Monday Outfit: Give Me Color

Legacy influencer Julia Berolzheimer, the artist formerly known as Gal Meets Glam, was one of my first and favorite fashion follows. I adored her colorful, feminine style. It was so much bolder than mine, but always a good source of inspiration for adding a little something extra to every day outfits.

Over time, however, the pieces she recommends have become unattainable. I lack Hermes SA money, and the thought of spending high three figures, low four figures on every sweater and pair of pants in my closet gives me anxiety. This is sadly the tragic tale of many of the OG bloggers from the mid-aughts — they built a following and a bank account that no longer shops at the mall with the rest of us (but often wants us to believe that they stock their closet with Amazon Finds).

I have unfollowed and re-followed Julia so many times — torn between loving her style and feeling bashful about the price points she finds attainable for her audience. But sometimes, one of her outfits pops onto my Pinterest page, and well…I remember the good old days. This is one of those outfits.

Pants. Julia really breaks down the art of the three piece outfit — but for me, the star of the show here is the color palette — a fresh, feminine, unexpected mix of pastels and earthy neutrals. To recreate it, the pants should be the right shade of shell pink. I also love that the inspo photo mixes textures with a silk pant, but silk is not a great choice for a woman with a toddler, and they would make this outfit a gajillion dollars.

Instead, I chose these shell pink suit pants from Argent. A heavier weight to balance the breezy poplin shirt. I also found these Max Mara trousers discounted to under-$175, and these ones from H&M. The trick is not to go too pale or too dark with the color, something in the middle is best.

Shirt. If I haven’t convinced you to buy a Tate shirt from AYR yet, then I’m really not doing by job. The shirt is spendy at $195, but it’s 100% Italian-milled cotton with a cut and collar that won’t quit. I size down for a more tailored fit. But really, any blue oxford will do here. Julia is wearing hers untucked, I would probably tuck mine in or pick up a cropped length button down.

Sweater. A third piece is tough in the summer, but around an air conditioned office space, wearing this olive-chartreuse sweater over your shoulders should be easy. I own this Varley sweater, and it’s a lovely thinnish knit that looks great all year round.

Accessories. A departure for me with this silver jewelry, but yellow-tone metal felt too warm. I chose these affordable twist bangles in 925 silver and my favorite Monica Vinader hoops. I like that MV often offers pieces in both yellow and white metal, so everyone can partake.

My new rule is that I only buy sunglasses from companies that only make glasses. My eyes are too old for whatever Amazon is selling. These sunnies from Warby Parker have a nice, easy-to-wear shape, and they’re under-$100.

The shoes are, funnily enough, from Julia’s collaboration with Margaux. I thought the raffia was a nice option for summer while still being a “real” shoe you can wear to work. If mule slides aren’t for you, I recommend any skin tone flat shoe with a pointed or almond toe.

Finish the look with a neutral bucket bag. I chose this taupe suede from DeMellier, but this croc-embossed Tory Burch is nice too. If you need something under-$120, JW Pei has a great option in a light tan-grey hue.

Styling. I love a smoothed out pony, I just can’t wear one. Bangs, man. They giveth and they taketh away. For me, I would choose the vibe I want — office chic, hair up — relaxed Friday, hair down. Makeup should be neutral and simple, resist the temptation to wear light pink lip. Choose rosier hue, or it will feel forced.

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