Twofer Tuesday- Structured Neutrals with a Touch of Sheen

Structured clothing for women can look masculine or completely office-oriented and boring if it isn't styled correctly. The inspiration for this post today, Mila Kunis, shows us how to style structured pieces in a way that is polished but still nighttime-ready and chic.

Mila's outfit is composed of a blazer, trouser-shorts, and a blouse. This is a simple enough outfit equation. What makes it interesting is the neutral palate that incorporates a little bit of sheen. Neutrals always look so chic when the outfit includes some color or texture.

This is an outfit idea that can be worn through the end of the summer and into the fall. I've found some neutral pieces in the forms of blazers, jackets, shorts, pants, skirts, and blouses; some with sheen and some without; that can be mixed and matched to create an ensemble that looks similar to Mila's.

Inspiration:

Get the Look:

Blazer- Glamorous UK

$49.99

Blouse- Forever 21

$19.80

Skirt- American Apparel

$55.00

Lace-Up Flat- Urban OG

$18.40

Nylon Jacket-American Apparel

$60.00

Blouse- Victoria's Secret

$79.50

Shorts- She Inside

$31.52

Suede Booties- Go Jane

$22.50

Blazer- American Eagle Outfitters

$69.95

Oxford Shirt- Old Navy

$15.00

Skirt- ASOS

$74.57

Pointed-Toe Wedge- Express

$59.90

Which piece is your favorite and what would you wear it with?

xoxo

Elle Michelle

@ellemichele88

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Magazine Monday-Structure for Summer

Usually I'm not attracted to structured clothing as much as I am to flowy, romantic clothing. But I think an article on Vogue Magazine's website (vogue.com) changed my mind!  The article is featured in the website's "Vogue Daily" section- a collection of daily fashion articles that read more like blogs or interesting editorial commentaries than typical structured magazine articles .  

The piece is called The New Shape: Sculptural Silhouettes for Summer, written by Katherine Bernard.  Bernard tells us that although people usually prefer to dress in gauzy, draped dresses and loose-fitting tunics for summer,structured clothing is a fresh, new way to dress for the season.  And structure can be just as pretty and feminine for summer, she says.  

I'm inspired! I think that I can (and all the other romantics out there can) incorporate some  structured pieces into a wardrobe full of pretty dresses and skirts for an interesting way to change- up an outfit.

For example:

  (Image courtesy of Vogue.com)

The nude satin corset top on the left can be paired with a chiffon maxi skirt in a bright color like turquoise, with soft suede moccasins in a neutral color similar to (but not identical to) the top.  And the pretty geometric pencil skirt in the middle can be paired with a silk top in purple or green tucked in for a colorful, structured, but still sweet and summery look.

Here are some more inspirational structured-but-pretty outfits featured in the article:

(Image courtesy of Prabal Gurong and vogue.com)

I like that this outfit is structured (because of the clean lines and sleek silhouette), but it doesn't look severe. The skirt has some movement and shine and the top has some interesting texture. 

 (Image courtesy of Preen and vogue.com)

 This outfit has plenty of girly details, like the abstract print that resembles flowers and the pretty mixture of soft blue and tangerine orange.  But the dress is streamlined.

(Image courtesy of No. 21 and vogue.com)

Finally, this outfit reads polished and sophisticated.  But the red applique details on the dress and the subtle chiffon underlay give the look a sweet, feminine touch.

I hope that you are just as inspired by these ideas as I am!  Which outfit is your favorite?

xoxo Elle Michele

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