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The Art of Balancing: Classic White Blouse Meets Bold Printed Shorts

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Crisp white top with statement shorts-stylish outfits from Olivia Palermo, miranda kerr and Candice Swanepoel
Crisp white top with statement shorts-stylish outfits from Olivia Palermo, Miranda Kerr and Candice Swanepoel

For me, dressing is all about balancing: balance proportions by wearing long loose top over fitted skinny bottom; balance styles by pairing ladylike floral dress with tough leather jacket; balance color palette by mixing neutrals with bold printed pieces. 

These three stylish looks above show us the art of balancing: they paired bold shorts (from leopard to sequins) with understated piece–the classic crisp white blouse. Moreover, since chose showing off legs, they all balanced the looks by keeping upper half covered (either chose long sleeve shirts or buttoned up the sleeveless version), and keeping the rests simple.

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Olivia Palermo in Tibi leopard shorts
Olivia Palermo in Tibi leopard shorts

On Olivia Palermo
Top: Tibi (similar designer version here and here)
Shorts: Tibi (love this top version)
Shoes: French Sole (silver version here)
Bag: Dior (featured in my previous post)
Accessories: Ray-ban sunglasses, Freelook watch(she wore countless times); similar gold bracelet here or here

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Miranda Kerr in Stella McCartney shorts
Miranda Kerr in Stella McCartney shorts

On Miranda Kerr:
Top: similar by Equipment or Guess
Shorts: Stella McCartney (adore this tropical print)
Shoes:  great style by Eileen Fisher (or this affordable pair)
Accessories: Miu Miu sunglasses, similar watch here and here

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Candice Swanepoel at the after party for Colcci
Candice Swanepoel at the after party for Colcci

On Candice Swanepoel:
Top: similar by Equipment here or here
Shoes: similar from Prada or this Asos version
Bag: similar vintage Chanel here and here
Accessories: similar loop earrings, cross necklace, gold bangle, ring from Boticca

 

Bold print is so hot this season. Compared on dress or skirt, it looks more modern and attractive on structured pieces, like sleek pants or shorts.

You can go head-to-toe with your favorite prints, like Florence Welch we featured in previous post. But the striking visual stimulation can be too much for most of us and also would easily got too familiar. The strategic way to extend their lives is balancing them with other understated pieced in your closet: from basic blazer to leather jacket, from casual shirts to comfy knits. If you style them smartly, they will surely company you from early spring to even late fall and winter.

Below are some designer or high-street choices to recreate today’s featured looks of Olivia Palermo, Miranda Kerr and Candice Swanepoel:

Tibi Cheetah Print Shorts (same pair on Olivia):

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Tibi Cheetah Print Shorts (the same shorts worn by Olivia Palermo)
Tibi Cheetah Print Shorts (the same shorts worn by Olivia Palermo)

Roberto Cavalli leopard print shorts:

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Roberto Cavalli leopard print shorts
Roberto Cavalli leopard print shorts

Current/Elliott leopard print denim shorts:

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-CurrentElliott leopard print denim shorts-1
Current/Elliott leopard print denim shorts-1

 

Stella McCartney paisley stretch-silk short (same pair on Miranda Kerr):

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Stella McCartney paisley stretch-silk short (same pair on Miranda Kerr)
Stella McCartney paisley stretch-silk short

Tibi Layla ikat silk  shorts (also available here):

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Tibi Layla ikat silk dessy shorts
Tibi Layla ikat silk dessy shorts

Dolce Vita Augustina Aztec short: 

The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-Dolce Vita Augustina Aztec short
Dolce Vita Augustina Aztec short

 

Asos sequin hot pants with flowers:  (similar pair on Candice Swanepoel)

Sequin shorts, sequin pants, hot short, summer shorts, asos, The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com-
Asos sequin hot pants with flowers

Topshop dip dye sequin shorts:

dye sequin shorts, hot pants, hot shorts, topshop,The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com
Topshop dip dye sequin shorts

French Connection mini sequins shorts: 

French Connection, mini sequins shorts, sequin pants, candice Swanepoel ,The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com, dressy shorts
French Connection mini sequins shorts

Other bold shorts I adore:

Parker origami ruffle print silk shorts: (neutral color here)

Olivia Palermo,Parker origami ruffle print silk shorts, print shorts, summer shorts, statement shorts,The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com
Olivia Palermo in Parker origami ruffle print silk shorts

Milly Dickies Shorts: (right photo from Atlantic-pacific blog)

Atlantic pacific,Milly Dickies Shorts, print shorts, stripe shorts,The Art of Accessorizing-HelenHou.com
Atlantic-pacific in Milly Dickies Shorts

Now the vacation-season is right around the corner, have you scored any printed shorts for your get-away? How will you style them?

By Helen Hou

I'm Helen. In the huge fashion world, what attracts me the most is the way different people accessorize themselves. Our daily outfit choices are not just about the pieces we pick, they relate to something lurking deeply within our hearts: how we feel about ourselves, how we express ourselves to the rest of the world, what kind of people do we want to be and what kind of life do we want to live. Following my passion for fashion, I immerse myself in this bizarre world and try my best to share what I learned with you!