eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

Eggplant Inspiration & Link Up On the Edge #182

February 7, 2020 / 70 Comments
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

I know I talk about inspiration often, probably too often, but I guess it is our inspiration that gets us out of bed in the morning, pushes us to be creative, pulls at us to make a statement, motivates us to do things, something, anything. It could be as simple as what you are going to wear today. It could be something as monumental as how you plan on changing the world. Whatever it is, we find our inspiration all around us and sometimes in the very unlikeliest of places.

Like produce. You know, fruits and vegetables. Now I suppose if you are inspired to create a new recipe from some beautifully vibrant and organic produce that you spotted at the local farm market, that wouldn’t seem at all an unlikely place to find such inspiration. But when produce inspires your clothing, it might seem a little odd to some. But not everyone. Because there are lots of folks who appreciate discovering inspiration in unlikely places. I stumbled upon this Pinterest Board called Clothes Made of Vegetables, so clearly I am not the only one who can look at fresh produce and think about fashion.

eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

To be fair, there is a part of my brain that is generally always thinking about fashion. I have been a person obsessed with clothing for as long as I can remember, always looking for fun and unique ways to create an outfit that will give me power when I step out of the safety of my home into the super scary world out there. My clothing has always been my battle armor, my self-expression, my creative outlet. It is my way of letting the world know that I may be timid and I may look a little different from everyone else but I will not be defeated. Even when I am not feeling bold and brave and badass, at least I can look like I feel that way and sometimes that is you all need in order to survive the day.

It is super easy to hide all of our insecurities underneath oversized dark and drab clothing. Believe me, I lived a lot of my youth hiding behind black baggy clothing. It gave me some sense of security. Granted, my statements were made in the details of my Gothic and grungy wardrobe like shredded tights layered under an oversized flannel shirt with pristine knee high combat boots. And while that may sound like the styling of a sad teenager filled with overwhelming levels of angst, I will still pull off some classic grunge and Goth looks even in the middle of my 40’s. Because I like it. And I will wear what I want when I want and it’s like a giant game of dress up. Every single day.

eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

But today’s outfit was not inspired by teenage gloom, it was not inspired by a style prompt, it was not inspired by another blogger or a Pinterest photo. Today’s outfit was inspired by eggplant. Yes. Eggplant. That gorgeous nightshade plant that produces a beautiful purple spongy egg shaped fruit that is a popular ingredient in the culinary arts due to its ability to absorb all the oils and flavors that are prepared with it. Eggplant has inspired my outfit.

*A little botanical fact: although eggplants are often considered vegetables, they are fruits by their botanical classification.

eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

It is believed that eggplant originated in India but it is currently grown worldwide. Eggplant is a delicate perennial plant that requires a tropical climate for its best growing environment. The flowers of the plant range in color from white to various shades of purple while the fruit itself generally appears in deeper tones of purple and aubergine to almost black, but you can also find white eggplant. But no matter the color or taste, these berries really are quite a lovely sight with their interesting shape and their rich hues. And that is where I found my inspiration.

eggplants
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

I had this adorable purple skirt that I found while thrift shopping in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, during the holidays and when I got eggplant into my brain as my outfit inspiration, it was this skirt that started everything. I don’t have a lot of purply things in my wardrobe so I just sort of started putting all the purple things together. And while the colors were not perfect matches, it began reminding me of the image above of all the eggplants. The way these brilliant colors appear in nature are not perfectly matched either yet they still create a stunning display of luminosity in their saturated shades. So I just kept going…adding purple plaid, eggplant tights, aubergine boots. I actually do have a purple coat, but there are some lovely navy blue stripes in the plaid shirt that I also wanted to highlight. That is where the dark navy blazer and navy coat came into play.

eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

Have you ever been inspired by produce? Or food? Or maybe some other unlikely thing has inspired you. I would love to hear about it.

And now your featured favorites from last week.

Reader Favorite (Most Clicked)

Terri of Meadow Tree Style shared her post, The Versatility of a Long Cardigan. Posts that showcase different ways to style a single wardrobe piece are very popular because they can inspire us to think outside of the box when it comes to certain articles of clothing. Terri has a wonderful knack of creating functional and stylish outfits around closet staples that many of us already own. And these neutral shades of olive, brown, and black look so wonderful on her!

Terri of Meadow Tree Style

My Favorite Fashion Post

Kathrine of Kathrine Eldridge Wardrobe Stylist is totally tapping into my own style vibe with her edgy outfit in Poncho Sweater with a Side of Chanel. I love the black on black with an interesting mix of textures and then the addition of some bold color with her amazing over the knee boots. I am thinking I need to copy cat this outfit soon!

Kathrine of Kathrine Eldridge Wardrobe Stylist

My Favorite Non-Fashion Post

Ashleigh of Afternoon Talks really inspired and motivated me with her post, My Five Resolutions for the New Year. You might already know that I don’t really make resolutions, but the way Ashleigh has laid out a very different framework for resolution-making has me reconsidering my own way of setting goals for self improvement.

Ashleigh of Afternoon Talks

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
eggplant, monochromatic outfit, purple, aubergine, plaid shirt, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Shop my look…

Outfit Details: Skirt-Thrifted (Loft) / Top-Charlotte Russe / Bralette-Torrid / Blazer-Gap / Coat-Just Fab / Boots and Tights-Old Navy / Necklace and Earrings-c/o Happiness Boutique (Exact)

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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