All dressed up and no where to go. At least, that sums up how I felt when I put this on yesterday. I’d wanted to include a couple of “dressier” tops in my capsule – this sculptural option being one of them – as I could see myself easily falling into a bit of a rut. You know, reaching for the same handful of items over and over. Which I have no problem with, though the casual nature of those outfits makes me feel some sense of loss over my style identity; something I’m still grappling with post-pregnancy.
Lola Rae top (sold out but this is the original Khaite version); Zara jeans (old but similar here and also here); Witchery belt; Vaneli two tone pumps (also here); Celine trio; Timeless Pearly earrings; Muru Jewellery necklace
But onto what I liked about this outfit. The top is a pretty obvious dupe for the Khaite maddy top (which is eye-wateringly expensive). I usually tend to be much more covered up across my chest, so this silhouette is different for me. The other thing I don’t do often? Wearing an outfit that combines two fitted elements. The reason being that there’s balance in combining both loose and fitted silhouettes together, which I find also works well with my body shape. The thing that drew me most towards this style of top, is the squared off neckline, that cuts wide across the chest. There’s a Victorian element to it, but with the sweetheart cut across the bust combined with the ribbed knit, it feels modernised.
I don’t wear belts quite so often as I used to. Mostly in part because I’m generally getting ready in a rush, but felt like this outfit just needed one. To keep in theme, I went with a black mock croc leather one with a gold buckle. The final accessories are the shoes and bag. I reached for my Vaneli two tone pumps again. I loved what they added to this outfit; because it’s otherwise monochromatic, the little bit of colour – despite being at my feet – softened it up a little.
Lastly, I’ve been reaching for my Celine trio a lot of late, especially as I’ve started going on longer walks with the pram most days. You may recall I used to have this bag in a periwinkle blue. It’s taught me an expensive lesson about “investing” in bags. That lifestyle plays a huge role, as does the colour you choose. These days, I’m much more likely to carry a slightly larger bag (typically in the pram), with a smaller one on my person for the essentials. The trio has been perfect for that, and I love that I can separate my items easily into each of the pouches.
