Styles: Netherlands Hot

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THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE box is said to have great results, such as creativity, uniqueness, the ensuing admiration, etc. But how does one escape the "box" of the Daily Dress Doldrums? Many young Europeans seem to have a knack for regularly dressing in a way that defies the expected and rebels against convention.

Marinella is a student in Maastricht — a city in the southern tip of the Netherlands, sandwiched between Belgium and Germany — and from the looks of her innovative outfit, she is very much de-boxed. For her morning trip to the market, she rocks a loose-fitting, blue linen shirt, cinched at the empire waist with a vintage white leather belt (not pictured here), over a pair of black leggings. Her black-and-brown knit scarf pulls the look together, and she polishes the outfit with a pair of black wedge boots (not pictured).

Marinella has successfully bent three maxims of dress:

Cold weather equals dressing like you're wrapped in a down comforter. Marinella's layers and thicker leggings (instead of tights) keeps her warm sans the marshmallow jacket.

Brown, black and blue equals no. This outfit combines the three colors very successfully because these specific hues are varied enough in tone that they don't muddle together. Remember that the Land of Color No-Nos is full of exceptions.

Shirts equals shirts. Marinella demonstrates that constricting the use of an article of clothing to its traditional form is very silly. Remember that irony is your friend. A shirt is not a dress, but you can wear it as a dress. A "Mister Rogers"-esque sweater can be a funky, young find. Time to raid Grandpa's wardrobe!

» To recapture the look, check out urbanoutfitters.com and snag the Free People Drop Waist Boy Shirt ($78), the Damsel Slip Cropped Leggings ($24) and the Lux Crinkle Ribbed Cardigan ($38). Also, try slipping your feet into Mossimo's Glory Mid-Shaft Low-Wedge Boots ($30) at target.com.

Story and photo by Express contributor Maya Silver