12 Days of Holiday: Out With A Bang

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year's Eve!

Now when I think of holiday fashion, I think metallics, glitter, silk, and sequins.  When you're hanging out at home or in another super casual situation, anything goes.  This is an unorthodox holiday look, but it's what I wore for New Year's Eve this year.

Sweater:  Target (May be available in some stores)

Pants:  New York & Company (Similar here)

We decided to spend New Year's Eve with the kids, taking a trip to the skating rink and enjoying a sparkling cider toast.

I wore this comfy outfit - perfect for watching the kids skate and lounging around the house after!

Clutch:  Vintage
Heels:  Target (Available in other colors here)

Of course, I wore flats for the casual evening, but the yellow heels would be fun to dress the look up a bit.

Bracelets:  Express

What did you wear for New Year's Eve?  Post your look on my Facebook page "Style Cassentials."  I'd love to see it!

For these pants in another outfit, see here.

Black and White Cutouts

Hope you've all been having a great week!  It's Thursday, which means the weekend is soon, and I, for one, am ready!!!

Blouse:  Ann Taylor Petites (Available here)
Jacket:  LOFT Petites (Available in regular sizes here)

Today's look is a recent work outfit.  I love this top with the cool cutout detail along the yoke.  The varied lines in the cutouts are pretty bra-friendly too.

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Heels:  Target (Available here)

I wore the outfit with black pumps and jacket for work.

Purse:  The Limited (old)
Ring:  The Limited (Available here)

The neon yellow pumps add a fun pop of color that would work week for after-hours.

Earrings:  The Limited
Cuff:  Express
Heels:  Target

For this blazer in other looks, see here,  here, and here.
For more on spring/summer's black and white trend, see here.

The Dark Side of the Sun

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! 

Pants:  The Limited Black Collection (old)
Blazer:  The Limited Black Collection (old) (Similar here)

Today's look is the epitome of my style - simple black, somewhat androgynous pieces, mixed with a few unique or trendier touches.  

To mix the look up and give the outfit a sexier and cooler vibe, I added in an on-trend cropped bustier top and neon yellow pumps. 

Top:  Target (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

Belt:  Express Men (old) + older buckle
Clutch:  Target (Similar here)

Finishing off this look, I added a sun-buckled belt, bangles, and crystal dangly earrings.  

I love the little pops of yellow on the top and the pumps which bring it out.  The silver sun is cool in contrast to the warm golds, oranges, and yellows that typically make me think of sunlight. 

Earrings:  Prabal Gurung for Target
Bracelets:  Express and The Limited

In astronomy, the dark side of the sun refers to the area of the sun that we don't usually see.  Here, it refers to the cooler/darker color combination and a side of me you don't usually see.

In a continued effort towards complete self-love and self-acceptance, I find myself reaching for pieces that only a few months ago would have been outside of my comfort zone.  As much as I loved the midriff trend, I wasn't sure it was for me. 

I'm 35, and I wore cropped tops back in my early twenties.  Was I too old to wear this trend again? 

I also don't have the same tummy that I did in my twenties.  Was I simply too fat to wear the trend?

At the end of the day, my love of fashion has won out against any self-doubt.  My artistic spirit has conquered my critical one. 

To paraphrase Neil Armstrong, that's one small step for womankind, one giant leap for this woman.   :-)

More looks with this blazer here, here, here, here, here, and here.
To see matching skirt in other looks, see here and here.

Simply Navy

I love the simplicity of today's look.  There's nothing overly special about any of the particular pieces, but the long block of navy just feels so streamlined and sophisticated.

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)

Wrap top:  The Limited (Available here)
Purse:  The Limited

I do love my wrap-style tops, real or faux, and this one is super comfortable as the front is woven, but the back is modal knit.

Heels:  Target (Available here)
Necklace worn as a bracelet:  The Limited

I wore this outfit to work yesterday with the navy heels, but I also really like the neon yellow pumps.  The navy heels finish off the clean monochromatic look, but the yellow pumps add a fun and unexpected pop of color to this simple outfit.

Heels:  Target (Available in other colors here)
Tank:  Target (Available in assorted colors here)

 Monochromatic looks were a popular trend on spring's runways (see here).  While these looks were usually shown in bright colors, navy is a more toned-down way to wear the trend for the office.

Earrings:  The Limited (Available here)

Would you wear a monochromatic look?  Which shoes do you prefer?

For this blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, here, and here.
To see these pants styled differently, see here, here, here, and here.

Hello Yellow

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Skirt: Target (Available here)
Jacket:  The Limited (Available here)

For work yesterday, I had fun styling my A-line print skirt with a black bow-front blouse and citrine yellow faux leather jacket.  

Blouse:  Old Navy (old)
Necklace:  Express (old)

I love how the yellow jacket brings out the hints of yellow in the skirt.

Bag:  The Limited (old)
Earrings:  The Limited (Available here)

The bow-front blouse and hemline is conservative enough for the office, but the print of the skirt and strappy heels gives the look a more youthful edge. 

