MIXING-AND-MATCHING boils down to one basic meaning: Throwing sh*t together that usually do not go together harmoniously.

Now that it is July, the temperatures here in New York City have steadied into the high-70s through mid-80s…Ahh, right in my sweet spot. Ensemble-wise, it is tempting to ease into a rut of donning tanks, cutoff jeans, and flip-flops every day or every opportunity you have for some sartorial leeway. Don’t give in! The “lazy” in #LazyGirlChic has NEVER intimated boring. While autumn is the season most known for its myriad layered combos, summer can just as easily create new looks from the same old pieces in your same old wardrobe.

DENIM and RUFFLES are two summer trends rarely seen together. There are a multitude of ways to sleekly blend the two. For example:

1. A crop ruffled top ($40, Lulus.com) and high-waisted denim shorts ($138, UrbanOutfitters.com)

2. A tank top with ruffled detail ($10-ON SALE!- HM.com) and denim miniskirt ($170, Net-a-Porter.com)… Yes, my children of the ’90s, denim miniskirts have recently returned! Rejoice! *Shout-out to SincerelyJules.com for highlighting its glorious restoration.

3. Or, as I personally chose:

 a Crop Denim Vest over a Ruffled Skater Dress

I happened to have an old (like, decade-old) vintage, distressed denim crop vest in my closet (Being vintage, it could have well been decades old)…

…and a ruffled peachy-nude shoulderless skater dress I purchased on a long-ago trip to China. The “mix” insinuated in this equation lies in the contrast between the rugged Western masculinity of the denim vest and girly femininity of the ruffled dress. The contrast is breezy, flirty, and just the right amount of tomboy-chic…all adjectives you would want to hear about your summer outfits.

THE “MIX” IN THIS EQUATION LIES IN THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE RUGGED WESTERN MASCULINITY OF THE DENIM VEST AND GIRLY FEMININITY OF A RUFFLED DRESS.

To complete my look, I paired it with my fave, the elongating Cone Pendant Necklace, BananaRepublic.com, and a gold-plated cuff bracelet (closest style here: BCBG Jet-Stone X-Cuff, NordstormRack.com).

Click to zoom in on any shot for style details:

PHOTOGRAPHER: Min Gao

SHOP: SIMILAR DENIM VESTS here

SHOP: SIMILAR RUFFLES here and here

If it were up to me (and not the tetanus-prone sidewalks of NYC), I would go barefoot all summer-long, but I highly recommend pairing nude sandals with this get-up. My current foot fixation: Melissa + Jason Wu Flat Gladiator Sandals in Artemis

LI’L GRIPES‘s “Fashion Mixology” series will return soon and often. Specific (or non-specific) suggestions for mix-and-match combos welcome on my Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email (lilgripes@gmail.com).