The Clothes In Your Closet #010
7 chic AF, with a little western/rock 'n' roll vibe, outfits
Okay I was so excited to style Luz for What to Wear This Week bc I feel like a proud parent; Luz and I go way back, so I’ve seen the evolution of her style (as she has of mine…she’s got some stories, lemme tell ya!), and her wardrobe has become so darn good. It’s a case study on what happens when you thoughtfully buy wardrobe staples over time from a mixture of secondhand and new, instead of buying them all at once.
For Luz’s looks, she wanted to figure out how to style her black vintage motorcycle jacket, cream vintage blouse, and new J.Crew slip dress. I whipped up 7 outfits for everyday, work, and going out. Enjoy!
Leather jacket + button-up + jeans + structured bag
Luz bought this super cool leather jacket at Magpie Vintage in London, but hadn’t worn it much bc the shoulders are so big. We needed to modernize this baby!! I paired it with her crisp white button-up from Raggedy Threads in Brooklyn. This button-up is ideal for styling because the fabric is a bit stiff and can hold shape. Then, Luz’s light-medium wash bootcut jeans and her amazing black embossed leather boots that she bought on Poshmark. They’re an example of a well-selected wardrobe staple bc they go with practically everything, but feel special because of the leather detailing. I ended up styling every outfit with them.
Luz was already wearing a couple gold necklaces and gold hoops, and I kept those on for this and almost all of the looks because they work so well with everything. Lastly, I topped off the outfit with her black YSL bag. Luz bought this purse for herself a couple of years ago, and I like it bc it adds a touch of rock ‘n’ roll.
A note on jeans: ignore jean trends. Wear whatever style makes you feel your best (and hold onto your jeans! I find that even when I tire of a certain cut, I’ll come back to it again later).
Lace blouse + cardigan + jeans + belt + softer bag (and dog ;)
This blouse from THANX GOD I’M A V.I.P. in Paris (a fave of Rosalee’s too) is so darn pretty—it’s silk with lace detailing—but its delicate nature makes it more challenging to style because if you don’t balance it out with a heavier fabric, it can look a little lopsided. To even it out, I paired it with a knit of similar color. The silk and the cashmere together work with the weightier denim.
I buttoned the top 4-5 buttons of the blouse, and left the bottom ones open so the tails of the shirt fanned out. I find this creates a flattering shape. Then I belted the cardigan around Luz’s waist to frame the lace detailing and give her some definition. Luz bought this belt for $30 at the Reformation in LES (this Ref shop sells vintage in addition to their other products), and it’s such a special piece bc of the texture and western-esque hardware. It’s my kind of wardrobe staple bc it goes with basics, but has some pizazz to make them feel extra special.
For the final touches, I layered Luz’s gold necklaces over the blouse’s collar, and grabbed Luz’s black bag with a little faux-tortoiseshell action. I’m all for mixing black and brown, but this little detail really pulls the look all together.
Slip + cardigan + belt + hobo bag
Now I wanted to play around with the slip dress. Easy—just layer the cardigan over it ;). This time I buttoned the top three buttons and left the bottom two open, and added some definition with Luz’s super cool black vintage belt with western hardware. I’ve seen a lot of vintage-inspired belts on the market, but they never look as cool as the secondhand ones. So do yourself (and the planet) a favor, and go used ;)
To pull it all together, I wanted a lighter colored bag for a little monochrome action on top. I went with Luz’s hobo-esque bag because its relaxed shape creates a romantic effect next to the soft knit.
Slip + blazer + belt + structured bag
Next, I threw a blazer over the slip. The gray is so nice with the black. This one is Luz’s boyfriend’s, but if you don’t have a guy’s closet to raid, go to your local thrift store ;). I’m a fan of Junior League ones because I hear they have to donate a certain amount of items each month (at least, that’s what I heard about the New Orleans JL), and Goodwills near wealthy neighborhoods because they tend to have more $$ brands.
The blazer was cool unbelted, but it was a smidge too oversized, so I brought back the black vintage belt. I pulled it tight to define Luz’s waist and create a fan shape, similar to the look of the button-up in one of the earlier looks. Then I swapped the hobo bag for the black one with tortoiseshell detailing. I chose this black bag over her YSL one because of the softer shape. The YSL one was just a bit too severe for the vibe I was going for, but it could have easily worked.
Slip + button up + trench + softer bag
Last up for the slip, a preppy spin on it. I returned to Luz’s boyfriend’s closet and grabbed this blue button-up. I styled the buttons similar to the silk blouse and white button-up—buttoned the top few buttons and laid the necklaces on top of the collar—but this time, I also tied up the shirt tails to define Luz’s waist. Then, I topped it with her trench coat and bunched up the sleeves to create some texture. The bunching is essential. If you don’t, the look is a bit heavy. Went with the softer black bag to complete the outfit.
Strapless top + button-up + trousers + chain + structured bag
Ohhh!! I love this look. It started with the silver top. Luz also got this at the Ref store in LES. I just loved the fabric and shape. So sharp. You could wear it alone, but I wanted to make it more interesting, so I layered it over her white button-up. Similar to the blouse styling, I buttoned the top 4-5 buttons, and left the bottom ones open to create that flattering fan shape. Then I paired it with Luz’s gray trousers. They could easily veer too corporate, but the silver top makes sure that this is very much a going out vibe. Lastly, I decided to swap her gold necklaces for this silver chain. It’s actually the strap for one of her bags, but I thought it looked cool as a necklace. I just wrapped it around a couple of times. Chic!
Button down + jeans + trench + belt
This is such an easy, classic look, but it requires a bit of styling to get it right. Bc there’s so much fabric with the trench coat and bootcut jean, I wanted to make sure we showed off Luz’s figure. I popped the collar and tied up the shirt tails for a little v-neck and waist action, then added her amazing brown snakeskin belt to set the look. Lastly, the softer black bag. Cute!
Ingredients
Clothes: gray trousers, black leather jacket, trench coat, gray blazer, silver strapless top, jeans, cream cardigan, white button-up, cream blouse, blue button-up, black slip dress
Accessories: silver chain, black western belt, brown western belt soft black bag, structured black bag, cream hobo bag
Shoes: black embossed boots
Xx,
Robyn