Shoes:  Target (old)

I'm actually considering hemming this skirt.  Sometimes, it takes a few wears of a garment before I decide it needs alterations.  Due to the volume of this skirt, I think cutting off an inch or so would be more proportionate.

What do you think?  Do you get many clothing items altered?  How do you decide the "best" fit?

To see this skirt styled differently, see here.
To see this top styled differently, see here, here, and here.
To see this jacket styled differently, see here, here, and here.

Neon Edge

After a week of black and white, I am ready for some color!! 

Dress:  Eloquii by The Limited (Available here)
Jacket:  Forenza by The Limited (Available here)

Today's look combines three bold colors - hot pink, neon yellow, and cobalt blue.  In a pants look, I think this would be too much color, but I think this outfit works because there's enough skin showing to offset all the color.

Heels:  Target (Available here)

This look is spring-y but still manages to have a bit of an edgy, rock-n-roll vibe due to the moto jacket and fringe dress.

Necklaces (worn as bracelets):  The Limited

Today's look almost didn't happen.  I'm a little too small for Eloquii, so even though I loved this dress, I wasn't going to buy it.  After waiting and hoping that The Limited would carry the same style, I decided to give this Eloquii dress a try.  It's a little big so I was considering alterations, but I kind of like the relaxed, shift shape (I did get it hemmed).

I saw this jacket at The Limited when it first came out, but I didn't think it could be altered due to the zippers on the wrist.  I decided to give it a try when it went on clearance, and I'm so glad I did!  I lost most of the zippers, but I'm willing to overlook that because I love the color and style so much.

No matter what your body size/shape, most clothes will not fit perfectly off the rack. When you're petite and curvy, this is all the more true.  It would be wonderful if more mainstream clothing manufacturers catered to "specialty" sizes, but in the meantime, I am all about making the clothes work for me!

I've entered this look in a summer color challenge through Lucky Magazine and Dasani.

Blank Canvas

For today's look, I treated this taupe dress as a blank canvas and had fun adding color with the blazer and bold accessories.

Taupe dress:  Target Petites (old)
Blazer:  New York & Company (Available in coral and black here)

This is my favorite way to wear color.  Accessories add plenty of flash and interest, but the neutral dress keeps the look from being too over the top for my personal aesthetic.

Bubble necklace:  ILY Couture (Available here)
Necklace (worn as bracelet):  The Limited (Available here)

Shoes:  Target (Available here)
Belt:  The Limited (Similar here)

I bought this dress on clearance a couple years ago.  I really liked it, but it was a size too big.  I am thinking about getting it taking in and having the hem taken up so that I have an option to wear it without a belt.  I really do believe proper fit makes a huge difference in how flattering one's clothes are. 

For more on fit, see here.

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

Easter Teal

This Easter, I decided to get more dressed up than usual.  Usually holidays are casual affairs in my family, but I felt like wearing my new teal eyelet dress.

Dress:  Old Navy (Available here)

I really like the fit and flare shape of this dress.  Super fun and flattering!
I love bright greens and yellow together, so I paired my dress with neon yellow heels and matching necklace.

Necklace:  The Limited (Available here)

Shoes:  Target (Available here)
Bangle bracelet:  Target (old)

I have this clutch that I haven't used in years.  The brown color is a nice contrast to the bright colors

Clutch:  Loeffler Randall for Target (old) (Available here)

Hope you all had a great day, and again, Happy Easter to those who celebrate!!

Because We Can - Bon Jovi :-D

Last night, the man and I went to a Bon Jovi concert.

Tie-dye jeans:  Torrid (Available here)
Jacket:  The Limited (Available in ivory here)

I wanted a casual look with a bit of an 1980s vibe.  The neon yellow stilettos and neon pink shirt gave a nod to all the fluorescent colors of the 80s without looking like a costume.

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

Earrings:  Prabal Gurung for Target (Available in stores; see here)

The concert was amazing!  We had great seats (10th row).  The music was wonderful, and Jon Bon Jovi is as sexy as ever!  :-D

A few of my poorly made videos:

 What would you wear to a rock concert?

See jeans in another look here.
See jacket in other looks here, here, here, here, and here.

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!!

Color Pop!

Happy Sunday everybody!  

Hope you're all having a great weekend! 

Today, I went out to lunch with my mother and then ran some errands.  I opted for a neon yellow sweater and paired it with my black lace skirt.  Then I added opaque black tights and black wedge boots to give me both height and comfort.

Sweater:  The Limited (Available here)
Skirt:  Torrid (Available here)
Purse:  New York & Company (Similar here)

Even though this color can be hard to wear (it's not a super flattering shade for most skin tones), there's something about how this bright citrine yellow pops, especially with black, that makes me seek it out.

Tights:  Torrid (Available here)
Boots:  Target (Available here)

I'm especially looking forward to wearing this sweater in winter.  When I'm feeling a case of the winter blahs, wearing bright colors makes me feel a little better!

Necklace:  Express (old)
Cuff:  New York & Company (old) 
Earrings:  Express (Available here)

 Would you wear neon yellow?