I love finding new ways to rethink my wardrobe — and I’ve discovered recently that one of the best sources for an inspired outfit choice can come from books!
Dressing to match or coordinate with a book, or even taking inspiration from a book cover or character are great ways to rethink your clothes and how you put them together.
Given my love of fictional pirates, it was easy to find inspiration from Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller. Especially given that Alosa and I both share some crazy bright red hair.
Taking my cues from the book cover itself, I wanted an outfit inspired by the same ensemble Alosa is seen wearing without going too costume-y. For that reason, I left my actual corset in the closet — and went with a black sweater vest over a pale blue pinstriped blouse. (Both items are old pieces from my wardrobe, so I couldn’t begin to tell you where they are from. Alas.) Then I paired them with dark skinny jeans and my knee-high black boots, and added a few pirate-y accessories to tie everything together. The sword maybe wouldn’t work in every day use, but the treasure chest necklace sure does.
My necklace came from Charming Charlie a few years ago, but you can find some really cute options on Etsy right now.
Speaking of Etsy, that’s also where my husband got me this wonderful mermaid ring — which, admittedly, is one I wear almost every day, but also works perfectly in this outfit as a nod to the sirens mentioned frequently in the book. (And what are pirates without mermaids?)
In case you’re wondering, that sword is real, blackened steel. It’s my husband’s, and it’s part of his always expanding collection of pirate costume pieces and accessories. (I told you; we’re really into pirates. The couple that plunders together, stays together? Sure!) We were lucky to find it on sale for an incredible price at the Oregon Renaissance Faire last year; your local Ren Faires can be great places to find cool, unique pirate-y accessories!
All this week, we are giving you a chance to win a copy of Daughter of the Pirate King thanks to our friends at Macmillan. To enter, tell us in the comments what books inspire your style? — then fill out the Rafflecopter to complete your entry.
Come back each weekday now through February 28th to see our latest Daughter of the Pirate King post and earn more chances to win. The more posts you visit & comment on, the better your chances!
Contest runs through midnight (PT) on Wednesday, March 1st and is open to the U.S. only.
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Novel Novice 
I don’t know if any particular book inspires my style, but I would say that my style on the daily is casual and comfortable, so books of that nature maybe? The most fitting books that come to mind are Sarah Dessen’s contemporary novels!
The book covers that have anyone wearing Converse, like Scarlett Epstein was Here and The Breakup support Group, are the ones that inspire me.
I got click happy and forgot to read what I was supposed to post about. So I wanted to say that I love your blog and you are rockin that outfit!
I actually tend to change my style slightly depending on the book. For example, after reading Divergent, I wore only edgy, black outfits for weeks
I value comfort in my clothing above all else but I also want to look good. Alanna from Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce comes to mind. She pretended to be a guy in order to become a knight. After she revealed herself to be a girl she still insisted on wearingg pants to a ball even though she was female. But for the top she had a very fancy tunic or suit coat that was very feminine. She was comfortable but was still able to be her awesome self.
What a fun post! I want to collect pirate goodies too. That sword is epic!
Omg, I love your hair and your outfit! I’m slightly obsessed with pirates too, so I’ll definitely check out my local Ren Faire!
This is a fun idea for a post! I can’t really think of a book that inspires my style, but it sounds like a fun place to look for inspiration.