My Style >> Mixing It Up

I've always been a fan of mixing it up when it comes to fashion.  I really like the pattern mixing trend that's going on right now, and I think if it's done right, it can look very chic without being gawdy or overwhelming.  I also love mixing soft, feminine styles with harder, edgy pieces, and muted colors with bolder ones.  For this outfit, I may or may not have combined all of these things.  When I first looked at the pictures, I was like, "wow, there is a whole lotta mixin' going on here; maybe I overdid it."  But since each piece on its own had sort of a boho vibe, I think it worked.  My opinion is that if you're going to be integrating a lot of different elements into one look, the key is to keep the overall style the same.

I ended up wearing this out to see live music later that night (the same day we took the photos), and will likely wear it again to at least one of the festivals I attend this summer.  The outfit was all sorts of comfortable (and kind of perfect for dancing, even with the wedges), but I felt "put together" enough for it to be ideal for a casual night out.

This dress was actually a trade I did with a friend.  My closet is literally overrun with short dresses, but I've really been digging (and wearing) the maxi length lately.  My friend had just purchased this dress, and it was way too long for her.  I'd offered to hem it, and when I saw it in person, I just couldn't shut up about its awesomeness.  I mean, look at that print!  The cut is kind of amazing too, and the fabric is all drape-y and summery and perfect.  She declared that it was meant for me and I therefore had to keep it, but I told her no way, that we were going to fix it up for her as planned.  She insisted, so I told her I'd only agree if she picked out something of mine.  Thankfully, the plethora of short dresses crammed into my closet were right up her alley, and she ended up with something she really adored.  Don't you love it when things work out that way?!

The top was thrifted years ago, and despite the fact that there is now a fairly large hole in the arm from wear, I can't part with it.  The fabric is this really great loose-weave, gauzy cotton, and the muted floral print reminds of old farmhouse curtains.  It's my favorite.  It's ultra feminine, and I liked how the sweet flower print contrasted with the tribal print of the dress.

You might remember the stunning feather necklace that I gushed about in my 'Farms and Feathers' post last month.  It was given to be by the oh-so-lovely Laura of Roots and Feathers, and I wore it almost everyday (literally) for a good month.  It was officially my favorite necklace of all time.  This changed, however, when I received another package from Laura last week.  Now the feather necklace is my second favorite, because I am completely and utterly smitten with the arrow necklace (aka the 'Baswell' necklace; that's my last name!) that was beautifully wrapped up inside.  Laura told me that she designed it with me in mind, which pretty much made my whole year.  For someone I have never met in person (we initially 'met' through her amazing blog), Laura knows me and my style to a tee, and this necklace pretty much proves that.  I. Love. It.  She also sent me these gorgeous triangle earrings, also from her Roots and Feathers line.  Like the necklace, I am absolutely crazy about them, and have worn them incessantly since the moment they arrived. 

Both pieces of jewelry were perfect for the "mix it up" vibe I was going for with this outfit.  The metals and harder, geometric lines of the triangle shapes in the earrings and arrow pendant on the necklace were perfect for providing contrast with the soft, feminine fabrics of the dress and top.  At the same time, the wood and turquoise elements have the same bohemian feel as the clothing, which allowed everything to flow together and remain cohesive.  (And yes, I have been known to over think my outfit styling on occasion.  I like to blame it on the styling work I've done for bands, but in reality, I think it's just a weird, OCD-style quirk that comes along with designer brain.)

Can we talk about the shoes for a minute?  I mean, these shoes.  They're call the Terrabiza Sandal and they're from Blowfish and I want to snuggle up with them and whisper sweet nothings about how they're everything I've ever looked for in a shoe. The print (called 'Brown Belize Blanket') is a really cool tribal design, and I love how they found a way to mix such an earthy pattern with 3.5 inch wedges and all that strappiness.  It's like they extracted all of the very best parts of every type of sandal out there, stirred them up in a magic cauldron of goodness, sprinkled in a dash of comfort, and ended up with one glorious, goddess of a shoe.  In all seriousness, these truly are my favorite pair of shoes right now.  Best of all, they were exactly what I needed to put the final touch on my super-mix-it-up outfit.

Earrings and Necklace: c/o Roots and Feathers  //  Shoes: c/o Blowfish 
Top: thrifted // Dress: trade (originally from F21) // Bracelets: thrifted and gift // Ring: Vividot

Do you guys like to mix it up in your outfits?  Do you combine different pattens in one look?  Different textures?  Color schemes?  Tell me tell me!

P.S. You might notice that I'm carrying a yellow sweater in the second to last photo.  A mustard cropped cardigan to be exact.  I originally had on that very sweater, but decided at the last minute that it just wasn't mixin' it up enough.  So it got kicked out of the party, and floral cotton button-down stepped in.  It's still one of my favorites pieces of clothing (I've had it for 5 years), but it just couldn't keep up with the rest of the outfit this time.  Sorry cute little mustard cardi.  I still love you.