Hello everyone! Due to the fact that I aspire to one day be a thriving stylist and fashion advocate, I decided to share some of my style tips with you. Often times, people have great pieces hanging in their closet that never get put to good use, and this is typically due to a lack of styling knowledge. Many would be surprised to know that their floral maxi-dress doesn’t have to be exclusively for summer, or that their dad’s old flannel can be worn in a super chic manner. Styling, more than anything, is simply about playing around with various pieces and seeing what you can come up with. It’s like a game of mix-and-match, really. Some looks will work and others won’t, but after some creativity and experimentation, you’ll have a whole variety of looks that revolve around that one, single piece.

I’m going to be starting a series of posts called “5 Ways to Wear”, where I use relatively common, or trendy, pieces and show you 5 completely different ways to wear them. With each post, I hope to give you a few ideas that will help you amp up your style, and ultimately, teach you how to make the most of your wardrobe. Don’t worry, you don’t need to some insane, extensive wardrobe in order to create a wide variety of outfits. The single thing that I tell all of my friends when they are trying to build their wardrobe is that versatility is key. For example, a white t-shirt is an incredibly simple, understated item, but it can be worn in a multitude of ways. The 20+ different ways that you can style that white t-shirt automatically makes your wardrobe appear much more extensive, thanks to the sheer versatility of the piece. Purchasing a piece that is versatile not only is style-sense, but also saves you money, since you’ll indefinitely be able to style that piece with things that already exist in your current wardrobe.

For this post, I’m using a denim overall dress as the node of my styling. Obviously, a denim overall-dress isn’t something that everyone owns in their wardrobe, but it’s a trendy piece that’s been carried in stores for quite some time now. Overalls, although once reserved for art kids and farmers, are surprisingly comfortable and also pretty versatile. Brace yourself kids, the 90’s have been worming their way into today’s style for the last couple of years. Do I sense velour tracksuits and shapeless cargo pants making a comeback? Ugh, probably. And hey, who knows, maybe Paris Hilton will be our next president! Whoops, sorry Donald.

Embrace Your Misfit Soul,

xoxo Julia B.

Okay, I’m fully aware that denim-on-denim can be absolutely atrocious, but in my defense, this is technically chambray on denim. The shirt is not only a much lighter, softer material than the denim, but the buttons-up style of it looks clean and chic. I also really loved the color contrast between the darker, distressed denim, versus the lighter-wash chambray. Honestly, you could go so many different directions with this outfit. For an edgier look, you could’ve done a different statement necklace, some lace tights, and Doc Martens. I wanted to go (semi) preppy, so I added brown loafers and a polka-dot headband that sort of resembles denim. In all honestly, I’m horrible at bring preppy, so I threw on a chunky, silver statement necklace to complete the look.

I’m not exactly sure if I would call this look boho, but it’s definitely trendy. You can obviously use any t-shirt you wanted under denim overalls- red, white, blue, rainbow, Bernie Sanders, gray, black- nothing clashes with denim! Since fall is around the corner, I chose this olive color, which pairs beautifully with any neutrals. I decided to keep the colors within the realm of earth tones, so I added beige, suede boots and a black, felt hat. Again, you could totally switch up this look with edgier boots or even dressy sandals, or switched out the felt hat for a different piece, like a beanie or headband. Remember how saying “the world is your oyster”? Well, I don’t really understand what an oyster has to do with anything, but trust me, clothes can be your oyster too.

If I’m being totally honest, this wasn’t the outfit I had planned, but I had forgotten the shoes, shirt, and hat for my “edgy” outfit (so basically everything), so this was what came of my forgetfulness (but hey, it works). Denim overalls kind of give off a cutesy vibe, so turn that around by wearing it with grungier pieces. I put on a strappy, black bralette underneath the overall dress, and of course any bralette, lace or cotton, would do. To add even more of an edge, layer a mesh or fishnet top under the dress (yep, forgot my mesh shirt). For shoes, you could do black, heeled, platform boots, combat boots, or a cool high-top shoe. Obviously, I forgot my super cool high-tops, so I did black slip-on sneakers. As for accessories, layer layer layer. Tattoo chokers, chain necklaces, pendants, etc. Ideally, I would’ve been wearing a black snapback, which would’ve upped the skater-y vibe. Wether you’re grunge-edgy, skater-edgy, or Hot Topic-edgy, an overall dress could still totally work for you!

Okay, so I really did try to be preppy. I’m quite the opposite of preppy, but I thought the Master’s hat was a nice touch. This type of outfit- comfortable, casual, easy- is great for back-to-school inspiration. Wether you’re in high school or college, football games are probably a big deal, so this is one way to look effortlessly cute, but not too dolled-up. If it’s too warm for a long-sleeved tee, throw on your school’s t-shirt (you can’t go wrong with school spirit)! Any sort of sneakers will do for this outfit: Converse, Vans, Nike shoes, etc. Art school isn’t really the school-spirit type of place, but wearing a cute baseball cap with your school logo would be a perfect touch. Simple accessories are the way to go, like some stackable bracelets or a pendant necklace.

Actually, there are quite a few ways to do this. You could wear this piece with a dressy blouse, like a printed button-up blouse or a flowy peasant blouse. You may be surprised to find out that I actually layered a mini-dress underneath my overalls, and it worked perfectly! If you do this, make sure the dress is short enough so the hemline doesn’t peek out from beneath your overall dress. I threw on some heels and chunkier jewelry, and added a bright, pink lipstick for the final touch. Who knew you could make an overall dress look somewhat dressy?