How We Style Prairie Looks: Part One

The prairie trend has taken hold and it shows no signs of stopping. From Batsheva to Ulla Johnson on the runway to the popularity of vintage Gunne Sax and Laura Ashley on Etsy and Ebay, the prairie look is hot. Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of Little Women could even make the trend even more popular. But, sometimes a little prairie goes a long way. Here are some ways to incorporate the trend wihout looking like you’ve wandered off the set of “Little House on the Prairie” or like you just ended your shift at the living history farm.

Tip 1: Shoes Make it Modern

The easiest way to bring your 19th century dress into the 21st century is shoes. The bigger the contrast in styles, the better the look. Here I’ve paired my 80s Laura Ashley dress ($8 at Goodwill!) with some off-white Frye ankle boots to take the fussiness out of the puff sleeve look. Now the look is less Oregon Trail and more brunch in Portland.

The street style inspiration of prairie dress and dad sneakers is also an effortless way to update the look. In this case, white Adidas did the trick.

A fun pair of classic clogs, like these blue Dr. Scholl’s, gives this prairie dress some zing.

Tip 2: We Mix Up Styles

With their lace collars and dainty details, Edwardian-inspired blouses can feel fussy. But, pair them with a more masculine style and they go from fussy to fresh. This gorgeous high collar Edwardian style blouse loses the school marm vibe when worn with 1960s Army pants, a seed bead belt, and candy pink Swedish Hasbeens clogs.

Mom jeans (Gloria Vanderbilt, of course) make this sleeveless early 1980s Edwardian-inspired blouse feel a little bit punk rock. The white YSL heels don’t hurt either.