Surprise! How I Fell in Love With a Top

By Tessa, Junior Board Member

When I first visited the MarketPlace inventory, I was on the lookout for a great top to feature in this blog that would appeal to any woman and be useful in several situations. I looked through the collection and put aside things that might be fun, and finally picked up this top. I have to say, at first it didn’t stand out from all the other pieces in stock and I wasn’t sure I could do much with it, but I liked the bright colors so I put it in my pile. When I got home and tried it on, I was surprised that it transformed into a dramatic, versatile top that draped ever-so-nicely. After ten minutes of playing around with it and seeing all the ways it could be worn, I pronounced to my husband that I wanted to own it! Who would have guessed? I absolutely LOVE this top.

Here are three distinctly different ways to wear this top as well as a few variations. Enjoy!

At the Beach: This top is sort of a mini kaftan, so our first look is just the top as is. The drawstrings are undone, just tied into a bow at the end. It’s perfect for the beach over swimwear because the cotton is incredibly light and airy. It covers up without making you hot because the large sleeves allow for plenty of air to cool you off. (I know because it was HOT in Chicago!) It can also be worn in this style as a night gown or just to hang around the house. To change it up, you can also scrunch one of the drawstrings to transform it into an asymmetrical top.

Summer Dress: Here, we styled the top into a more traditional silhouette and made it into a summer dress. We folded in the sides of the top to create a more form-fitting dress and then secured the fabric with a waist belt. Depending on the belt and how loose you prefer to wear the dress, you can vary the look. We opted for a more sophisticated, navy patent-leather belt because it made the outfit more classy. Our other option was a blue ribbon that would have nicely featured the whimsical nature of this top.

Chic Blouse: For this more casual, urban look, we scrunched up both drawstrings as far as they would go. Then we lifted the top by the strings to the length that we wanted. We took the strings, tied them in back, and tucked in the extra fabric so it looked nice from behind. This look was incredibly easy to wear and looks great with a pair of skinny jeans. It\’s so versatile that depending on how you accessorize, it can be more chic or more bohemian. Consider adding some fun earrings or heals to reflect your own style.