Linen, cool and effortless

I had always envied those women who can look effortlessly chic. No, I don’t mean those wearing a nice dress or jeans and jacket combos. I mean those awesome women who dress like they put their outfit together from the floor of their closets in the dark, wearing lots of layers, pieces that don’t go together color wise or are rumpled and wrinkled but still look good! You know whom I mean.
And I always thought to wear this distressed ultra casual look you should be very tall and thin so anything would look good on you!
But a couple of weeks ago I saw a friend (OK, the wife of a friend) whom I see once every two years or even less! It was a sunny day and she was wearing a pair of draw string linen pants (those that have draw string at the hem too) in light brown and a silk loose slouchy top in dusty rose, carrying a large light gray satchel and wearing flip flops. …. And she looked good, cool, effortless and totally chic. I should mention that she is not thin and tall. She has a great figure but is of average height and has curves. And still, she managed to pull of that slouchy silhouette! Ahhhhh, I was envious!
I’ve always worn more structured pieces. Now I’m not that vigilant when it comes to ironing my clothes every time I want to wear them (my sister always complains about my lack of polish). But I go for pieces that are tailored and keep their own shape. I used to think soft loose silhouettes will make me look short and fat.
Well, not anymore! After that visit I’ve been dreaming of mastering that effortlessly cool summer style and today I took the first step. I bought something I have avoided like a plague in the past: a pair of %100 linen pants in mocha which has really wide legs.
I envision styling it with white silk tunics and wooden beads, tan espadrille and straw bags.
Well it would look more French Riviera than South Orange County but hey, it’s my first time!