WIW 05.14 [all the stripes]

A dramatic outfit utilizing Angie's recent post's tips: I've got numbers 1, 3, 4 (sorta), 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 working here but it feels very normal for me. I had this outfit planned at the start of the week, but I think it illustrates quite well how I use so many of those ideas daily.

Another gloriously warm day and my office which has no AC, has been slowly heating up since we've had consistent warm weather for a couple days now. Today I went extra simple in terms of pieces though each has an interesting cut (a favorite warm-weather dress, a bold necklace, and trendy flats), but went all-in with stripes/lines to create visual interest. I've got them everywhere: on the dress, the strap of the shoes, the necklace, the clutch, and even the screw-top studs have a line across them. Pulling my hair back also emphasizes two more horizontal elements, my brows and lips, but this effect was unintentional; I just didn't have time to wash my hair this morning ;) I chose bright red lipstick to keep up with the graphic vibe (plus it matches my nails), and the circular screw-top studs because their incongruous round shape would draw a little more attention to my face.

Happy to report that these new flats were pretty comfortable, and that the strap doesn't rub funny. They seem to run quite large. I ordered the smaller of my two usual sizes, and even these are a bit big; I may have actually fit into a further half size down, but kept this size because these are sandals for me so I wanted to accommodate any foot swelling due to heat. I'll have to test them out on a more walking-heavy day to see how they do, but for now I am so happy to finally have my black ankle-strap pointy shoes after a year of searching! I'm even happier that they've got a healthy dose of white in them.

Available items collected below. Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome.

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29 Comments

  • Jaime replied 9 years ago

    I am going to collect your collection and oh, yeah, you look absolutely gorgeous in this outfit!

  • jackiec replied 9 years ago

    Fantastic! You are right about eyebrow adding to the horizontal stripe look - how insightful! Ooooh loving those shoes. Will keep watch to hear how comfy they remain in the longer haul. Great buy!

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 9 years ago

    Wow--could this be one of my favorites of yours ever? I'm happy for you for finding the shoes; they are just perfect with this outfit, lending a nice dose of elegance. The dress is lovely and I like the drama of the accessories.

  • Aubergine replied 9 years ago

    Love this!  The dress and shoes would look great on their own, but the necklace and clutch make it really unique.

  • rabbit replied 9 years ago

    That clutch and dress together are so brilliant, and I love them with the shoes and necklace.  

  • replied 9 years ago

    Wow, bravo! I echo what Rabbit said... your accessories/finishing-touches make it so interesting and, yes, dramatic. Love it.

  • Mona replied 9 years ago

    You are such a drama queen ;)). Love the bold black and white dress with matching clutch. Is this a red lip gloss or red lipstick?

  • Karie replied 9 years ago

    Your summer dress looks so cool and comfortable, perfect for an office with no A/C. I also like how you describe all the horizontal elements in your outfit, and that you include your hair and eyebrows in the equation - I would have never thought of that. 

    Those ankle strap shoes are beauties!

  • leopardluxe replied 9 years ago

    I love, love, love his outfit! The juxtaposition of the deco-architectural necklace with the large, graphic stripe of the dress balanced with the more flowy drape of the skirt portion of the dress and the softer pattern in the same black/white on the shoe... perfection!

    Seriously, this is my favorite outfit of yours that I've seen --and I think all your outfits are fantastic. It is drama to perfection!

  • Laurie replied 9 years ago

    well.  you know how i feel about stripes, so i think that this ensemble is amazing!  you always inspire me with your creativity and your attention to every detail.

    i look forward to your future outfits based on this great dress!

    those shoes are very cute.

  • kellygirl replied 9 years ago

    This is such a striking outfit on you, Aida. Those bold stripes really suit you! Love it. 

  • Neel replied 9 years ago

    Beautiful dress Aida! And your nails are equally fab! I love your choice of shoes too :)

  • citygirldc replied 9 years ago

    Gotta love black and white stripes and those sandals are to die for. Perfect outfit for a warm day.

