Inspiration Board: Barbie - Barbie Safari

Barbie's style gravitated strongly toward casual vibes during most of the winter, a genre she handles with competence and distinctiveness - i.e. well worth borrowing from! Her pairing of a safari jacket (an aptly named piece of clothing designed for adventures in the African bush and referenced by Hemingway in the 30's) with denim is easily adapted to a cool weather variation. Its laidback vibe lends itself flawlessly to a pairing with a simple sweatshirt, which nods at the athleisure trend. You're not looking from something too beaten up or wordy, just a very basic, unadorned piece will do. Heathered colors are perfectly acceptable, as are hoodies (can you believe it?!). Slouchy silhouettes are do-able as well, since the jacket adds casual refinement. If sweatshirts aren't rocking you at present, consider a simple sweater or lace-up thermal. Grab a slim/straight or skinny pair of jeans for the bottom. Barbie's look has a softness about it, due to her choice of blue denim, which I love and reprised, but with the neutral palette of the rest of the pieces here, black denim would work as well. The crucial factor behind your choice of denim silhouette is your shoes. Keep the casual feel going with ankle boots - Barbie's heeled hiking style (the wheat Glancy from Timberland, available here) is fantastic and will work with slouchier straight styles, as well as skinnies. You can also totally do this look with flat boots; just choose a skinny jean to balance the more over-sized pieces on top. Definitely consider only partially lacing your flats boots and leaving the top open for a cool-girl effect, as Alicia did here. The look's coup de grace is the jacket, which elevates the denim and sweatshirt pairing by adding structure and easygoing sophistication. The safari style is a perfect choice here, as it lends polish, without being too formal. If you haven't yet added one to your jacket collection, an oversized bomber will create a similar, slightly more urban vibe. Other breezily refined options include a knit blazer or a denim (and chambray too!) blazer. Note: blazer; skip the classic denim jacket here, as it's too laidback to bring the necessary pop to the look. I hope this gets your casually chic style juices flowing :) Happy fashioning!