For me, the best outfits are those with both style and substance. Great British Baking Show enthusiasts like myself will know the meaning of the phrase “style and substance” but for the rest of you, let me explain.
Style, when it comes to garment selection is fairly obvious. No one wants to look like a sack of potatoes (unless you are one of the Olsen twins) so for an outfit to possess style a few criteria come to mind.
- It must fit the way it was intended.
- It must accomplish a purpose.
- It must make you feel happy.
Style is as much about bringing yourself joy as it is matching the stride of a trend.
Substance, well that’s another matter. For an outfit (or piece of clothing) to have substance it must bring comfort, illicit confidence, and …
If course, it’s star baker if you can accomplish both style and substance in a singular outfit so on that note I’ll be accepting my trophy now.
This particular outfit, well… it’s a special one. With only 5 simple pieces it seems shrug-worthy on first glance but the moment it came together I knew it was special.
The standout piece is a simply effortless midi dress that fits to a tee and wears like a glove. It’s the type of comfortable that only comes from slipping into pajamas after a day in a blazer. I can think of 3,000 ways of styling this versatile dress but for the beginnings of fall it was back to business as usual with a sweater, hat, and boots.
I added my all-time favorite cropped ivory sweater seen many times on the blog to add a bit of texture to the outfit. Because I don’t wear many printed fabrics or a wide array of colors I like to lean on textures for interest and depth.
This Urban Outfitters hat was a happy coincidence that might have been one of the fastest purchases I’ve made. I’ve had my eye on a few stiff brimmed fedora hats for about 2 years now. Although I love Lack of Color I can’t bring myself to spend $100+ on a hat.
Another blogger shared this one for $44 at Urban Outfitters that looked like a perfect option. It really was exactly what I was looking for – simple, good coloring, holds up in the rain, and has a nice stiff brim.
So now we’re back to business as usual – reaching for boots and pulling out sweaters to keep away the chill in the air. It’s officially out of summer hibernation and into the season of creativity, day trips, and so much fun content to create. And there’s a good chance I’ll be doing it all in some variation of this exact outfit.