12 Days of Holiday: Gilded Brocade

Hope you all have been having a fabulous weekend!

Today's look is what I wore to my office holiday party this past Friday.

Pants:  LOFT Petites (Available here)

I love these brocade pants.  They have a subtle shine without being too ostentatious, and I'm having fun imagining ways to dress them down for everyday work wear.

For the party, I decided to dress these fancy pants up with a velvet blazer, heels, and a scarf tied into a big floppy bow tie.

Blazer:  New York & Company (Available here)

Blouse:  Old Navy (old)
Scarf:  LOFT (Available here)

I had an image in my head of this outfit, and this is an instance where I used tailoring to get a look that was close to my vision.

When I first tried these straight leg pants, I looked like all thigh.  They were very unflattering, and I was sure that I was going to have to keep searching to get the look I wanted.  

Heels:  Target (Available here)
Clutch:  Jason Wu for Target (Available on ebay here)

Bracelets, right hand:  Torrid and The Limited (Available here and here)

After having the pants pinned to a slimmer fit, I realized that they would work.  Tapering pants legs is a relatively simple and inexpensive alteration, and since these are special pants not easily found everywhere, I found tailoring to be worth the cost.  The legs were tapered to create more of a skinny fit, and I got the look for which I was hoping after all!

Bracelet, left hand:  Vintage (Similar here)
Earrings:  Torrid (Similar here)

What would you wear to an office holiday party?

These Boots Were Made for Walkin'

Hi everyone!  Hope you all had a great day!

Skirt:  Target (Available here)
Blazer:  New York & Company

Today was still a little chilly in my area, but I finally decided it was time to skip tights!!!  I went with my knee-high boots for warmth, but it was so freeing to be able to wear a skirt without tights!!!

Tights can be fun, but I get lazy and find them to be too much work sometimes.

Tank:  Old Navy Petites (Available here)
Boots:  Payless (old)

Tote:  The Limited

I paired my boots with a brocade A-line skirt and simple tank and blazer.  The tank was a little low-cut for work, so I added the scarf for coverage and a little extra warmth during the work day. 

Scarf:  Paul Smith (15+ years old)
Earrings:  The Limited (Similar here)

Removing the scarf makes the outfit perfect for transitioning to dinner or drinks after work.

Ring:  Purchased at local jewelry show
Howlite necklace:  eBay (Similar here)

Do you like wearing boots?  Do you prefer bare legs or tights/pantyhose?
 
For this skirt in another look, see here.
For this blazer in other looks, see here, here, and here.

Brocade and Lollipop Red

On a recent shopping trip, I separately fell in love with this jacquard weave skirt and cheerful red blouse. 

Blouse:  Target Petites (Available here)
Skirt:  Target (Available here)

These aren't two pieces I would normally put together, but I love the color palette.  Teal and coral make me think of the beach, and has long been one of my favorite summer color combinations. I love the idea of winterizing this color combo by adding charcoal and black.  It adds a great punch to a blah winter day.

Turquoise ring:  Target (Similar here)
Tights:  The Limited

The A-line shape is universally flattering  and the tucked-in shirt helps accentuate an hourglass shape.

Blazer:  The Limited Black Collection (Similar here)
Cuff:  The Limited

Shopping tip for petites:  Many retailers carry limited to no selection of petites in stores but have more options on-line.  This blouse is one such example.  My local Target carried this blouse in misses sizes.  I loved it, but the proportions weren't right.  Thankfully, I was able to find it on-line in petites!

Boots: Payless (old)
Purse:  The Limited (old)
Turquoise earrings:  Gift (old)

Do you like to add punchy colors to pep up your winter looks?