Copycat Style: July 2021
Pleated Skirt + Denim Jacket
Happy day, reader dearest!
It’s a new week here Chez Closet Play, and things are looking up. A little less writing is meaning more time for the people in my immediate world, and that is just what I need right now! Thank you to all who responded so very graciously to my post last week about my schedule change. You are a lovely group and I am blessed to have you as readers!
Consider yourselves blessed.
You know how sometimes you throw something out into the world, and it takes on a life of its own? These Copycat Style posts are a bit like that… I wrote the first heading into the Christmas season about using Pinterest (or other looks) to springboard your own style, by taking a look and making it work for you.
Then in January of 2020, I made doing a Springboard or Copycat Look monthly one of my Style Resolutions. And 2020 happened. Fortunately, that resolution didn’t rely on anyone but me, my closet and Pinterest! Not only was it a resolution I could keep; it turned into one of your favorite posts each month! (I think everyone was looking for some distraction and make-do-with-what-ya-got, which is what Copycat Style is ALL about!)
Each month I find some Pinspiration and figure out how to make it mine…
What does July’s Inspo look like?
Even better: They play with my summer color obsession…
What elements bind these looks?
Blue pleated skirt. Denim Jacket. Loose and casual hair. (On two. I don’t know about our headless friend on the right!)
What elements do I prefer from each?
I love the polish of the middle look AND the attitude of Ms. Headless: the extra fade on the jacket, the mutiple heavy chains. Both speak to me. The rolled jacket cuffs of the first and last looks are definitely my jam!
What do I not want?
The sneakers or the short boots! (Does anyone else call them sneakers?) Tennis shoes feel clunky on my feet and not only is it too hot for boots, they shorten the leg. Mine are short enough as it is! I don’t have a white tee with anything pithy written on it, so that’s out. Note to Self: Ponder if it is time to find a white tee with a saying I can get behind… I’ll leave the belt of the middle look behind. Also too hot. If I revisit this look for Fall/Winter, a belt and boots sound great!
Note (AGAIN) to Self: It may be time to revisit some of these Copycats and restyle them for a different season. Think about that. (If I don’t write things down, I don’t remember them…)
What do I own to work with?
I stir in my Summer Capsule Wardrobe and pull out my denim jacket and the blue pleated skirt. Good thing, too! I haven’t worn it yet, and that’s why I searched blue pleated skirt outfits on Pintererst. The navy cami hangs with my Special Occasion Capsule. (Which certainly hasn’t seen much wear this past year. I’m hopeful…) Since neither of the shoes in the inspo looks made me happy, I grabbed my snake sandals. Any sandals would have worked with this all neutral look! I’m trying something else next time. Maybe my floral sandals? Blush? Red? It depends on the texture of the day!
If a classic trucker jacket doesn’t work for your shape, don’t despair! Here are a few tips!
How did it turn out?
I like it! And I didn’t wear it… I opted for the striped tee instead. LOL! The higher Value Contrast and light touch near my face is better for my coloring. I want to wear this cami and skirt combo out for a date with Mr. CP… Now to get that on the calendar! Dining al freco?
AND: (Because I couldn’t resist…)
When I put the Which would you choose? question to the Instagram community last week, the striped tee look ran away with the votes! Landslide for team tee. The poor cami only garnered a few.
For a closer look at the deets I wore with both:
This look was ALL about the #accessories. I grabbed a silver multichain collar/statement necklace to pair with a hematite necklace that looks like studs and my cross on a black ball chain. I forgot all about the pins on my jean jacket… The marcasite pin was my grandmother’s, those are her intitials, ETO. The claddagh brooch was a gift from my aunt. As for other deets? I neglected to grab a bag. I wasn’t going anywhere, so the bag slipped my mind. Forget a bag? That is not at ALL like me…
How About You?
