How do you make gray and black even better? Add bright spring colors of course. Is it just me or does color boost your mood? If it does, I hope you have a color filled weekend.
Details: Jeans and cardigan from The Limited / Shirt from Anthropology / Necklace from Stella & Dot / Belt from Talbots / Michael heels from Off Broadway
Yes, I actually left the back yard! To all you bloggers who take photos out and about, I commend you. It’s definitely more work. This was an exercise in lighting and camera settings thanks to one of my good friends. He’s been driven mad by the poor lighting in most of my photos so we went to a park and played. I was looking for an excuse to wear this jacket again and I wanted to dress it up a bit with a skirt instead of jeans (like here) so it was an easy outfit selection. I’m not a huge fan of nautically themed outfits but this had just the right amount of it for me.
Details: Caslon t-shirt from Nordstrom / Striped blazer from J Crew Factory / Skirt and necklace from The Limited / Michael heels from Off Broadway
Linking up with: Pleated Poppy, Random Wednesday, Style Sessions and Whatever Whenever Wednesday.
Although I’ve been working hard to incorporate more color into my wardrobe the simplicity and warmth of this combination are a classic that need not be forgotten. Black + cream + gold. The detailing on the shirt (a thrift store score) and leopard booties give this outfit extra style. Black and gold combinations use to scare me a bit. I couldn’t help but feel like a mob boss’ wife or some sort of gaudy, ex-stripper. I don’t know why it evoked these images but it did. But I’m really loving how black and gold are being worn together currently. Take a look at Black House White Market for some great examples of how to do this combination in a classy-not-trashy way (some of my favs: shoes, skirt, pants). I wore this particular combination to a client meeting that was fairly informal and the layers made it perfect for the So Cal Fall weather that has finally arrived.
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I really am working on scaling back the shopping (*husband nods emphatically*) since I am currently without a full-time job but there were a few occasions last month and too many good deals that I couldn’t pass up.
And from the Good Will Hunting event put on by The Wardrobe Code, I scored an Ann Taylor Loft blazer ($10), a Elie Tahari shirt ($6) and a Ellen Tracy button down ($6). If you live in the Orange County area and want to attend a Good Will Hunting event, make sure you follow Nicole to find out about the next outing.
And lastly but not because of their lack of importance…shoes. I needed to find some closed toed options for Fall and here is what I’ve found so far.
Off Broadway
Diba Wizard Leopard booties $65 (paid $17.88)
Pelle Black Sheep $130 (paid $25.04)
Nordstrom’s Rack Nine West gray pinstripe heels ($39)
Macy’s
Coach Caya Heel ($178 paid $89.99)
Enzo Angiolini Popculture Pumps, Ocean Suede ($89.99)
So, my goal is absolutely no clothes or shoe shopping in November. Think I can do it?
It figures that my 100th outfit would turn out to have bad photos. Since I’ve been playing with camera settings, I often end up with unusable shots. I guess that’s part of the learning process. This reminds me (hold on as I date myself) of what it was like before digital cameras. Take a role of film thinking you captured great shots only to realize you didn’t capture greatness at all. Sigh.
Since we finally got a break from the unusual and extreme heat, it was nice to do some layering. This was a great outfit for lunch with a friend and even though I’ve been dragging my feet about embracing Fall, the warm color palette was appropriate for the crispness in the air. I’ve become comfortable with wearing longer sleeved shirts under 3/4 sleeved jackets. It was one of those things that I liked on other people but felt awkward when I tried it. It really is helpful to take a photo of your outfit so you are less biased by what you see in the mirror.
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I want to share with you some more details of my interview with Stacy London. If you haven’t heard of her Style for Hire company, you should check it out. Stacy feels that “style should be accessible” when you’re at the source – the mall. These stylists, are trained in techniques to help you navigate the overwhelming choices and create both time and purchase efficiencies for when you shop.
One of the things that impressed me most about Stacy was she complimented each person she spoke with in an authentic way. I plan on incorporating that into my interactions as much as possible. So, not only did I learn a lot about Stacy’s style perspective, the importance of balancing your style as it pertains to your surroundings, understanding the value of being age appropriate, not letting the mirror dictate your self worth but I also that being humble and generous looks good on everyone!
I’m a little disappointed in this outfit. It feels a little to old-school me and perhaps a step back? It’s not that there is particularly anything wrong with it but it seems a little blah. I guess I’ve gotten used to better mixes of colors and patterns. I’ve created my own monster!
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I love the bold yellow and blue color combination. I’ve worn a few variations seen here and here. I first fell in love with the idea of yellow jeans when I saw them on Fashion Fractions. They just looked so great on her that I had to get my own pair. And they’ve turned out to be easier to style than I imagined. See, good things happen when you step outside your comfort zone.
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The structured pencil skirt and belted t-shirt is one of my new favorite combinations. I love pencil skirts with just about anything but mixing it with a casual t-shirt is easy and makes the outfit very versatile. Adding a jacket, boots and tights will make this an easy fall ensemble too!
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This skirt makes me walk a little like Mrs. Addams but for some reason I love clothes and shoes that bind (having 50 Shades flashbacks – perhaps I’m starting to get too comfortable with divulging personal information into the blogiverse?). There’s something about a fitted skirt that doesn’t have to be revealing in order to be sexy and screw that horizontal stripe mumbo-jumbo.
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Do you feel comfortable wearing fitted clothes?
I now own two lace pieces. If you would’ve told me that 6 months ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. Whereas I once thought them too demure, I now see them as appropriately sexy. This simple, elegant, and slightly sassy outfit turned out better than I originally planned. Plus, I found a good workday outfit to sport my disco inspired gold shoes! That’s right, I’m a rule breaker.
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Check out all the great inspiration on The Pleated Poppy’s what I wore wednesday post!