I recently bought a pair of black pants from Target without trying them on first. They were a simple pair of stretchy pants to replace my old ones. When I finally did try them on I wasn’t sure that I liked them. They have a seam up the front and the back of each leg and a weird split up the back legs from the hem to my calf that I didn’t notice before the purchase. In an effort to work out how I could best wear my new pants, I spent some time cataloguing how they looked with many of my other clothes. Now I have a photo library of ideas on how I look in my black pants styled in more than seventeen different ways.
My apologies here, I thought I did a better job at cleaning my giant mirror after I dragged it outside, but I'm in week 3 of some awful chest bug that has left me feeling pretty exhausted most of the time and so it is what it is today.
To start things off, you can't go past the simple staple of black on black. this alone can be accessorised in so many ways with a scarf, jacket or jewelry. below are a few of my options.
A soft luxurious coat to add warmth with style.
A vintage lace top to feel a bit special.
A shiny blouse from 1990 something, adds a touch of glamour.
My favourite boho lacey cardigan that is all stretched and elongated but gives a long cover all (my butt and hips) with some fun and colour.
I added this pale mauve blouse over the top of the black and felt that it needed some bright and colourful accessories, as the blouse is a bit pale in colour for my liking.
It's a little hard to see, but I have a different top on here that has a silver sparkle through it. Teamed with my awesome bespoke chainmail and black pearl jewelry made by my friend (email me for details) I could wear this out for an elegant evening event. I would probably wear some more elegant shoes for the occasion.
For a warm styling I tried this jumper with a kind of animal print. I found it to be a bit plain on it's own being black and white on black, so I added the colourful scarf. The purple in the scarf helped tie in the purple coat to create quite a colourful warm outfit perfect for a day like today here in an Australian winter.
This jumper is a favourite of mine at the moment because it holds all the warmth in. It has no real shape or style but it is soft and cosy. I don't particularly like how this outfit looks as it is plain and colourless and I would need to add coloured accessories to wear it out, but it is perfect for at home on a cold day when I'm not feeling the best. In fact it is what I am wearing right now as I type this.
This top I love! I don't get to wear it very often with it's highly impractical sleeves, but this might become my go to outfit for going out to lunch or coffee come spring. I would change the boots for my black wedge sandals to lighten the look.
This black and white gingham top is one of those garments that I like the idea of, but I can't seem to feel comfortable wearing it on its own. Whether it's too much check or it's the style and shape I haven't decided, but I do like the sleeves with their frills, so I added the orange T shirt over to give my body some shape and to cut out some of the check and also to add the all important pop of colour! This is a fun outfit that I would wear when I'm with all my grandchildren, or out with "the girls"
Braving the cold I decided to try my SuzziMaggs Sooty Wrap Top on. I was not comfortable wearing this alone as I felt that my hips and butt were too exposed. I added the retro cardigan to soften the look and I don't mind the results. Not sure that I will wear this look, but I think that the cardigan will look great over a black T shirt so I will try that one day.
Next I went all out summer for a moment to try this cute top. I was not completely sold on this look perhaps because I was too cold and I am my winter white skin tone at the moment. On adding the denim jacket I think that this is a style that I will wear when it gets a bit warmer.
Yes, I will definitely be wearing this look. I really like this dress but it is thin cotton and needs to be worn in layers in the colder weather. These black pants are soft and fitted enough to wear as a part of this multi layered ensemble. Warm legs and a fun dress all at once.
This egg yolk yellow top was an impulse buy from a second hand store as I was trying to add some bright colours to my mix. It has a wide open neckline and I'm not convinced that it's my best colour, but on adding the big blue toned wrap I really like this outfit. the combination of contrasting colours really appeals to me.
Next I thought I might try something a bit more formal, with the SuzziMaggs Late Harvest Blouse tucked in and the waistline belted. These pants are versatile enough to use in this more formal way. I tried this look with the vintage wool blazer and the SuzziMaggs Restoration Coat in rust. I think the rust colour is a better match, but the wool blazer is more understated and could be appropriate when I don't want to stand out in any way.
My new Dune Dress. Worn here as an over blouse, buttoned down to the waist then left open to float in the breeze. I love wearing a buttoned front dress this way, and will also try this look with my SuzziMaggs Daisy Dresses belted with a matching sash.
Not convinced that this is a look that I will wear, but I had to try it. I think that it is just too much white for me. Maybe it would look better with a black or coloured top underneath my SuzziMaggs Grace Coat.
I think that this was one of my favourite combinations of the day. The SuzziMaggs Cinders Blouse teamed with the velvet scarf wrapped at the waist and pinned with a vintage brooch. Then I added my ancient 'Pirate' coat that I made many years ago and I feel that I have a fun outfit that I can wear out in the evening.
That is well over seventeen things to do with a pair of black pants, and that was only if you are wearing them. I could probably come up with seventeen more uses that didn't require you to be wearing them. These were mostly outfits I would wear in the cooler months because the pants would be too hot to wear in an Australian summer. They all came out of my wardrobe that I am working on being full of clothes and outfits that I love to wear and that make me feel confident. I can think of at least five more off the top of my head including an orange top that was missed because it was hanging on the washing line.
I didn't change my shoes or accessories much during this photoshoot because I was not well and it needed to happen with the least amount of fuss, but I would accessorise each outfit according to where I was going and how I was feeling at the time.
This is a great way to create a photo library of looks from your wardrobe so that you never have to sit at the open doors and have no idea what to wear. In many of these looks I could easily change the black pants for a pair of jeans or a black skirt therefore tripling the amount of styling ideas.
Whenever you have a bit of time when you are getting dressed, why not catalogue three to five ways to wear one of the pieces of clothing that you are going to wear that day. You could do this with photos on your phone or simply try them on and if you like what you see in the mirror, write them into a book that you can keep right there in your wardrobe.
I hope this helps you to get a bit creative with your outfit choices and shows you that you don't need to go out and buy new clothes to get a new look.
Thank you for reading,
Love Suzanne
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