Three Ways: Sheer Black Blouse
May 3, 2011
This is a simple, classic look with the collarless, tweed jacket and the basic black pumps. I felt like I wanted to do pearls, but with the bag, they looked so fussy. Solution? Opalescent navy-colored pearls.
If you can’t afford the jacket (and at $526, who can?), buy a less expensive tweed jacket and add the trim. Some good quality ribbon and some fusible web and you’re in business. Another great trick? Buying a cheaper jacket and then having the buttons replaced with more expensive versions. Totally gives it a lift.
If you already have a black boyfriend jacket (or don’t want one), buy a white one. Thanks to Hollywood trendsetters like Zoe Saldana and Charlize Theron, white blazers are now seasonless. Yay!
Pair the top with a simple blazer, sequined pumps and skinny jeans for a rocking on the town look. And how awesome are those earrings? Edgy and fun with just the right amount of pop.
I wanted to try something a bit different here. Well, different for me anyway. So I paired the blouse with this bold skirt, a geometric bracelet from House of Harlow, a spectacular (and spectacularly affordable) clutch and some perforated booties.
Want to be really bold? Buy a flesh-colored NuBra and wear the blouse without a tank. What? I said it was bold (straight off the runway bold, that is). Just make sure not to wear it anywhere your boss or family will be.
I would go with replacing buttons over adding trim to a jacket, or at the least take the jacket and the trim to a tailor and have it applied by a professional.
Buttons are easy enough and unlikely to go on crooked, droop or peel off after wear or cleaning.