I like mesh tops, especially for evening wear. I think they add a bit of edge and sex appeal to an outfit.

From a practical point of view, a black mesh top also enables me to wear black in a slightly more flattering way. If I layer a yellow, pink, tan or red top under a black mesh top, the warm undertone comes through when I wear the top. And I can coordinate the underlayer with whatever I’m wearing on my bottom half for a more harmonious look.

I’ve used this trick for a while.

A more recent experiment is to wear a mesh top over a patterned top. The pattern still shows through but looks darker and more muted. This has a couple of advantages for me:

*It tones down a high contrast patterned top. I am more into low contrast these days.

*It turns a casual daytime top into a more dressy nighttime top.

I’m making plans for a winter holiday and trying to figure out what to take. These are a few outfits I came up with using my black metallic mesh top. (In each case I took a photo of the underlayer just to show the difference. )

2-4: with a tan top underneath. The tan picks out the pattern of the skirt.

5-7: with a light teal top underneath. For those who like dark teal or dark green, this one was really pretty.

8-10: with one of my DIY tie dye tops. I think of my tie dye tops as casual, which generally suits my lifestyle. But, when combined with the mesh top, the tie dye takes on a more subtle, nighttime look. That will definitely make my tie dye tops more versatile for me.

11-13: with an older floral print top. I still like the pattern but it feels a little high contrast for my current preferences. I’ve thought about overdyeing it, but it’s viscose, which doesn’t always dye that well. With the mesh top layered over it becomes a soft, silvery pattern. Problem solved.

I love this top! It could be my most useful winter top ever! Plus, it’s light. It’s washable. It folds up into nothing. No ironing required. It’s definitely coming on the holiday

Thoughts?