We’re Stella, Valisia, and Alexandra—2+1=2’s storytelling aficionados with a dash of calculus expertise thrown in. ‘Bad at Math’ is our little corner of the internet where you’ll get to know us a lot better than you ever expected. You may follow our Instagram account, but this thing here will be quite different. We wanted something more personal, more approachable. We want to show you how we wear our clothes. How we style them. What we wear on specific occasions. Which occasions are these. With whom are we attending them. Also, we want to introduce you some really exciting personalities along the way, some of them we are lucky enough to call friends. They all have exciting stories to tell and we want to show you how they style our clothes too!
Additionally, as some of you may know, we love Art + Design, so, naturally, we will be including that. Exhibitions, Films, Music, you name it. And of course, we won’t leave out Travel. That’s our main source of inspiration. We learn as we go and we want to share our knowledge. Both from places we visit, but also places that inspire us.
So!
Today’s focus is:
The (black) trousers
We can’t think of a single person that doesn’t own a pair of black trousers. In our opinion it’s the most versatile garment we have in our closet (except maybe a crisp white shirt too).
Our preference is either a high waisted tailored pair (maybe something like that as well) or one that sits on the bones right under your waist and has a more relaxed feel.
How we style them
Stella’s Version
We’ll start simple. Black trousers and white T-shirt combo. Like a simple marinara sauce, it’s all in the ingredients. Always go for high quality wool trousers, like our Μάρλας trousers or our Πάνορμος ones. For T-shirt I prefer a thick cotton, definitely oversized, with wide sleeves. I love a multi-strap sandal for summer (alternatives are these and these ).
I can’t think of many things I love more than a suit. I love our Πύργος jacket because although it seems quite elaborate, it’s really easy to style. Just think of it as a simple black blazer. I wear it with simple pointed flats (like these , these or these ) for a day or a relaxed evening look. I love brooches, especially vintage ones. It’s a work in progress to grow a collection, so I browse Etsy for hours. (Try searching “vintage brass brooch”, “vintage Art Deco brooch”).
I love what a scarf and a belt (definitely a hat too) can do to an outfit. As I don’t wear jewellery, these are my go-tos for adding character to a simple outfit. A silk scarf is a great way to add colour to a monochromatic outfit, for example. What I love about this shirt is its gold buttons, they give a more elevated feel to a simple white shirt. (Generally, I will be here for the gold and Valisia for the silver!)
Valisia’s Version
This look, I call it “a little bit of sexiness in my life”. I always like to wear mini skirts or mini dresses or mini anything! For some reason that I cannot put my finger on, showing legs is not something that I consider sexy. For me, a bare back or a glimpse of chest bones has an alluring impact on any outfit. Especially, when it is balanced with a timeless pair of trousers or a maxi skirt. Feeling sexy means feeling comfortable, so a bodysuit (that can be an option, or this one) is the ideal piece since you don’t have to worry about a scrunched-up tuck in. To complete the image, I have to bring in the harder elements that define my style: custom made necklaces made out of hardware (you can find them at any hardware store) and my western mules (alternatives: these and these ).
Jean Genet, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Marc Almond, Jean Paul Gaultier. 4 personalities I utterly love, with all of them having a fair number of references to sailors. This is my kind of homage to the iconic nautical style. The white top is actually the upper part of the Orquidea de Prat dress which you can actually wear either as a dress or as 2 completely separated pieces matched with something else. The chain comes with the dress but I wore it slightly different, having in mind an abstract collar but at the bottom of the top. Last but not least, one cannot omit the most essential ingredient of the recipe, the hat. Instead of the traditional white sailor hat, I chose a black woven beret (this or this work well) embellished with safety pins because I cannot leave anything without ornamentations. So, the conclusion here is that when you are inspired by a specific look you can translate it whichever way you want. Making it your own by mirroring your personality, your sense of style.
Since we live in Greece, summer holidays are equivalent to high temperatures, the mediterranean sun and our magical islands. But hold on here, I am not obsessed neither with the sun nor the sea. I do enjoy them, but at the same time I am a sucker for more atmospheric and gloomy destinations. Here, I am considering myself as a modern-day Agatha Christie staying over at the “large and dreary” Moorland hotel to finish work on the “Mysterious Affairs at Styles”. Monochromatic black outfit consisting of not-your-everyday-2WO+1NE=2-shirt along with both a large Aumorfia choker and a vintage statement necklace belonging to my mother (I love this one and this one from Etsy), accentuate the mystery. Important hint of the look: when you are so fully dressed with no sight of skin, I propose to put your hair in a sleek ponytail or a bun, so as to see clearly the features of your face and not to hide it as you do with the rest of your body.
Alexandra’s Version
I’ve paired the Μάρλας trousers with the Dedalera blouse, custom-made in black fine cotton with a chunky chain in the back. I left it open for a couple of reasons: one, it adds a low-key, smoking edge to the whole look, and two, it saves me the hassle of unchaining myself when it’s time to undress; —efficiency meets style. Matched the silver chain with my mom’s gift silver bracelet. As for shoes, I opted for pointed black flats with slender ties—an old fave from my personal archive.
Went full throttle with the total black + total tailored look—basically, a grown-up version of me. Except for the silver pointed pumps with that mirror-effect finish, because a little sparkle never minded anyone. I layered the black fine cotton Τριπόταμος blazer dress as a longline vest over the Μάρλας trousers. Needed to keep things cool, so the exposed back design of the custom vest was perfect for a bit of ventilation. To define my silhouette, I cinched my waist with a classic black leather belt, but here’s the trick: wore it half-exposed, half-hidden on top of the dress instead of threading it through the trousers' belt loops.
This one’s all about my obsession for Asian garments and culture. I paired the Μάρλας trousers with a kimono-style raw silk jacket—silk straight from Beijing, China, tailored 30 years ago by a local seamstress. It’s got this cherry red hue and tonal textured floral pattern that I absolutely love. The silk feels so smooth on my skin that I ditched anything underneath except a sheer black bra. I wrapped it up with Hennie Vagabond black leather sandals—classic '90s design.
That’s it from us.
See you next week!
Stella + Valisia + Alexandra