What's Black + White + Read All Over?

What's black and white and read all over? This blog post of course! I'm sorry for the joke, but I had to. I'm cheesy. What else can I say? Hopefully, you'll forgive me though, because I'm back with another outfit of the day from my vacation, and it's one of my favorites for one reason: culottes.

When culottes first popped up in the fashion realm, I wanted to run away screaming in the other direction. Initially, I thought they were the ugliest pant ever created. Now, I'm all aboard on the trend. They're insanely flattering and insanely comfortable, not to mention fashionable. And in jumpsuit form? They're even better.

I stumbled upon this number at Gap, in the clearance section no less. Hesitantly, I brought it with me to the dressing room, unsure of how the style would fit my body. Luckily, I fell in love and got the look at a steal of a price. On my tall frame, I adore how the flared and cropped cut manages to make my legs look longer. Plus, it seems to balance out my broad shoulders.

This jumpsuit alone makes an easy to throw on ensemble, but for vacation, I wanted to play around with a varying look. In the hopes of creating a different take on the neck scarf look, I threw on this bandana scarf. I really like the longer length of this one, as well as the Western|Coachella feel it gives off. Also, mixing patterns in the same color palette is one of my favorite looks, so I couldn't resist pairing stripes with paisley.

To carry the Western|Coachella vibes into the rest of the outfit, I opted for the infamous black hat (used previously in this look) and these lace up sandals. Surprisingly, these shoes haven't been featured in a post before, but they've had plenty of use over the years. The laces give so much freedom in how high or low you want them to sit on your leg, allowing them to appear almost as different shoes with every wear.

With the look consisting entirely of black and white, I knew I needed to add a little bit of cheerfulness to the mix. Since my purse choices were limited due to a few hundred miles between me and my closet, I selected the only colorful purse I brought on the trip. In a future wear, I may opt for a bag style that better fits the feel of the outfit, but for my vacation's sake the pale pink was a perfect compliment to the bland hues.

Overall, this look felt stylish, comfortable, and very Western|Coachella-esque, while still appearing very classic. I just think this culotte jumpsuit is a newly-discovered staple in my wardrobe, and I'd highly encourage you to try one on yourself. You may just be amazed at how much you fall in love, just like me.

happy hump day. here's a friendly reminder that you're halfway through the week, and you're killing it, my friend. keep up the great work.

xoxo madison