A few months ago when I was particularly deep in a Katie Holmes style kick, I picked 5 of her street-style looks to try and recreate in my own closet. I find Katie’s style to be super accessible, meaning I see (and love) her outfits and can also see pieces of my own wardrobe in it. (I felt so called out-in a good way- when The Washington Post published an article last week called “Why does everyone want to dress like Katie Holmes?”)
So I did my little experiment and, beyond being very freed from having to choose exactly what to wear each day, I also learned a lot about my own style. I still deeply admire Katie’s style and emulate her looks, but I also know that she likes a big silhouette on top and bottom more than I do (I prefer a mix). And sometimes her outfits read too simplistic for me (true midimalist here!).
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So cutting to the chase; I recently spent several days dressing like
and I learned SO MUCH. So perhaps the secret to understanding what YOU like in a sea of voices, is to try out someone else’s voice for a bit?If you haven’t already seen Harling’s post on Realistic Summer Outfits which inspired this experiment, read here:
Scrolling through Harling’s outfits in this post, my internal monologue was Ohmygodiloveit (scroll). Oh, I love this one too (scroll). Yes! (scroll). No notes, perfection (scroll), etc. So I was going to use her looks as inspiration regardless, but I thought this was also a good exercise in figuring out how to take a look you see and filter it through your own lens.
I learned a few good lessons…
Lesson One: I Love Separates
When I embarked on copying Harling’s looks, I just started by recreating her first two looks as seen here…
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Her third look was a great blue dress that looks inspired by a nightgown that I couldn’t even approximate. But as I scrolled (past a look that wouldn’t fit my current weather) I found her looking fabulous in a LBD with a great headscarf that I did recreate.
But when I put it on, I just wasn’t excited. As I look at the picture, I think everything *looks* fine but I didn’t *feel* like myself. I realized that I prefer dressing in separates. Occasionally I will reach for a dress but I am far more likely to consider a top (tube top, tank, etc.) paired with bottoms (skirts, shorts, etc.) even in summer.
So the reminder for me is to stop romanticizing dresses and caution myself not to invest too much in a dress since I won’t reach for it as often.
Lesson Two: I Love Black (Esp. in Summer)
My favorite recreated outfit was the all black outfit below;
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Like white after Labor Day; there are no actual rules with getting dressed when it comes to color. Where what you want, when you want.
I posted about my love of black outfits for summer in my group chat (join us!) and the fabulous
shared this outfit where she not only does she look incredible an all black BUT she is also ROCKING a big scrunchie just Harling is in her look (it’s hard to see against Harling’s blonde hair).Which leads me to my third lesson…
Lesson Three: Experiment with Accessories
Harling does a really incredible job playing with accessories that are simple but make an impact.
I don’t have a ton of necklaces but I saw the way a handful of necklaces can really pull a look together. In the look below Harling’s neck sparkle and green shoes make the jeans & basic tank look really great.
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And she masters the more subtle accessories too.
I took particular notice of her turquoise necklace (photos 1 & 2), her hair ribbon (photo 1), the Ursula-style seashell necklace (photo 3) and her scarf (photos 2 & 4). I had never worn a bandana in my hair until I was trying to recreate her look and I realized it’s a great accessory (especially for a greasy-hair days!).
I’ve said this before but it’s worth repeating frequently; you don’t need a brand new wardrobe to breathe fresh life into your outfits. Sometimes you just need one great accessory.
And speaking of bandanas, I noticed they are EVERYWHERE in the styling at Zara kids and I am tempted to try them out. Do we think adults can pull them off as cute as these kids?
I clocked a man wearing one in a recent video by KarenBritChick and I am itching to try it out.
Similarly, I just ordered this belt and I can’t wait to play around with it. What accessories are you leaning on right now?
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I love this and I'm going to see if I can do the same. I often shy away from doing these type of exercises because I feel like I never have "enough" to try to emulate, but maybe that's the real challenge. How can I get close while still feeling like it's me!
Also I'm a big fan of scarfs. I love wearing them as a "necklace" because I don't have many and I feel like it's a great replacement. Also love adding them to purses as well.
I love this and I'm going to see if I can do the same. I often shy away from doing these type of exercises because I feel like I never have "enough" to try to emulate, but maybe that's the real challenge. How can I get close while still feeling like it's me!
Also I'm a big fan of scarfs. I love wearing them as a "necklace" because I don't have many and I feel like it's a great replacement. Also love adding them to purses as well.