We meandered along the jagged cliffs of the calanques in southern France. Our week near Marseilles had been spent working twelve hour days on a photo project and we finally had an afternoon to relax. Basking in the sunshine, in awe of the glittering Mediterranean, and hiking out to the rocky beach, I saw her: an intensely elegant young lady in the perfect outfit.
I mostly saw the swishing of her skirt, the overlay billowing in the breeze and the underskirt keeping time with the patter of her feet. She had the most sublime wedged heels (not conducive to walking along the beach, it seemed, but she managed it with ease) and a wide-brimmed straw hat to keep her nose from freckling.
In short, she was delightfully attired. And I was inspired.
Coming back to home and reality, I brainstormed inspiration with my seamstress-friend Carla; together we designed my very own skirt-of-elegance a la the French Girl.
In creating this versatile and elegant piece, I’ll wear it with my snow boots and boot toppers for winter and then a pair of sandals and a short sleeved top for summer. In winter, I bring France’s summer memories to play in the snow; in summer, I stroll along the Pacific Northwest beaches with the elegance of that girl I saw abroad.
In the meantime, I take three lessons into my next outfit-inspiration-doldrums.
- Outfit ideas comes in unique ways and peculiar times. A winter idea from a summer expedition? It’s possible. An unexpected venue and inspiration? Probably the best of places. So, when the monotony of same-clothes-same-way hits, don’t despair: inspiration could be right around the corner!
- The options are unlimited. Can’t find it in stores or online? Not a problem. I’ve watched my friend make tote bags, unique scarves, perfect shorts, and fabulous dresses – all because of a friend’s idea and commission. So, if it doesn’t appear to exist, find a talented someone nearby and let them work their magic.
- Don’t be afraid of a statement piece. The idea of a teal skirt initially seemed overwhelmingly unwearable. But with the right accessories and combinations, a focus piece of this magnitude becomes a wardrobe staple (so far, I’ve also worn this piece with a black sweater and silver statement necklace for a Christmas party, styled it with a white jean jacket and brown heels for autumn, and am looking forward to a summery beach party next!)
What I’m wearing:
- Skirt: custom made by Canvas and Poplin
- Shirt: H&M
- Jacket: Anthropologie (via Thrift Shop)
- Boots: Kamik (via Amazon.com)
- Boot Toppers: VeeVee’s Accessories
- Necklace: Claire’s
- Earrings: Kohls
Love that idea 🙂 Since a few months ago I’m starting to feel more comfortable to experiment with clothing, and my style.
I love mixing and matching and wearing clothes outside of ‘their season’ if I can. I love this outfit! One of the things I’m still slow in is wearing light colors in winter. But this looks really awesome 🙂
So cute, Jenni! Echo Chantel’s comment–and I’m nodding along to finding outfit inspiration in the strangest places. Just yesterday I was on campus and saw a girl wearing a flowy shrug/jacket over a graphic tee. And I thought, I’d have never thought that would go well together, but it does, and I’m gonna copy it. 🙂
I love the vividness of this outfit. Red and turquoise are so good together!