Name the first thing that comes to mind when you hear these words. Leather (jacket!) Denim (jeans!) Cashmere (sweater!) But these materials can do SO much more than their style stereotypes…
Besides wearing a super avant-garde outfit, there’s another way to wear something a little unexpected. All you have to do is switch up your materials! Think of it this way — write down different fabrics (like shearling, suede and lace) and put them in one jar then write down items in your closet (re: coat, dress and handbag) in another. Draw one from each, put them together and you have a SHEARLING HANDBAG. Get it? So if you’re down to remix your materials this season, here’s a few ideas…
SUEDE:
The usual: boots.
The remix: flares. I already love flares in the denim variety but the suede feels like an ode to the 70s but still fresh at the same time. No one expects you to show up in suede flares, so all the more reason to do it.
SHEARLING:
The usual: outerwear.
The remix: handbags. Leave it to Balenciaga and Proenza Schouler to have “shearling bag” on the top of my wishlist right now. Thankfully, for this specific case, it’s cold 9 months out of the year in Chicago…so getting 9 months of usage out of your shearling bag is not a bad deal, right?
DENIM:
The usual: jeans.
The remix: flats. I never really gave denim kicks a chance until a few weeks ago when I was in NYC with Nike and I got to design a pair of Nike IDs. I surprisingly went with denim low-tops and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. And hey…that might just be my first step into a full-on denim shoe collection!
CASHMERE:
The usual: sweater.
The remix: pants. I always take the weather into major consideration when I get dressed, and even more so once it gets insanely cold here. A few years ago, my grandma got me some cashmere leggings for Christmas and I lived in them the entire winter. Last year, I went for some cashmere sweatpants and again…lived in them the entire winter. There’s a new pair in town and you best believe I’ll be rocking them day and night this season (although with this 50 degree weather we’ve been having lately…I might not even need to!)
FUR: (real or faux)
The usual: outerwear.
The remix: shoes. This one is a bit controversial (not just the real vs. faux part but the fact that it looks like there’s an animal resting on your feet, regardless). But if you’re looking for something a little…out there…in the shoe department, it doesn’t get any crazier than Margiela Fall ’15.
LEATHER:
The usual: jacket (or pants!)
The remix: button-down. I love the idea of a leather button down because it’s such a simple, basic silhouette yet it’s taken to the next level being in leather. You can also wear it open to give that leather jacket sort-of vibe. And I hate using Kim Kardashian as an example but she kind of killed it here (and that pains me to say…trust me).
LACE:
The usual: dress.
The remix: jacket. The closest I’ve gotten to this is a leather sleeve hoodie (which I still adore) but a leather bomber, trench or even a cape would be AWESOME. Not practical in any way, but you’ll look damn cool…and isn’t that the most important thing?
PATENT:
The usual: shoes.
The remix: coat (or a full-on outfit). I feel like I go through a patent phase every other fall / winter. I’ll be really into it, then over it the next year. But that’s mostly been with shoes. I haven’t gone through a patent leather clothing phase. This might just be my year!
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That’s only a few of the many ways you can switch up your fabrics. Do you have any suggestions I missed? What’s your favorite way to do the material remix? Any combinations you’re going to try? Or that you absolutely hate and you can’t imagine why any such material and fashion item would ever be combined? TELL ME! But if you’re down for it all, you can shop everything you see here RIGHT HERE.
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