New York City-based Dayle is a retired advocate and public speaker. She now work as a docent in a New York art museum, and documents her outfits on artfulcitystyle. Dayle is an arty, avant-garde dresser who loves drape, layering, voluminous silhouettes and asymmetrical details. She has a closet full of unique pieces in countless patterns and colours, and a collection of one-of-a-kind accessories to match. Her exuberant curls and bold eyeglasses are also very much a part of her delightfully individual style.
“I have always had my own way of putting things together. My style is definitely art-inspired and I love to go for the dramatic. I love strong colors, mixed patterns, and architectural lines. Of course, as a New Yorker, I do have my share of black, which is a great backdrop for accessories. Style is all about self-expression. When I see a piece of clothing, I immediately think about how I could play with it. That is where the creativity comes in. Accessories are definitely the key. I can start with a scarf or piece of jewelry and build a whole outfit around it. Mostly, dressing up is about having fun — playing with colors and patterns and textures and shapes.”
Matchy-matchy in autumnal colours. Wearing an asymmetrical tunic over barrel-shaped trousers in the same geometric pattern creates a cohesive and visually interesting ensemble. The uneven hemline and extra length on the tunic create a dramatic effect. The asymmetrical hem draws the eye upward and is vertically flattering. The flowy trousers add movement and volume, which is tempered by the top’s tailored fit on the shoulders. Dayle’s ankle-strap pumps match the black in her outfit and bookend her specs and jewellery. The low-vamped footwear also lengthens the leg line. Our blogger finishes off the look with a pile of chunky bangles, super long earrings, arty glasses and raspberry lipstick.
A statement dress if there ever was one. Dayle combines her love of colour and pattern in this playful voluminous dress. The waistband is slightly more fitted which adds a bit of structure, and the explosion of different patterns is reminiscent of an artful quilt. The black leggings and booties echo the black in the dress, as does the black background on the polka dot scarf. The silver metallic fold-over flap on the booties adds subtle shine. As always, our blogger’s attention to detail is impeccable. Here Dayle’s red and black rimmed specs are an exact match to her scarf. Red lipstick and fabric bracelets are the colourful finishing touches.
Dayle loves bold colour but as a true New Yorker also wears black regularly. Here, she’s sporting knee-high black boots with a fit-and-flare dress in a soft fabric that drapes beautifully. The jagged, diagonal lines of the handkerchief hem give it structure by breaking up the expanse of the solid colour. The glitzy gold accents that create an architectural pattern break up the black. Also note that however minimal or maximal Dayle goes, she often colour coordinates her accessories to the rest of her outfit, making everything come together brilliantly. Here the black and gold bangles in solids and various patterns and our blogger’s statement earrings do the trick.
Layering is one of Dayle’s go-to ways to create visual interest, and she has a closet full of unique pieces to do it with. Here’s she’s put together a column of black with a turtleneck top and soft, flowy trousers. The ruching on the top and subtly asymmetrical hems on the trousers add interest to the solid black. Our blogger then picked an avant-garde jacket with statement red and black pattern as her third piece. The bold topper is fitted on the shoulders and voluminous everywhere else with a drapey shawl collar and wide origami-esque pockets. True to form, Dayle bookends the jacket with red wedge sandals and a one-of-a-kind oversized necklace in shiny silver and red. Dayle’s arm candy and arty specs match the necklace. As always, her signature curly bob adds a great deal of textural interest to the mix.
Avant-garde Summery volume on volume. Dayle is wearing wide-legged trousers in the new shorter full length with a breezy elbow-length A-line top. The exaggerated volume of the pinstripe pants is tempered by the asymmetrical hemline and cut-away detail on the top. The graphic vibe of the baggy trouser pockets juxtaposes cleverly with the frilly ruffle on the top and Dayle’s delightfully exuberant curls. Pewter sandals with wide straps work well with the pinstripe, and once again our blogger uses unique accessories to further put her own stamp on the look. The whimsical green and yellow necklace has a folklore feel to it, while the bangles bring a more architectural vibe to the mix. Leave it to Dayle to complete the look with green-rimmed glasses that match the rest of her accessories.
Earthy, rich mustard combines beautifully with black in this “reverse matchy-matchy” outfit. Dayle is sporting a long-sleeved top with sharp asymmetrical hemline that features a single bold black stripe and subtle black accent on the neckline. This colour palette is reversed on the bottom in our blogger’s black lantern trousers with bold graphic mustard stripes. The reversed yet same colour palette brings the look together. The cropped trousers show off black ankle-strap pumps that lengthen the leg line. A patterned scarf in warm cinnamon, black and mustard complements the palette of Dayle’s outfit. Her trademark arm candy, oversized hoops, dark red lippy and another pair of gorgeously unique specs create a cohesive finishing touch.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of Dayle’s brilliant arty style. Let us know in the comments, and be sure to browse the rest of her amazing outfits on her Instagram account.
