This season's Picture Perfect Challenge was, as usual, a delight to participate in an infinite well of inspiration! Once again, thank you Bella for organizing and also a big thanks to all who participated, be it by posting outfits or by commenting!
Reflection:
This go-around I tried to plan my outfits ahead of time a bit more than usual because of the large number of overlapping color palettes. Normally the colors alone are enough to inspire me, but this time I was really (and I mean REALLY) inspired by the hazy, surreal moods that all of these photos share. It was my top priority in the outfits I envisioned for each photo. Which, upon reflection of the week, leads me to the following realization:
It's actually been a little while coming, but amped up starting at least a couple weeks ago with Angie's post on the street style she and Greg saw while in Japan, and then further magnified with this challenge: I am 100% feeling soft dressing, both in terms of fabrication AND color. Now, I am not completely sure if this is a true style direction change, or influenced by the fact that it's currently so on trend, or if it's just a seasonal thing since my boho side comes through much stronger in spring/summer. Most likely it's some combination of the lot.
Regardless of what it is, for the moment this is actually quite a shift for me IF I decide to pursue it as an overarching style direction; I do already mix in some soft outfits, but certainly don't dress that way primarily, and I am more interested in "soft" in terms of fabrication and vibe rather than color because, hey, I loves me my brights! It will be interesting (impossible?) to try and keep the punk side of my personal style evident with this shift, though. Fun stuff :D
Challenge Outfits:
- Monday (inspiration discussed here); worn to work, then out for tacos. I'm always trying to get volume-over-volume looks to work with these wide legs and am very pleased with this one, I think I finally found my formula for it! This is a new necklace, my current favorite pendant.
- Inspiration for #1: African elephants at twilight, Chobe National Park, Botswana by Frans Lanting.
- Tuesday (inspiration discussed here); worn to work. Getting "soft" to work while including jeans is another challenge, as is "soft" with brights, but I think they both worked nicely here. My biggest takeaway from this is the messy fanned bun, though; I'm sporting it again today :D
- Inspiration for #3: Water lilies (Nymphaea nouchali), Okavango Delta, Botswana by Frans Lanting.
- Wednesday (inspiration discussed here); worn to work, then out for dinner. I love pairing both orange and fuchsia with red, though I'm not seeing as much red+fuchsia this year compared to last. As a member of Team Blazer, I would have been infinitely happier with a soft blazer instead of a cardigan, but it does look nice.
- Inspiration for #5: Stone Canyon Petrified Sand Dunes and Reflection, Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona by Jack Dykinga.
- Thursday (inspiration discussed here); worn to work. My second favorite outfit of the week, simple and soft and muted. I could take my no-jeans week back to this day, haven't had a pair on since Wed's outfit! (Feels weird.)
- Inspiration for #7: Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend, Franklin River, Southwest Tasmania, Australia by Peter Dombrovskis.
- Friday (inspiration discussed here); worn to a typography conference. My favorite of the week, and I think the fan favorite as well. I am not sure why wearing all brown makes me feel like a wall of brown, but wearing all taupe/tan doesn't make me feel like a wall of skin ;)
- Inspiration for #9: Tortoises at Dawn, Galapagos Islands by Frans Lanting.
Whew! Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!
