Hard to Style

I know it shouldn't feel this difficult, styling a flannel shirt. Maybe it's because I haven't really worn a true every day (not Christmas) flannel in ages. Maybe I'm overthinking it (highly likely). Whatever the reason, I have been having the hardest time styling this flannel shirt along with another plaid option. I do tend to buy a lot of clothes, yes, however, I have strict guidelines on what I bring in to my wardrobe. And this basic flannel? Of course there are a million things I can wear it with... so I thought. 

Sometimes it takes awhile for me to figure out how I want to style something new. That's why you'll never find me wearing all my new items right away. I want the high of the purchase to last longer, but also, I like to take my time adding things in - kind of like they've always just been there. But this flannel has stumped me. 

Thankfully, I saw a video from Allison Bornstein on how to style a difficult piece. I feel like this is something I have known, but have never articulated or had it articulated for me. She says when you have a difficult time styling a piece, you should think about styling against it or overcompensating. We tend to double down when styling something - if it's a girly piece, pairing it with something girly, if it's a preppy piece, pairing it with other preppy items. I know I do this, but I also love a mix (lace and leather - yes please!). While the images in the video were not helpful in creating my exact outfit, it showed me exactly what I needed. 

I needed to wear the opposite of the flannel shirt. This flannel shirt leaned towards western, casual, and preppy styles, which is how I was trying to style it. So, to go against it, I went with feminine pieces. A midi length pleated skirt. High heels with socks. Headband and red lip. Like, I am in love with this outfit. It works so well together and feels a bit unexpected which is something I appreciate in my outfits. This is a game changer for sure. Even with my pieces that are easy to style, I think this could be a really fun way to refresh my wardrobe and style new outfits. 

Shop the look here.