Sharen: Eclectic, Bright, Versatile

Sharen: Eclectic, Bright, Versatile

Oh wow, am I ever excited to show off my client today!! She's Sharen, big sister to Simmi, and I basically want to be their third sister. Or at least their best friend. Is that awkward? Oh well!

Sharen has a really fun wardrobe because she loves colors and patterns and taking fashion risks. What she wanted from me was a better sense of flexible outfits that fit her lifestyle: she's a mom to two kids under two-years-old, but she didn't want to get stuck in a yoga pants and t-shirt rut. After playing around in her closet for three hours, I can see why! She had so much fun stuff that wanted to be worn!

But, we also really wanted to be conscious of putting together outfits that wouldn't be too revealing, too fussy (no dry clean only, for example), or too chilly. Sharen, like me, tends to run cold, and she wanted some ideas for outfits that would keep her warm while not feeling too wintery.

Here's what we did!

Experiment with Stripes + Florals

We mixed patterns with patterns and patterns with bright solids. For example, I could have easily paired this bright skirt with a black t-shirt or a white one. Instead, I took a pattern that had both black and white in it and put it with that instead. The light black cardigan added some warmth without feeling wintery at all, and the JCrew neckalce tied the whole thing together.

 

Sorry for the dark phone pictures!

 On the flip side, I also put some of her brighter patterned pieces with solids, too. Here, the blue was a similar tone as the pink and orange (jewel tones), but found on the opposite side of the color wheel. I love how it looks like a dress-a match made in Heaven!

Here, I stuck with black since the pants were so exciting, but she can easily wear them with the same striped top from above. I tend to think about filling in empty space when I choose a necklace, and this green beauty got more attentions since the shirt neckline was so low.

Go Preppy-With a Twist

I funked up some of Sharen's preppier pieces with bright colors. Instead of sticking with just classic combinations (like cream and navy, for example), I picked classic preppy combinations and twisted them. For example, stripes + linen pants with a bright necklace and pop of color on the shoes (left) or stripes, pearls, metallic shoes, and pants with anchors on them in a bright yellow.

Above, I pulled in some plaid and check to play the preppy card but was sure to add yellow pants or distressed boyfriend jeans to keep it a bit more unexpected.

Go with White for Outer Layers

I loved this white blazer that Sharen had because of its instant ability to provide both warmth and a little structure. That way, I could put much more edgy things under it (shoes with spikes, distressed jeans, harem pants) but still make her appropriate for bringing her kids to story hour at the library. 

Sharen and I have a shopping date to plan, and I can't wait to show you the fun stuff we find together!