When the fine folks at Boohoo offered me a few pieces from the new collection, it took me a little while to decide what I wanted. With an idea for an Australia Day post (that, whoops, never eventuated) I chose from red, white and blue sections of the websites. This top was something I came back to time and time again. Not really my style but I’d seen other plus bloggers wear the style, and I was curious enough to give it a go.

You know me, I’ll try anything once. Even girly maxi dresses. Ha!

When it arrived, I had big plans to throw it over some denim cut off shorts with my sneakers for some Australia Day festivities on the beach. But errr, those plans got cancelled and I was instead on the couch watching copious episodes of Vampire Diaries loitering on Snapchat watching everyone else have fun. Sigh. Such is life sometimes.

But that meant I had a little longer to decide how I wanted to style this rather unique looking top. I mean, most people can manage a thigh split, but a bra level split? Well, that’s a little different. It certainly was for me. And the more I thought of it, the more I decided to pair it with my 17 Sunday anti-fit jeans (the blue of the denim was just too perfect with the colour of the top) and my sneakers. I pinned my hair back because as you might notice from the photos, it was windy AF.

Even after I wore it, I still reached out to a friend to confirm that it worked. Was it just an attempt to force a trend piece into my wardrobe where it didn’t fit or was it actually (wait for it, eye rolls ready) cool? She assured me that the styling made it very me and that it worked. Satisfied with that I started to prepare this post. What would be my tips for incorporating a trend piece into your personal style? I came up with the following;

Looks familiar.

Build the outfit from pieces you often wear, even if it’s not the way that others have paired it before, by incorporating my jeans and sneakers (total wardrobe essentials for me) it made the whole thing very me, even though everything about the top isn’t.

Try it out.

Keep looking for different ways to style the piece and shuffle it around with items until you find something that works. This top would have looked great with the shorts; I think but I would have paired them with ankle boots now that I’ve thought about it more. Give it a more 90’s vibe. So if you have a new trend piece and it’s not working, keep looking for options within your personal style to make it work.

Phone a friend.

Ask a friend about it and not just in the do I look alright in this kind of way, but in the does it look like ME kind of way. Especially if you have rad fashionista friends as I do (and you do, my inbox is always open, ask away). Have some fun with it and get their suggestions keeping in mind that you want to look like an updated YOU not a trendy them.

Wearing Boohoo Split Side Maxi Top, 17 Sundays Anti-Fit Jeans, Converse Sneakers and Quay Australia Sunglasses (similar).

Melissa Walker Horn

Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.