Looks by Mark is back! We took a little break while the shop shifted from spring to summer inventory. We have some great new items, prints, and colors, so come see us and check them out!
For today’s looks, Mark plays with color combinations with some prints that provide lots of options. Two of the most colorful lines in the shop are Lilly Pulitzer and the B Collection. In particular, the B Collection Cardigans offer mix and match opportunities with the pretty ribbon detail along the neckline and button holes.
Look One:
This first look showcases pieces that were made to go together. B Collection’s shift dress in the newest print, Big Top Prep, is shown here with the cardigan of the same name. With fun elephants, monkeys, alligators, and more, this print is whimsical and colorful, while still managing to be fairly understated. Paired with the cardigan, the look is decidedly polished.
Mark has also demonstrated a fun technique for reinventing your accessories: layer them! Here, a vintage dragon and jade necklace is paired with a fun elephant charm necklace by Molly Beads. Since the necklaces are about the same length, they appear as one very dynamic piece. Don’t be afraid to layer necklaces the same way you stack bracelets, and make your own statement piece. And when it comes to accessories, a print like this one offers so many possibilities. You could go with natural or bright colors, chunky or delicate pieces. Even the dragon necklace works perfectly here, while still being a bit unexpected.
As for footwear, Mark suggests any sandal or cork wedge. Leather sandals by Lilly Pulitzer work great with this ensemble, but any colored sandal would be perfect. Just pick a color from the print.The dress stands alone very well, too!
Look Two:
For the second look, Mark pairs Lilly Pulitzer with more B Collection. We just love the giraffes, flamingos, and pink (!) elephants. This outfit is an example of color balancing with bright prints. This is a B Collection skirt in the Sunshine Safari print, which features mostly coral and green tones. You could select either of those colors if you wanted to maintain the dominance of either, but Mark has chosen to highlight the minimal gold tones in the Sunshine Safari print by pairing the skirt with a bright yellow top. The shirt is the Shay Tank by Lilly Pulitzer, and features a pretty ruffled neckline. Mark has opted to keep the Big Top Prep Cardigan by B Collection, as the colors in the striped ribbon coordinates with this look just as well.
This time, Mark has selected accessories with natural materials and tones. The naturally-fallen horn pendant and crystal & gold leaf charm work perfectly with the wild theme of the print, despite not being as colorful. Again, two necklaces are used here, working well together with similar shapes and tones.
As before, the look works great without the cardigan. In this case, removing the cardigan warms the look quite a bit, as the white works make the look a bit more neutral.
Look Three:
Today’s final look features a bold print by Lilly Pulitzer. For this ensemble, the white cardigan and cool tank help balance the bright colors in the Lilly skort in the Scuba to Cuba print. Using the same technique as the previous look, Mark has selected a secondary color in the the main print, blue, to provide inspiration for the top. This turquoise tank by Lilly Pulitzer offers a perfect color enhancement, making the blue in the skort stand out even more. The blue stripes in the B Collection cardigan are enhanced further as well. The bee medallion by Susan Shaw echoes the bees on the B Collection buttons, and the gold tones go all the way down to the little zipper pull details on the Lilly skort. The simplicity of the necklace keeps the look casual.
One thing to note here is the v-neck on the tank- Mark points out that the back of the tank has a scoop neck, and this is common for v-neck tees. If your tank has a v-neckline that is a little too low for the occasion, or that you’d just like to mix up, turn the shirt around! Simply remove any tags (carefully!) from the back of the shirt, and use it like a reversible top for two different looks.
As mentioned above, we’re going for a more casual look here, so Mark suggests pairing this outfit with some fun flip flop sandals, like those by Lilly Pulitzer, also in the Scuba to Cuba print.
