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Welcome to Style Imitating Art. How are things in your area? I woke up this morning to snow and ice. I’m not happy. I was not made for cold weather. I like sweater weather, not parka weather. This is unbearable. Yes, I know it’s winter, but I can’t handle it.
ABOUT STYLE IMITATING ART
Style Imitating Art is hosted by Salazar {14 Shades of Grey}, Terri {Meadow Tree Style}, and me. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday one of us selects an inspiration image and we each post the image on our blogs. The following Monday we share our art inspired outfits. Participants submit their art inspired outfits with the curator by 10 PM Tuesday and, that Wednesday, the curator shares all of the submissions on her blog.
THE CURATOR
This week’s image was selected by me. 
My Grandma
My grandparents on their wedding day
I chose it because I was thinking about my grandma and her love of coffee {which I inherited}. She used to come home from work, turn on the percolator, light a cigarette, and wait for Dynasty to come on… Then she, my aunt, and I would watch TV and gasp at the dramatics on the screen. Our favorite character was “Dominique Devereaux,” who was played by the incomparable Ms. Diahann Carroll. When she joined Dynasty, my grandma and aunt were beyond excited. I remember them excitedly chattering over the previews and planning waaaay in advance for our viewing. Back then, I didn’t understand the significance of Ms. Carroll’s appearance on night time drama or what it meant to Grandma and Aunt Sissy, now I do.
I wish that Grandma had lived long enough for me to know her as an adult. I wish that I’d gotten to tell her how much I love squash and that fried okra is one of my favorite things. Grandma was a gardener. I did not inherit her green thumb, but I do have her love of plants. I wish that she’d met my kids… She’d be thrilled at how much the twins favor her. She’d gently scold me for starting my coffee habit at ten, but laugh because she knows I got it honestly.
INSPIRATION ART WORK
Paul Cezanne: Woman with a Coffee Pot
There are so many options with this painting: blues, oranges, creams, and whites. There are also textures like plaid and metallics, with a mix of prints: florals and woods. What do you think you’ll wear? I can’t wait to see.
MY COHOSTS
Salazar {14 shades of grey}
Salazar did “… a loose interpretation, but I think the pattern on my sweater mimics the texture of the woman’s dress and the floral pattern behind her quite well (there’s also a hint of silvery gray for the coffee pot), while my trousers and my boots are to reflect the colors and textures of the wall and the table.”
I think it’s perfect! The browns make me think not only of the table but of actual coffee. With cream. And the blue sweater, of course, mimics the dress while the white accents make me think of the flowers in the background.
Terri {meadow tree style}
Terri wrote that her “…outfit and surroundings for this SIA were influenced by Cèzanne’s use of blue for the woman’s ensemble, the bright contrasting tablecloth, the flower motif, and of course coffee.”
First of all, I love that Terri created a whole scenario for this week’s SIA. How fun and creative! As for her outfit, as always, it’s the shoes that captured my attention. I love a strappy shoe and those are perfect with the skinny jeans and that fringe top. I’m also eyeing Terri’s jewelry which has shades of green and cream in them, which make me think of the flowers in the background of the painting.
MY OUTFIT
I know, I know, “Daenel, how does this outfit even come close to reflecting the inspiration image?” Well, lemme tell ya… Your outfit does not have to be a literal interpretation of the outfit. Really, you’re just looking at the image to see what you want to imitate. For me, it’s all about the colors and the idea of color. When I look at the painting, I see blue, but I also see browns and creams and blacks and silvers and burgundies along with greens and whites. So I played around with the color combinations until I came up with something that I thought reminded me of the picture.
And because this picture involves coffee, I had to share one of my coffee pictures from Instagram {feel free to join me for a cuppa, just tag me @DaenelT}.
Do you see those earrings? I won them in a contest hosted by Nickel and Suede. I got to pick the ones I wanted from the leather wall and then I picked the metals used. I chose silver {even though I mostly wear gold} because I thought it a bit more neutral than the gold. So I feel like they’re a custom pair.
And to all those people who say leggings aren’t pants I say: “Then don’t wear them.”
Seriously though, do you wear leggings as pants or as an underpinning for dresses and skirts. My biggest tip for styling leggings for work is to wear them with a tunic. Tunics provide plenty of tushy coverage and, when layered with a lace extender, create an almost dress-like feel to your outfit. If you need more suggestions for how to wear leggings as pants, check out my Pinterest Board.
My outfit without the blazer… Three-quarter sleeves and tons of lace, that’s my jam.
JOIN US
Send a picture of your Style Imitating Art inspired outfit to Salazar at 14shadesofgreyblog@gmail.com by Tuesday, 23 March and I’ll share the submissions on my blog on Wednesday, 24 March.
You don’t have to have a blog to join, you can share your images on Instagram as well! Just tag Salazar, Terri, and me or use the hashtags #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt so we know you’re there. We’d love to see how you interpret the inspiration piece.
Side note wherever you see words in bold italics and a different color, those are clickable links. Those links will either take you to related posts or links for purchase. If you decide to purchase something using those links, I’ll earn a commission at no extra charge to you.
Earrings – Nickel and Suede | Blazer – Similar | Tunic – Similar | Lace Extender – Similar | Bracelets – Three Bird Nest | Spanx Faux Leather Leggings – Similar, Similar | Musse and Cloud Boots – Exact, Similar
Now go play in your closet,
LET’S CONNECT
For more stylish inspiration, check out the following linkups:
Where I Co-host
- Ageless Style – Eight women show that style is ageless. Third Thursday of the month.
- Fab Forties – Six bloggers, over the age of forty, show they’re still fabulously fashionable. First Monday of the month.
- Style Imitating Art – Style inspired by pieces of art. Every other week.
Click Here to See Where I Link Up