Welcome to Outfit Anatomy, a series of comprehensive style analyses that aim to break down what we wear by answering questions like: How much did that cost? Where did you find that? Why did you buy it in the first place? Up this week is Micaéla Verrelien, creative director, model, content creator, and Repeller contributor.
This outfit was created with fall in mind. To me, Fall has everything to do with layers and comfort. I won’t sacrifice my comfort. As someone who continually commutes in New York City, I need to be comfortable at all times. The foundation of any comfortable outfit is comfortable shoes, so I normally style outfits from bottom to top because I firmly believe the type of shoes I wear is not only the baseline for wearability, but they also set the tone for the day I’m trying to have. Whether it’s a day of walking around the city commuting, or a drive around the city type of day, the shoes really define the look. But, plot twist! Fall is an excellent time to switch things up so this time around I actually styled this outfit from top to bottom.
For this look, this amazing ivory HM X Giuliva Heritage suit jacket was the first thing I put on and became the cornerstone of the fit It’s a limited edition piece that can be found via HM.com. The collaboration in my opinion was perfect! It brought out the amazing Italian materials and cuts that we love from Giuliva to our U.S HM stores, at an affordable price. From the minute I saw this collaboration go live via H&M, I knew that I needed this ivory statement set. The big question after settling on this affordable and luxurious ivory jacket (two big wins in one piece) was….should I do a color block theme or simply go monochrome?
After much serious deliberation, monochrome won this time around. Once I decided that ivory was definitely the vibe, I centered my entire outfit around this color palette and decided to wear a matching ivory turtleneck with my suit.
Wearing a full monochrome outfit to me is like fully embodying a moment in time.
The look doesn’t last forever (too much commitment), but it’s the biggest statement you can make without saying or doing much .
With the all ivory everything look in full swing, I needed to find the perfect shoes that would pop on their own, without taking anything away from this bossy suit. I thought to myself, boots would be amazing, especially if they had a heel to it. Preferably a thick heel, because, as I said, comfort is key. I found the creamy leather Tory Burch boots that complimented my ivory suit without stealing the show. These boots have gold buckles so I knew that gold jewelry was the necessary next step to achieve total ivory power suiting transcendence.
But oh, the journey to P. Diddy white party suiting perfection was not over yet. The all-important bag selection was the final step. I didn’t want an ivory bag because I didn’t want the bag to blend in to the look, but at the same time, I also didn’t want it to be the loudest guest at the party. When wearing a monochrome outfit, your accessories need to have their own stand out moment too and a dash of a different color will make a huge difference. When it comes to handbags, the best advice I can give is to look for bags that have big personalities. Like so much personality that if that bag could speak it would say “ I’m a snack”….better yet…I’m a whole snack. Like this furry Marc Jacobs bag is for sure saying that she is a whole snack and she deserves to be a part of my outfit.
I wanted to look super chic and elegant and this outfit gave me that. From the oversized jacket to the matching colored trouser, this outfit knows its worth. This outfit is going places. This outfit’s dream day is brunch at a California beach on a beautiful Fall morning followed by a relaxed day alone at a cafe reading an inspirational book, something like “Becoming” by Michelle Obama.
This is the outfit you put on if you are being called onto the set of the music video for Jlo’s smash “Love Don’t Cost a Thing”
I remember watching this video as a kid, attempting to be half as confident as Jlo in my small bedroom in Massachusetts. I have a vivid memory of her wearing an amazing ivory outfit at a beach house in this video and she wore the monochrome so confidently as she strutted through the frames. That’s exactly when I knew a full ivory moment communicates heavy Queen vibes.
This is the beauty of styling a powerful look during such uncertain times. Honestly, I have loved getting dressed during the pandemic. For some reason, I actually feel like I have been much more creative and aware of my outfits choices, now more than ever. It has affected my style in a positive, affirming way.
Nowadays, I will get dressed to the nines with nowhere to go. Getting dressed helps me emotionally feel good, and who doesn’t need that right now? The me prior to the pandemic would not get dressed to go to the grocery store but the me now has allowed the grocery store to become the equivalent of the red carpet at the grammys. Well, not that extreme, but you get the picture.
And you might think that an all white outfit is too accident-prone to wear for a normal day in the life. You might ask, do I only eat clear foods? Do I ride around in town in a bubble? Am I laminated? Nope. I’m actually very clumsy, but I’m a risk taker by birth so I live on the edge. Life’s too short to not wear a dangerously pristine ivory suit set. The only real advice I could give if you want to emulate this high stakes styling is don’t order spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, and just keep dressing like we live in a world without mustard.
Creative Direction: Micaéla Verrelien
Photographer: Jeremy Mitchell
