Buying Things Outside Of My Comfort Zone On Sale

Buying Things Outside Of My Comfort Zone On Sale

You know how people talk about "keeping it real"? These pants right here and these super comfort clogs? That's real. The pants seem a little...white, don't they? Why yes, my huge Bernese Mountain Dogs did run between my legs before I took this top down selfie. Just keeping it real. 

But this post isn't about clogs or dogs. It's about sales-and the opportunities that sales afford us to stretch our style wings a little. What if you took a great sale as the chance to buy something that you might not normally wear just to try it on for a little bit? What if you thought of a sale like a summer fling, a chance to get a little wild? 

Here's how I wore three prints on one day with a patterned shirt I'd usually never buy!

On Black Friday, I found myself choosing clothes for my husband and my mother-in-law. At some point, I escaped to Old Navy. It might surprise you to learn that I don't like shopping for clothing for myself with anyone other than my best friends, sister, or mom. I know what I like, and I also end up styling anyone else I'm with rather than buying things for myself.  Suddenly, though, I found myself with time alone and a dressing room to try on some new things that wouldn't cost me much.

What To Do When You Buy Something in A Bright Pattern

What To Do When You Buy Something in A Bright Pattern

I hope you all had a nice Easter weekend! My mom surprised us with a layover visit in the beginning of the week, and then my mother-in-law made her annual trip up for the weekend. We had so much fun with one mama after the next! My mother-in-law loves for me to pick out new things for her so we hit the outlets on Friday afternoon. It was pretty busy, but we stay focused when we shop! She even got a couple of things for me that I had picked out, including the wildest pants. They're the Hampton fit, but I don't see the pattern on the Banana factory website.

When I shop, I like to think of how I will wear whatever I'm trying on. If I can think of three ways to wear it, then it's worth it for me to take home. If I can only think of one or two ways, then it better be a real bargain! In my head, all I could think was a white shirt and a black shirt, but I was rushing and knew there were more options than that. So, I decided to take my mother-in-law up on the offer to purchase them and figure it out when I got home. Here's what I did:

1. Start with a basic, but use texture to create visual interest.

In my head, I was thinking that black would toughen up this happy print a little bit. Instead of reaching for the plain black v-neck I had pictured in the dressing room, I laid out a loft tank. You can't see it in this iPhone shot, but the tank has a crochet pattern in the front. Then, I added a thin cardigan (similar here) for the chilly spring weather we've been having. I spotted my Boden wedge booties and thought they'd be more fun than black shoes, and I'm trying to wear them as much as possible before it gets hot.