right either.

Trying to style new outfits

Below: I will leave you with a trusted outfit. The only change I made here, was adding the vintage bag haha. A steal for € 10. The necklace is a present from Daniela (The Pretty Cute) and the shoes…. again: EIJK.  I agree with Michelle (michelle-tyler.com) who said you should wear your best items as much as you can and not save them for a special occasion like Christmas. See her blogpost about that subject here.

Trying to style new outfits

Do you agree with me that styling is not that easy?

Greetje

No Fear of Fashion

PS I have joined the Saturday Share Link-up, hosted by Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Go and click the link to see a multitude of bloggers.

 

 

 

 

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