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Style Series is a new installment on YBC to help get me out of my leggings & lipstick go-to look. I've always liked the idea of looking put together, but I really never took the time to try to figure out what looks good on my body type, so this series is all about trying to figure that out.
One shoulder tops and dresses are everywhere I look and while I personally love the look, I've never tried it myself, aside from an Herve Leger dress similar to this I wore eons ago.
I think part of the "fear" (and I use that word loosely, because hello, we're talking about clothes here), is that I'm not sure it's my vibe. I gravitate towards distressed tees and soft, lightweight tanks and a one shoulder top seemed like the opposite of that. I felt like a one shoulder top might be too...fussy. It seemed so frilly compared to what I normally wear. But I love the look on other people, and I'm really trying to break out of this sartorial rut I'm in, so I wanted to give it a go.
I was on a mission to find an eyelet version for two reasons. One, I felt like if I was going to go frilly, I might as well really do it up. Go big or go home, right? And two, I have this running theory that if you pair one piece with a piece giving the opposite type of vibe, it can work. So, I thought I could pair this girly top with distressed shorts and I might feel comfortable.
A few eyelet one shoulder tops below - mine is the first one
Eyelet top
You're never going to believe where I found this shirt. So, because I wasn't sure I would really be into the look (and also because I don't have unlimited funds), I was en route to Forever 21 at the mall when I spotted a row of mannequins in one shoulder tops at American Eagle, of all places. I mean, I'm pretty sure their demographic is not 33 year old women, but whatever. I was initially drawn to this off the shoulder top. It was giving me major senorita vibes, but it just wasn't that flattering on me. I also tried on this chambray one shoulder top I liked, but because I'd planned on wearing denim shorts, I didn't think it would work...although I have seen people pull off the denim on denim look really well, but that might be another thing to try on another day.
Eyelet top
Then, I found it! The exact top I'd envisioned. Love when that happens. I was marginally annoyed that all the other tops I'd tried on were around $25 and this one, of course, was $39.99 but it fit well and it was pretty much the exact top I wanted, so I swiped my card. Of note - I sized up one size because, well, it's American Eagle and their target shopper is a fifteen year old #noshame. And in case you haven't shopped there since you were in high school, as far as I saw, they took off their bird logo from the tops. Woop.
Eyelet top and shorts
I unexpectedly wound up liking this look a lot. Well, scratch that. I knew I liked the look on other people, I just wasn't sure I'd like it on myself because it's just not something I'd normally wear, but I was into it. It might actually give me the courage (and I use that word loosely because #clothes) to try other statement tops. Here are a few I'm into below. And since I feel they're kind of trendy and not something that'll stick around forever, I tried to pick ones that were at a good price point (around $20-$30).
A day in the park
The shoes for this look are from Rachel Zoe. They're these braided little sandals that feel like nothing which is pretty much the highest compliment you can give a shoe, in my opinion. For a minute there, I thought about doing sneakers - I have these old school Nike ones kind of like this I love that I thought might off-set the frill factor, but ultimately opted to stay out of my comfort zone and go with the flow... or the frill, if you will. A few other braided pairs below, ranging from $12 to $198.
Levis cut offs
Ok let's talk shorts. I bought these a few weeks ago at Free People. They're Levi's, they're high-waist, and they've got an old school button fly and are pretty much everything I swore I'd never wear, but here I am going back on my word. I can't help it, I love them! A few pairs below, all Levi's, and at various price points:
He loves a good stick!
The shorts are comfortable, have zero stretch to them, which makes them feel lived in after an hour of wear. You can't quite tell from this angle, but they're cut a tiny bit longer in the back for a bit more coverage, which I like.
So there we have it! The perfect outfit for summer for when you're feelin' fancy but want a side of grunge. :) I'd love to hear what your clothing dilemmas are. What do you tend to gravitate towards? Have you fully figured out your style? Any thoughts on the one shoulder trend? Let me know down in the comments section below.