Denim Week 2: Don't Be a Crybaby!

I finish out Denim Week 2 with another casual denim look.

T-shirt:  Torrid (Available here)
Jeans:  Torrid (Available here)

So far, I've only worn this sweater in work and evening looks, but the causal laid-back vibe of this cozy cardigan makes it perfect for weekend wear as well.

I fell in love with this tee at first sight as I grew up watching John Waters films and "Cry Baby" was one of my favorites. 

Sweater:  Target
Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie (Available here)

Bracelets:  The Limited; Target

I apologize for the wrinkles in my shirt. I was playing dress-up this weekend and didn't notice them until after taking photos.  :-)

Also, after seeing the black jeans and tee in natural lighting, I realized the blacks were more off quite a bit.  I would wear this look again with my blue jeans instead.  I'm not super insistent that my blacks match, but this combination is a little more off than I'd like.

Earrings:  The Limited
Clutch:  The Limited (Available here)

Do you insist on matching blacks?  Are you a fan of John Waters movies? 

For these jeans in other outfits, see here and here.
For this sweater in other looks, see here and here.

Denim Week 2: Longing for Summer

Today's denim outfit was a look from last summer.   I never got around to posting it when the weather was warm, so I decided to post it now.

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Top:  Ann Taylor Petites

Cardigan:  LOFT Petites (Similar here)

White jeans can definitely work for winter.  Gone are the days when white was reserved only for spring and summer.  This outfit could easily be winterized with a pair of black ankle or knee boots.

The fringe top is fun, and the black and white color palette is always a favorite of mine.

Purse:  The Limited
Sandals:  Payless

Earrings:  Target
Cuff:  The Limited (old)

Would you wear white jeans in the winter time?

For these white jeans in other looks, see here, here, here, and here.
For this top in other outfits, see here, here, here, here, and here.
For this cardigan in other looks, see here, here, here, and here.

Denim Week 2: Tie-Dye and Fringe

Denim Week 2 continues today with a fun evening outfit.

Fringe top:  Wet Seal (Available here)
Jeans:  Torrid (Similar here)

This fringe shirt is completely sheer so I debated what to wear underneath it.  I opted for a beige camisole to show off the burnout print of the tank while still providing some coverage.

Jacket:  LOFT Petites (Available here)

Heels:  Target (Similar here)
Necklace:  The Limited (Available here)

These jeans are a favorite of mine, but I find them hard to wear at times.  The black print top and pink heels work here because they add more visual interest, but they don't overpower or compete too heavily with the jeans.

Earrings:  Express (Available in hematite here)
Clutch:  The Limited

Would you wear tie-dye jeans?

For these jeans in other looks, see here and here.
For this jacket in other outfits, see here, here, here, and here.
 

Denim Week 2: Moto-Mouth

I've been wanting a flannel for the last two years, but I couldn't find one that properly fit my bust without leaving the dreaded gaps.  

Finally, I found this plaid top from Wet Seal.  The fit in the bust is good (not perfect), and I love the color mix of burgundy with a hint of teal.

Shirt:  Wet Seal (Available here)
Jacket:  Gap (Similar here)

Pants:  New York & Company

I became a fan of the company Wet Seal after seeing the amazing way that they lived up to their diversity statement and welcomed the awesome Karrie Brown from my hometown into their family.  I wanted to support the company, but I found the styles too "juniors" for my lifestyle and personal taste.  I decided to give their web site another look recently, and I was pleasantly surprised to find several pieces that I loved.

Purse:  Target (Available here)

Bracelets:  New York & Company (Similar here) & Express

I wore a ton of flannel plaids during my high school grunge phase, but I hadn't worn one since.  Today, I'm not quite as into the grunge look, but I think a flannel plaid button-down is a great casual addition to my wardrobe.

The family and I were running around last weekend. It was unseasonably warm, so I was able to skip a coat.  I paired my comfy pants with easy booties and my denim moto jacket.  

Boots:  Payless (old)

Would you wear a denim moto jacket?  Are you a fan of flannel plaids?

For this jacket in another look, see here and here.
For these pants in other outfits, see here and here.

Denim Week 2: Weekend Edge

Hi everyone!  Today marks the start of Denim Week 2!  If you missed my first Denim Week, you can check out the looks here, here, and here.

This denim look was a recent weekend outfit.  I wore it out for a casual dinner with the family. 

Jeans:  The Limited (Similar here)
Jacket:  The Limited (old)

I haven't featured a flats look as of late, and I decided it was time to give my poor abused feet some rest.  The studded flats add a little edge to the outfit, and I've always been of a fan of black and grey mixed with red.

