IL Moda Series: Blended

ALL IMAGES  Kimberly J Photography

Over the last year, I’ve grown to love texture! In my experimentation of moving away from just cotton, I’ve learned that creating a look that combines various textures can be sooo powerful. Now, I’m sure your question would be, “Well, I would try it, but I don’t know what textures and blends to put together?” Not to worry, because there aren’t any rules. You just have to be willing to try it and see what works best for you!

For the most part, I’m a 24/7 jeans kinda girl. Truth be told, I own like 4 pairs of jeans that I wear weekly.  So, I’m always looking for unique tops to change it up! As I mentioned in a previous post from the IL Moda Series, I love the unique variety that IL Moda has to offer. Not only do I find the trendy pieces, but I also find truly unique, one of kind pieces. When I laid my eyes upon this “blended” long sleeve tee, I just knew that I had to take it home. While I typically have my fashion imprint moments when I lay eyes on something that I MUST have, that was not the case for this piece. I think I subconsciously knew that it would present a little styling challenge for me and guess what? IT DID. I found myself torn, because the two different textures (i.e. the faux leather and the knit) were pulling me in different directions. I wanted to go with darker neutrals because of the black faux leather, but I also wanted to incorporate another bright/bold color to highlight the multicolor knit. Growing weary in my game of trial and error, I decided to solely focus on the two textures separately, rather than as one unit. You know, that moment when you’re trying wayyyy to hard and become frustrated. Yup, that moment. As soon as I gave each texture my undivided attention, I discovered that styling the look was significantly easier.

So, for starters, I focused on the multicolored knit. As I concentrated on the pattern, I noticed that it contained subtle hints of white. To make that color a bit more noticeable, I decided to go with a white jean. From there I was drawn to the subtle purplish hue, which led me to my favorite lipstick, Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Aria. And naturally, the blue hues within the top screamed for my blue gradient lens sunnies. Now, on to the faux leather. For some odd reason, I almost ALWAYS wear brown with faux leather. I’m not quite sure how that came about, but I absolutely love it. Since I was only left with adding shoes and a clutch, I went for my go-to Zara suede booties (adding another texture into the mix) and this beautiful Tohni Bekka clutch. I love the fact that the clutch is just a few shades lighter than the booties. Also, I should mention that the addition of brown makes the clay red color in the top more noticeable!

When you find yourself attempting to style various textures, just know that the struggle can be real. It isn’t always easy and even after you master it, you may find difficultly, just as I did. But don’t give up. I encourage you to focus on the various textures individually and allow them to speak to you. And by speak, I mean, allow them to guide you to the next color and/or texture : )

Get The Look Details: 

• Point Sweater c/o IL Moda (Contact IL Moda To Purchase)
• Tohni Bekka Clutch c/o IL Moda (Contact IL Moda To Purchase)
• American Eagle Jeans (OLD, Similar HERE)
• ZARA Puffer Jacket (OLD, Similar HERE)
• ZARA Suede Ankle Boots (OLD, Similar HERE)
• Ray Bans 
• LIPS: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick (COLOR: Aria)
• NAILS: OPI Holidaze

This post is kindly brought to you by IL Moda. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.