  • Aida replied 9 years ago

    Thanks so much ladies! The crazy-stripes made me feel super happy, so high likelihood you'll be seeing it again ^^

    Mona, the red is a highly pigmented tinted balm that behaves just like lipstick, but it's sheer; this one has a slightly matte + slightly frosty finish, and three layers gets it to the opacity you see here which still isn't fully opaque. I do have a truly opaque red that I wear for a really bold effect, but it's mostly reserved for events because it looks a bit odd without additional eye makeup. I stick to sheers (whether tinted lip balm, lip gloss, or lipstick) since I don't wear any other makeup besides mascara, so they help me keep a balanced sort-of-natural look.

    LL, thank you for the wonderfully visual comment, you've got such a great eye!

  • dustt replied 9 years ago

    there's that dress I covet again - I keep searching for a comparable for me - still no luck, so I'll look longingly at yours and continue the search!! and the compliment of the clutch with those right angles - brilliant study in black & white.

  • Aida replied 9 years ago

    Thank you Dustt! I hope you can find your dress :)

  • Mona replied 9 years ago

    Aida, thanks for sharing that tip. Which brand is this lip balm?

  • Aida replied 9 years ago

    Mona, this is CoverGirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm in the shade "Muscat". I bought it at Wallgreens, but it seems to have been discontinued since then (and the replacement line doesn't get good reviews). Here are some listings for it on Amazon. It is a very lovely rich, warm red.

  • cciele replied 9 years ago

    The pattern mixing is brilliant, and the necklace adds a perfect amount of graphic bling!

  • Vicki replied 9 years ago

    Aida, you've got the drama, stripes and warm weather all figured out in this perfect outfit, sooooo please bring it to Southern California, so we can see you again, because we've got the warm weather for you, too.  

    I can't change a thing, because I love all the touches you've given to this WIW, from the jewelry to the pretty nail polish.  I'm smitten with your stripes.

  • Aida replied 9 years ago

    Thanks Cathy!

    And thank you for the extra sweet comment Vicki! I'd love to come down and visit again. I wholly expect to make it to this year's Shoptoberfest, I was bummed that I couldn't make it last year after initially planning on going.

  • rae replied 9 years ago

    Oh, what a cool necklace and clutch! I envy you being able to go sleeveless, and I love the play of all the stripes against one another. 

    Yeesh, got to remember to get me some of those earrings!

  • Day Vies replied 9 years ago

    Simple striking and beautiful. I love this!

  • Angie replied 9 years ago

    Killer

    You are fably dramatic the Aida-Way. 

    I would wear this look head to toe with my green specs instead of the necklace. Who made that wonderful frock? 

    Go Team Closed Shoes For Summer - it's just you, me and Inge. xo

  • Aida replied 9 years ago

    Thank you Rae, DV, and Angie!

    Angie, wow do we have a small team or what! I keep a few ultra casual sandals for beach/water stuff and camping, nearly all the rest have been passed on over the last couple of years. I would like an extra strappy nude/blush gladiator sandal for casual weekend wear and have been looking a few years, but the right pair hasn't come along so I'm starting to think it's just not meant to be. The dress was from an Ann Taylor outlet a couple years back, and has held up better than I'd expected; the jersey is just starting to show signs of wear, which makes me a bit sad! I shall just have to baby it even more than I already do ;)

  • dustt replied 9 years ago

    Aida - I found one that's close..... ordered today to see if I could pull off a similar look sans belt

  • Aida replied 9 years ago

    Ooh that looks like a great option Dustt, I'm crossing my fingers for you! And it has pockets :D

  • dustt replied 9 years ago

    yep I'm definitely team pockets!! cross your fingers - I'm not convinced that the vertical stripes will work - but I'm on a mission.....

  • Kristin L replied 9 years ago

    Great look! I like how you mixed the patterns in your dress and shoes. 

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