Dark And Denim: Style In Tune With The Streets

So without intending to, I have a bit of a series going across my blogs posts. I would call it the "What I Haven't Worn" series, where I discuss various clothing items that I bought with full intention to wear regularly, but ended up sitting in my closet and are now being worn and featured in my content. That's the case with the sweater in my last blog, the overalls a couple of posts before that one, and then the pink leather jacket a few posts before that one.  Like many people, I do have a tendency to buy things that catch my eye and demand to be added to my closet. And then as a result of a season change or lack of creativity, they end up unworn for months or years at a time. 

That highlights how blogging has been a really good hobby for me. It has challenged me to think about my clothes differently and encourages me to figure out how I can diversify my outfits. And living in New York certainly helps, because now I have a full range of seasons that can support my exploration in style - living in Florida was limiting with there really only being 1.5 seasons. So far this Winter, it has been fun playing around with wearing different coats and layering my clothes in new and stylish ways. Lately, the weather has been getting less chilling and more Fall-like - which is the perfect opportunity to exercise some street style and rock my long-neglected denim jacket. 

Letting My Jacket Thrive 

I bought this jacket, hmmm, I would say about a year or so ago. Living in Florida at the time, I didn't really find a practical time to wear it, but I had always wanted to. When I was doing test shoots during my modeling portfolio development, I tried incorporating it into one of the looks, but it was more like an accessory than a statement piece. So I decided that it needed its time to shine this season, and I have been so glad that the weather here in the city has been so accommodating. I feel really nice wearing this jacket - I obviously love fitted pieces. Growing up I found jean jackets uncomfortable and constraining, so never wore them. This jacket is surprisingly not uncomfortable - I wouldn't say completely comfortable, but it by no means makes for a regrettable outfit experience. I can confirm that it is a #GameChanger. 

Dark Street Style 

Another thing that I found annoying about jean jackets was how kind of challenging it is to match them with jeans (pants). Unless you go with the standard blue jean (you know, the ocean blue or like somewhat middle blue color), it's not always easy to find an exact match. Fortunately in this case, because the jacket is a darker blue, it actually paired quite nicely with some black jeans. You know I love a dark or black look, so this combo was not hard to style. From the boots, to the scarf, to the beanie, this is quite honestly one of favorite street style looks. It's sleek, masculine and highly coordinated. But again, it's simple - which is how some of the best outfits usually are. 

The Right Combo 

I've been huge on the scarves lately, and raving about how flexible they are. Same story with the jacket. If you open the jacket, and completely unwrap/untie the scarf, you give the outfit a much more relaxed feel. Huge fan of overall versatility in an outfit - but that conveys the importance of bringing together the right pieces. While not as obvious, the boots that I'm wearing are actually rather versatile as well. I featured a detail shot of them in my Powerful in Pink blog, and as you'll notice, each boot has a zipper on either side of it. Depending on how you zip the boots, they can bring a few different touches to the look - in this case I wore them only half zipped, which is my favorite presentation. Takeaway: strong fashion is flexible. 

Prince of the Streets

I kid you not, I literally felt like such a boss in this outfit. Just another testament to how powerful a good fit can be. I do have to say, and I feel like I have discussed this before, but I don't always like to go with the trends. I happen to be trendy, but that's not always a result of actively following trends. But this street style wave that everyone is riding and indulging in is pretty sweet. Street style is looking quite sophisticated these days, so I am not opposed to rocking a popular fashion style, especially if it can make me feel as confident and well-put together as it does.