Lingerie as Outerwear: Casual Chic

What a messed up winter we’re having this year! I’m never sure how to dress for the office these days because the temperatures are zooming up and down willy nilly. I think I need to take old man Winter out back and give him what for! I don’t care if it’s Winter or Spring... just make up your mind and stick with one for a reasonable period of time!

I’ve been dreaming of taking a mini break vacation; just a weekend so I can go somewhere and experience somewhat predictable weather. I may also be feeling that old cabin fever again and looking for an escape. Since I can’t actually jet off to a sunny locale or a wintry retreat, I decided I would create an outfit and play pretend. Our destination of choice today is partly cloudy, not too hot and not too cold Bermuda, land of the variable weather patterns that aren’t quite as extreme as around here.

Considering the island has a history as a previous British Colony, I though I would go for a slightly polished, almost nautical and country club-ish look. But wait, how does one wear lingerie as outerwear at a super posh yacht club? Never you fear, my fashion friends, where there’s a will there’s a way.

Let’s start off with the lingerie. Zinke has the perfect romper to build this outfit up. The lazy, deep V-neck of the top is offset nicely by the full coverage of the cups. You can keep that beautifully proportioned, white, button down shirt unbuttoned all the way to your sternum without worrying that you’re showing off an unreasonable amount of cleavage.

Make sure you tuck the shirt into the waistline of these amazing Stella McCartney corduroy pants, so the button top details can be fully appreciated. Your heeled oxford shoes will be on full display thanks to the ankle length of your pants, so don’t let the laces drag. Although I would highly recommend that you not take them out for a walk on Elbow Beach, heels and sand are never a fun combo.

Your earrings deserve a little face time, so be sure to pull your hair back in a loose chignon and show off those highlights, real or faux, with some Oribe gold hair pomade. Cocktails out on the patio of the Swizzle Inn can get blustery, so don’t worry too much about the neatness of your hair. Those rings won’t take well to tangling in and it’s hard to look all Jackie O., when you need to beg for the bartender’s help to unwind your unruly tresses from your lovely crystal and gold rings.

Never fear, you can recover nicely by jauntily grabbing your super sexy bag heading to the ladies room for a quick spritz of Heaven’s Alchemy and a blush busting daubing of highlighting bronzer. When you reappear, your dear friends will have a fresh dark and stormy ready and far safer seats at the bar.

Who knew there were so many potential avenues of danger for a klutzy lingerista?

1. Zinke Circa39 Romper: I love this romper for two reason. 1. It’s made of super soft, hammered silk and 2. It flashes me back to the delicately feminine lingerie of the 1920’s flapper era. The frill around the middle will be tucked in for this outfit, but would look lovely untucked with a skirt or more formal pair of trousers.

2. Sequin Peach Cluster Ring: The sweet pink crystal will pick up the pretty highlights of your tear drop earrings and the beautiful streaming gold highlights in your hair.

3. Ralph Lauren Collection Peg Oxford Pump: I’m pretty taken with these casual oxford pumps! The 3 ½ “ stacked heel is a bit unusual and elevates them to a more femininely dressy status.

4. Gabrielle Sanchez Rutilated Quartz Small Teardrop Earrings: Not too big, not too small, just right! Goldilocks would be proud and you’re going to love the way they can match so many different outfits. These will quickly become a wardrobe favourite; especially when paired up with the lovely rings I’ve chosen too!

5. Benefit Sun Beam: Benefit brings bronzer into the new millenia by capturing a few golden rays in their easy to carry bottle. Sun Beam is a pretty cool way to fake a few hours spent cavorting on a beach in a healthy and non-comedogenic way!

6. DanniJo Naomi Collar Necklace:The solid band of color on this necklace is a bold statement piece that will have your friends oohing and ahhing over your fabulous taste. The open back and the way that it is designed to glide along your collarbones makes it the perfect choice to stand out from the that fine leather jacket.

7. Stella McCartney Skinny Ankle Corduroy Pants: Did you ever envision corduroy as being a fitting frame for high end, luxury lingerie? No? Well, we’re all about breaking down conventions and challenging expectations here. It doesn’t hurt that these skinny, ankle length pants are pretty much the coolest pair of corduroys I’ve seen in a really long time.

8. Michael Kors Skorpios Ring Tote Khaki Canvas: The slouchy nature of this bag is the perfect casually cool accompaniment to this upper class relaxed look! It’s large enough to hold all of your essentials for a fun night out and the classic fabric and leather combo set off the deep colors of your sexy blazer.

9. Campbell and Kate Signature White Shirt: A plain white dress shirt is one of those things I have coveted from afar for a really long time. You see, the majority of them are styled for women with no more than a C cup and I am fairly even proportioned except in the bust department. So, what may seem like a basic wardrobe staple to most of the population, is only a pipe dream for me and those of my ilk. I found these shirts through twitter and am thoroughly impressed with their design and attention to detail. They haven’t just been sized up all over, nope they have been designed to fit the figure properly while accommodating a larger bust size! Genius!

10. Oribe 24 Karat Gold Pomade: Haircare just jumped up to the next level. This 24 karat pomade actually contains 24 karat gold flakes, so you know that your high powered shine is genuine. Perfect for catching those stray hairs that try to run free, this pomade will leave you with just enough control, while nourishing each strand.

11. Heaven’s Alchemy Milan Perfume: It’s a shame you can’t find a way to walk around with the bottle because it really is gorgeous! You’ll just have to settle for showing off the scent and beguiling all the noses close by. The blend of rare amber and patchouli sets the stage for the top notes of coriander and clean green to really round out the experience.

12. Zara Simon Harp Ring: This multi strand gold ring is visually stunning and perfectly simplistic. The 18 karat gold plating and spectacular texture of each individual ring in the set makes it the perfect mix and match jewelry.

13. Rachel Zoe Sullivan Tailored Leather Blazer: Rachel Zoe has me swooning with this blazer. The leather looks buttery soft and has that vintage, well worn and perfectly molded to your unique figure quality that has me combing vintage stores with a semi-obsessive glee. The medium brown tone is a lovely neutral to better show off your crisp white shirt and that light and airy romper beneath.

Is it sad that even in my daydreams I’m clumsy? Meh, it makes it more realistic that way! I wonder where next week’s outfit will be going? Tune in next time when our coordination-challenged fashion blogger takes her lingerie out on the town for another mini break outfit!

Cheers,
Maggie (Blog Contributor for Bella Bella Boutique)

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