Creating the perfect outfit: first outfit of the day!

Hey all,
Welcome to my Beauty Blog!  One of the best ways to learn about fashion is to learn by example.  Therefore, I thought I'd share my fashion advice by showing readers what outfits I wear and the thought process that goes behind creating each outfit.  So, here's my first outfit of the day:

I always start off by choosing one item of clothing or accessory that I really want to wear that day and then build the rest of my outfit around it.  Today, I really wanted to wear my True Religion python skinny jeans: 

These jeans have a really bold pattern, so the rest of the outfit has to be "quieter" in comparison.  However, because the jeans are black and white, I needed to add a pop of color somewhere.  So, I chose  a purple Theory top:

Even though the pants are bold, that doesn't mean you need a boring top.  As you can see, this top not only has a great color, but it does have some really nice detailing that still adds interest.  Now we have the basis of the outfit.  Here comes the fun part: accessorizing.  Adding the right accessories can take an outfit from good to great.  Since the top part of the outfit doesn't have a lot going on, we can be a little louder with the jewelry.  Since purple is our pop of color, I chose to wear purple jewelry:

The necklace adds a lot of interest because it not only includes the amethyst but also adds the color green into the mix.  Because the top is a solid color, it's ok to have a kind of funky necklace.  The earrings go really well with the necklace because they have the same purple stone.  Now for the purse:

A purple B.Makowsky handbag in a lighter shade continues the theme of purple but mixes it up by introducing a different shade.  Note: it's not necessary to match the handbag with the shirt: you could add another pop of a different color here, perhaps green to go with the green in the necklace, but I already have a lot going on in this outfit so I'll stick with the purple.  Finally, let's add the shoes.  No, I'm not going to have more purple in the outfit, but the pants make the bottom half of my outfit pretty loud, so I'll go with a pair of simple white leather Prada shoes:

Now, when we put this all together, we're left with today's outfit:

So hopefully now you see the thought process that went behind today's outfit and how it all fit together in the end.  If it were cold out, I could easily add a black peacoat or a white leather jacket or even a black or white cashmere sweater.  The biggest advice on this outfit overall is: if you have something really bold, the rest of the outfit needs to be more reserved.

Thanks for reading and good luck choosing your own outfit!

Audrey