IT’S OKAY TO WEAR BLACK IN THE SUMMER!

It’s okay to wear black in the summer.. but you probably already knew this.

This is part 3 of the 

Made By XDF Spring Summer 2021 Capsule Project.

The Made By XDF Spring Summer 2021 Capsule Project consists of 4 different looks I have designed and sewn in order to bring you fresh style inspiration for this time of year…

Enjoy!Xx

If you read my last post then you may be thinking “Desola… what happened to exploring more colours other than black and white?!”. I know I should be challenging myself in expanding my wardrobe’s colour palette – however, I couldn’t help but create this fun black open top and skirt co ord that is perfect for summer! To be honest, I was inspired by a bunch of different things to create this… but we will get to that at the end of the post. First let me give you a quick breakdown of this look!

To make this I used moss crepe material which is, in my opinion, perfect for summer because its lightweight and easy to move in. Also, it is slightly stretchy which enhances its characteristics of being comfortable and hassle-free. Although it is a little hard to identify through the images, the moss crepe fabric features a slight pattern from the texture and they appear like pretty crinkles. I love this element as opposed to plain smooth surfaces – it just gives the clothes a little more life, and makes it a little bit more interesting rather than being a dull black. If you’re going to go all black this summer, I recommend you try wearing crepe materials!

My top was inspired by the IAMGIA Ostara top! I made a few modifications to the design, but in spite of that it is such a pretty summery look! It is backless and ties around the neck and at the back. No zips! Thank God for that! I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but so far in all my creations for this project I have not featured a zip in. At all. Being in control of my own collection meant that I could decide the ‘rules’. I don’t know if it’s just me that finds zips a hassle in the summer? If you want to make your clothes a little looser because of the heat, you can’t just pull down the zip or else you’ll be entirely exposed. But with ties and with buttons also, you can expand it a little, or pop some buttons to feel instantly at eased. However, considering how the top lets the skin to be exposed in all the right places, this won’t even be necessary!

To compliment the design of the top, I wanted to create a high slit mini skirt! I’m obsessed with the skirt to be honest. It is so simple, a mini black skirt, but the exaggerated opening at the side just gives it that statement feature. Again, there are absolutely no zips in this skirt. I used the hook and eye fasteners to secure it on! Rather than it being a suffocating line, I left gaps in the line of hooks and eyes so that it is more breathable and comfortable around the belly. Whilst adding the fasteners, I added more in to change the circumference of the skirt so if I wanted to, it could sit at my waist rather than lower belly. But as you can see in these photos, I didn’t utilise this feature as my waist was already occupied by the top. Also, I feel as though the low rise style is, again, perfect for summer as it lets you move around more (apologies for me rinsing out this phrase all the way through this post 🥲).

To be on the safe side, I sewed an extra piece for the co-ord; a black belt of matching material to be tied into a bow, and sat on top of the extreme slit I inserted in the skirt. Despite the hot girl season, I appreciate that safety net of being a little more covered up, and far from the risk of a wardrobe malfunction! Thankfully its almost undetectable, and it still looks cute!

I went with silver and crystal tones for this look, as opposed to my warm gold summery tones I embodied in my previous post. I love wearing all black with silver because it contrasts so nicely! I may be biased because I do prefer silver tones over golds, but it really does give off a stunning visual.

I opted for a dainty silver star necklace to sit on top of my collarbones, a matching star and moon ring, a silver charm bracelet, and a silver crystal belly chain.

I kept the accessories to a minimum as there was quite a lot going on in the design of the outfit. Also, I went for light natural glam with a subtle wing liner, and pulled my hair up for a ponytail.

I didn’t want to do heavy makeup and hair because I’m already wearing all black!

All black is typically condemned in this season because it is said that darker colours absorb more heat from the sun. So, if you do choose to wear all black this summer, it is best to keep your neck area unoccupied, as well as your shoes and accessories so you don’t feel uncomfortable with the heat. For this reason, I wore these black sandals from Public Desire!

Right, as mentioned earlier I was inspired by a few things to create this outfit!

First, a lyric from the song “Ouch” by Kah-Lo (which has become my summer 21 anthem) inspired this cute little number. Early in the song Kah-Lo says “look too cute to be sat up in the house… brought out the little black mini”, and I just thought why not sew up a little black mini to wear out in the summer?! Yes, black is not typically considered as a summer colour, but I felt inspired to show you why this taboo is nothing but a fallacy, and you really can rock all black in whatever season!

Okay, my second inspo for this was the Versace Resort 2022 collection. As I was going through it, I was obsessed with the edits! Whilst its not unusual for designers to feature black outfits in a cruise collection, I was caught by the liveliness of the black outfits in the Versace Resort 22! The shoot inspired me to create this little number and show black in a playful way. Here are a few of my favourites:

Of course, I also attempted to recreate these edits, but big disclaimer, I am not a professional. These edits are just for fun experimental purposes only!* I tried adding different colours and patterns:

Hopefully in my next post I will create something other than a skirt and top set, but I’m really enjoying this! It is really the perfect co ord for summer, and as shown with my last post and this post, this type of set is easily versatile! I hope you also try out one all black outfit this summer, but to be real, you probably have already tried it considering how this is not a new phenomenon!

Thank you for reading!x I hope you have enjoyed part 3 of my SS21 Capsule Project!Xx

-XDESFAN

*If you are in need of great graphic design content, check out AFG Studio on Instagram! You won’t be disappointed!