Three Tips for Fabulous Fourth Style: Tip Three—Find one versatile new piece and mix it with red, white, and blue you already own

For better or worse, the Fourth of July only comes once a year. You can style a few more patriotic days if you want, such as Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day (and Bastille Day, if you want to get your French on). But, most of the rest of the year, red, white, and blue just may be too much, especially items that are clearly for the Fourth. Thus, buying specific clothes for the holiday may not be an effective use of your money or closet space. Instead, start with a new piece that you can also wear other days of the year. Bonus points if it suggests the Fourth of July, such as stars in red, white, and/or blue, but doesn’t scream it, so you can wear them the rest of the season too. Then add red, white, and blue pieces you already own for a practical, closet-, and budget-friendly look!  Not sure what to get? Check out “Not just for fireworks: Nine Versatile Pieces for your Fourth of July and Patriotic Wardrobe” for some new pieces to add to your wardrobe.

Tips for making it work:

This skirt is perfect for the Fourth but it also can work for work, church, special occasions, and more! Outfit: PLEATED STAR SKIRT, SLEEVELESS DOUBLE DRAPE TEE, AND BOW BALLET FLATS.

• If you find your closet lacking either, go for stripes or stars for your new pieces—there are lots of options that easily work for everyday wear (my favorite may be this lovely skirt)
• Look for new pieces you can clearly see yourself wearing to best ensure you do
• If you add a new red item, you could possibly rock it for other “red” holidays, such as Christmas and Valentine’s day (a red dress a red or a top you can layer might be best for this) (this idea could also work for blue for Hanukkah…), making it even more versatile
• Keep in mind how you are celebrating the Fourth, while I love this skirt or this jacket, neither will work for my plans to be outside in the hot Georgia weather walking around a festival and having a casual picnic before watching fireworks (although I wore them to work around the Fourth for a patriotic touch)
• Look for fun pieces, such as red shiny wedges, as star scarf, or dangling star earrings for a celebratory touch
• Feel free to go overboard if you are adding anew accessory, as they can easily be styled “down” the rest of the year (Such as this blue and red star scarf—clearly has a Fourth of July vibe, but could also work with a navy suit)
• Shop your closet for the rest of the outfit, focusing on red, white, and blue items
• When putting together the outfit consider these previous tips:
  • Wear two of the colors, pop one
  • Mix prints, especially stars and stripes

This scarf is clearly ready for the Fourth--but think of all the ways you can wear it all summer long! OUTFIT: STRIPED FAVORITE TANK, PICNIC SHORT, STAR PRINT SCARF, AND THE BOW BALLET FLATS

Amazing jacket, right? It also rocks for work! OUTFIT: CRUISE JACKET, and everything else is older (Aersoles shoes, Target shorts, Stella & Dot necklace, past season necklace.

I hope you enjoyed my Three Tips for Fabulous Fourth Style. Be sure to check out Tip 1—Wear  Two & Pop One and Tip Two—Mix Prints for a more Festive Look!

I’ll be back to the POW posts soon, never free. But look forward to more posts of this kind. I had a lot of fun with them. Let me know if there is another day or topic you would like me to focus on for style tips!

Three Tips for Fabulous Fourth Style: Tip Two—Mix Prints for a more Festive Look!

For a fun and festival Fourth of July look, mix prints in red, white, and blue. This will be a more unexpected look, especially if you choose prints that are not something clearly "Fourth of July prints"—like an American flag print. Bonus points if you can mix a strip with a star print!

Tips for making it work:

Three prints, including a star print and stripe print. Outfit: Striped Favorite Tank, Picnic Short, Star Print Scarf, and the Bow Ballet Flats

• Make one of your prints stripes for more clear reference to Independence Day
• Consider mixing a stripes print and a star print, if you have them, for a fun play on the American flag (and this mixes two of the same types of prints [geometric], which is a win for print mixing)
• For the Fourth, you can have a lot of fun mixing prints in the three colors, which automatically gives you a limited palette and the opportunity to go bigger and bolder than normal
• Follow the rule for mixing prints so the outfit works together, especially these:
  • It may be easier to mix prints if you choose one main color that is in each of the prints to bring the outfit together (white may be easiest and is used in my examples)
  • For a more complicated mix, try prints with different main color (such as red, white, and blue) [These last two conflict, but either can work, so go with what best fits your style and experience with mixing prints]
  • If mixing prints in the same color, emphasize differences in size, fabric, and style of print
  • Play with size, mixing smaller prints with larger prints
  • Look for different fabrics and structure, such as a loose knit and a structured cotton
  • Consider stripes a neutral when mixing prints
• Have fun—it’s the Fourth you can go a bit wild and not be the craziest dressed person

Two prints with different main colors, textures, and print size. Outfit: KRIS TOP, PICNIC SHORT, STAR PRINT SCARF, AND THE BOW BALLET FLATS

Two prints both in the same two colors with the same main colors in different sizes. Outfit: Butterfly Print Scarf, PLEATED STAR SKIRT, SLEEVELESS DOUBLE DRAPE TEE, AND BOW BALLET FLATS.

Check out the first tip: Wear Two & Pop One and tune in tomorrow for the second!