A wild card is an item that is atypical for your style persona, but that speaks to you in some way. Adding a wild card to your wardrobe is an excellent way to evolve your style, making it feel extra refreshed for the season. They can be a way to solve a style and fit challenge, or to temper your poison eye for a look. Wild cards can be new colours, vibes or silhouettes. Or a new way that you wear your hair, your make-up, or put together your outfits. Wild cards always make my must haves list because nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I’ve noticed that my own wild cards happen organically and sometimes by accident. I don’t go out looking for them, but fully embrace them when they come my way. I don’t try to rationalize a wild card, but simply take it as a sign that I was meant to give this look a go. I like the spontaneity.
For Spring and Summer 2018 I added two wild cards to my style. A pair of high-rise black skinnies, and a pair of white huarache sandals:
Due to unexpectedly cold weather on a trip, I needed an emergency pair of full-length skinny jeans to wear under a dress with flats. I don’t wear opaque tights or leggings, hence the skinnies. I hadn’t planned on black or high rise, but that’s what I got. I don’t even wear black jeans, and high rise is not on my radar because of my relatively short rise. Well, I liked these jeans enough to wear them with a fluid tucked blouse and pullover on the same trip, thereby showcasing the high-rise skinny silhouette in all its glory.
I needed to replace my white sandals because I wore my old pair into the ground. Pickings were slim because I need a flat, supportive and extremely comfortable pair in a size US 6.5 narrow width. My feet are extra low volume in sandals and sometimes the narrow widths are a touch wide. I ordered several pairs and eventually chose a boho-lite pair of Naturalizer huaraches. They’re not my slam dunk sartorial preference, but an insanely good fit and sublimely comfortable. The woven leather reminds me of lace, and since I love lace I thought why the heck not. I’ve been walking around hot and dry Salt Lake City in them for days — 18,000 steps a day — and they have been incredible. I LOVE these new sandals and have already duplicated them.
I used to say that I don’t wear black jeans, and that I was as boho as Karl Lagerfeld. That’s codswallop because I do wear black jeans, and enjoy wearing boho-lite items because they’re pretty. Thanks to my wild cards, I’m keeping an open mind, solving fit challenges, and having even more fun with fashion.
Over to you. What are your Spring & Summer wild cards this year?
