I have had the virus that has gone on a rampage around the world (and I also can see how people have been killed by their immune systems being unable to fight it), and that’s all I feel like saying about it for now because the topic is really tired – so while I am on the mend, I thought it might be a good pick-me-up to visit this outfit that I wore about four weeks ago when the weather was a lot nicer as well.

If I think about exactly why I keep wearing this same outfit – I think it just satisfies everything I like in a comfortable outfit. The top is one I just keep wearing over and over again when the weather is warmer because it is easy to wear, and I don’t have to wear a bra, and at the same time it’s not a very boring top and does have a bit of edge. The shorts, alone, are really comfortable to wear. Lots of room to comfortably walk and move, and the closure is a zipper and hook-and-loop that is really no fuss, and it has pockets. The shorts do feel a bit tight in the waist so isn’t something I would wear if I was planning to eat a lot, or even if I was going to be sitting for too long. But they are otherwise not a problem. When I wear them with the top, they just really satisfy my need for juxtaposition or contrast in an outfit. The colours and patterns of the top and bottom, as well as the general vibe they give off, just contrast in a way I really like.

It seems like a no-brainer to wear white or rather “plain” sneakers with this outfit because of how much the top and shorts stand out or play their part. I think I could pull off bright shoes, but I generally like my outfits to have a “balanced amount of detail”, if that makes sense. I’ve learned that I need bright colours or detail in an outfit so it doesn’t appear flat or boring on me. But each individual can handle a certain amount of detail or boldness or accents in an outfit, and for me that just isn’t every damn thing I’m wearing. I love a shoe that speaks volumes, and I can wear loud shoes if the colours in them are repeated through the outfit a little bit and have cohesion, or if the rest of my outfit is plainer than my shoes… but this outfit is just one of those ones that is enough on its own so it works better with plain shoes.

I have a minor obsession with neck scarves and I have really been loving using them to accessorise my outfits. I have two – this navy spotted one and a red and blue checkered one – which I purchased from Sezane when I did my first order with them last year. I decided that they would be extremely useful to accessorise in a multitude of ways, including as a hairband, hair tie, armband, on a handbag, or around my neck. I was very convinced I could make it work, and you might have noticed from my Tasmania travel posts that I wore this spotted one as a neck scarf in many of the photos. I couldn’t resist wearing this scarf in this outfit and adding that something extra, but I felt like it was a little too much around my neck so I wore it on my arm.

I don’t normally like polka dots, even though one might argue that the studs on my crop top look like they are dots. But because of that, I didn’t want to wear a polka dot print in a big way, so having it on this scarf and accessorising with it was a way I could use the pattern in my outfits comfortably. Many people are aware of this suggestion, but when experimenting with a new colour or print, the recommendation is to often include it in small amounts or small pieces, or to wear it in a garment or item that is further from your face, because if it doesn’t suit you, it looks less jarring the further away it is from your face.

I really liked the photos that Nick took for this outfit and it reflected my current hairstyle most accurately, so I have been using one as my profile photograph on social media. The one I had before was a few years old and had me with long hair. 😆

This definitely won’t be the last time you’re seeing this outfit, and certainly not this top! As the weather gets cooler, I don’t think I will be wearing the shorts as much, because the style and fit doesn’t really lend itself to being as versatile in cooler months, even if I tried to wear them with tights. I mean, I guess you could say the same for the top, too, since I don’t think I can really wear it over long-sleeved tops. Or maybe it just depends. I could try. 😆

Outfit details

• Top: Third Form (Hey Stud crop top – no longer available)
• Shorts: Keepsake The Label (Title Short in Midnight Stencil Floral – no longer available)
• Shoes: Vans (Old Skool in True White)
• Sunglasses: Gentle Monster (Papas – no longer available; shop similar My Ma design)
• Necklace: created myself with a herkimer diamond and silver chain
• Nails: Personail [referral link for 20% off] nail wraps (Aqua; other limited edition nail wrap)

Footnotes

📸 All photography by Nicholas Cooke. (on my iPhone 12 mini)

Tiller of the Earth was a Fashion Friday (pre-Stylesheet name) from 2015, which obviously had a very different vibe when it came to my style and even how I looked. I had long, red hair, and wore clothing that was a little less edgy and a bit more classic in style. It isn’t something that I care to go into detail about now, but back then, my mum picked out a lot of clothes for me and I would also choose clothes based on how they looked, without thinking about how they looked on me and whether I actually liked them. I’m really glad my style has evolved to what it is today. 😊

Tiller means controller, or cultivator, and “tiller of the earth” is the meaning of my name. This outfit is named with a vol. 2 for differentiation, but also because in many ways I feel a lot more confident today, and this outfit is one I feel my best in, and most confident in, too.