Accidentally In Love

The Accidental Icon wrote a post recently in which she described layering as sculpting with garments. I love that idea! I am not at all creative or artistic but I really appreciate the beauty and individuality that can be created through layering. Deborah on Stylish Murmurs layers to perfection and I think she has really influenced me to see the potential of the style.

One of my most frequently worn items this summer has been a sheer tunic that is used only for layering. I have been astonished at how versatile it has proven to be, given that it is too sheer to be worn on it's own. I have already shown it on this blog worn under a strappy top, but here I am also layering it with other sheers to give volume and opacity.

 Tunics:Nicola Waite

Skirt: Dogstar

Vest :Dogstar

Necklace:FrankIdeas

You may also recognise the woollen vest I am wearing. One of the fun aspects of being flat-chested is that it is sometime possible to wear clothing items back-to-front to achieve a different look. I like the trapeze shape created by wearing wider pieces on my bottom half and keeping things sleek at the top and wearing the vest like this gives a smooth, straight line down the front.

As you can see, reversing the vest also gives an interesting drape and flow to the back and side of the outfit. This is an off-duty look for me; it is not structured or simple enough for me to feel comfortable wearing it to work. I enjoy having a more interesting, arty style on my days off. It feels a bit like having a secret identity and for a non-creative like me, it is as close as I come to beauty.

Are you a fan of layers? And have you tried reversing your clothes?

Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows

Underneath Your Clothes

The warmer weather is here, to my infinite relief and I have been sorting through my clothes from last season. I still really like almost all of them, so one of the challenges I have set myself is to find new ways to wear them. You may remember this top from last summer - I loved the strappy style, but struggled with the fear of scar exposure. I ultimately found a work-around with fashion tape. This season I have found another solution, and one that I feel really happy with.

                                                   Tunic: Nicola Waite
                                                   Camisole:ScanlanTheodore
                                                   Shorts: Country Road
I bought this sheer tunic as a layering piece to wear over shorts. I figured it would minimise skin exposure whilst still giving me the coolness and airflow of exposing my legs. Happily, I discovered that it also works for strappy tops. The high neck and close fit means I can be confident that I am not showing the world my chest, whilst the light style still looks summer-y and cool and feels comfortable to wear.

 Sheer and lacey garments seem to be trending at the moment - I am seeing a lot of sheer skirts with opaque linings that end above the knee, so I am happy to have found another way to make this look work for me.

Have you restyled any of your garments from last season?

Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira