Styling fringe purses may make you think about boho concerts and festivals, but I truly believe in the power of dichotomy when it comes to our looks.
Quote of the day: “Just because you fail once doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything.” Marilyn Monroe
I always like to say that we are NOT one-dimensional, and thus our outfits shouldn’t be either.
Since our Thrifty 6 group called out styling fringe, I took it a step further and decided to explore fringe purses. Fringe accessories can add movement, texture, and personality to an outfit, but many women avoid them because they immediately associate fringe with a boho aesthetic.
Let’s be open in our way of thinking and realize that fringe is much more versatile than being part of just a boho outfit.
In fact, when our style crew recently played around with fringe purses, each of us took a completely different approach. None of the outfits felt overly bohemian, proving that fringe can work with almost any personal style.
When you feel like a detail is “too much”, then one secret is to use that detail in accessories instead. That makes it not as “in your face,” yet you still get to have fun.
We’ve discussed fringe recently and in the past, if you want to see more:
–Tassels and fringe
–Fringe on clothing items
I like to think of fringe as the fashion equivalent of a smile.
I chose both higher-priced and secondhand purses in the widget below. Even if you aren’t buying, you can certainly “window shop.”
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Lesley is proof that styling fringe doesn’t have to mean boho.
Since she didn’t have a fringe purse available, I loaned her some fringe tassels to attach to her handbag. Instant fringe!
What I Love most about her outfit is how polished everything else remains. She wore tailored rust shorts, a white button-down under a vest, and classic loafers.
The fringe becomes an accent rather than the star of the show, yet blends seamlessly with the brown and black accents.
Style tip: The more structured the clothing, the less “boho” the fringe will feel.
Details:
-These tassels hanging off of Lesley’s purse were found at a fabric/home decor store. I bought them for under $1 and have used them to decorate numerous purses.
-Lesley is a huge fan of loafers and has more than 4 pairs in her closet.
-Wooden accessories are ideal because they are beautiful and usually very lightweight.
For my outfit, the inspiration was one of the recent looks associated with Anne Hathaway’s character in The Devil Wears Prada 2. It was her last outfit in the movie, and I immediately noticed the fringe purse. Granted, it was a cold day for that scene, so she wore snakeskin booties and a jacket. I went for the summer version.
But she was wearing Levis, and I pulled a pair that I’m taking over the Levi’s recycle program, as they are a bit big on me.
A fringe purse might traditionally be paired with a flowing dress or suede jacket, but wearing it with sneakers and brooches changes the vibe.
Instead of boho, the outfit feels current, playful, and hopefully a little unexpected.
Details:
-This knitted ruffle top is one that I knitted last year. I discussed in my email about how it didn’t turn out as expected (or as the pattern showed). Originally, I layered another shirt under it because it’s quite low in the front.
BUT today, I got smart and turned it backwards.
-Then I decorated the ruffle with 3 brooches and 2 earrings (those matching ones on each end)
-My purse is very old (worn back in Denver) and cracking. Yet even though it’s not in the best shape, I think most of those “scars” are like our scars. Normal and perfectly imperfect.
If anyone can prove that fringe belongs in a classic wardrobe, it’s my mom.
Her outfit is similar to Lesley’s, with the white button-down and loafers, but my mom is wearing white jeans and a scarf around her neck.
Everything about her look is timeless and classic.
So by adding the fringe purse, she creates visual interest without changing the overall aesthetic. The purse becomes a conversation piece.
Stylist tip: You don’t have to change your personal style to wear fringe. Simply incorporate it into the outfits you already love.
Details:
-Mom’s shoes are so old that they’ve been resoled once and had new heels put on them twice. They are the original penny loafers.
-Luckily, we don’t need to match our purse to anything else anymore. I love how the rust really stands out against the white, and even the shoes and earrings are not exactly the same colors.
The truth is that styling fringe isn’t really about the fringe at all.
It’s about what you pair it with.
When fringe is combined with flowy layers, peasant tops, and western-inspired pieces, it naturally leans boho. But when you pair it with sporty sneakers, tailored separates, or classic wardrobe staples, it takes on an entirely different personality.
That’s one of the reasons I love experimenting with accessories. They allow us to try trends without abandoning our personal style.
Sometimes all it takes is looking at a familiar accessory in a completely new way.
Because the fashion and textile industry can be a major contributor to landfills and other environmental pollution, we decided that the mission of this group is to focus on second-hand items.
Thrifty tip: Don’t forget to check out the men’s and kids’ sections of the store because you might be surprised.
Check out the other members of the Thrifty 6 group below for different ideas of styling fringe
“My fringe comes in the form of a preloved ruana all trimmed in pink silky fringes. I wore this same wrap for a previous thrifty style challenge featuring hats. I try to create outfits for Thrifty Six challenges using all thrifted pieces, but this outfit consists mostly of Retail purchases….except for the pink fringed wrap and my jewelry. I recently bought the pants on super duper clearance from the Walmart pajama section and I am loving them! Pajama pants and robes for daytime wear, yes, please!”Â
So I went looking for something with fringes on Vinted. And imagine my surprise, I couldn’t find anything. At least not to my taste. I thought there would be plenty of choice, but no. After searching for a very long time, I found this jacket that I thought would be cool. No. It’s too small, and it’s too short; it looks terrible on me, and I don’t like it at all. Too late to pick something else out, so I’m afraid you guys will just have to make do with it. Mission failed. That’s part of the deal, too. I know my fashion friends will do a whole lot better!
“This vintage purple suede waistcoat is by a brand called Bikers Gearbox – I imagine a biker chick wearing it in the late 60’s…
…picture the scene, she sits astride a massive Harley-Davidson, the long fringing and her waist-length hair blowing behind her in the wind.
Fringe is all about animation – I can’t manifest the Harley, but I can definitely give it some serious swish.”
“Fringe is tough for me because it is so strongly associated with boho/western style in my mind, and that’s not me. But I thought that if I could find a summer-compatible scarf with fringe in my wardrobe, I could style it in my own classic-colorful-casual-comfortable-cute way. Fortunately, this thrifted silky scarf with fringe came through for me. It was easy to pair with two thrifted bright blue pieces I haven’t worn together before – a short-sleeved jersey knit cardigan and a Le Suit skirt – and a white tank top, making an outfit that would was both (1) dressed up enough to be an in-office summer business casual outfit at my last job and (2) comfortable enough for a day at home at my computer, bead mat, and kitchen paper bead dipping station! Combined with fun handmade jewelry, this is a Fringe outfit that works for my non-boho/western style!”
“I was struggling to find something fringed that was preloved, until at the last minute I remembered I have not one, but two faux suede jackets with fringing! This one is from Vinted, bought a few years ago. I have an orange one that’s a bit longer, but I’d never worn this one before so this was my opportunity! I’ve teamed it with Pull and Bear jeans and a floral print top from Monki.”
If you don’t have great secondhand stores near you, then another great option is online thrifting. These are the ones I’ve used.
thredUp
Poshmark — here is the post about how to shop the site.
Etsy
ebay
The Real Real— higher-end and designer brands, but some are priced affordably.
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Jodie Filogomo is a retired cosmetic dentist and fashion blogger behind Jodie’s Touch of Style, where she has been helping women over 50 experiment with style in fun, creative ways for over 12 years.
Find out more about the crew, because we love to showcase all ages, body shapes, and women who love different styles.
The post How To Have Fun Styling Fringe Beyond the Boho Trend appeared first on Jodie’s Touch of Style.
