Trend Chic: Ruffled Blouse

One of the hottest trends of 2013 is ruffles; this ornamental gathering of frilled or pleated fabric is an ultra-feminine style dating back centuries.  Once reserved for decorating only necks or wrists, the modern ruffled garment adds a sense of sophistication and charm, bringing an air of delicacy to any look.

1.  Wet Seal Ruffled Pintucked Belted Blouse
2.  Rainbow Pinstriped Stretch Skirt
3. BCBGeneration -Michah Ruffled Pump

Ruffles can be tricky if they are wearing you, instead of you wearing them; in the wrong place, ruffles can make you look bigger, so look for items that accentuate parts of your body you want to highlight.  This blouse (1) with a ruffled neck and sleeves, I bought to make my neck look longer and to show my arms.  Always taper a statement item, like this blouse, with something which is understated like a pencil skirt (2).  Ultra feminine, the ruffles on the shoes (3) play up the flirty-ness of the ensemble, tying the entire look together.

1, 2, 3 Chic!

1, 2, 3 Chic!

How I Styled It?

In 1, 2, 3 styling, sometimes, simple is best; although it may not look like it, there is a lot going on with this outfit (ruffled neck and sleeves, pintucked detail on blouse, the contrast buttons, the O-ring belt, the sheen on the fabric, the pinstripe on the skirt and the ruffled-corset-shoe), so in order to avoid looking too-put-together, I opted not to wear any jewelry.  Black can sometimes be a little jarring during the day, so my fuchsia London Fog trench with ruffled lapels was used to break up the black and fight off the early morning chill.  My Audrey Brooke clutch I chose because of the silver stud detail.  SN