This week I decided to challenge myself by picking an item in my closet and creating two different outfits for it.  I decided on this striped pencil skirt.  What I love about this skirt is that the stripes are different shapes and widths.  Stripes that are evenly spaced can make you appear wider, and doesn't quite work well for me because of my bigger hips.  The abstract stripes create more visual interest as well because it's unexpected.

H&M Chambray Top, old (similar here) | Striped Pencil Skirt, old (love this and this) | HauteLook Necklace, old | Booties, old

I knew I had to pull out my trusty chambray top to dress down this skirt (the shirt has really become one of my go-to pieces!)  The polka dots combined with the stripes made for some print mixing fun!  Even though my rule of thumb for mixing prints is to pick two pieces with a similar color scheme, the chambray just called out to me.  I've paired it with so many prints that this top has become somewhat of a neutral for me!

This time around I wanted the outfit to stand on its own without accessorizing too much, but I couldn't resist adding this funky floral necklace.  It's such a great summer color and again added to the visual interest of the outfit.

I loved putting this casual look together.  While I've never been a huge fan of stripes, the print has really been growing on me the more I wear it, especially when it comes to print mixing!  I can't wait to share the more professional or dressy post incorporating the skirt later this week.  A little hint-it involves more print mixing!