Creating Balance

As much as I love feminine pieces with tiers of ruffles and pleats in flowy fabrics...there is nothing worse than a too-sweet look that lacks balance.  So, it is important to pair something loose and frilly with something more structured.  It's the yin & yang of fashion 101 - putting feminine with masculine; precious with bold.  The juxtaposition of the two is what makes for an interesting outfit.  Some examples:

Why it works: A girly blouse is balanced by dark skinny jeans, sleek accessories and edgy leather sandals. (You could also add a cropped jacket on top for even more structure.)

Why it works: A pleated ruffled skirt looks sophisticated with this form-fitting sweater, tribal necklace and cutout peep-toe booties.

See how the pairing of these outfits works?  But, if we had put the blouse with the skirt, it would have been a bit too much.  Also, pay attention to the little extras.  When you're wearing an item that is super-feminine, it's better to pick accessories that are bold with a modern edge.  The same goes for your hair - if there are alot of ruffles up top, you probably don't want to curl your hair into ringlets.  Better to have it straight and sleek to balance the fullness of the ruffles.