Last week I showed you the first outfit I shot on location that featured 3 colours and 1 print, which was part of my dressing challenge. This is my second outfit that is more colourful than the first, but which unfortunately has one major styling error. You see, I never intended my shirt to be so far open and for my singlet to show underneath. Unfortunately, I forgot to close my blouse properly at home and once you are ‘in the field’ there are no mirrors, so I was completely oblivious to the fact that my blouse was undone.
Add to that, that I forgot to put my blouse over my blazer a lot of the time and you end up with a lot of less-than-perfect pictures. It’s a real shame because I really love the pictures themselves which were skillfully taken by photographer Juha. So please look at these photographs and pretend that my blouse is more closed. The whole outfit would look a lot less messy and my neck and chest would not be so bare. I had decided against a necklace since the double collars of blazer and blouse made the whole area busy enough already.
Regular readers will regonise these pants as coming from my affordable bright colours wardrobe capsule. They are sporty and funky and not always the easiest to style. But inspired by my own challenge, I was determined to create one dandy chic outfit (which was the theme for my shoot) to featuring a strong colour. After a bit of ‘playing’ with the items in my wardrobe, I discovered that this silk polkadot blouse was perfect to combine with these pants AND my new Opening Ceremony booties!
Dandy chic calls for a hat as well and although I would have loved to combine this outfit with a cream hat with a coloured ribbon, my grey hat works well too. You will recognise the cream blazer from my last year’s christmas outfit, when I travelled to cold Holland.
This same outfit can also be combined with my black CK Calvin Klein jacket I showed you last week.
I still love my Zara hat, even though I don’t get to wear it so often as it’s really too hot for Singapore.
And I love my Opening Ceremony booties with this outfit which prove that they look just as nice with a casual chic outfit as they do with a more formal chic outfit that I wore to French couture week.
I had a lot of fun choosing and photographing these outfits, even though it was way too hot to wear 3 layers in Singapore outside at 11 am!
How about you, have you been having fun choosing and wearing your clothes this weekend?
A big thank you to Juha for the photographs! Juha Sompinmäki is a professional photographer specialising in portraiture, weddings as well as corporate and commercial photoshoots. He is originally from Finland (no polar bears, yes Santa Claus) but speaks English like a super chinaman.
Want to get more articles from 40+style in your inbox, subscribe here.
You can also connect with 40+style on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Support 40+style by using the links in our articles to shop. As an associate for Amazon and many other brands, we receive a small commission (at no cost to you) on qualifying purchases which enables us to keep creating amazing free content for you. Thanks!
I had to spend time looking at that outfit to notice all the different features of it e.g. spots on the blouse, interesting shoes, hat etc. Normally I can look at one of your outfits and generally get it all in one glance but this required more concentration. I think, for me, because it is what I would call “fussy”. It is a lovely outfit, and very interesting, and I quite like it with the darker jacket and hat because it makes it look more dramatic. Lovely as it is, I do prefer you with skirts/dresses and less fussy. But in saying that, the colours in it are terrific and do look good on you.
Nice analysis Petra. I get what you mean…
Love the outfit! The bright green pants look perfect with the cream blazer and the sheer blouse. Very nice outfit!
Hi Sylvia, I love the looks but most of all – I love the hat! I’ve read the other comments and know I’m not alone in loving it – it really sets off the fun look. Also, I’m sure you don’t need me to point out that if you hadn’t pointed out the “errors” in the styling, no-one would have noticed. Unfortunately, us ladies are very good at pointing out the errors. I think you look great, and the slightly more open blouse than you intended looks wonderfully feminine and alluring! Well done 🙂
Hi Sylvia, I personally like the lighter look paired with the green pants. It looks better
and more refreshing on you. The last look with the black blazer would have worked better with a darker top and perhaps a bit shorter one 🙂 But I really like that you’re showing different styling possibilities with the same clothing items 🙂
Please visit my new blog 30something which I think can also be interesting for your readers as well. Many more looks to come soon 🙂
I love the dandy look and you pull it off with panache. I see no flaws, but instead a casual beauty. I love the details on the hat and the photos are artful. Stunning!
thanks Judith!
Sylvia – you look fab in these photos! I have a pair of green skinny jeans and I am surprised how much I use them.