Tote:  The Limited (old)
Flats:  Target (Similar here)

Blouse:  The Limited (old)

For the longest time, I didn't like grey jeans - I saw them as faded black jeans, and they reminded me of old outdated jeans from childhood.  Over the last year or so, they started to grow on me to the point that I decided to try a pair.  Guess what?  I love them!

Ring:  The Limited

Do you like grey jeans?

For these jeans in another outfit, see here and here.
For this jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Foulard and Gold Details

 Hi everyone! 

Hope you all have been having a great weekend.  I'm sitting on the couch vegging, getting ready to watch the Golden Globes, nursing yet ANOTHER virus!  Hope you are staying healthy and feeling well.

Jeans:  The Limited (Similar here and here)
Clutch:  The Limited (Available here)

Blazer:  The Limited
Blouse:  The Limited (old)

Today, I'm featuring a recent denim outfit.  I wore this outfit  a couple days ago for casual Friday at my work place.

Heels:  Target (Similar here)

Bracelets:  The Limited (Available here)

Do you like foulard fabrics?


For this blazer in other looks, see here, here, and here.
For this blouse in other looks, see here and here.
For these jeans in another outfit, see here.

Thanksgiving Casual

Hope you all have had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Being the most casual of the fall/winter holiday season, I kept my Thanksgiving look simple with jeans and a cardigan.

Sweater:  LOFT Petites (Available here)
Blouse:  LOFT Petites (Available here)

Jeans:  The Limited (No longer available on-line)
Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie (Available here)

The tuxedo bib-front tank and gold threads on the cardigan add just the slightest festive feel to my outfit.

The gold snaps on the jeans and gold jewelry accentuate the gold in the sweater and help bring the look together.

Necklaces:  The Limited and Target (Available in silver here and available here)Bracelets:  The Limited and New York & Company (Available here and here)

Purse:  Target (Available in navy here)

And, I love a pop of color like this deep green satchel.

Do you dress up for Thanksgiving or go casual?

Happy Thanksgiving again, and happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish readers!!  

Denim Week: Heart On My Sleeve

Today's denim look is a recent casual Friday work outfit. 

Jeans:  Torrid (Available here)
Blouse:  New York & Company (Available here)

I love the Stiletto Skinny Jeans from Torrid.  When I got my blue jeans (see here, here, and here), the store didn't carry different lengths.  Now, Torrid carries both 26" and 28" lengths in this style, so I was able to get these black ones in a better length.  The shorter length works much better for me!

If you're 5'3" or under, you will likely prefer the 26" length for more of a true ankle fit.

Cardigan:  Target (Available here)
Bracelets:  The Limited and H&M

I recently picked up this cardigan with faux leather heart elbow patches.  This is an early fall clothing purchase.  I start thinking about fall fashion when it's still sticky and humid out - probably because I'm longing for cooler weather. 

This summer has had some oddly cool, but delightful, weather, so I was super comfortable wearing this outfit - even in July!

I kept the look simple and neutral for work, but I think this cardigan will be cute with more faux leather touches when fall actually gets here.

Purse:  The Limited

Sandals:  Payless

Are you thinking about fall fashion yet?  Any trends on your radar for fall?

Casual Monday!

Jeans:  Torrid (Available here)
Blouse:  The Limited (Sold out on-line; may be available in some stores)

Today is the St. Louis Cardinals' season home opener, so we had a casual day at my job.

I decided to wear my new stiletto skinny jeans from Torrid and mixed them with a red and navy printed top.  The ankle-zip jeans are just a tad too long, but I'm hoping they'll shrink up a bit.  

Blazer:  The Limited
Tote:  The Limited

I was hunting for for a pair of distressed jeans, but I couldn't find any that I liked.  Most factory-distressed jeans are overdone, in my opinion.  I am planning on giving these a DIY-distressing job but decided to wear them today before they get too casual for work.

Necklace:  Vintage Judith Leiber
Clutch:  Vintage 1980s

For work, I added a red blazer to dress the look up a bit and to show support for the Redbirds.

I'm not much of a professional sports fan, but I decided to take the opportunity for another day of casual at work.

Heels:  Target (old)

Hope you all had a great day!!

Do you like sports?

To see this top in other looks, see here, here, and here. 

Casual Christmas Eve

Hi everyone, and Merry Christmas!!!

I have been sick with the flu and out of commission the bulk of this past week.  I'm finally starting to feel better and am back to posting!

Last night, I went to a casual family Christmas gathering, and this is what I wore:

Blouse:  Ann Taylor Petites (Available here)
Tank: The Limited

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Shoes:  Target (old)

I wanted an outfit that wasn't too dressed up, but that still had some holiday flair.
 
