One Outfit, Two Ways: Casual to Dressy.

I realize you may be doing a double take right now, but yes, those are different outfits. Apparently I need to work on my supermodel poses because I have only mastered one. What is with the bent knee? I will keep practicing....

This past Saturday night I was torn on how dressy I wanted to go. It was a "nice dinner" type of night, so I wanted to look good, but not like I was trying TOO hard. Sometimes changing up your ensemble to make it appropriate for that day's activities is as simple as changing one or two things. You don't necessarily need an entirely new outfit.

Take my chic yet comfortable dinner date look. Option number one included my straight leg dark blue earnest sewn jeans, paired with a black tank top as the foundation pieces. Option number two was just my simple black American Apparel tube dress. Both are comfy and basic, yet give different levels of sass. By keeping the top layer and accessories the same, the foundation items are really the changing force.

I always promote that your brain does not need to overwork in order to create a fabulous outfit. We all have "go-to" looks that work every time, well what if you changed them up by switching out even just one item? You may have a completely different outfit without trying that hard!

There are two ways to easily create new outfits with just a quick switch. The least complicated is to keep your foundation the same and change out your accessories. Choose a necklace instead of your favorite earrings, change your bag (maybe go bigger or smaller), put some funk in your shoes. ... These are easy and simple tips to create ANOTHER favorite look. The other route I would take for changing it up would be to follow your leader (me:), and switch out the foundation items while keeping the same general feeling. It is your top layer and accessories that really give any look its flavor. For example, this outfit was a bit earthy with a twist of funk and sophitication, the foundation items I chose only made it a dressier or more casual version.

So stop pounding your head on the wall and understand that it does not have to be that difficult! Use your head and your ability for logic, change can be simple and still have a killer affect...