Saturday, November 21, 2009

From the Pages of a Magazine


Finding inspiration in magazines is nothing new for me. I regularly scour through the periodicals I subscribe to looking for ideas of what I can do with items in my wardrobe. Sometimes I end up buying an inexpensive basic or trendy piece to create a look; other times I take the idea I see in the pages and make it my own using similar pieces I already have. It's totally satisfying to come up with an outfit that I never thought of wearing with pieces I already own. It's all a matter of putting clothes and accessories together in a new way.

Today, for my shift at Trocadero, I re-created an outfit I saw in the December issue of InStyle almost to a tee, and added my own touch with accessories.

The outfit centers on a cream and silver brocade skirt that has a three-figure price tag. I happened to have a nearly identical piece in my own wardrobe that I'd purchased a few years back at H&M; I think it was even on sale. The rest of the outfit is basics that every girl should have: a white blouse, black tights, black oxfords and a navy blue blazer. I added my own twist with an inexpensive chain and pearl twisted necklace similar to the one in the magazine and my beloved Candace Ang bracelet from Trocadero (because I always have to have a piece of the store in my look, right?)

What's even more fun is that all the outfits in the feature center on the same item - the skirt I already have - and other basics like a black turtleneck, a jean jacket and a tank. It's an idea that any girl (or guy) can do: taking one piece and making lots and lots of outfits around that one central item. I know the jean jacket-tank-skirt-bootie combination will make it into my regular outfit rotation sometime soon.

Where do you find outfit inspiration?