Fashion Favorites: Cobalt Moto Jacket 7 Ways

Since I'm not feeling well this week, I thought it would be a great time to do a fashion recap of some of my favorite clothing items.

I'm all about versatility in my wardrobe.  When I shop for new clothing, I usually consider a couple of key factors:

• Do I love the item?  Is it special or unique?  Does it speak to me?
• Does the piece work with other items in my wardrobe?  I usually won't buy an item if I can't come up with at least three distinct outfits.
• What's the estimated cost-wear ratio?  While I can't always guesstimate how much I'll love and wear a piece when I buy it, I try to gauge the cost of an item against how often I expect to wear it.  I'm willing to pay more for pieces that I will wear often and try to save on those that won't get a lot of regular wear.

This moto jacket is one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe.  I found it on clearance, and it's one of my favorite colors.  I love the versatility of this piece and find myself reaching for it quite often.

Here are some of the ways I've worn it over the last year:

Neon Edge

Adventures in Traveling:  Indiana, Ohio, and Hershey, Pennsylvania

Adventures in Traveling:  NYC

Fall 2013 Fashion Trends:  (Faux) Leather

Spring Romance

Singin' the Blues:  Casual Rock-n-Roll

It's My Birthday, and I Can Wear What I Want To

Are you a fan of moto jackets?  What factors do you consider when buying new items for your wardrobe?

Singin' the Blues: Cobalt and Cognac

Blue was a huge trend on fall runways, and cobalt was everywhere!

I've always considered green my favorite color since early high school, but in the last few years, I think cobalt has replaced it.  It is such a vibrant color, and it looks amazing with so many other colors.

Dress:  Eva Mendes for New York & Company (Available here)
Blazer:  New York & Company (old) (Similar here)

Shoes:  Target (old)

For some reason, I usually pair this particular blazer with black and white.  I don't wear a lot of browns, and I never really considered mixing cognac with cobalt, but I decided to give it a try.

I'll admit that I prefer cobalt with black, white, or grey (and a ton of other colors), but I don't mind this color mix and it's nice to try something new once in a while.

Tote:  Target (5+ years old)

Bracelets:  The Limited (Available here)

I love trapeze dresses, but they are super tricky to wear if you're curvy and petite.  The longer length blazer helps tone down some of the volume of the dress, making it a little more work-appropriate as well as a little more flattering.

Necklaces:  The Limited and Target (Available in silver here and available here)

Do you like trapeze dresses?  What shade of blue is your favorite to wear?

For this dress in another look, see here.
For this blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, and here.

It's My Birthday, and I Can Wear What I Want To!!

So, today was a great day.  It was my birthday, and I was in a really good mood.

The weather was positively dreary though!  Grey, rainy, and chilly.

Dress:  Sophie Theallat for The Limited (Similar here)

Belt:  Torrid (Sold out on-line; May be available in stores)

The man and I were going out to dinner to celebrate my birthday, and I really wanted to wear this outfit.  The weather was not cooperating, but I decided to wear it anyway.

We went out for a nice Italian dinner, so what could be better than a dress that makes me feel like Sophia Loren?

Shoes:  Vera by Vera Wang (Kohl's - sold out on-line)

I like the juxtaposition of the ladylike dress with the moto jacket.  Some would say that these two pieces don't go, but this gal likes her sweet mixed with a little spice.  Leather and lace is a new classic in my book.

Clutch:  Target (old)

As I looked around the restaurant, all I saw were jeans and other casual clothes.  I suddenly felt a little overdressed, but I'd rather be a little overdressed for an occasion than under-dressed. 

After dinner, we picked up the kids from the grandparents and went to DQ to enjoy dessert as a family.  I was DEFINITELY overdressed for Dairy Queen, but as the man and kids loudly and embarrassingly sang me "Happy Birthday," my wardrobe choices hardly seemed to matter.  I felt special and silly and had fun with my family.  Also, the new pumpkin pie Blizzard...not too shabby.

Bow ring:  The Limited

Moto jacket:  The Limited

Who cares if this outfit was not exactly weather or event appropriate?

It's my birthday, and I can wear what I want!    :-D

For this moto jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, and here.

P.S. I altered this dress to suit my needs.  The dress was too long, but hemming meant losing the pretty scallop hem detail.  I opted to have only the lining hemmed to keep the lace and to show more leg.  I love that the flash of skin at the hem echoes the neckline.  The shortened lining creates a longer leg line that I find more flattering for my petite frame.  I am all about making clothes work for my body and for my personal aesthetic.  Alterations are a great way to make that happen.   After all, we should ALL be able to wear what we want EVERY DAY!!

Wedged Between...

I can't decide how I feel about today's outfit.  I like each piece individually, but I'm not sure how well all of the pieces blend together as a cohesive look.

Skirt:  Torrid (old)
Blazer:  New York & Company (Similar here)

Maybe it's me, but the outfit seems a little disjointed?  The top and blazer say business, but the skirt and boots say casual.  The boots say fall, but the blouse and skirt in this particular outfit read a little more summer to me.

Tank:  Old Navy Petites (Similar here)
Blouse:  The Limited (Available here)

Boots:  Target (Similar here)
Clutch:  Target

Any one of these pieces could work in any season.  Any one of these pieces could go casual.  Somehow, together, the individual pieces seem a little mis-matched.  

