Kat loves sporting her Classic Chic style with fantastic finds from her favorite shops, J. Crew, Gap, The Limited, World Market, her Mom’s closet and even a few vintage pieces from her Great Aunt and Grandmother. But I wanted to give Kat a Nothing2Wear summer closet edit, transitioning 1 blazer from Spring to Summer with 6 brand new looks using pieces already in her wardrobe. Kat LOVED every single outfit I styled. So did I. Too bad I’m not a size 2 anymore or Kat would’ve been stepping out naked.
1- Foundational piece: ABanana Republic three-quarter sleeve lightweight unstructured blazer.
Look 1— Pairing prints like stripes and florals is quite trendy and creates a fun visual aesthetic. It’s’ a chic summer for Kat in Stripes and floral hues in the same color family like blues and greens. We added another element of interest with her campus friendly animal ballet flats to tie in her awesome J. Crew tortoise link ribbon belt. Her Kelly Green pashmina is a staple accessory that serves as the cohesive for the entire look. Shop the Look: 1-Lightweight Blazer- Banana Republic (similar), 2- Kelly green pashmina- World Market (similar), 3- Tortoise Chain ribbon tie belt- J. Crew (similar), 4- Striped Top- Gap, 5- Printed leaf shorts- Gap (similar), 6- Animal print bow Ballet Flats- Gap (similar).
Look 2– Bringing sexy back and showing a little leg— Wedges not only put you a few inches closer to heaven, but they also elongate the legs. Kat was a competitive swimmer and has great muscle tone. Switching out the shoes takes this look from casual on campus to a sexy date look. Shop the Look: 1-Gold Wedges- Lulus.com (similar,similar).
Look 3: Casual stroll— We ditched the shorts and added linen cotton trousers. They are lightweight, comfortable and easy to wear. We switched belts adding a skinny leopard one, cinching Kat’s top. We’ve left the blazer unbuttoned and added tangerine orange shoes for a color pop and gold arm candy from her Grandmother’s vintage collection. Shop the Look: 1- Leopard Skinny Belt- Gap (similar), 2- Gold chain-link Bracelet- vintage (similar), 3- Linen Trousers- Grab bag sale, 4- Tangerine Flats- Stein-Mart (similar).
Professional to the Beach
Look 4: Professional Princess— I’m in love with color and so is Kat. I’m so glad she’s not afraid of it. Kat’s excitement inspired yet more professional choices. For looks 4-6, I used bolder colors of red, plum and sunburst orange. The plum pleated skirt is a new closet addition that needed some style friends. We’ve added a Kiwi green tank and a Florida orange bubble necklace. We belted the skirt and left the blazer unbuttoned. We paired peeptoe leopard pumps for the perfect visual contrast. Shop the Look: 1- Orange Bubble Necklace- J. Crew (similar), 2- Kiwi Top- Forever 21 (similar), 3- Midnight Snakeskin Belt, 4- Plum Pleated Skirt- The Limited (similar), 5- Leopard Peeptoe Pumps- Belk (similar, similar).
Look 5: Office Options— Job Hunting will be next on Kat’s schedule. I wanted to give her another interview look that was far from the boring black suit, white oxford and ugly tinking pumps. This colorful jersey paisley dress was perfect. If she wears this on the elevator ride up, there’s no need for the pitch. Her look speaks for itself. Feel free to pair any blazer with a spring dress to give it a more sophisticated look. We added a belt to grip the blazer, kept the arm candy but lassoed a gold chunky choker and tweed slingbacks. We also gave Kat’s hair an updo. Shop the Look: 1- Chunky Gold necklace- vintage (similar), 2- Silver bracelet, 3- Jersey Dress- Her Mother’s Closet (similar, similar), 4- Sunshine Yellow Tweed Buckle Slingbacks- J. Crew.
Look 6: A&B: Beach Bum— Summer vacay is what every student needs after papers, finals, parking tickets, boyfriend breakups, and Facebook fights. We let Kat’s hair down and gave her a wavy beach look. Sometimes stripes can trick the eye, giving off-balance illusion to the body. But the red and white stripes in this dress, draw the perfect dimensions. Look 6 has a part A and B. For part A, the jacket pairs with a long vintage necklace and Kat’s leopard ballet flats. Part B takes the look from day to night. We added the surf blue scarf for warmth near the waves and tossed back in her Tangerine orange flats. Shop the Look: 1- Part A-Vintage Necklace- Kat’s Collection, 2- Lightweight Blazer- Banana Republic (similar), 3- Red Striped Strapless Maxi Dress- Gap (similar), 4- Tortoise Cuff- Catenya’s Collection, Part B- 1- Surf blue scarf- Gap (similar).
