OUTFIT OF THE DAY – THAT 70s GIRL

When I was about 14-15 years old, I began to dislike flared jeans. This was during a time before skinny jeans were really a thing in the 2000s. I had seen some online from scene/emo teenagers my age and instantly wanted some because I was scene/emo at the time as well. For those who don’t know, scene is culture that is all about fashion and style but with a punk/emo flare (while emo is a subculture connected to music tastes). My young self considered it a perfect style, and I even wanted a lip ring at 15 since it was popular in that culture. My parents said no of course (lol). And I’m so glad they did because ultimately it was not meant for me to have (though I forever cherish the scene/emo/goth style because it was who I once was).

Anyways, I looked everywhere for a pair of skinny jeans (Nordstrom, Macy’s, Hot Topic, etc) and I could not find any. Back then a another popular term for them were cigarette jeans as well (since the pants leg were slim and shaped like a cigarette). I quickly gave up my journey as soon as it started of searching for my “Holy Grail” jeans after asking so many stores and coming up with nothing. I accepted my journey with flared jeans, until a couple months after I had seen a classmate I knew in high school walking to class with skinny jeans. I immediately walked up to her despite the busy traffic of students passing by to go to class and asked her where she got them. She had told me that she took regular jeans and had altered them herself to make them skinny. I was disappointed because I felt it was unattainable for me then. This was a point in my life where I had not even considered I wanted to pursue a career in fashion design and style. I had absolutely no idea how to sew and the idea of altering a pair of jeans just seemed so foreign to me so I disregarded the idea.

Skip to about a year or so later, my dream finally came true: skinny jeans became in fashion. I threw out all my flared jeans and vowed to never wear such a thing again. Skinny jeans and skinny pants were only going to be worthy of my attention, affection, and most of all–a place in my closet. This was around 2006 I want to say (if I remember correctly). Since then, I have always worn skinny jeans or pants, never straying from my mindset.

Fast forward to 12 years later (around 2018), I bought a pair of….*drum roll*….Flared jeans. It was a shock to me as it was to my friends. It was as if I had betrayed my own fashion manifesto. I will say though, my interest in flared jeans emerged from an interest in American 1970s culture and clothing. Also that year I just so happened to rewatch the tv series That 70s Show and instantly felt a yearning for a time that I wasn’t even in this world to experience.

I will say though that now that I am older I realized to not be so rigid in fashion. Why would I restrict myself from something that could potentially be beautiful if executed correctly? Since that purchase I vowed to be more open to experimenting in fashion. After all, why deprive yourself of unexpected joy by abstaining from taking a calculated risk?

Since then I did purchase some boot cut dress pants from Express during their 40% off everything sale so I was able to snag a couple of colors for a good price (For reference: I’m 5’4″ and I bought them in size “short”). I wanted some quality dress pants but didn’t want to break the bank for them. I was definitely satisfied with how they looked when they came in the mail and how they looked on me. So as you all can see I have accepted a wider trouser leg in my life.

Though despite this new change in me, I definitely have more progress to acquire when it comes to jeans and pants that aren’t skinny. I prefer to wear neutral colored blouses with them, especially white. I feel like the outfit looks to weird to me otherwise (aside from denim on denim of course–I’m working on this bias though). Sometimes one can be afraid of color when venturing to new fashion styles and that’s ok. That’s why I recommend sticking to black, white, grey, or dark blue when trying something new. This is the rule I would stick by in the past, but now I am a bit more lax with certain new things I try.

Now onto the look itself! The Topshop button up I actually found on sale at Nordstrom for $20 when it was originally around $60 dollars. Who could pass up a good deal like that? The jeans however were not on sale. I will say though, do not invest in flare jeans if it isn’t going to be something you will constantly wear. It seems pointless to buy something you won’t wear unless you have the budget to spend on statement pieces that you pull out of your closet to wear based on a whim. For me, flared jeans are not something I wear much, but the cut and color of the flare jean Im wearing was so perfect, I had not seen a flare jean that was able to give my body that sophisticated beautiful silhouette I craved for with this aesthetic. Also, it made me look tall so I felt it would be the perfect piece to invest in.

The shoes I bought in 2017 during the Nordstrom sale in June. They were over 60% off and I managed to grab my size. And to top off the outfit, I used my Louis Vuitton bag and tied my Gucci silk scarf around the handles since the design helped add to my 70s vibe look. The scarf was a sale find on Italist in December 2019. It was my Christmas gift from my family and my first designer scarf. I had admired the floral design from Gucci for many years and was finally able to get an item from them that showcased it.

