Stripes get a glamorous makeover

 

I was putting together an outfit to wear on Day 2 of a Los Gatos trip to work with a client. I opened the closet door and my eyes went right to  one of my favorite things—stripes. I started building an outfit using this long striped shirt I hadn’t gotten much wear out of since purchasing it last year at the end of the summer season.

I looked at myself in the mirror and felt pretty darn blah. How could this be? I’ve been an avid fan of stripes for several  seasons. Stripes have made me feel active, energetic and athletic. They make me feel youthful and fresh.

I was crushed. Had I fallen out of love with stripes?

Rather than hang the striped shirt back up and search for something else, I decided to see if I could raise the energy of my striped blouse and create a mix that went from blah to brilliant. (Okay, brilliant may be too big a reach but it starts with “b” and you’ve got to love alliteration, right?)

 

 

I started by looking for something to fill in the open neck and I had just the thing: a dazzling, over-the-top necklace full of sparkly flowers. Stripes and flowers. Already I was happier. I added a sparkly imperfectly shaped elongated earring by Alexis Bitter. Keeping with the glamour tone, I added my Alexis Bitter sparkly Lucite cuff. The sparkles were definitely changing the mood!

Sticking with the glamour element I added one of my dressiest long jackets. It’s by Carlisle and has a great sheen to it. The back is pleated. It’s so elegant.

I decided a heel or a pointy-toed flat was taking my outfit into a more serious zone and I wanted to keep it playful. So I added my AGL black sneakers with white laces and patent leather toe detail. They are fashion sneakers, not active sneakers. I loved how everything was adding up in my black and white outfit.

 

 

My pant choice is by Theory. It’s a narrow legged trouser. I felt the jacket had to have a more classy pant to go with it. No rolled up jeans or leggings for this outfit!

I looked for a handbag to pull it all together. I said no to a couple of of black bags I had that  felt too formal. Instead I picked out my Calleen Cordero crossbody bag that has metal detail around the front flap and along the strap. The leather is matte and very textured. Russ tells me that from the back the strap looks like a guitar strap. Hey, I like it!

This pulled together outfit now had a healthy dose of glamour, a little rock ‘n’ roll, a dash of sporty, and a good amount of classic. Perfect.

I was back to loving my stripes. Whew! No breakup, no tears. I guess they just needed a makeover!

Are you a fan of stripes? How do you wear them?