Joanna Pritchard (43) lives in Atlanta and works in marketing. When browsing her blog, Poppy’s Style, you’ll notice that she is an adventurous dresser who has tons of fun with fashion. Her style is urban casual with a good dose of hard edge. The Sporty Luxe trend seems to have been invented especially for our neutrals loving blogger whose sassy short ‘do elevates her style quotient even further.
“Before I had my children I loved clothes but hated shopping for them — I really didn’t know what to wear and tended to buy lots of cheaper items, so I ended up lost in piles of clothes with no idea how to wear them. After my second child I lost a lot of weight and started to be intrigued by clothes once again — but I was working in the corporate world so mainly shopped for skirt suits and pants from places like Loft and Ann Taylor. As I started blogging it became easier to be more experimental with clothes. I gained confidence with the support of my blogging peers and discovered brands like AllSaints that were a little more urban and edgier. This is where I really feel comfortable these days. I wear a much more neutral color palette and stay away from patterns. I also try to consider my body shape more as it continues to change. I have boobs, no hips and slim legs so try to draw attention to my lower half. I love shoes and my investment pieces are boots, sneakers and sandals — they always fit regardless of my weight!”
Joanna is all about Sporty Luxe and loves to incorporate athleisure pieces into her outfits. Here she’s paired drapey wool sweatpants with a cropped floral print top and fitted leather jacket. The monochrome palette and longer length cami layered under the cropped top create a long, lean line. The large-scale graphic floral shows that a neutral print can be as bold as a bright floral. Joanna’s suede ankle boots and black leather jacket add textural interest and a Hard-Edge touch. Her polished short ‘do, impeccable makeup, and the floral pattern soften the look.
A military jacket has a high longevity factor. Joanna is sporting a dressy version, and casualizes the look by pairing the jacket with jeans. Opting for flares and a soft gathered blouse gives the outfit a Boho Chic vibe, which is further emphasized by the fringed handbag. I love how the feminine layering top contrasts with the strict integrity of the topper. Clever outfit juxtaposition. Matching the jeans with pointy-toe pumps provides a sleek and dressy finish. Also note how well the earthy brown accessories work with the crisp white and khaki topper.
On-trend culottes meet ‘70s Glam. Joanna got the proportions exactly right. Wearing the voluminous bottoms with heels is an effective way to lengthen the leg line. Our blogger also created a column of colour by pairing them with a slouchy cashmere V-neck sweater in the same shade of grey. The roomy drape of the pullover echoes the drape of the midi-length culottes, making for a visually cohesive whole. The tall suede boots with stacked heel — the cognac colour looks especially rich with the cool greys– and faux fur vest are fun retro glam elements. A bold statement necklace is the modern finishing touch.
Crisp white with light grey is a slam dunk colour combo for Spring and Summer. Ripped-at-the-knee jeans create a RATE (rough around the edges) feel that works well for Joanna’s urban casual Mum-on-the-Go style. Semi-tucking a fluid tee into belted boyfriend jeans adds a little structure to a casual outfit and is forgiving on the midriff. Self-colour ankle boots that meet the edges of the rolled jeans lengthen the leg line. Dainty silver bracelets and a silver watch complement the neutral colour palette.
Joanna is rocking another military-inspired jacket, this time with khaki pants that are a mix of utility cargo pants and harem trousers. Avant-garde tomboy toughness. The cropped jacket works great with the dropped crotch silhouette, while the peplum detail in the back adds playful structure. Semi-tucking a fluid tee creates flattering proportions by lengthening the leg line. Adding sockless big white sneakers amps up the Sporty Luxe factor, and feels fresh with the khaki and black. The stripes on the sneaks echo the dark colours up top and bookend Joanna’s dark brown hair.
Here are Joanna’s tips for dipping your toes into new style territories:
“I have a daily fashion mantra — ignore age, avoid patterns and take a risk. Of course don’t follow all the rules, I regularly break my mantra with leopard print but generally it serves me well. I think it helps to be aware of your body shape but there are some items I am not supposed to wear but still do just because I love them! I get a lot of my inspiration from other bloggers — over 35 bloggers, younger bloggers and street style images on Pinterest. Ideas are everywhere and there is normally a way of tailoring a look to your circumstances to make it more wearable. I like to shop on my own and order online so I can really relax and try something on without being influenced by changing room lights and mirrors which can distort reality! Don’t worry about ‘age appropriateness’ — many brands like Mango, Zara, Topshop and AllSaints have fabulous pieces that can be worn by everyone. Invest in classic items and then add cheaper on trend items from these brands to keep your style evolving.”
Putting together visually interesting looks with two items of clothing is challenging. Well, Joanna shows us how it’s done! She is wearing cropped jeans that are fashionably intentional at this shorter length. The greyish-blue wash ties in perfectly with the rest of the neutral colour palette, and the slim-fit skinnies add structure to the oversized boxy tee. The elbow-length sleeves of the T-shirt are fitted, which further streamlines the look. Elegant grey d’Orsay pumps add ladylike polish. The low colour contrast between jeans and footwear elongates the leg line. Teardrop hook earrings draw attention to Joanna’s shiny short hair.
Which is your favourite outfit? Let us know in the comments, and then hop on over to Poppy’s Style to browse the rest of Joanna’s fab outfits. Or check out her pinboards for more visual inspiration.
