History and High Heels: Street Smarts: Less is More

As I was walking around New York, I spotted a young woman wearing a spectacular outfit. It was simple, classic, chic, and cool enough for the hot weather. She ran into Starbucks before I could snap a picture, but I did my best to offer a similar rendition below. Long and richly colored khaki shorts, a simple white t-shirt, and a light blue blazer (maybe denim?) with nude shoes composed the outfit. Its amazing simplicity, yet great color combination made this a chic piece. I sometimes forget with all of the fancy/flowery/lacy/ruffly shirts that one can find in the stores the beauty of the fitted white t-shirt. It's especially powerful when added with more structured items, like a blazer. In this world of fashion it is helpful to remember that a lot of the time...

When you have too much going on, it can get overwhelming and look like you are trying too hard. We should have learned this from history, as can be seen in the events of the Field of the Cloth of Gold. King Henry VIII in an attempt to impress the French while having a diplomatic meeting in Calais had an extravagant temporary palace erected using wood and gold cloth. It was an impressive sight, but it pushed the crown's coffer into debt and the alliance with King Francis came to nothing.

So in the end, maybe it is better to stick with simpler things and not get too caught up in the moment. For example, maybe you really like plaid right now, but wearing three pieces of this print in one outfit is overwhelming and makes you look like a lumberjack. I'm not saying that one should not be edgy at times, for this can be great. Just remember the beauty of simplicity and that less is more.