So what’re you gonna do with all those flare pants?

How to make the most of bridge dressing

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One way to bridge dress that has been working for me lately: styling sheer socks under flip flops —

Vince cropped flares, Swedish Stockings tights, The Row lace up sandals (these are a dead ringer; these could pass too)

Cordera hat, Veronica de Piante dress (with this from Norma Kamali as the great alternative), Vince pants

Jujuvera gold choker (here is a lovely one from Etsy too), Mark Henry Pisces pendant; Jenna Blake middle finger ring and Audry Rose x LMC ‘Maze’ ring

Bridge dressing is that thing when you are craving inspiration — a new input to apply so you can begin to express something new. Often I crave these inputs when I’ve experienced some kind of change that I’m eager to convey even though I can’t find the language for it yet.

Or in other instances, I crave the inputs when I know I’m done working through something and don’t quite know what wants to come out next.

This is the thing more broadly about inspiration — we start look for it when we’ve already processed, externalized, cycled thorugh everything the last bout came around to show us.

It is often accompanied by a feeling of emptiness. Which doesn’t have to mean one of depletion or sadness (although sometimes it could feel that way), it’s more like — you’re an empty vessel again. In a corridor as you wait for the next spark to hit you. But there’s no need to force yourself to absorb new inputs before you’re actually ready to ingest them. You can’t accelerate the process of your next download coming.

The best we can do is work with what we’ve got in the closets of our minds (and of our clothes). Like, for example, a pair of crop flare pants. The official pants of the 2020’s. Maybe you don’t want to wear them as simply with a t-shirt or sweater or just a good jacket, or maybe you do (it still works!) but they’ll also feel new as day if you get a little weird. Style them (these are Vince) with a dress or a skirt over.

Loro Piana bucket hat (how about this/this as the next frontier?), Wardrobe.nyc blazer, Sessei white t-shirt, St. Agni belt, try Guizio’s mini skirt, Vince crop flares, Ancient Greek Sandals flip flops; every damn color is it.

I’m wearing a small in the pants. I’d just go with this blazer from Argent, and any black mini will work too but I’m hot on the range from Aritzia. Another good waist belt here and the flip flops are, like I said, it. Here are last season’s too.

Ray Ban’s original wayfarer 4 eva

Or with tights (as leggings) under —

These were red tights, I slit the bottom open so I could wear them like this. The sandals are Tom Ford; I’m interested in these as a more subtle alt

A bit further out

The whole enchilada, featuring this suede jacket and camisole on top

The sunglasses are Miu Miu, the choker is Dorsey (forthcoming), the fish is Alighieri. The pinky rings are Mark Henry, the big ass turquoise ring is from Never Not

Or if you want to have a field day, and go the whole way:

Jacket, skirt, pants (with a white cotton bra) and Prada sandals (TRR; but these get the job done)

An assembly of monochromatic separates could spawn so many outfits, you won’t know what to do with them.

A few more bridges are below. They have been good to me these days. They are less about the specific item (e.g. crop flares) and more about reliable, but still risky styling, marked by the instances in which I wore them —

The instance: to drop off my kids at school, then go to Pilates, then run a few errands, then meet someone for coffee

The bridge: decision to put leggings under surf shorts

Pilosoule trench, Attersee gold button down shirt, vintage graphic tee, Belle the Label surf shorts, Vince leggings, Manolo Blahnik ballet flats

Magda Butrym bag, with red satin pouch deliberately hanging out; I have worn this with a cropped jacket like this too.

The instance: a store party downtown called for 6 p.m., followed by an early dinner with friends:

The expression: making the subtly incompatible, compatible (a texture play)

Kallmeyer jacket, Officina del Poggio red skinny belt, black tailored mini shorts (these bloomer-esque ones feel more pointed), Khaite suede bag (here if that one is gone), Prada makeup pouch (they come in packs of three; I found mine on TRR earlier this year after diving into an intense ‘Raso’ search)

(By way of gold hardware on suede in the bag, silver hardware on leather in the belt)

From the front! With the Gucci boots that are also, basically, pants. Here are good black shorts for this (or if you prefer sateen, these are about half the price).

The lapels on this jacket effortlessly flip closed, so it works to style the same way. Or you can make it really interesting with something like this, which already cinnches on its own

The instance: a girlfriend’s birthday party!!! (Preceded by dinner with my parents and siblings) —

The expression: a risk I’ve never taken (belt on exposed bare skin)

Frances de Lourdes turtleneck that I madeshift into a crop top by folding it in and knotting it in the black —

Styled above a One/of fabric belt that I pulled off its parent pencil skirt —

And this skirt, from Nikki Chasin (I tucked the band at the top in to make it look more organically low rise). Khaite bag, and the shoes are, don’t you know it, The Row’s mesh flats (these from Cos are amazing)

Frances de Lourdes turtleneck, One/of belt, Nikki Chasin skirt, The Row flats, Khaite suede bag (here’s the exact one); this outfit wasn’t completely an original idea, btw…

Patricia Field’s work on season 5 of SATC still informs the almost-complete range of my style expressions

And here is a wildcard, while the stomach is out:

A Michael Kors cashmere cape that I found on TRR for, drumroll, $32. Hand Over skirt, J. Crew socks, Chanel patent leather moccasins

Felt good to get weird. Hope you are having a great day,

Leandra