HECHO EN MEXICO - OAXACAN VEST AND ESPADRILLES

oaxacan vest on belle meets world blog

Amigos! Here is one last post before I leave San Miguel de Allende, where this Oaxacan vest and these lace-up espadrilles were two style finds that I couldn’t pass up. They are so unique, and paired with a few things I brought from my own closet, I was able to create a Belle-certified outfit of the day!

The second I saw this vest, my style-potential meter was going off the charts. I love all of the pockets, the different striped designs, and the dark green color. I also think vests are a great way to add instant style and character to an otherwise simple outfit. While this item is not created to be worn by a woman or in this way, I took a risk in re-purposing it for a casual, yet feminine layered look. The items I’d brought from my own closet were the white collared shirt, blue striped skirt, blue belt and ribbon.

To build the outfit, I started with the white shirt. I thought the collar, sleeves and longer hemline that stick out from under the vest would provide a nice contrast to the short, boxy piece.
That boxiness is what led me next to the belt. While the vest has a drawstring, around the waist, it still needed some additional cinching action to make it work on my female frame. Since there were navy stripes on the vest, I reached for this navy belt. Plus, I really like pairing deep greens and blues together in general.
The skirt was an a-ha moment that happened after buckling the belt. I brought it here because it’s a jersey fabric and very comfortable to wear while traveling, but for this look, the stripes on the skirt mimicked those on the vest and the color provided a reason for the blue belt to be there. Eureka!
As for the bow, it’s become my signature while traveling to tie each of my looks together. In this case, it acts as an answer to the navy belt and a bookend to the skirt to complete the look.
I chose these shoes because the fabric they are made of is similar in texture to the vest, and the brown accents match the brown threads on the striped designs. I’ve had to come to terms with flats here on this trip. It’s really the only comfortable option on cobblestone streets and for hours-long walks around town. Plus these were on super sale at one of my favorite shops here and cost me only $20 USD. Couldn’t resist!

P.S. An alternative look would’ve been to wear a black belt, black cropped pants and black ribbon – all of which I also have here in San Miguel in my suitcase.