The Subtle Tiger
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I was midway through another edit when Simon Miller’s Mona striped dress stopped me in my tracks. It spoke to me: the green crepe stripe, the breezy summer silhouette, everything about it felt like the perfect end-of-summer dress.
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And so, midway through next week’s schedule, I switched gears. Months ago, I had saved photos of a striped Manolo linen slingback—a perfect partner to play against the Simon Miller. The DeMellier Stockholm bag, an old favorite, now with a stripe—paired with the linen slingback and Kallmeyer’s barely-there, tone-on-tone sequin striped Penny top? Chef’s kiss.
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The final pieces fell into place easily—and that’s how I know an edit is going to work. Deiji Studios’ subtle striped wool flared pants paired with Renggli’s flat white crewneck sweater (quite possibly the best basic I own; it goes with absolutely everything) finished with St. Agni’s minimal strap sandal in ecru, and the story was complete.
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All that remained were a few finishing flourishes—and who doesn’t love a good flourish? A simple sandal, a raffia tote, and a few carefully chosen pieces of jewelry were all the Simon Miller dress required.
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Composing a flat lay is actually not that much different than the daily art of getting dressed. For me, both begin with a single inspiration piece. From there, I anchor it with neutral basics before finishing with accessories—because, after all, that’s what gives an outfit its teeth.
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Put a Pin in It
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Simon Miller Mona Crepe Dress
‍Black Suede Studio Tash 50 Mule
‍Christopher Esber Deia Raffia Tote
Chan Luu Pebble Earrings Peridot
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Kallmeyer Penny Sequin Ruched Striped Top
‍DeMellier Suede Stockholm Tote
‍Manolo Blahnik Pelas Linen Slingback
‍Selima Optique Aldo Sunglasses
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Renggli Crewneck Sweater
‍Deiji Studios Striped Wool Flared Pants
‍St. Agni Minimal Strap Heel
‍Lié Studio Julia Necklace