3-ring circus, or, fashion fail?

   I think I got overambitious with this outfit. Fun graphic tee + stripes! Layering! Tights + sneakers!  And make the sneakers not an unobtrusive neutral, but bright pink!

 Rebecca Beeson long-sleeve tee (Costco, old)

   "The Day the Fire Brigade Went on Strike" tee (Threadless)

   striped skirt and tights (F21)

   Puma sneakers

    After examining my tights + sneakers pins more closely, I realized that I COMPLETELY missed how simplicity made the look work. Solid tops and bottoms and a restrained color palette, by and large, kept things simple and fresh. My favorite is the third: I think the drapey pink dress is so cute!

                                                                                          Source: chictopia.com via Carrie on Pinterest

  

  

  

                                                                                       Source: teenvogue.com via Carrie on Pinterest

                                                                                           Source: chictopia.com via Carrie on Pinterest

I did marginally better reproducing this cute, cozy and simple look from What Would a Nerd Wear.

                                                                                         Source: bloglovin.com via Carrie on Pinterest

  

   

DKNY cable sweater hoodie (Macy's, old)

    I think this outfit would have worked better with a plain black shirt -- it would have made the outfit less busy and accented the pink sneakers. In the meantime, I'm adding a pair of simple black sneakers to my wish list ...

Try-it-out Tuesday: putting cute in its place

   Recently Carol of In Pursuit of Pretty Things wore an outfit that included a Jedidiah tee, accompanied by the question: is there an age cutoff for cute graphic tees?
    My closet does include a handful of Threadless, Yoshitomo Nara, and Jedidiah tees, and I wondered whether they definitively need to be relegated to weekend grocery-store runs, or can venture out on occasion.
     I first channeled my inner 12-year-old mallrat (do people use that word anymore?) and paired the tee with skinny jeans.

"That night we talked about our dreams" design by Lim Heng Swee

     I decided to attempt to weight the scale toward sophisticated instead of cute by swapping out the skinnies for trouser jeans. I then added a turquoise jacket purchased a while back but never worn yet (say hello to closet orphan #3).

     Disclaimer: I know that fuchsia does NOT match everything. :) Plus I realize that a skinny belt does look silly sliding around a trouser jean's substantial waistband.
     The last touch was adding a heeled shoe because these trouser jeans, despite their petite fit, are still a little long on me. (I know you really can't see the shoes, but I ran out of time.)

     Verdict: I just don't think this works. I don't like the tucked-in shirt, although the tee's slouchy fit and jacket's cropped length made it necessary. I think the pair-it-with-a-jacket strategy might work, though, and I plan to see how my other tees and jackets look together.
      If you've got some constructive criticism, please leave me a comment! I'd love to hear your honest opinion about this outfit and whether I need to put the rabbits on house arrest. ...