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
They should get a lot more use even now with green being the colour of the year!
Sylvia- you look stunning- you cut quite a good dandy! I love how bright pops of cool color (I think yellow, greens and blues) are now becoming what I consider your signature style. Those shoes are the bomb, and you exude chic and confidence.
Yes Bella, it’s been quite a change from a year ago. I’m really embracing colour now!
I like the shoes a lot and the green pants.
Thanks Sue!
I think all photos are perfect. So are all your outfit combinations. I do not have a preference. And I get what you mean with the blouse buttoned up. You have this picture in your head and feel disappointed if it does not turn out that way. Like the others I have no problem with the “open” blouse, but I also have no fantasy to imagine how it would look like the way you intended it.
The shoes are fabulous with this outfit. I will try and copy you somehow hahaha.
I also like the green very much and the sheer and the polka dots.
What I always find a bit of a shame with sheer tops though is the fact that you see the where the layer underneath it ends. Is that just me?
I think I am going to ask a private photographer and a stylist for my birthday for lots of shoots. My compliments to Juha. He is good!
I think that is part of the charm of sheer. It gives you a more layered look, although you need to be careful though that it does produce a nice effect…
I agree with the other ladies that the open collar looks great. Your outfits are gorgeous and I especially like the bright green pants and the beautiful white shoes. You are a great model!
thanks Kathy!
Pantone says green (“Emerald”) is THE color for 2013 so you are ahead of the trend. 🙂 You should get a lot of wear out of those pants.
Your makeup in these pictures is gorgeous! Your eyes and lips are perfectly balanced. You are an inspiration. I have a new burgundy lipstick and a party on Wednesday so I will wear it in honor of you.
The shoes – To. Die. For. Those are the kind of shoes that can make an outfit. Love!
Wow, thanks Suzanne. As you know the colour of the year is featured today!
Here another fan of the open blouse, I would have done it on purpose, and I like the layers. So for me this look is like it should have been. And I am a hat person. I like both your hats, the one from Zara is my favourite. I think the close-up photo is one to put in a frame and a lovely christmas gift for your husband.
Thanks Marianne. I like the picture too, but I’m not sure it’s framable. The shadows around the eyes are very dark…
I also love the not too buttoned up look of the blouse, and the green and white is such a fresh color combination! I definitely prefer the white jacket, as I’ve never been to keen on pairing brights with black, for some odd reason;) And such a lovely close-up of your beautiful face!
Yes, I think prefer the cream jacket too. Funny how, you too, like the open blouse..
I absolutely love the happy accident of the open blouse! I prefer this with the black jacket, as I feel it helps to ground the brightness of the pants, which I so envy by the way…
Funny how most of you seem to like that (way too) open blouse. Good thing I posted the pictures!
I love all the layering you did in this outfit, and I love those green pants and shoes.
Thanks Marla. Yes, I think these shoes work really well with these pants..
Oh my gosh! Sylvia, what are you talking about? I like a little layered pick-a-boo look….so chic! “Planned disheveled” is what I call it. 🙂
You look SO fabulous in these outfits! I think it’s one of my favorites! And, it doesn’t have anything red!
haha Jeannie. Funny that you like the messy look! No red was on purpose. I realised I have worn it too much lately. Time for something new. So my bright colour HAD TO be something else than red!
I think since you have the cami on underneath, the blouse opening looks fine. I’d have never noticed if you hadn’t mentioned it. Love the colors and the concept. Personally, I can’t really pull off wearing a blouse longer than a jacket/sweater. Since I’m petite, it makes me look shorter, or like my blouse is too big. I try to get blouses that are about the same length as my jackets, cardigans, pull-over sweaters.
I guess I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. It was not the look I wanted, but of course happy that you still like it. I don’t like these pants so much with tops tucked into them and like the casualness of having the blouse over the pants. The high heels allow me to do that. Of course I wanted to balance that out with a properly buttoned blouse and a neat collar which didn’t quite work out…
Yes, the shoes look great! I’m not a “tucker” either. I like my tops to overlap enough so that if I lift my arms, I’m not exposing my belly. 🙂
Love your hat and your legs look 1000 miles long~ great look.
Thanks Paula. Those (really) high heels do help!