WIW - Treading outside my comfort zone

So before you ask, "huh?" to this WIW - here's a bit of my "style background":

I am ABSOLUTELY NOT a classic dresser, I'm not a fan of that laid back, comfortable preppy look. To me, I feel somewhat "invisible" in them. I'm not a fan of very polished styles because of the maintenance. I like clean lines, but I prefer them to be blended with something quite edgy.

I normally do urban warrior princess and bombshell (most of the time UWP, sometimes combined). But I do NOT do preppy...

But I actually like this look. I guess it's not too "preppy" to begin with.

Anyway, here goes!

Blazer - Zara
Tank - Old Navy
Boots - Clarks
necklace - Liz Claiborne(?)
earrings - Claire's (looks like a Betsy Johnson imitation)
Jeans - Simon Chang (pretty good, but note the mild knee-bagging - This is a Canadian brand - recommended for apple tendencies)

Oh and yes - that was me in The Gap on my jean journey. And yes, those were BF's. They looked very sad on me

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13 years ago

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Looks fantastic on you Katie!

catgirl

This looks wonderful!

MsLuna

Thanks ladies! Looking back at this picture, I actually look quite grown up.

shiny

You look great! Do you tuck your jeans into your socks? That can go a long way to minimize knee bag - though a little is inevitable, because knees are meant to bend. Belt at waist, jeans tucked into socks: helps keep everything where it's supposed to be.

Caro in Oz

Looks edgy & polished to me, a great look on you.

@Shiny - no I have not tried that!!! That's actually an excellent idea! Thanks so much!

Sveta

(website)

Huh? I don't see preppy at all. This is modern classic at its best I think and I really like it.

Thanks Sveta!

Modern classic might be what I'm looking for. I tend to confuse the two -_-

But yeah - I don't generally dress modern classic.

Debbie

This looks wonderful. You are so cute!

Deborah

I dont see preppy at all here. I see a modern, streamlined look that is very appealing. Quite sophisticated, and yes a little 'grown up'. You look gorgeous.

cheryle (Dianthus)

I think the tall boots add the edge. I think it has the right proportions and suits you well.

Thanks ladies!

@dianthus - yup - I HAVE TO have the tall boots, regardless. It's the one piece of my outfit that adds edge to any classic/minimalist outfit that I wear. It's kind of become a bit of a signature. I wish I owned more (comfortable) pairs!

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

Very cool combo - the boots and the longer top give more of a punkish vibe to balance out the jacket and the restrained color combination.

TraceyLiz65

So great to push outside our comfort zones and fashion is such a great place to do it. Love the look!

Anonymous

Love this! Not preppy at all. I think you could have a lot of fun switching elements of this around.

krishnidoux

Well, you DO wear the preppy look extremely well! It's clean, crisp, simple, efficient. I like how the striped top shows in the bottom, how the jacket is simple yet so classic, and the play on geometry with the stripes/necklace circles.

teri

this looks great on you. I do agree you need a "skinnier" jean.
Try adding a very edgy statement necklace to complete you look.

kellygirl

SO sleek! You look amazing!

You look great! Your outfit is the exact same combination of items (even the type of necklace) I have on today. The only difference is that I'm not wearing a striped top. I don't think of this look as preppy, though.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Amazing outfit! You wear this outfit extremely well!

(Btw, preppy looks aren't necessarily classic).

This is a 100% modern classic outfit. And in my book, a moto jacket is a classic too. If you had added that here instead of the blazer - you would be wearing a tougher classic. I hope that makes sense

I believe that classic outfits *can* totally outshine anything else. It depends on HOW they are worn.

Beth Ann

There's a place in everyone's wardrobe for good modern classic outfits. This one is sharp and, while not "trendy," certainly current. The terrific fit and proportion make this shine, and the boots add some "kick"

Mona

I really like your outfit and how you have analyzed the style here. I can never put my finger on these.

Aida

This is a fabulous outfit! I was thinking the same as Angie, this doesn't look preppy but certainly looks very Modern Classic. The tall boots also strike me as classic This silhouette is really wonderful on you, I hope you'll wear it more! Easy enough to add in some UWP elements if you wanted, as well.

Thank you again, lovely ladies!

@rhubarbgirl - Glad I can still do a bit punkish! I used to veer towards a slightly punky fashion when I was younger.

@teri - Yeah the jean drama is jean drama for me. My fluffy puffy belly will not allow me to wear most jeans - so I'm really frustrated by the amount of jeans available for apple-shaped women or women with apple tendencies (like myself). Most assume that our legs are not as shapely/slim! As for the statement necklace - I am all about statement necklaces! As soon as I get the budget for it, I'm definitely stocking up on them!

@Angie - Thanks so much! And thanks for giving me a different perspective on classic outfits! I've often shied away from classics because I keep thinking "Grace Kelly" or Ralph Lauren Ads. They just aren't very me. I guess I tend to interchange/confuse classic and preppy a lot because both styles are all about the basic silhouettes/looks.

As for the moto jacket - I'm having a bit of a challenge looking for one. I'm looking to get one in black and another in a cobalt or red.

And you're right about classics! They DO outshine anything!

@Aida - Thank you! This silhouette is my "go-to" silhouette My daily formula consists of skinnies/jeggings, long top, blazer/jacket and tall boots

Again thanks so much ladies!

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