At the beginning of the year I was challenged by Moshulu, one of my favourite brands of shoes, to style up 2 pairs of their shoes with a variety of different outfits. I was sent a pair of their new spring Monochrome Striped Loafers & Fern Green Loafers and briefed to experiment with mixing and matching contrasting colours and prints. I’m mentioned in previous posts how I need shoes that are comfortable and stylish due to having chronic health issues and that’s not always easy to find! I discovered Moshulu for the first time in Horsham a couple of years ago when their store just caught my eye straight away as it was bursting with bright rainbow colours!! Everything they create is all about comfort and colour but their styles are also on point and these cute loafers are no exception.
I think we can all agree it’s the little things that make us happy. The sun shinning, singing along to my current favourite soundtrack, a giant slice of chocolate cake, a text from a friend or a new episode of my favourite show coming on Netflix are all things that can lift my mood. However research* has proven that women who choose to wear colour & patterns instead of plain black considered themselves to be over 20% happier than those who wear only black. I found it so interesting that this study showcases how colour is linked with perceived happiness and the suggestion that colour is not only more likely to be worn when in a good mood but how even just wearing a bright colour or pattern may actually help put you in a better mood!
I definitely feel like I’m someone who is sensitive to this so I can totally see why. I struggle with low mood (or SAD) during the winter months and every year I either forget or underestimate how badly it’s going to affect me (something I may actually be writing a blog post on very soon!). The gloom, low light levels and poor weather are all contributing factors. I’ve always found that wearing a brightly coloured coat or a printed jumper just feels nice at the time of year. From my point of view I guess this might be because it subconsciously reminds me of summer and holidays where I’m almost always wearing brighter colours and printed pieces.
Apparently the Top 5 colours the UK loves to wear are Black (28%), Pink (20%), Blue (19%), Purple (19%) and Red 5%. I have used most of these colours in the outfits I styled. Interestingly it was the older age bracket (66 - 75 years) who said they prefer not to wear black, 9 out of 10 declaring they would opt for bright colours! Hooray for the them I say!
*This research was conducted by Moshulu for their ‘Sole Style’ study.
Would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert when it comes to wearing colour in your clothing? I would have to say I’d definitely be tipping more towards the 'extrovert' side as although I do own plenty of black pieces in my wardrobe, it is very rare for me to wear ALL black. I much more drawn to colour, I love pastels, prints and embellishments so I’d get bored of restricting myself to just black. Below I have styled up 6 different outfits, the first 3 with the monochrome loafers and second 3 showcasing the green ones. I have tried to show examples of both simple monochrome outfits and brighter colours and prints and am interested to find out which you’re most drawn to!
I will also be giving you some examples of how you can mix & match the pieces as well as sharing a few stories of what went on behind the camera in some of the shots!
OUTFIT ONE
Every single piece from this outfit can be interchanged with something from any of the following looks. I wanted to keep this first one quite simple and understated to keep the focus on the shoes. FYI it was the first week in January so it was blinking freezing hence why I have socks on (I decided I couldn’t bare to take them off!). I think this is the kind of classic outfit you could wear comfortably to work. This gorgeous black coat from Oasis is a real investment piece that you will bring out year after year. I accessorised this one with my favourite necklace and cute robin earrings!
Details:
OUTFIT TWO
I love a pop of red! As you may already be aware I bought this bright red coat at the end of November last year to wear over the festive season. I always feel that bit more cheerful when I’m wearing it I think because it’s so bright and also I get so many compliments on it! I know many of you have bought this beauty as well after I featured it in this blog post and on my Instagram - you all have great taste! I think red goes really well with monochrome outfits, it just give them a lift and a little more personality. I’ve had this leopard print scarf for a long time and I feel like it never dates.
Details:
Coat | Red Jumper | Pinafore Dress (similar) | Scarf | Earrings | Rings | Bag | Shoes c/o Moshulu
OUTFIT THREE
How cute is this cat shirt?! I got so excited when I first came across it on Next as I have a black cat, Mandy (who’s going to be 20 this year!) and always like to pick up any black cat related things when I see them but I’ve never seen a shirt quite like this before. It was too perfect (not going with the pun today). Such a cute fun look for a weekend, coffee with the girls or some shopping. I also thought it would be ideal for this campaign as a unique and contrasting print again the striped loafers and I will say it definitely makes me happy when I wear it! The black cat bag is one I bought ages ago from Skinnydip but it always gets comments when people see it, I’ve managed to find a very similar one here.
A little behind the scenes info of the shots where I was sitting on the bench. Which I thought was a really cute spot with the bicycle and basket full of flowers. I feel like I have so many awkward moments when I’m out shooting that that could be a post in itself. However something that happened during this one included a man stopping right in front of me whilst we were taking photos and just staring for longer than is normal for a person, smiling inanely. Apart from being irritated I was slightly creeped out and then eventually he asks me if I’m there advertising this bicycle! Great.
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OUTFIT FOUR
This is such a comfy casual look whilst I believe still remaining subtly stylish. I think I said on Instagram that I felt like one of the Famous Five off on an adventure in this shoot and that’s exactly how I look! I think it’s the rucksack. This khaki bomber jacket is amazing and really picks out the green from the shoes I think. I really love shooting in parks and I couldn’t help but pick out some of my favourite woodland themed jewellery from And Mary to wear, I chose the squirrel and acorn necklace and feather earrings in this case.
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OUTFIT FIVE
I styled this outfit up with the idea this could be worn to work. I brought back the pinafore dress from Outfit Two but this time I paired it with a striped shirt and tan tote bag for a chic, smarter look. These shots were taken in one my favourite photography spots in Arundel! I find that they always turn out well here and it has the added bonus of being quiet on the whole so we’re not being constantly interrupted by crowds of people walking past.
OUTFIT SIX
I definitely am one of those typical millennial girls who loves her pink (sorry not sorry) so I had to include a pink outfit in here somewhere! This coat I’ve had for a few years now and I just love it for spring time, it’s a real dusky pastel pink that looks so pretty and feminine. Luckily Oasis have brought out a very similar shade in my favourite wrap style for this year here (which I now also own!). I paired it with my pink & grey check shirt & grey skinny jeans for a casual walk in the park kind of vibe. I think the pink, grey and fern green in the shoes work really well together for a dreamy spring colour palette.
Details:
Coat (similar) | Check Shirt (similar) | Jeans | Bag (similar) | Cat Scarf | Necklace | Earrings | Rings | Shoes c/o Moshulu
MIX N MATCH
I thought these flatlays of my outfits would showcase best how much you can interchange and mix & match all the pieces I chose for my outfits. For example each of the jumpers or shirts can be worn under the pinafore dress or paired with the jeans or different skirts to create completely different looks. My new favourite combo is the cat shirt (outfit 3), grey jeans (outfit 6), red coat (outfit 2) and the monochrome loafers.
SHOP THE POST
I’d love to know which was your favourite outfit from this post and also whether you feel what you wear effects your mood?
*Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with & sponsored by Moshulu however, as always, all opinions are my own.
