It’s been awhile since I’ve worn all black, but I’ve been into it lately! Wearing all black is actually one of my favorite vehicles for trying new, and potentially short-lived, trends without looking like a walking fashion victim. That’s because, generally speaking, a classic and universal color like black helps temper a trendy piece and lend longevity, while on the flip side, combining a hot trend with a hot color (like say, a shoulder pad tank in bright yellow) can keep the piece looking like exactly what it is — a trend. In the instance of this outfit, I knew that experimenting with the flossy, tie string crop top and the platform flip-flops in black would keep the trends feeling elevated, and not like I just walked out of the Forever 21 new arrivals section (trust me, I’ve been down that exact route heh).

Sometimes, when I’m putting together an outfit, I’ll even ask myself if I’ll look back on it in three or four years’ time and cringe. I can honestly say I’ll probably still love this outfit in the future… potentially with the exception of the sunglasses since that’s the only overtly fad-y piece. But hey, you win some, you lose some!