Connecticut-based Elle (28) works in operations management, and blogs about her style over at Fast Food & Fast Fashion. Our 5’2″ blogger favours Modern Classic pieces, which she uses to create on-trend and impactful outfits. Her style is feminine, polished, with preppy and playful touches thrown into the mix. She adores a bold print, scarves, pearls and can’t resist the call of a beautiful bag.Â
“I take more calculated risks than I used to; my style used to be more whimsical but occasionally toed the line of overwrought. These days I mostly tweak one or two elements of a dependable outfit and try new patterns and prints for variety.”
Elle is a firm believer in the power of classic wardrobe items. Here she uses two Modern Classics, her double-breasted stone Burberry trench and black pointy-toe pumps, to ground a pair of on-trend, distressed boyfriend jeans. Instead of a classic white button-down, our blogger went for a light grey ruffled blouse. The light grey is unexpected paired with the stone trench, and works well with the gold-toned watch and chain strap on the crossbody. The ruffle adds playful flounce. Elle’s black bag and belt echo the buttons on the coat, and her black hair bookends the high-heeled shoes. Red lippie and oversized sunnies finish off the look.
Our blogger has a soft spot for bold prints, and made these green skinny cords with ribbon bow print the star of this polished Sporty Luxe look. Pairing the patterned pants with a striped long-sleeved tee makes for some fun pattern mixing. Layering a short-sleeved shirt over the tee adds warmth and dresses up the look. The underlay detail gives the top more length, which works well with the skinny trouser silhouette. A structured navy satchel and the J.Crew Majesty Peacoat with gold buttons add classic crispness, while the iconic white Converse sneakers inject a tomboy vibe.
Sporting a light-coloured coat and bright sweater is a great way to liven up a dreary Winter’s day. The cream and burnt orange colour combo looks beautiful on our blogger. Plus the texture-rich ribbed coat and cable-knit cowl neck pullover create attractive outfit depth. Tucking the faux leather pants into black buckled booties adds a spot of Hard Edge and lengthens the leg line. A minimalist shoulder bag complements the black in the rest of the outfit, while the brown animal print gloves add cheeky pizzazz. Super finishing touch.
The ladylike integrity and combination of warm and cool-toned shades immediately sold me on this skirt outfit. Elle has tucked a lace top into a tweed pencil skirt. The above-the-knee-length skirt and nude pumps create a long leg line on our 5’2″ blogger, while the frilly lace peeking out of the coat sleeves is unexpectedly romantic. Elle bought the dusty lilac coat in petite to achieve perfect fit. The coat colour works beautifully with the big blanket scarf. Opting for one in a light plaid pattern keeps the bulky scarf from overwhelming a smaller frame. The streamlined caramel satchel echoes the colour of the skirt. The burnt sienna leather gloves provide a luxe touch.
Elle loves a good handbag. This is how she picks bags that work for her style preferences and lifestyle:
“I allocate the bulk of my wardrobe ‘budget’ to the purchase of handbags and the occasional fancy frock or designer shoe so I try to plan each bag purchase well. If I were being honest with myself, I really only use six bags with any frequency: two rectangular satchels with zippered compartments, ideally large enough to fit small laptops, one in a neutral color and one in a more saturated color; two crossbody bags from different color families; one on-trend bag not normally in rotation (like the bucket bag which made a comeback in recent years); and one larger bag that can double as a weekender.”
An outfit of contrasts that combines several styles into one visually coherent Summer look. Elle’s stiletto peep-toe booties and distressed boyfriend denim shorts create Hard Edge. The volume of the artfully draped oversized sweater is reined in by layering over a structured striped trench. The classic quilted Chanel bag brings Ladylike Chic into the mix. Two chunky gold bracelets make a bold visual statement and contrast cleverly with our blogger’s dainty string of small-sized white pearls. Finally, note how the pearls are repeated in the chain-and-pearl handle of the Chanel bag. As always, the devil is in the details!
A delightfully girly look that, once again, pairs Modern classic pieces with on-trend items. Quintessentially Elle. The happy marigold Chanel-esque jacket makes this outfit for me. The white tipping ties in nicely with the top and crossbody bag, while its prim and proper vibe is counteracted by the relaxed boyfriend jeans. Elle’s lace blouse has a subtle peplum. Its low contrast elongates the torso, thereby increasing the vertical integrity of the outfit. The dark bronze pointy toe pumps and yellow topper don’t match colour-wise, but work perfectly together.
What do you love best about Elle’s fabulous Modern Classic looks? Let us know in the comments, and have fun browsing the rest of her outfits over at Fast Food & Fast Fashion. You can also check out her pinboards here.
