the soubrette brunette: collaboration

If you're a regular follower of my blog, you know that my outfits are often thematic (and sometimes border on costume-y). My ensembles are sometimes centered around a playful print or a kooky handbag, and then I build on those pieces to create a look that tickles my fancy. There are times when I consciously and thoroughly plan an outfit around a specific item, and then there are other times where the pieces come together at the last second and make me ask myself, "why didn't I think of that before?!" In either case, I love being able to be creative with what I wear, and I love drawing inspiration for my outfits from unexpected sources. The surprising inspiration for today's outfit? Furniture!

Image via Viesso

When the folks over at Viesso asked if I would be interested in doing a style collaboration, I was a little hesitant at first; I wasn't all that familiar with their company, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to tie in their modern furniture to my own aesthetic (and have it make sense). But after perusing their website, I stumbled upon their outdoor furniture -- specifically, their colorful bistro tables and chairs. For some reason, I'm always drawn to these types of pieces. I guess I just love the romantic café feel to them. (I actually have a set of chairs and a table that are a little reminiscent of the ones on their site!) The two items that really caught my eye were a hot pink round bistro table and a sky blue bistro chair. This color combination seemed so girly, flirty and nostalgic. Ever since I was little, my mom would point out specific summer sunsets that contained these colors, and would always describe them as "sky blue pink." I think it was actually something that carried over from her own childhood. But because summer is ending, I felt that using these pieces as an outfit inspiration would be a great way to bid (a reluctant) adieu to the season. This color combo also immediately brought some of my favorite articles of clothing to mind:

I knew their pink table would be a perfect match for this gorgeous Trashy Diva dress and pink flowered headband from Pinup Girl Clothing. For the blue elements, I wanted to incorporate this darling purse (no longer available, sadly) and matching shoes by Kling, and the flowery pink and blue sunglasses from Topshop were just the icing on this summery cake.

But to recreate this outfit in real life, I had to get a little more creative. I don't own any of these pieces, so I rummaged through my wardrobe to find items that would work. The style and color of this coral dress from Pinup Girl Clothing are very similar to the Trashy Diva dress I chose, and although I could have gone with a flower crown, I opted instead for a light blue vintage pillbox -- not only for the style, but to bring in the color as well. Unfortunately, I didn't have shoes to match, but I improvised with my off-white vintage Mary Janes (in retrospect, they remind me of clouds!). I also brought in the floral elements with this bracelet; it's actually supposed to be used as a decoration for a hair bun, but I think it looks darling this way! I don't think I would have necessarily put these pieces together on my own, so it's refreshing when a challenge like this allows you to look at things in a different light and wear them in new ways!