Back to Basics

Even though the astronomical calendar says we still have over a month of summer, the academic calendar couldn't agree less. Out here in the steamy midwest some kids have already headed back to school next week and freshman will start showing up on campus in just over a week. I'll be teaching two intro-level classes when the semester officially starts in two weeks, so there's no time like the present to get back to basics.

My major, and ongoing, fashion goal is to build a lean, mean wardrobe of basic pieces, and there's nothing more basic than a white blouse and black pants. However, I've shied away from this pairing because I feared it fell on the wrong side of the basic-boring divide. And I didn't want to look like a caterer. But in my ongoing attempt to learn to make magic with basic pieces, I decided to give it a try. The oversized eyelet of the blouse has enough going on to keep things interesting and the black bangle makes the black and white combination look a bit more intentional. A swipe of red lipstick perk things up, too.

While this is a good first attempt, I can't say I'm totally happy with this outfit. The pants are a bit too small and the top is a bit too short, leading to a less than flattering look around my midsection. I probably won't wear this exact outfit again, but I do want to keep trying to create interesting outfits out of very basic elements.

blouse: Banana Republic Factory [similar sleeveless version on sale] | pants: LOFT | shoes: Target [exact] | bracelet: H&M