Fashion Favorites: Coral Blouse, 5 Ways

Happy Monday, and welcome to Fashion Favorites - shirt edition! :-)

It was actually hard for me to come up with a post that featured a blouse that I have worn in a variety of ways and numerous times.  I am admittedly most fickle about tops - I grow tired of them quickly, and I tend to sell or give away blouses much more frequently than I do other items in my wardrobe.

That said, I really like this coral blouse.  I wouldn't have categorized it as one of my top favorites, but I have actually worn it in a bigger variety of ways than many of my aesthetic faves.  For that reason, it is is definitely a fashion favorite - a simple blouse in a fabulous color that works with all my neutrals and mixes well with other colors too!

Here's how I've worn the blouse on the blog:

Rock-N-Roll with Tie-Dye Denim:

Fit to be Tie-Dyed

With Neon Primaries:

Make It Pop

With Teal Brocade and Black:

Brocade and Lollipop Red

With White Denim for Summer Travel Chic:

Adventures in Traveling:  Plymouth, MA and Middletown, NY

With Neutrals For a Safari-Inspired Work Look:

Pop of Coral

A great color can give a blouse a ton of wardrobe mileage.  Coral is flattering for many skin tones, and a simple blouse like this works well for work or play.

Do you have a favorite easy-to-style blouse?

Skirt Week: Cabana Coral

Happy Thursday!

Skirt:  The Limited (Available here)
Tee:  The Limited (Available here)

Today's casual look makes me long for the beach.  It's perfect with a floppy hat for a cantina brunch or for sipping daquiris under a cabana.

I wish I had this outfit during my trip to the Cape, but this outfit works well as a casual summer outfit in the city as well!

Necklace:  The Limited (Sold out on-line; Similar here)

Bracelet:  The Limited (Available here)

The hooded sandals give the draped jersey skirt a little bit of an urban edge that made it perfect for a casual after-work dinner last night.

Sandals:  Target (old)

This skirt fits me longer than it was intended, but I liked the midi-length and decided not to have it altered.

This outfit is not the most flattering in the usual sense of the word. It accentuates my shortness, for example.  I'm okay with that!  There's plenty of tall people in the world - why not embrace petiteness?

See more discussion of the notion of "flattering" here.

What does "flattering" mean to you in regards to fashion?

Spring Leather

Hi everybody!  For those of you in the spring season, I hope you're enjoying the warm weather.  I am LOVING bare legs!!

Skirt:  The Limited (No longer available on-line; see here)
Top:  The Limited (No longer available on-line; see here)

Today I wanted to give a very spring vibe to this black faux leather skirt by adding an orange eyelet blouse, straw clutch, and wedge platform sandals.

Clutch:  The Limited (Available here)

I love how the styling gives this skirt a more laid-back casual vibe.  I do wish that I had skipped the necklace as it seems too clunky with the outfit.

Necklace:  Target
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

Are you wearing the spring leather trend?

Hope you all have a great day! 

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

If you dress for it, will it come?

Well, we are expecting snow this weekend!!!  So much for spring weather anytime soon (grumble, grumble)!

Peplum blazer:  Target Petites (Available here)
Pants: The Limited (Available here)

Feeling the urge to bring on spring, I chose a fresh and spring-y color palette of navy, coral, and white.  Polkadots feel happy and always make me think of spring.

Cuff:  Express
Shoes:  Target (Available in other colors here)

Top:  Forever 21+

I've been trying to think of more fun and trendy ways to wear my several pairs of dress pants.  I find them to be the most work-appropriate pants; however, I find that they can get dreadfully boring and sometimes stodgy.

I am not a fan of a super-classic or preppy style, so I like that the trendy peplum and bold cuff add in a little of my own flair.

Tote:  The Limited (old)

Do you wear dress pants for work?  How do you make them more stylish and more "you"? 

To see this blazer styled differently, see here and here.
For these pants styled differently, see 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?

Prabal Gurung Neon Brights!!!

Hi everyone!

Pants:  The Limited
Blouse:  Prabal Gurung for Target (Sold out on-line; Available in some stores, see top and check store availability here)

Monday, I was excited to start wearing the first pieces I snagged from Target's collaboration with Prabal Gurung.  It's still freezing in the Midwest, so I paired my new neon Prabal Gurung pieces with black velvet skinnies and my basic black blazer to stay warm and to keep the pieces work-appropriate.The blouse is just so bright that it really brightens up one's face. 

Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)
Heels:  Prabal Gurung for Target (Available here)

The bangle and pumps are great as colorful accent pieces, without being over-the-top.  I'm also wearing the black and crystal dangly earrings.  I actually wore black pumps to work as I'm still on the fence about whether the four-inch stiletto heel is feasible for my life. I'm also concerned that they are a little too big (I have tiny feet).  Most likely, these are going back, but these shoes are just oh-so-fabulous!!!

Heels:  Target (old)
Bangle:  Prabal Gurung for Target (Sold out on-line; Available in select stores; see bangle and check availability here)

Earrings:  Prabal Gurung for Target (Sold out on-line; Available in select stores; see earrings and check availability here)
Clutch:  The Limited

 

This is my favorite designer collaboration with Target to date, and I've been following the collaborations since their start.  If only Target would re-stock the pieces so more people could enjoy the collection!!

Spring 2013 Fashion Preview: Color-palooza!

The mercury may be in the teens, but I am having a major case of spring fever, so today, I mixed last spring's bubblegum pink blazer with a mint top.

Jacket:  The Limited (Similar here and here)
Top:  New York & Company (Available here)

Pants:  The Limited (Similar here)
Heels:  Target (old)

Color is always popular on Spring runways, and this spring is no exception.

Emerald is the color of the year, but spring's major color trends include all of the following:

Spring 2013 Color Trends,
Source:  www.pantone.com

I'm particularly loving the primary shades of poppy, lemon, and blue.

One of the big color trends for spring was a monochromatic color statement:

Gucci Spring 2013 look
Source:  www.harpersbazaar.com

I don't see myself in quite so much of one color, but I would definitely rock a dress with a matching jacket such as the look below.

I'm in LOVE with this seafoam green look from Donna Karan!  I love the soft muted color and the floaty feel.

Donna Karan Spring 2013 look
Source:  www.fashionista.com

More of my favorite colorful looks from the Spring runways:

Diane Von Furstenburg Spring 2013 look
Source:  www.dvf.com

Diane Von Furstenburg Spring 2013 look
Source:  www.dvf.com

Do you like to wear a lot of color in the Spring?  Would you wear a colorful monochromatic look?