I paired dark denim jeans with my green wrap blouse and gold jewelry for a bit of understated glamour.

Necklace:  Target
Bow earrings:  The Limited (Available here)

Satchel:  The Limited (Available here)

What did you wear for the holiday festivities?

Happy Holidays!

Shopping Failures and Pitfalls

Happy Friday everyone!

I've been trying to add more color to my work outfits this week.  I really love wearing black and dark neutrals in the fall/winter time and tend to use a lot more color in the summer when my style gets more bohemian and more casual.

Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)
Jeans:  The Limited
Clutch:  The Limited

In an effort to add some color splashes to my blog posts, I wore this lime and taupe blouse with teal and yellow beads in a causal work look. I was drawn to the color when I bought this last spring, but I haven't worn the blouse much.  It would look great with teal pants or a skirt or toned down with taupe or navy, like I did here.  

I can think of several different outfit possibilities for this blouse, but at the end of the day, I've come to the conclusion that it's been hanging in my closet not getting worn simply because it just isn't me.  It's a pretty blouse, and I would like it on someone else.  I think this one just goes down as one of my shopping blunders. 

Blouse:  The Limited
Heels:  Target (Available here)
Bangle:  Target (old)
Earrings:  The Limited

Over the years, I have gotten better at avoiding shopping pitfalls.  I used to buy lots of multiples, but then I would get bored with wearing the same thing everyday in a different color.  I still buy multiples on occasion (especially shoes since I have a lot of trouble with fit), but when I do, I do so with more purpose.  Buying multiples of everything discourages creativity in your wardrobe and gives you fewer options for mixing and matching.

I also used to purchase items when they were on clearance sale simply because they were a great deal.  I still love a bargain, but I have learned to weigh the benefit of having a wardrobe of pieces that I want to wear often vs. a closet full of clothes that I find "just okay."  The likelihood is that the higher priced item has more use value and will get worn more often than items purchased simply for their low initial costs.

Nowadays, I have largely learned to purchase items that I really love rather than just pieces that are "nice" or "cheap."  I have learned to appreciate having less clothes, but spending more money for quality.  I've also learned that having a large diversity of clothing isn't necessary if you are comfortable in your personal style and know what you enjoy wearing and feel comfortable in.  

Unfortunately, this top was a bit of a blip in my improved shopping skills.  I had noticed this blouse when it first came out, but it wasn't something I liked enough to purchase - even after several shopping trips.  At some point, I decided to buy it because it was a pretty color, or on sale, or it was different than other things in my closet.  I can't really remember.

What I do know is that it hangs in my closet simply because I didn't listen to my shopping instincts.  I was attracted to the color and the beading.  The problem was that I settled for an item that wasn't quite my personal style.  

Assessing your closet and making a running shopping list can be a great way of avoiding some of these shopping mistakes.  It helps focus your shopping to avoid impulse purchases and mistakes that initially look tempting due to price, color, or attractive store displays.

How do you avoid shopping blunders?

Black and Yellow

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Today was a casual day at work, so I chose my favorite jeans.  I think these skinny bootcut jeans are the best fitting jeans I've ever had.  They have a lot of stretch, so they are super comfortable, but they retain their shape during the day without bagging the way that a lot of stretch denim does.  

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse:  The Limited (Available here)
Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)

I added my trusty black blazer and a citrine silky blouse for a happy pop of color.

Please forgive the lint on my jacket.  I only got a few pictures in when the camera needed a re-charge.  It was then that I noticed the white lint.  :-)

Purse:  Express (Available here)
Bracelet:  Target
Shoes:  Target (old)

Hope everyone has a delightful weekend!

Casual Friday, 80s Flair

Happy Friday!!!!  

First, let me apologize for today's pics.  I can't seem to get the lighting right indoors.  :-(

On today's casual Friday, I went with my favorite skinny bootcut jeans and paired them with a houndstooth plaid top and light pink blazer.

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse:  New York & Company (Sold out online, view here)

I like how the look is slightly 80s.  The pastel blazer, the pushed up sleeves, and the neck-tie on the blouse all channel the 80s without making me look like an extra from "Pretty in Pink."  

Blazer:  New York & Company (Available in black here)

I love vintage, but it's very important to me that the any vintage or vintage-feel piece be worn in a modern way.  In my opinion, too much vintage can look a little costumey, which is great for Halloween but not every day wear. 

Tote:  New York & Company (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target (old)
Bow ring:  The Limited (Sold out online, see here)

Do you like 80s fashion?  What 80s inspired or vintage pieces would you wear?

Bracelet:  The Limited (Sold out online, see here)