A Blank Canvas

The English teacher in me decided to use figurative language to describe my outfit today.  A white tee with jeans is like a blank canvas.  The possibilities are endless!

As I got dressed this morning, I knew that I'd be taking my kids to the library before lunch, and that I'd be going to a baseball game with my church's youth group this evening.  Since it was Day 2 of  the summer remix challenge hosted by Greater Than Rubies, I had to create an outfit from my 20 pieces I set aside for the challenge.  Denim shorts and a white tee seemed like a good outfit choice because 1) it's comfy and 2) it can be styled in so many ways.  

Although visions of accessories danced in my head, I opted for a super casual look with simple jewelry, neutral sandals, and an olive cap.  It's been pretty warm this summer and you just never know how hot it will be at a baseball game.  (And I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with third day unwashed hair.  Let's be real here.)

 

I've recently learned how important "fit" and "proportion" are when shopping and putting together an outfit.  During my "quest" I discovered that if I really want to look and feel good about what I wear, I need to choose pieces that fit me well and are proportional.  Audrey from Putting Me Together really helped me with this post from her Building a Wardrobe from Scratch series.  Before discovering style blogs, I would purchase clothing pieces based on name brand, color, price, and trend.  Too often I would buy things and not try them on.  Eventually I had a closet full of ill-fitting clothing that were barely worn!

I've also learned things about proportion from Audrey's series.  Merrick from Merrick's Art also has written several Babble articles about this topic.  These before and after photos are a good illustration. 

In the before photo, I wore the tee untucked, the shorts (which were a hand-me-down) are rolled down to their normal length, and I'm wearing black Converse.  While the outfit in the first photo is by all means comfy and coordinated, it's not very flattering for my 5-feet tall, momma of two, petite frame.  The second photo includes the same shirt and shorts, however the shirt is tucked, thus elongating the leg line by exposing more of the shorts.  The shorts are cuffed, thus elongating the leg line more by exposing more of the leg.  I then chose neutral sandals, thus creating the illusion of a longer leg as opposed to the black Converse that cut off my ankles. 

It's amazing how just a few tweaks like tucking in a shirt and a changing shoes can help to pull together an outfit.  And whether we like to admit it or not, looking good helps us feel good, and today was a good day! 

Linking up with Tucker Up and The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday!