Art by Fashion: A Puerto Rican Mask

Today I’m excited to announce my new type of post/continuous series, Art by Fashion! As an artist, I’ve recently come to realize that there are a lot of similarities between good art and good fashion. I mean, yah, it’s not rocket science to put two and two together—they’re both highly creative things.

But I’ve been wondering why people don’t apply their taste in art to what they like in fashion. Let me explain: your favorite coffee shop has a super cool, feminine, art-deco conversation piece hanging on its wall. You love the mix of peach, lavender, and crème colors, and the details and mix of patterns complement each other perfectly. Then the next morning, you get dressed in the same black jeans and PINK t-shirt as last week, and you wonder how to make your outfit a little more stylish.

Sound somewhat familiar? Or consider that pretty screensaver on your laptop, or that cool new phone case that cost way too much for a piece of plastic that will break after one drop. There are certain things we find visually appealing in art—color combos, contrasts between different textures—that we would never think to apply to our outfits each morning. But why not?? Why not incorporate the pretty things you love about a good photo or a blown-glass vase into a super stylish outfit? It’s like an outfit recipe—all the colors and proportions you need for an outfit are all laid out in a beautiful work of art.

These thoughts and considerations are what have inspired me to start doing Art by Fashion posts. In each of these posts, I will pick a piece of art and then create an outfit around it. It’s that simple! There are two things I hope to get out of this: 1. More outfit combinations and a fun time creating the looks and 2. A way to inspire you to use the art around you to your advantage and to help you see that inspiration is all around you. #totalcliche

So to start things off, scroll back up to the first and second pictures, where you’ll see a little mask. I bought it for $18 in Puerto Rico when I was 12 years old. It’s made out of a coconut shell! If only I had another, I could make a freaky little bralette. 😉 Anyway, as you can see, I created an outfit inspired by that mask by using the same color scheme. Easy as pie! Darn, now I want some pie…

Well, it’s 11:27 PM and it’s to that point where I start saying really weird stuff, so I should probably go. If you’re interested in recreating this look, it’s all about the color scheme! I triple dog dare you to try and create your own outfit based on this mask. Are triple dog dares still a thing? A Pronto Pup corndog sounds so good right now. I get hungry and very weird when it’s late.

Oh! I almost forgot. This is an Ernest Exposed post, and he’s hiding in only one picture. For instructions and the first EE post, click here. Thanks for stopping by today!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Tank: Arizona via JCPenney, $6, last seen here // Pants: St. John’s Bay via JCPenney, $35, last seen here // Shoes: Arturo Chiang via Dillard’s, $30, last seen here e// Belt: JCrew, $25, last seen here // Purse: Charming Charlie, $15, last seen here