Hey Beauties! (watching “The Office” for the 107,654,512th time) I’ll go ahead and lay it out there. It’s a rare occasion that you’ll catch me in a skirt outside of a night club and even at that, I’m still in some form of a sexy jumpsuit or an outfit that involves leather pants. However, on this occasion I was hitting up the second weekend of SXSW which is one of the biggest festivals in Austin, Texas next to Austin City Limits (ACL), being that I have been to this festival before, I knew exactly what to expect.
SXSW
In case one of my beauties needs the scoop on SXSW gear, stay tuned because your gurl has got you covered. SXSW is usually held mid-March so the weather in Texas is usually already pretty warm. It’s not your typical festival that’s held out in the middle of nowhere or in the desert, it’s held in the heart of downtown Austin. There are several pop ups and showcases (both film and music) at different bars and restaurants, so its A LOT of walking but tons of fun and adventure. There are attendees from all over the globe and the streets are just packed with people. Knowing this, I knew I wanted to be comfortable and wear something “breathable” and easy to live in for the entire day and possibly into the evening.
Anytime I am in the mood for “breathable comfort”, I go for high waisted denim shorts but in this case (about to overshare) thinking of myself in shorts riding up EVERYWHERE and just the fabric itself having to tug at it all day and getting those wrinkles in the crevices of my lady parts was just like a bad time waiting to happen. We’re all girlfriends around here so you know exactly the discomfort I a speaking of when you’re in a high waisted short in 90-degree weather *clears throat*. My styling wheels were turning and I was thinking smart but also stylish.. duh..
Places + Faces
I’m at about a 50/50 ratio when it comes to shopping for an event specifically and just buying random pieces and hanging on to them in hopes of styling them later. The one piece of this fit that was planned was the Places+Faces bag. I’m always on the hunt for new streetwear brands and somehow (down the rabbit hole) ended up discovering their Instagram page. I was drawn to one photo in particular where the model was wearing this bag. It was sleek, street, and the perfect size.
*This was my inspo photo*
When I’m out for an afternoon of day drinking and festivities, (especially in Austin) I never know where I’ll end up or what the day will bring. I knew with SXSW it was a given that the chances of me heading back to my room at any point were extremely slim. I always bring all my necessities for freshening up when I’m out for an extended amount of time and this bag seemed perfect (you know I got you soon with the review of this bag so stay tuned).
I was already on HBX scoping the Places+Faces page and decided I wanted a pair of socks as well (sock queen has entered the building) Guys… you have no idea how hard it was to not buy the black with white logo.. I forced myself to go for a color and decided on yellow. Once my order arrived, I was OBSESSED with both items and knew this was SXSW worthy. I decided to start in my closet first before I immediately went shopping for an entire outfit to match my socks *sarcasm* (which I’m known to do).
The Struggle
I was scrolling on Instagram the other day and came across a meme that said, “I need to fight the need to buy a new outfit for every event in my life”. (It’s a never-ending struggle queens). I went straight to where I keep all my shorts and skirts and found a black denim utility skirt that I purchased at ZARA during their semi-annual sale (yes I forgot I had it) and just like that, my bulb went off and we were on to something. Here are MODISH approved alternatives from Pretty Little Thing and Nastygal
The skirt has 2 flapped pockets on the front and 2 laces on the side to tighten the hem if desired. I loved the edgy street vibe these details added to the skirt and it was now going to have its moment at SXSW. Along with the Places+Faces bag , I have the piping HOT tea on these Off-White low top sneakers that you don’t want to miss, but for now just know that I desperately wanted them, my plug at Barney’s in Vegas got her hands on them for me, and they came just in time for my Austin weekend. Naturally I wanted to pair a black crop top or bodysuit of some sort with this fit I was creating, but I was on a roll with they yellow socks and a skirt that I was already living on the edge *wink* so I was going for some color.
I wanted a tank/sleeveless top to keep my airy vibe going and for something like that, in a cool graphic or color, I always turn to Forever 21. No matter the time of year, they always have things like that on deck. I found this crop tank and was drawn to the black and yellow graphics on the side (matched my new socks) and loved the fact that the shirt itself was a royal blue color which paired with the yellow piping perfectly. Here are some MODISH approved alternatives from Urban Outfitters and Forever 21
My SXSW outfit was complete, and I was ready for a test run fitting. I gathered my pieces and threw them on a few days in advance in case I needed to make any adjustments or exchanges. The outfit was uuufffff… on POINT.
Outfit Rotation
I decided to throw on a thin pair of cycling shorts (one of the shorter lengths I own) under my skirt to just have ZERO worries. Your girl will drop like a toad at any moment for a pic and I can’t be held back by anything you feel me! I stayed cool, comfortable, and was styled perfectly for the occasion. The dope thing about this fit is you can wear it for just about anything. It’s that versatile heat of a fit that we love. I went from walking the streets of a festival to bar hopping at night with no need for an outfit change. I could have easily thrown a lace bodysuit, fashion hair clips and a statement necklace into my new and roomy bag and rocked the evening for an even “dressier” casual look. God bless the cycling shorts that made these pics possible. Here are my MODISH approved cycling shorts from Nastygal
Cheers,
-Modish Champagne
