It took all season to find the silk tee that was on my warm weather shopping list. I was looking for a pattern that tickled my fancy and a fluid fit. Diane von Furstenberg’s Becky print top made of stretch silk with blush toned leopard printed front panel fit the bill. I like the high neckline, tailored fit around the shoulders, and tight short sleeves. The straight cut that drapes back onto my torso was the next selling feature. Dressy, yet relaxed. It’s fun to sport a new-to-me silhouette because I generally stick to wearing a variation of three styles of top.
The silk tee is a Summer item, but also a great layering piece that I can wear into early Autumn. And because Autumn is warmer than Spring, it earned a place in my wardrobe so late in the season. It effortlessly fits into my blush, black and cream business casual capsule, and looks as good with a faded pair of boyfriend jeans. I’m showing some of that capsule here by wearing it with a black Summer suit, blush moto, black pencil skirt, cream satchel and pony print pumps.
This silk tee is best worn untucked, and since I usually bat for Team Tucked, this is a nice change for me. It’s a no-brainer matched with a pair of sleek black bottoms because of the roomy torso fit. My black suit provides a good support act for the upscale tee because of the cropped length of the pants. I can leave off the jacket when it’s hot, and pop it right back on for an air conditioned indoors.
I thought of my blush moto and its matchy-matchy potential as soon as I saw the pattern of the silk tee. I can mix up the suit by wearing the moto instead of the black jacket to lighten things up. It might seem odd to wear a leather jacket in Summer but it makes sense for always-cold me. First, this is a lightweight leather jacket, which makes it a perfect “indoor jacket”. Second, Summer mornings and evenings are cool, which makes a topper essential. And then there is my constant battle with arctic air conditioning when I’m shopping with clients or at a restaurant. I would be uncomfortably cold at some point during the day without a jacket over this breezy silk tee.
It’s fluid tops like this one that have rekindled my love for tight skirts. My black pencil skirt has gone unworn for years, but because it’s a quality modern classic piece that fits well, I held on to it. I like the skirt paired with the tee because it de-bombshells the outfit. The pairing also looks a little like a two-piece dress because of the vertical flow of black from top to bottom. Bonus. I got a frock out the deal too. The black jacket that belongs to the suit and the blush moto both work just as well layered over the skirt and silk tee as they do layered over the cropped pants rendition.
In each case, I finished off the look with the same pair of pointy toe ankle strap pumps. The pony pattern lightens up the palette of the outfit and adds some pattern mixing interest. I’ve been wearing my new gold watch with black face non-stop since I bought it at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It’s huge, and looks more like a bracelet than a watch. I fancy its masculine juxtaposition against a pretty and feminine outfit. I chose a cream satchel instead of a clutch, and wore my old retro black specs. No jewellery other than a gold wedding ring to match the watch.
I like the skirt and trouser outfits equally but for different reasons. The cropped pants outfit is practical because I can walk faster than when I wear a pencil skirt. The combination is also more on trend than the pencil skirt. I like the pencil skirt outfit because there is less black covering my legs, which suits me because I’m not that into showcasing black from head to toe. It’s also fun to wear “a dress” instead of pants.
As I get older, it is as important to me to feel comfortable as it is to look modern and fashionable. If we were going to fashion week in September, a very tiring experience, I’d have worn the practical trouser suit rendition on the first day. Sufficiently breezy for the New York heat sans jacket. A topper option for cold tents. And shoes that go the distance for my fussy feet. All sorted.
