Guest Post: Merrick's Art

Hi there! I'm Merrick from Merrick's Art and I'm so thrilled to be over here on Kristina J while she's gone to South Africa! 
Thank you for having me, Kristina!

A few weeks ago, on my blog, I posted about filling your closet with versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched to make endless interesting outfits. One that I specifically mentioned was the favorite Little Black Dress (LBD) -- a very versatile piece that probably all of you own.

I have several LBD's, some fancy, some more casual. The one I want to show you today is kind of in the middle, but I can change the entire look of the dress, making it either very casual or very dressy, and all very not-boring, by adding a few key pieces. Check it out.

Here's the dress by itself (cute, but snoooooze):

dress: downeast basics

By adding a few basic pieces, the LBD is drastically changed into five very different outfits.

Let's break it down:  
 
1. Casual  
 The way to casualize any dressy item is to pair it with something much more casual. By wearing a simple, striped t-shirt underneath the dress (which I think is a very casual layering style), I added a pop of pattern without going overboard. A pair of casual boots or flats continues to keep the outfit simple and understated. And finally, a top knot and minimal or no jewelry will keep your outfit super casual.

2. Sophisticated  
 For this outfit, I wanted to create the illusion of a shift dress, which I think is pretty sophisticated. I paired it with a simple collared button up (layered underneath), and a blazer (a nice cardigan would work just as well). Pretty, but conservative shoes, simple and sophisticated jewelry, and a snazzy pair of specs (hopefully yours are cuter than mine) make this a pretty, sophisticated look.


3. Funky  
 Nothing says funky to me like two crazy colors paired together. Here, I chose mustard and fuschia, and then added a pop of pattern with some edgy leopard print. To keep the outfit funky, rather than crazy and weird, I chose some fun, but more subtle wedges. I also went light on the jewelry to avoid going overboard.


4. Feminine  
 In my opinion, you can't do "feminine" without lace, bows, or pearls. I incorporated all three with a little lace poking out the bottom, a big polka dot bow at the neck, and a stack of pearl bracelets on one arm. Pretty earrings, curled hair, red lips, and black heels make this a timeless feminine outfit.


5. Dressy 
Because this LBD is leaning more toward the casual side, I needed to pair it with something very fancy so they met in the middle and ended up "dressy."  A gorgeous velvet blazer was the perfect piece, and it immediately ups the dressiness factor. Because the blazer is so dressy, I paired it with understated jewelry -- one diamond tennis bracelet (fake!) and simple crystal and pearl dangly earrings. Just to make the outfit a bit more dressy, I threw on some black fishnet tights. Then with a simple up-do, an easy smokey-eye, nude lips, and patent leather black heels, this semi-casual LBD is suddenly ready for a special night out.

. . . . .

All of the clothing items I added to the LBD in these five outfits are pretty standard pieces that most of you probably have sitting in your closet right now. Wearing each of the pieces by themselves can be pretty boring -- learning how to put them together and creating different interesting looks is how you express your personality through your clothing, have fun with your clothes, and make one piece work a million different ways; and that's the name of the game. Now go start playing!