I am back with Part 2 of my post about summer outfits of the day from on or around July 2, and today we're headed back in time to 2022 through 2017! (You can read Part 1 here for the background on this new series.)
Outfit 3: July 2, 2022
High 77 F, low 62 F, 0.03" of rain
The print on this top has an array of muted colors...soft green, sky blue, sandstone coral/peach, soft indigo...but I decided to pair it with a somewhat brighter salmon/coral pair of pants for a higher impact combination. I think this is a great way to not-quite-match a solid color to a print - pick a solid piece that is a similar color to one in the print but change the intensity of it. The aqua color of my necklace is between the top's green and blue on the color wheel, so it's an example of wearing a color that's "in the span" of other outfit colors...yet another not-quite-matching option.
My daily bracelet stack was built around a paper bead bracelet set I made specifically for this top in a navy, salmon, and silver color palette. Sometimes my paper bead bracelet sets go in a not-quite-matching direction, but this set is truly a very close match to the top! {stretch bracelet tutorial} {bicone paper bead tutorial} {tube paper bead tutorial}
The top paper bead bracelet with the floral tube beads came from one of my go-to paper sources: the Coldwater Creek catalog. I had the same image of a lovely salmon sweatshirt with a navy floral print from two consecutive catalogs, which gave me enough paper to work with for making tube beads since I only need the end of the strips to have the desired paper. It's always a pleasure to introduce a bit of print mixing with my paper beads, so using the floral sweatshirt paper with my floral top was a nice subtle way to do that.
The bottom color blocked paper bead bracelet was created using this image of a navy striped T and a peach quilted sweatshirt in a Lands End catalog. This image was large enough for me to cut 7 1" triangular strips for bicone beads. If you look at the 5th strip down, you'll see that the navy striped T goes to one of the long edges but doesn't quite make it to the other; there is a narrow band of the peach color down the entirety of the other side. On the rolled bead, we only see the navy color from the first edge, not the second.
Outfit 4: July 5, 2021
High 96 F, low 75 F, clear
Ugh, that was a hot day, and yet I wore a layered outfit with a short-sleeved T, 3/4 sleeve cardigan, and scarf in the same/similar color of soft blue. Good thing the pieces are all lightweight, but to be clear, I was definitely staying inside in the air-conditioned comfort of my apartment! (And I probably lost the scarf and cardigan by the time we hit the higher temperatures.) I love that the colors of the pendant are such a match to the crop pants (bought the same season from the same brand). The striped shoes were a fun addition to this look.
Outfit 5: July 6, 2020
High 86 F, low 73 F, 0.35" of rain
This is an outfit that doesn't make its full impact until you scan all the way down to the feet. The sleeveless rabbit blouse and navy summer jacket meet the striped skirt for some subtle print mixing...and then the bright green flats! There is some softer green in the blouse's print (the grass the rabbits are playing in) but I went all in with the vibrant green as a Bridgette-Raes-style "pop of color" shoe. What I find most surprising here is that I'm wearing beaded bracelets on the same wrist as my FitBit - I never do that any more!
Outfit 6: July 5, 2019
High 83 F, low 68 F, 0.03" of rain
We've now made it back to the pre-COVID era in which I was still working every day in my office! This is a red, white, and blue (navy) outfit I wore to work for the Friday after Independence Day, and it's got that classic mix of business casual with true casual. The striped T and capri pants would make a simple weekend outfit, but add a strawberry red linen blazer and now it's more work-friendly. This is the first outfit in which I no longer have one of the pieces! I retired the striped T a few years ago due to the fit being/becoming awkward. It's too bad because I really like that color combination and all the mix-and-match possibilities, but due to the odd fit, I didn't wear it all that much so it's more a theoretical loss than a real one, if you know what I mean.
Outfit 7: July 5, 2018
High 83 F, low 68 F, clear
Ah, now we've reached the point where I was definitely wearing a size smaller than I do now, so none of these three garments remain in my wardrobe (I still have the shoes though). But wasn't that a pretty color combination? What a way to wear black in summer: mix with gorgeous saturated pastels! Unfortunately the blouse was polyester so it wasn't the most practical summer choice and thus I didn't wear it as much as I would have liked (8 wears, disappointing CPW of $1.22) but it was a lesson learned. The cardigan was a real winner in color and material (and was thrifted very inexpensively at Goodwill to boot) but like so many Target cardigans, the sleeves were quite skinny so I could only really layer it easily over sleeveless tops. So I only wore it 7 times, but did get the CPW to $0.62 before donating it.
Outfit 8: July 5, 2017
High 92 F, low 73 F, trace of rain
This is a very pretty 7 year old work outfit that I would 100% wear again exactly as styled...though I'd probably add some more necklaces for a layered look since that's my jam lately. It's such a classic summer work outfit formula: print sleeveless top, short-sleeved cardigan, pencil skirt, captoe flats. The top and skirt are no longer in my closet, though I do have an almost identical skirt in my current size (and the cardigan remains). Seeing this top reminds me that I don't have much in the way of purple in my closet right now! I used to have so many prints with purple in them but no longer, and that's a shame. The combination of purples, blues, greens, and blue-greens in this paisley print was quite lovely, and they are all flattering colors on me. I really don't need any more print tops, but I admit that I wouldn't mind if one like this showed up in my closet by magic.
I hope you found this first Style Over Time revisiting of old outfits of the day interesting - I did!
Do any of these outfits look like something you would...or definitely would not...wear? Do any of the outfit formulas here resonate with you? Do you also wear a lot of color in the summer? How about print pieces? Do you wear pants much in the summer?
Blogs I link up with are listed here.
They are all so pretty! I think the teal and purple are my favorite, as another commenter said. Love your bracelets, too!
The teal and purple!! Now to look in my closet for creating a similar color combo: I love it!
www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
You have some lovely floral prints in these outfits and lots of cute shoes! I love the striped flats, and the bright green ones, too. It was a fun trip back in time, seeing outfits from your wardrobe from 2017 to the present. You clearly have developed a style of your own. I avoid long pants during the hot and humid summer season, with the possible exception of white ones, unless I know I am going to be inside in the AC. Definitely yes to color and florals-all year around, actually. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your weekend!