Do you wear a denim jacket? If not, don’t worry! It may seem like everyone does, but that doesn’t mean it works for you! What do you call sport style shoes? Tennis shoes? Trainers? Sneakers? Plimsolls? Athletic shoes? Keds? (I know that’s a trademark, but it’s also a generic, like Kleenex.) Which look above would you opt for? The cami? Or the tee? Neither? Do you wear statement tees? What does your favorite say? Logo tees? What kind of bag would you pair with the cami outfit? How about the tee combo? Do tell? I love to hear where your inspiration takes you…
Stylishly yours, XO
10 Comments
Amy
Love the striped tee…I have a white/navy striped tee that I love. As far as the shoes, I now just call them athletic shoes since there are so many types.
Liz K
Another vote for the striped tee! It’s far and away the winner. Athletic shoes works! Sort of? I’ve been eyeing a pair of heeled ones. NOT athletic!
Sally in St Paul
The cami version would be great for a date night, but I agree with the majority that I would personally opt for the striped T version. I think the striped T version would be very cute with a relatively sleek sneaker like classic Keds or Supergas, but that’s not a look I can pull off easily; I’d stick to ballet flats with their lower vamp (I don’t wear sandals).
On terminology…I grew up with “tennis shoes” used for all these shoes in Oklahoma, but at some point I adopted “sneakers” as a more general term. I had long been displeased with “tennis shoes” as the catch-all term because most “tennis shoes” are not tennis-appropriate court shoes (I knew that from my dad being an extremely active tennis player), but I didn’t know an alternative word (what did we do before the Internet?). I think I was influenced by a co-worker from upstate NY to adopt “sneakers.”
I find a denim jacket (which I grew up calling “jean jacket”) warm for the summer, so I opt for a lighter weight chambray or denim shirt as a topper instead. (I’m sure there are lighter weight denim jackets too, but the two I have are heavier for use when things cool down.)
The only T I have with words says “I’m late for a very important date” (from Alice in Wonderland). But I have a few graphic Ts with an image in the center. I would pick the one with a lop rabbit in a beret to wear in this outfit. (What’s that you said about the importance of personality, Liz? It trumps everything? Oh good! That’s definitely at work in my wardrobe, haha!)
Liz K
I don’t pull off sneakers well with skirts, either, Sally! Thank you for sharing your history with the terminology! Language fascinates me. No matter what you call them, they feel too clunky and just not right on me. The whole running (look) shoes with everything trend has gone right past me. Maybe I’m too compartmentalized? Running shoes are for running. I don’t want to feel like I’m running all day. Give me a little less rush and a little more gentility! As for jean jackets? Mine is so worn thin that it now qualifies as lightweight…
carolkarl
I love this. I’ve been wondering about a pleated skirt for ages. Does a pleated skirt work for an H shape?
Liz K
It certainly can! H-shape styling would be better with the top out rather than tucked.
NATALIE K
Liz, Great post!! Pray your mom is doing ell! I really love this look ith the stripe tee so much more!! Plus, for me I ould be unilling to remove my jacket all day!! Too hot for that around here!! I have a dark blue jean jacket and I have never orn it!! I ill spend some time styling it closer to autumn! I would LOVE for you to do some styling for hot fall season!! This is one category I need to ork on for my on sanity!!
Liz K
Thank you for your prayers, Natalie! They are appreciated. Your w’s have gone missing again! I don’t have a bra that works for spaghetti straps, so that means jacket stays on for me, too. That’s one reason to chalk that look up for date night. All the restaurants are so highly air conditioned (Blessing.) that I always need a topper of some kind. I have one or two posts about styling for hot fall seasons. Sounds like it’s time for another come September! Thank you for the suggestion!
Sarah
I love the look with the striped tee, for all the reasons you mentioned. Love this look, just haven’t managed to find the right long skirt.
I own one statement tee, from the final tour of the late, great Tom Petty. My husband and I were fortunate to see him perform at the Hollywood Bowl about a week before TP’s untimely death. Heartbreaker, indeed.
They are all tennis shoes to me!🤷🏼♀️
I hope your mom’s health is improving!
Liz K
I bet that concert was amazing! I would treasure that tee; what a loss. All tennis shoes, check! Mama’s progress is slow but steady. Thank you for asking. Another vote for stripes, noted!