Styling Denise

I am by no means a style expert. I would actually say that I am the exact opposite. I do not "style" my clothing. I throw on whatever happens to be available, I rarely match but it works for me. I guess that is my style. Lately though, I've been thinking more about it. With Bryan's album coming out soon and my journey with weightloss, I've been trying to figure out what to wear and how to wear it. I also have to reconcile the fact that sometimes what I love, fashion wise, is not exactly something I can wear. It doesn't "fit" me as a person or my personality in general.

Denise, from The Lovely Bohemian, and I were chatting about this exact topic and she came up with a brilliant idea! She suggested we do a collaborative blog post styling each other. I loved the idea (as intimidating as it is!) and we jumped on in.

We settled on doing three detailed looks.

Denise's Style

This category is to show an outfit that I think Denise would pick out herself and wear. I chose this dress from Free People. Denise is really into the gypsy, bohemian style of clothing and the first place I went to was Free People. They have so many different dresses I could have chosen that I think Denise would wear, but this one really grabbed my attention. I love the high neckline with that drop in the back. It's slightly tailored which fits Denise's frame. It's comfortable and perfect for a day at the beach or to go thrifting in. I also love that it would show off her shoulder tattoo - it's of birds and says 'It is well with my soul.' It's so pretty!

This outfit doesn't need much to be styled. I could see Denise putting her hair in a side pony tail with really natural make up, just like this look from Elizabeth Olsen. Really effortless but totally gorgeous. 

As for accessories, I kept it simple with these shoes from Free People and these earrings from Etsy for a subtle pop of color. I thought this ring, also from Etsy, provided a nice touch to the whole look..  

Since we are being uber detailed, I thought using these NCLA nail wraps in Summer of Love would just tie everything together really nicely:

Denise's Natural Look

This was tough for me. I feel like you can interpret Denise's natural look a few ways. She definitely is a big sweetie-pie. We all know that there is the Girl Next Door type, but I think she falls into more of the Guy's Best Friend category. She'll talk and be friends with pretty much anyone. She loves to laugh and joke around. She's just the right mix of girly and tomboy. I decided to go with a really casual outfit.  

A nice printed t-shirt from gypsywarrior.com, Express skinny cropped pants and a comfortable pair of sandals from Rockport that are bright blue! Denise loves colorful things, so pairing this outfit with bright accessories was the way to go. That's why I chose these three pieces from Forever 21. I skipped a necklace in favor of a handchain, then added a ring and earrings to complement the whole look. 

She typically doesn't wear anything on the wrists, but I think the subtle femininity of a handchain would suit her and overall, this look is comfortable and effortless. It could take her anywhere. Adding curled hair and natural makeup (like on the Express model below) would complete the look and would be perfect for a casual coffee date or shopping in Venice! 

For the manicure, keeping it simple and clean would be perfect. Like this but with gold accents: 

Megan's Choice

This category is all about ME! What I think would look good on Denise, maybe that would push her outside her comfort zones - literally! Denise is all about comfort and going with the flow. I wanted to create a look that was a little bit more glam and a lot more retro girly.

So I chose the 1950s housewife. Think Madmen. 

This is WAY outside of Denise's comfort zone, but I totally think she could pull it off. 

I started with this Green dress from Modcloth. With this dress, I definitely see her hair up, which is perfect because she'd have to wear these gold earrings, also from Modcloth, to set off that dress. For shoes, I decided to stick with Modcloth and grab these gold, sparkly heels. Keeping hair simple and makeup fresh and a tad smokey like Jennifer Lawrence, the look would be completed.

Oops, I lied. I like to think that every prim and proper 1950s housewife had a little wild-side that was saved only for the husband. I believe these because the 1950s were all about undergarments, so I had to include one. Embarrassing for Denise, but I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't include it. Can't have a 50s outfit without it. This one is from agentprovocateur.com.

For the manicure, I would try to do a little bit of contrast or maybe incorporate all the colors? This nail art is so pretty! 

That's all folks! Let me know what you think about my outfits. Be kind...remember, I've never done this before! Did I get anything really wrong? Then head over to Denise's blog to read about the outfits she picked for me!