Bad Style Experiment: A Mismatching Outfit

Not so easy to achieve, not so bad to wear

(In case you missed my intro, I’ve started a new experiment where I dress the way I truly dislike and document how I feel - read up here.)

My next bad-style outfit was a mismatched one - and let me tell you, it was not easy to make an outfit truly mismatched. I first started with some pieces that were a bit all over the place, but when I put them all together, they were giving me this “ton” energy that was actually somewhat pleasing to the eye (maybe not for everyone, but I think Tibi fans would get it).

Massimo Dutti shoes (on sale now), Tibi skirt, Cos shirt (similar), second hand jacket (similar)

I mean, it’s not a perfect outfit, but it has some vibe to it. I played with my clothes a bit more and still kept ending up either in friction or in “ton” territory.

I then decided to lean into the infamous “two,” where mismatching pieces come in pairs. I tried the apricot dress from Tibi with my recent new addition - a Salanida sweater in lime - and this color combo just did not work (although lime usually works with almost everything). Maybe they’re too close to each other on the color wheel and/or have the same intensity?

Anyway, under skirts in winter I usually wear leggings or tights with open toes and socks, and I decided to mismatch those really badly as well. In general, black doesn’t work well with bright pastels, but then adding sporty socks is just a cherry on top.

Tibi melon dress, Salanida sweater, Labadiena socks.

By the way, see how the socks on top look exceptionally bad - it mirrors the ankle boots that are usually problematic to wear under a skirt. Instead of a “skin sandwich,” it’s a “leggings sandwich.” At the same time, keeping the socks tucked under the leggings is almost okay, like you were wearing loafers.

So the first stop I made was taking my 5-year-old daughter together with my 15-year-old stepdaughter to the swimming pool and a shopping mall. I took off my coat while walking around the mall and at the swimming pool, and very clearly no one noticed anything. I got no looks from passers-by in the mall - it takes much more than a simple mismatch to impress strangers.

That day we also had dinner at a friend’s house, and once again I got no stares or looks. We discussed my sweater and how the color really fits my complexion. Then another friend commented that I always have these interesting colors, like these orange and lime hues. I got no other reactions though. I thought that since I’ve worn a lot of experimental or questionable outfits, nobody reacts to a simple mismatch anymore.

Surprised a bit by the lack of attention to a mismatch I thought was obvious, the next day I asked my husband how he liked yesterday’s outfit. He said, “What were you wearing? I don’t remember.” It really did not register. I said, “That orange dress and yellow sweater.” “Oh, that one,” he said. “It looked fun and a bit childish - like Telebimbam,” which is a children’s TV production in Lithuania.

Telebimbam performance

I started thinking about it and realized that the evening we spent felt really positive and relaxed. It was a fun, lighthearted evening - maybe a little Telebimbam :) I generally don’t think clothes influence how we feel that much, but now I’m starting to reconsider. So drop your grays and browns, and add a little pastel and neon Telebimbam if you want to have fun :)

And mismatch apparently is really not a problem - if you manage to achieve it!