Fit Lab: Striped Animal Print Blouse (Edited photos)

I mentioned in my first thrift finds thread that I would do an Outfit Lab of the third blouse that I found:
https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....ow-blouses

People mentioned that the fit looked odd & that I should try it tucked, so ask & ye shall receive Thoughts on pics?

Photos #1-#3: The baseline 'look', aka the way I tried it on before (over my lightweight loungewear trousers)
Photos #4-#6: Tucked into a pleated maxi skirt - branded a very 'grown up' look by my husband, so make of that what you will
Photos #7-#9: Worn open over a sleeved dress, buttoned just at the waist

Please be honest (but still polite of course!) with your opinions! I mostly gravitated toward the 'unique' animal print, of this top, which includes the actual animals themselves, & the fact that it's silk but with some stretch to it.

But if you don't think the fit works, please feel free to suggest other things I could do with the top instead (was thinking a scarf, maybe?) Thank you

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3 years ago

slim cat

Veteran

I really like #2 outfit with pleated maxi skirt - the dark color and simple shape balance the brightness of the printed blouse. The red sleeveless dress looks fun - lots of potential ( scrunching sleeves a bit like in outfit #2, adding a pendant, playing with chunkier shoes...).
Since printed blouse is more fitted ( or looks that way ) pairing it with more flow-y pieces works the best to my eye.

Jenni NZ

Outfit 2 amazing! I agree with your husband.
Not a fan of outfit 1. I like outfit 3 but 2 definitely my fave- agree with Slimcat on why it works so well.

Anonymous

If there's anything off about the fit I think it's towards the bottom so that's a non issue in version black skirt. Also the slight angling of the print, which I like is more pronounced with the skirt.

I think it would look good under something too, a sweater or jacket.

Your hair is so pretty!

Zaeobi

(website)

Thanks @slim cat! Yes the blouse is definitely more fitted than I may usually wear, but I think the stretch makes it more wearable than uncomfortable (the 'half scrunched' sleeves stay in place because of it. I think it works as a more 'eveningwear' type of top but still with some personality to it (think 'going out' but not a black tie wedding). What do you think?

The orangey red dress is actually 3/4 sleeved, hence why the shirt looks a little tighter (to my eye) in it. Sorry for the confusion I wore it to work yesterday, so will post a photo of it by itself too.

@Jenni NZ Haha he's not usually too interested in hanging around for fashion critique (he took these photos like he was on the run - photo #1 was in the middle of me telling him to tell me before he clicks the shutter lol!) So I was surprised by his analysis!

Haha agreed, #1 isn't really an 'outfit' but just trying it over my summer loungewear trousers - have updated the description to accurately reflect my sloppiness I tried #3 more as an experiment to see what the shirt would look like worn open, but will try it with a sleeveless top for comfort next time.

@Phoebe how do you feel about the stripe placement? I notice it creates a V shape around the waist, but the stripes themselves don't lie completely flat on the top to begin with (it's more like wide & 'wavy' black bands). Does it look ok?

Yes the bottoms themselves are more for showing the silhouette than anything else. I've been debating whether to hem the skirt since it's so long, but I feel like the extra length works for the sort of 'glamour goth' eveningwear look I mentioned to @slim cat! above. So let's see

PS thank you for the hair compliment - the clip is from a trip to Malaysia

Minaminu

What a fun shirt! Endless possibilities! I really like the outfit nr 2, agree with your husband!

Star

I love it with the maxi skirt - it looks beautiful. I also like the third outfit where you wear it as a topper. Please do not turn this shirt into a scarf it is so unique and interesting. I think tucked in is the key.

Mirjana

I am with others, outfit with pleated maxi skirt is great.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

More love for the blouse with the black skirt, which hides the fit problem. High fiving your hubs!

Runcarla

Keep the blouse.

Zaeobi, are you able to edit/crop your photos so that the image is more you and the outfit?

I like the version with the black skirt most too, then over the dress. Would be good over a black dress too. The first the fit of the pants looks odd-the way they're wrinkling. There was something in that pants fit article about troubleshooting that- but forgot what it meant.

Jaime

Also favor tucked into the maxi skirt. Grown up is good right - her meant elegant!

@Minaminu & @Mirjana Good to see my husband's opinion is popular - he was fairly reluctant to take these photos in the first place, so maybe telling him that may sway him towards being my photographer again in the future? One can dream

Haha @Star don't worry, I won't make it into a scarf then - more work for me anyway

@Angie I agree that there may still be some fit issues in the blouse aa a whole - which did you have in mind?

@Suntiger Yes, if I had a black sleeveless dress I would have been all over it! Or maybe just wearing it over a 'column of colour' made from a black top & trousers could work? I do have a sleeveless chocolate brown jumpsuit that it could work with too, perhaps?

Yes I agree the trousers have fit issues, but I can't put my finger on what exactly either - maybe the way they're gathered at the elasticated waist? To be honest, these are shalwar trousers, so their primary purpose is to be worn as part of my shalwar kameez sets (which were my usual summer loungewear before I started WFH). So I'm not too fussed because they're usually covered by a longer kameez. In fact, I think one of my very first posts in the forum were with shalwar trousers, where I had taken off my kameez to try on a top. The same thing is going on here, lol. I don't usually pair my shalwar trousers & a higher top when I go outside so it's probably more accurate to refer to them as pyjamas than true loungewear? But then again, they are still loungewear appropriate for brief walks outside when worn with a longer kameez I digress, sorry!

@Runcarla Unfortunately I've already deleted the first two photos (in the trousers) from my phone, but I managed to update the OP with cropped versions of the maxi skirt & layered dress photos instead for you

Haha @shevia I like to think that's what he meant too, although he kept telling me the skirt was too long because it's dragging on the floor. I thought having a train on a gown was the epitome of elegance (just look at the Oscars!), but he's a bit of a germaphobe - so I made sure even my wedding dresses didn't touch the floor

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