Balance.

Over the holiday weekend a group of friends and I visited my boyfriend in Grand Rapids, MI. This may not seem as exciting as a trip to Chicago, but for well practiced cafe hoppers, Grand Rapids is a goldmine of chic coffee shops, among other things.

Featured below is my outfit of choice for Memorial Day in GR.

**PHOTO CREDITS TO JASMINE SHIREE**

Top- Forever 21

Pants- Meijer... betcha' didn't see that one coming.

Shoes- Kohls

Sunglasses- Forever 21

Hat- H&M

Purse- Forever 21

My advice to anyone who struggles putting together an outfit is to start with one piece that you want to be the focus of your look, and choose the other pieces as compliments. I chose my pants to be the focal point of this look, because they are on trend, brightly colored (well, for a girl who wears all black most of the time), and have a fun pattern. Mixing patterns may work well for some people, but I prefer to stick with one statement piece. They also worked well with the weather that day because they were loose, but long, so I was comfortable in both the wind and the humidity.

The second thing you want to think about when choosing an outfit is balance. Because my pants were very flowy and high waisted I chose to pair them with a slimmer crop top. This one was actually really fun because it had a low back with a bow accent, which I neglected to take pictures of. If crop tops scare you (but don't be scared they're shirts too) I reccomend keeping these three things in mind: balance, color, and confidence!

Balance: If you're worried about rocking a form fitting crop top, rock it with high waisted or flowy bottoms! It will help create an hourglass effect. If you want to switch it up, rock a flowy crop top with some jeggings or straight leg jeans.

Color: For myself, I prefer wearing a solid color top because I get self conscious of my mid section. Keeping the pattern on my pants helps draw your eye away from that area. Also black is the best color because it always looks professional and doesn't everyone say it's the most slimming color? ;)

Confidence: Just wear it! If it makes you feel good, nothing else matters.

I accesorized with a straw hat and suede boots with fringe. The boots have a small heel which contradicts my usual "flat shoes when I'm walking around a lot" rule. However, they are super comfortable and we weren't doing a lot of walking so they passed. Also I just think a tall shoe with high waisted pants does wonders for your legs.

Do you recognize the purse? It's the same one from my last post- it's probably my favorite bag at the moment! I'm working on doing a purse essentials post soon!

#fashion