Bracelets:  The Limited

What do you think?

For this blazer in other looks, see here, here, and here.
For this skirt in other looks, see here and here.
For this blouse in other looks, see here, here, and here.

Colorful Mondays

Today, I wore one of my favorite colors - cobalt blue.

Blazer:  New York & Company (Available here)
Tank:  The Limited (No longer available on-line; Available in some stores)
Pants:  The Limited (Similar here)

I realized that I unconsciously choose bright colors to wear on Mondays more often than not, such as in these recent Monday work looks.

Happy Monday

Beads and Citrine

Red Pants, White Jacket

Prabal Gurung Neon Brights

I am NOT a morning person...EVER.  Daylight Savings Time threw me off even more today, so I wanted to wear an easy outfit and a favorite color.   

Bold colors are happy and project a message of confidence.  They're perfect for surviving those manic Mondays.

Necklace:  Target (May be available in some stores; on-line)
Evil eye bracelet:  eBay (Similar here)
Charm bracelet:  Zoppini

A simple outfit like this calls for bold accessories.

I recently got this beaded chainlink necklace, which I love.  It's super long and can be worn doubled or even tripled.  If you're interested in purchasing it, be forewarned -- it is a little heavy and the beads get a little scratchy throughout the day.  It won't stop me from wearing it, but it may be a dealbreaker for some.

Shoes:  Target (old)
Clutch:  Target (Available in stores)

Do you like to wear bright or bold colors on Mondays?

Pop of Cobalt

Cobalt blue is such a fabulous color.  It looks amazing paired with so many other colors and with just about every neutral.

Blazer:  New York & Company (Available here)
Pants:  The Limited (Similar here)

Blouse:  The Limited
Tank:  Old Navy Petites (Similar here)

I look forward to pairing this blazer with a bright sundress this summer, but for now, I kept the look simple with all black pieces. 

Bracelets:  Express and The Limited
Earrings:  New York & Company

Wearing one color (any neutral would do) underneath a bright blazer makes you look long and lean.  If you're new to adding color to your wardrobe, a bright blazer paired with all black pieces is an easy way to start. 

An all-black outfit with a colored blazer is one of my favorite go-to looks (see here and here) as it's a quick and easy way to look great in the morning!

Heels:  Target (old)
Purse:  The Limited (old)

Hope the weather is agreeable in your neck of the woods. We got hit with a major winter storm today!  :-(

Come on spring!!!!

Mix It Up!

I love dresses for their ease and comfort; however, they definitely offer fewer styling options than pants or skirts.  Pants and skirts offer lots of mix and match options that allow you to create a range of versatile styles.  

With most pants or skirts, you could wear them more than once a week, and with different styling, no one would know.  With dresses, there's only so many ways to wear them and they tend to be more memorable, which definitely makes styling them more limiting. 

Dress:  New York & Company (Similar here)
Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)

Today, I wore my cobalt dress.  I chose the same formula as the last time I wore it:  blazer, belt, tights, and boots. 

For how I wore the blue dress before, see here and here.  For the blazer in another look, see here.

Tights:  Target (Similar here)
Belt:  The Limited (Similar here)
Earrings:  The Limited

This time, I chose a thinner belt, my grey suit jacket and grey and black leopard tights. 

I like the combination of cobalt blue, black, and grey.  I also like the idea of taking a piece as potentially stuffy as a classic grey blazer and loosening it up with bright blue and leopard print.

Boots:  Payless
Purse:  The Limited
Ring:  Purchased at local jewelry show

Do you like dresses, or do you tend to stick with pants and/or skirts?

Graphic Design

Hi everyone!  Hope y'all had a great day!

Today, I paired my cobalt blue dress with a black blazer, boots, and the houndstooth tights from my September wish list.

Tote:  The Limited
Tights:  The Limited (Available here)

I'm excited to transition this dress into fall with on-trend blue and black. 

Dress:  New York & Company (Similar here)
Blazer:  The Limited

I added a thick black belt and silver and blue bracelets to complete the look.

Belt:  The Limited (Available in grey here)
Boots:  Payless

Blue and silver bangles:  Express
"Charm" bracelet:  Zoppini
Silver snake bangles:  The Limited

I love how graphic and fun these tights are.  Houndstooth plaid is such a classic print, but it feels bold and modern when woven into a pair of tights.

Do you like houndstooth plaid?

See cobalt dress styled differently here.
See black blazer styled differently here.

Crazy for Cobalt

 Hi everyone!

This morning was another one of those mornings in which I had no idea what I wanted to wear.

This is what I came up with in my mad dash to get out the door.

Blazer:  The Limited (For different look with blazer, see here)

Dresses are a great option for looking chic and put-together with ease.

Dress:  New York & Company (Similar: here)
Tote:  The Limited (See here - no longer available)

Cobalt blue is huge for fall, so I'm looking forward to styling this dress for fall when the temperature drops. 

Bracelets:  The Limited, Target

Today, I added softer neutrals and a pops of bright yellow to keep the look more summery.

Belt:  The Limited
Ring: H&M (For close-up, see here)
Shoes:  Target