This will be a PACKED post! Transitional dressing, uptstyling, AND DIY PAINTED boots! Lots of ideas all rolled into one outfit so Let’s GO!

Here are our pieces for today’s outfit. When upstyling an outfit, pick your starting piece and begin matching from there, in this case it’s a $4 navy and hot pink houndstooth skirt. A great color combo and perfect transitional weather piece. From there, I chose a matching pink $7 sweater, a Mercari navy $5 vintage longline blazer, and $45 JLO Adalynn boots from eBay.

The 2 pieces alone make a cute outfit. I paired it with navy heels to keep the look basic.

I am going to use chain accents with this outfit, so I added a multi-strand chain belt, it picks up the gold in the buttons on the sweater and it will also coordinate all my pieces together in the finished look.

A vibrant scarf instantly changes the outfit, a navy quilted purse, and sunglasses give a nice polished look, or if you want to upstyle+ a fedora with a gold chain hat band. Outfit one is complete!

I prefer to wear this outfit with boots since the weather is still kind of chilly here. I didn’t have dark navy boots, so we are going to switch gears for a bit with an easy DIY project. It’s very simple to paint most footwear, I wanted a navy that was almost black to go with several outfits. I could never find the right color to buy so I ordered a pair of black boots exactly like a pair I already love so I could have the style and comfort I wanted. These are a faux leather boot, so I used leather paint instead of dye. I use Angelus paints and finisher remover, it always works great, regular acrylic paints will crack so make sure to use a leather paint specifically for shoes. Also, practice on a pair you don’t like first to make sure it will give you the look and durability you want. I have painted lots of shoes which is why I ordered a pair, I wouldn’t suggest doing that on your first try.

Start by removing dirt and the protective finish on the boots with their remover. Using a dobber or face pad, make sure to go over the boot until it is no longer shiny and let it dry thoroughly.

To get the color just right a mixed a small amount of blue into a larger amount of black, stirring completely to make sure it is mixed well.

Using a small craft brush, paint the entire boot. I hold it by the heel, doing the top first and then the heel last.

Watch for brush marks, make sure not to load too much paint on the brush, and get into all the crevasses of the shoe. Since I went from black to a dark navy, it only took one coat.

It’s hard to tell the color difference, but here is the black on the left next to the newly painted navy one. After letting them dry you can put your choice of finisher on them, matte, satin or glossy for the protective coating. You paint it the same way you did the boots. I let the boots dry for 2 days before wearing them just to be safe. They are the exact color I wanted.

Now the outfit can be worn more often and I have a “new” pair of boots to match other things.

The $5 longline blazer adds a little warmth and it creates a vertical appearance, making me seem taller which I always need lol. Unbuttoned it looks great, but a little MEH for my taste when fastened.

Adding the chain fedora gives a little kick and continues to add to my height, woo hoo!

Adding a vintage chain belt, defines the waist and gives the jacket a more tailored look. Using the fedora as the finishing piece put my signature style on it, which is certainly not for everyone. I call that upstyle++ lol. It’s a bold outfit, but those are my favorite kind! Upstyling is all about using what you love and making the most out of your outfit.

Transitional weather = layering your outfits, creating each layer into something you love, will give you an outfit you are always happy to wear.

Blessings,

Eden