Styling How to: Turning 5 Summer Fashion Dont's into Fashion Do's

I don't know how you see it, but with going out more, and starting to have a semblance of "normality" in my social life again, I feel like celebrating life!

And I want to break away from any "shoulda' coulda' woulda'" situations, especially when it comes to what I'm wearing 💃

So for this #summerlookbook I'll be styling 5 common fashion dont's into fashion do's 🤔🤭

Because nothing is out of reach, with the proper styling- and we deserve to have fun and feel good with what we wear!

1. Different lengths for different folks

For my fellow petite girls out there:

I'll bet you've heard before that if you want to look taller, you shouldn't break up your silhouette with different lengths.

And that's totally true!

But what's also true:

You can still break this rule, with a few tips!

If you:

*Add some vertical lines in your look (either in prints, long necklaces, a strongly contrasting cami underneath your open shirt)

*Make sure to add some bold accessories to the top half of your body (earrings, necklaces, sunglasses)

*Add heels- comfy, stacked ones definitely still count

You will compensate for having your silhouette broken into sections with different length pieces.

What do you think- would you try this look?

2. Getting any bright style ideas?

I'm not sure if this is a universal fashion "myth"- or maybe just where I grew up- but I've often heard that you shouldn't wear bright colours in the summer unless you've got some tan on 🤔

To which I say... umm, no, thankyouverymuch 🤷‍♀️

Getting tanned (or not) is a matter of personal preference.
And while bright, vibrant colours will indeed match a sunkissed skin beautifully, there are more important factors at play when it comes to picking your summer colour palette!

Things like:

*Your skin tone and undertone!
Cool undertone beauties for example will not fair so well dressed in zesty orange or punchy lime even when tanned.

*Your hair and eye colour!
If your colouring is more muted, bright colours will very likely overpower it, no matter how tanned (or not) you are.

*Colour placement!
If you enjoy bright colours, but feel like they don't suit your complexion, wear them further away from your face!
Or opt for them in smaller doses, in accessories.

Look, bright and light colours are not the easiest to pull off.
They have to match not just your looks, but also your personality and taste- because they stand out!

As for me, I know they're far from my best.
But every now and then, I'll still get a brightly coloured ring, clutch or belt- because life's short, and I like to have fun with what I wear.

3. All-black outfits, among summer fashion dont's?

If there's one thing I've heard a million times when it comes to summer outfits is to stay far away from black clothing.

And look, I get it- super hot days are even more unbearable in dark, heat-absorbing fabrics 🥵

But summer is so much more than 40 C°+ and searing sun!

It's also breezy afternoon frappes with your bestie, that turn into late night Aperols.

It's date nights on the beach, that sizzle more than the sand under your feet.

And it's also balmy evenings at an outdoors wedding, dancing the night away.

And for all of these, you can't tell me that a slinky black dress that hugs your body in a silky embrace is not a good pick 😏

Especially if you:

*Look for a fabric with a bit of oomph- the dress I'm wearing here actually has a panther-style animal print;

*Get it in a breathable cut: think spaghetti straps, high slits or button-downs;

*Pair it with golden accessories, make-up, jewelry- the epitome of summer staples in my eyes.

So, what do you think?
Have I convinced you to give summery black a shot? 🥃🖤

4. Fashion do: dare to bare

With temps rising in the summer months, fabrics getting thinner and cuts becoming flimsier, it can feel like we're always one step (or gust of wind) away from an underwear-on-full-display malfunction 😅

And hey, these things happen, and they are by no means the end of the world 🤷‍♀️

But I'm curious to know how often you've considered letting your bra peek out intentionally?

While this move has long been heralded as a huge faux-pas, I see styling your underwear as outerwear more like a challenge than a no-no.

Because when done intentionally, it steps far from the summer fashion dont's scope. And it becomes instead one of the most daring, yet mysterious combinations you can pull off 😏
Especially for summer.

Still, that "done intentionally" comes with a couple of big disclaimers ‼

*If you want to integrate your bra in your look, I strongly advise choosing one in an interesting design, luxurious fabric and beautiful colour.
That plain, old beige bra might be a trusty workhorse- but it's by no means a showstopper.

*A simple peek is enough to make a strong statement. This is very much a less-is-more situation.

*If you feel uncomfortable showing even a peek of your bra, try using a bralette.
You'll be getting extra brownie points for nailing a Spring-Summer '21 trend, plus creating an interesting, bold look!

*And speaking of bold, this styling is definitely not for the faint of heart.
If you know you won't feel comfortable doing it, skip this Do, and come back for tomorrow's 5/5 styling proposal 😉

*Last but not least, this is not an office look. No, not on casual Fridays, and not on that one day a week back in the office. Not even if your manager is "so cool with everything".
This is a perfectly good going-out look, so why not let it shine in that context?

After all this I'm curious to know:
Would you try this kind of underwear styling?
And if so, how would you do it?

5. Don't be shy, accessorize!

One of the fashion "rules" I think we've all heard is to never over-accessorize your outfit if you want to look tasteful.

Coco Chanel herself said "When putting on accessories, take off the last thing you've put on."

But I am a maximalist at heart 🤭 So I'm more likely to put on just one more accessory after the last one I've put on!

And even more so during summer, when I want to feel exhuberant, and colourful, and cheerful 💖

Still, I would recommend following these little cues if you want to also push the pedal to the accessory metal this summer:

*Do the opposite of the above, and reach for jewelry made of fabric, wood, stones.

Apart from being much more closely tied to summer and nature, these materials also feel much more comfortable against your skin at 35 °C+.

*Skip wide waist belts and big brooches.
As beautiful as they are (and if you've been here, you know I'm a fan of both 🤩), they really are meant for cooler days, and for the heavier, sturdier fabrics that come with them.

*Keep the rest of your outfit simple.
If you bank on accessories to be the showstoppers, you can keep your dress, hair, even shoes and bag simple, natural and breezy.

Perfect opp for your tent dresses!

*You can always create a playful pattern with your bobby pins, turning them from just practical to just fabulous 😏

Now, here I wore that extra piece that is maybe not 💯 needed. But I am so feeling this breezy summer look!

Have I also convinced you to give an extra push to your summer accessorizing game?

And tell me: did you enjoy this styling series? Are there other summer fashion dont's you'd like me to cover?

And which items would you ask me about in a styling session together? Let's discuss over the free Style Exploration call you can book with me, and start making your personal style dreams come true!