academichic

Sources:

Polkadot dress – Target
Tank – Be Maternity, via Target
Cardigan – Banana Republic
Tights – TJMaxx
Boots – Banana Republic
Pendant – Anthropologie
Brooch – vintage, via consignment store

Endnotes:

Do you know of the new site called Everybody Everywear? The two talented bloggers Linda and Liz came up with this project, which takes a theme and features a vast collection of images from bloggers all over the internets showcasing how they incorporate it into their outfits. This month? Polka dots! It didn’t take much arm twisting for me to get on board with that. I own a fair amount of dots in my wardrobe (after florals, my second favorite pattern) and it’s been so much fun to see how all these stylish women are wearing their polka dotted items. It’s given me much inspiration for future pattern mixes, color combos, and layering strategies. I also like that clicking on a particular image takes you straight to a blogger’s site so that you can continue to see more of the blogger whose style really caught your eye.

Some of my previous polkadot looks…

Inspired by the brazen pattern mixing going on at Everybody Everywear, I decided to do what I’ve been wanting to do more of and paired this polka dot dress with a marble print cardigan. (You may recognize this cardigan pattern from the BR dress I styled a few weeks ago. I didn’t end up buying the dress but I got the cardi version from the winter line, which was now on super clearance. Score). I think this pattern mix works because the polka dots are fairly small and innocuous and don’t conflict too much with the bolder marble patten of the cardigan. And both patterns are in a dark neutral – black and navy. To add a bit of brightness and color, I added some gold and yellow accessories with a necklace and vintage brooch.

Are you a fan of polka dots? If so, you may want to check out all the fabulous polka dotted items on Everybody Everwear and submit your own look as well! And if dots aren’t your thing, check out all the Blazer looks, the Gingham submissions, and keep an eye out for next month’s theme. ~ S.

Sources:

Blazer – MaxMara, hand me down
Striped sweater – Gap, thrifted
Jeans – ON Maternity
Boots – Banana Republic
Necklace – thrifted
Bike – 70s Peugeot Mixte via Craigslist

Endnotes:

E. is not the only one embracing stripes during her pregnancy. It seems like stripes are everywhere this season and after seeing the lovely Miss James rock them all the way to the end of her pregnancy, I became convinved that they were not to be eschewed just because of that extra belly roundness. In fact, how cute is this…

{image courtesy of Bleubird Vintage}

I’ve also been restocking my patterns because I’m really liking the rich effect of pattern mixing as of late. Although I wear a lot of pattern and don’t shy away from loud or bold prints (E. and A. have joked that I have a bit of a 70s couch aesthetic when it comes to pattern choosing), I don’t often brave the mixing of those. I’ve been clipping lots of pattern mixing images to my desktop inspiration folder and am looking forward to getting more adventurous with pattern this year. A sneak peak into my inspiration file…

{Clockwise from top: Dear Baby, Rockstar Diaries, Lucky Magazine}

It seems that stripes work particularly well with florals, as these clippings demonstrate. Since I own a fair share of florals, this should be a cinch. Do you mix patterns? How do you go about making sure the final result is interesting and rich without seeming overwhelming and dizzying?

On a more serious note, I’d just like to express my great sympathy for all those affected by the Tsunami that hit Japan this morning and then made its way to Hawaii and is continuing towards the coast of California. My heart goes out to everyone in those areas and I’m saddened by the loss of so many lives already. May you and your loved ones stay safe! ~ S.