With a denim on denim look you can pick almost any accessories you want to go with it. It’s like a blank canvas. You can add a classic approach or go with a statement. This type of look really allows you to venture outside the box and use different accessories to make the outfit stand out. I like using statement earrings, a hair accessory, or a scarf (or 2 of the 3 together). I picked a statement earring for this look so I decided instead of wearing the scarf on my neck, I would put it on my bag. Placement is key in order to achieve harmony in this art we call fashion.

Overall it is best to either pick a denim top and bottom that are the same hue completely, or slightly different. It is possible to use two completely different hues of denim for a look, multiple even. However, it really depends on the look you are trying to portray, the quality and drape of the denim, and the design of the garments. For example an avant garde or color block design denim look can get a little crazy yet still look well put together and fashionable. For regular looks, I have found that light denim looks good with a medium wash denim (white denim goes well with these two and any color combination really). This is speaking of blue denim of course. Though my opinion is a bit biased since I don’t like dark denim washes. But, I will say medium washes can look good with dark washes, depending on the garment design. And then of course white denim looks great with any wash.

And! When it comes to flare jeans, I would recommended paying for a quality designer pair, preferably from FRAME Denim if you want that perfect silhouette, and also because I can’t vouch for the quality of the silhouette of other brands. However, I picked the choices below based on how the jeans looked on the model. It doesn’t make sense to purchase a garment that you will have to tailor to achieve the silhouette you want because you’re still going to end up spending more money in the end. Though if you’re going to tailor a Shein jean versus a FRAME jean, you will still save a lot of money so do what works for you and your body type! The beautiful thing about us women is that we all have different body shapes and sizes so what might not work for me will work for you. Whatever jean you choose, just make sure you decide if you want your jeans to drag on the floor or not. My jeans drag on the floor sometimes depending on the movement of my legs. I decided not to shorten the hem because I wanted my jeans to cover my feet completely.

OUTFIT DETAILS —

Gold Chunky Square Door Knock Earrings – Pretty Little Thing

Topshop Denim Button Up – Nordstrom

FRAME High Waisted Flared Jeans – Nordstrom

Jimmy Choo Platform Sandal Heel – Nordstrom

BB Alma Bag in Color Amaranth – Louis Vuitton

Gucci Floral Scarf – Italist

GET THE LOOK FOR LESS —

DENIM TOPS

TRF Denim Shirt – Zara

Levi’s Essential Western Top in Color Going Steady – Revolve

Levi’s Essential Wester Top in Color Cool Out – Revolve

Citizen’s of Humanity Jules Slim Western Shirt – Revolve

Patch Pocket Button Top – Shein

Everyday Chambray Shirt – J Crew

DENIM BOTTOMS

Veronica Beard Flared Jeans – Neiman Marcus

SEVEN Mid Rise Flared Jeans – Nordstrom

FRAME Le High Flare Jeans in Color Columbus – Nordsrom

Le Pixie High Super Flare Pacifica – FRAME

Le High Flare Blanc – FRAME

Dr Denim Macy Flare – Revolve

Denim Super Flare Jeans in Color Pretty Blue – Free People

The Kingsley Flare Jean in Greed – Free People

Light, Medium, or Dark Wash Flare Jeans – Shein

High Waist Flare Leg Denim Jeans – Shein

High Waist Button Fly Flare Jeans in Light Wash – Shein

SCARVES

Leisure Blue Floral Scarf – Shein

Flower Pattern Bandana – Shein

Spade Flower Silk Scarf – Kate Spade

Unlock Your Heart Silk Scarf – Kate Spade

Shadow Floral Silk Square – Kate Spade

Gucci Scarf – Italist

SHOES

Sun + Stone Block Heel in Cognac Wood – Macy’s

Kensie Lanett Platform Sandal in Magenta – Macy’s

Chinese Laundry Theresa Platform Sandal in Luggage Faux Leather – Nordstrom (on sale now with Early Access to the sale, available to all on August 19th)

Ankle Strap Wood Sandal Heel in Brown – Shein

Ankle Strap Chunky Heel in Apricot – Shein

T-Strap Sandal Heels – Shein

BAGS

Patchwork Denim Clutch – Zara

Pendant Embossed Crossbody Bag – Zara

Neon Orange Bag – Shein

Red Chevron Crossbody Bag – Shein

Chain Decor Bucket Bag – Shein

Color Block Decor Bag – Shein

Kurt Geiger Mini Kensington Bag in Red – Nordstrom

Small Lee Radziwell Bag in Moose – Nordstrom

Versace Small Virtuous Bag in Orange – Cettire

And that’s all for today! Hope this post gave you your American 70s fix that you didn’t even know you needed!

Pollá efcharistó xoxo

Nadine