Back To School Baby!

Yup, it’s that time of the year again! The endless mornings where you have to constantly dig into your closet and decide how your mood affects your outfit for the day. Although that process can become exhausting in the middle of the school year, at the beginning it’s the only thing we looked forward to. Realistically, It truly wasn’t just about being reunited with our friends, it was our moment to shine. That moment to draw attention to our real summer glow. The only to-do-list we carried: “ keep my foot on their neck.” Even if your school required you to wear uniforms, I know you were dreading the moment you creased your brand new sneakers. Let’s face it, the start of the school year was a veritable fashion show. 

Allow me to introduce you to a few styling schemes on how you can elevate your appearance this school year …

SCHEME 1

Honestly when I first walked into Zara, I had no idea what my next blog would be about. As I continued to scan through the store, my eyes gravitated towards this oversized, long sleeve, sheer, and colorful sweater. Call me dramatic, but it brought me back to school. The days where my everyday fits only had to be two things: comfy, yet chic.

Styling an oversized sweater is always so interesting because there truly are no rules! You can pair it with just about anything: cargo skirts, cargo jeans, denim skirts, denim jeans, pencil skirts, satin shorts, jumpsuit overalls, or parachute pants similar to the ones I’m wearing in the photo below. On the other hand, you can purchase a size twice your normal size and wear it as a dress. Truthfully, the list can go on. 

In the photo above, I decided to pair my sweater with satin shorts, alongside my combat leather boots. From my experience, most combat boots have a lovely way of enhancing any outfit. Get you a pair for school and I promise you will not regret it.

Now let’s take a look at this section: same look, different vibe. 

SCHEME 2

We’re currently in a fashionable time where specific items like cargo pants and Parachute Pants are making a significant comeback. Although, they are even more refined and attractive. The combination of cotton and nylon in parachute pants keeps you feeling breezy, cozy, and relaxed. From my viewpoint, it’s the perfect pair of pants to pull out on a Wednesday, or better yet Friday. The entire outfit almost looks “too cool for school” and I am loving it. Unexpectedly “too cool for school” is defined as “very fashionable and confident, in a way that impresses other people.” Believe me that was not the answer I was expecting, but I am not complaining. 

To complete the outfit, I decided to practice my favorite styling code: Color Blocking! If you’ve read my latest blog (Scheme 3 )then you must be familiar with the term. You’ll notice how I intentionally picked out a red bra and multi color Jordan ones, that complemented the hues in my sweater. To prevent looking clownish, try making use of neutral colors when practicing color blocking. This explains why I chose to complete this look using black accessories: playboy bucket hat and a Chord Bag From Steve Madden.

SCHEME 3

Have you ever tried creating an outfit focused on a particular piece? If you haven’t already, I highly suggest you do at some point. In this look, the cargo skirt was the focal point. As I stated previously, cargo anything is trending right now, therefore you should definitely get a pair for this school year. It’s the perfect skirt to look stylish at any school event such as football games, basketball games, pep rallies, tailgates, etc.

My intentions were to blend my inner tomboy with my feminine spirit. I’m sporting a white cropped top to show off my “abs,” alongside my favorite Von Dutch denim hat paired with my Nike blue sneakers. Last but not least, don’t forget about the gold accessories! Those earrings are killing this look. 

SCHEME 4

If you ever find it challenging to put together an outfit, I recommend starting small. This can be as simple as understanding your emotions towards the day or the event you may be attending. You’ll be surprised how much clearer your mind transforms with that piece of emotional awareness. 

Before creating this look, I listed a number of emotions that best represented how I would feel on an average school day. In the photo above, it narrowed down to feeling sexy, but respectable. Being clothed in a long, Strapless Bodycon Dress satisfied my needs of feeling sexy. Inversely, the textured fabric permits me to feel more reserved and comfortable. 

(Side Note: Wow I really am growing … In high school I didn’t make it a priority to feel a bit more reserved. In college, everything changed. I no longer felt comfortable walking in my professor’s class with a mini skirt or dress) 

To complete this look, I decided to steal a black denim jacket from my brother’s wardrobe. Sometimes less is more, but it always hits differently when you incorporate layers. Lastly, I just had to demonstrate again how the combat boots can be styled differently, but this time with high black ankle socks. 

SCHEME 5

This look goes out to the girls who are not a fan of blending in. Fashion over anything, comfort included because beauty is pain. It doesn’t matter how hot it is outside because she understands that she’s the hottest! She holds a strong sense of fashion and her confidence is up the roof. Haha but on a serious note, this look was inspired by the preppy rich school girls. They enjoy wearing dress shirts paired with tennis skirts, a nice tie or scarf, timeless jewels, high socks, neutral tones, etc. 

With this in mind, you can understand how eager I was to style this Tie Halter Dress. I instantly wanted to pair it with a solid white dress shirt, pearl earrings, ankle strap platform heels, along with Japanese style princess ribbon lace socks. This is the perfect look for your next presentation, speech, or simply just aiming to make an appearance. 

Think Gossip Girl, XoXo see you in my next blog! 

Oversized Multi-Color Sweater Black Chord Bag

Black Parachute Pants

White Cargo Skirt

Strapless Bodycon Dress

Tie Halter Dress