Fashion Favorites: Black Blazers, 20 Ways!

I finish out my series on fashion favorites with the absolute favorite part of my wardrobe - my collection of black blazers.  They are such a staple and work with just about everything.

While I love all of my black blazers, my classic suit jacket and my cropped tuxedo blazer get the most rotation.

I mostly wear the cropped jacket with skirts and dresses as the proportion is a perfect topper for dressier looks.  The faux leather lapel adds a cool modern detail, and the cropped shape works very well on petite frames.

With Black Skirts:

See more (Clockwise from left:  here, here, and here)

With a peplum top:

Adventures in Traveling:  NYC

With a tulle skirt:

Ballerina Fantasies

With pretty black and white dresses:

See more:  (Clockwise from left here, here, and here)

With lingerie-inspired details:

Fall 2013 Fashion Trends:  Lingerie-Inspired Clothing

A classic black blazer is only slightly more versatile.  I've worn this blazer with everything from black trousers (as an actual suit) to animal prints to jeans.

As a suit:

Suited Up

With fun black pants and neon prints:

See more (Left: here and Right: here)

With dresses and animal prints:

See more (Left: here and Right: here)

With colored pants:

See more (Left: here and Right: here)

With graphic black and white prints and neon pink pumps:

See more (Left: here and Right: here)

With lots of color:

Brocade and Lollipop Red

With jeans:

Eyelet and Denim

Are you a fan of black blazers?  Share a look with your favorite black blazer on Facebook!

12 Days of Holiday: Festive for Work

Today starts my holiday fashion series.  I have twelve days of holiday looks planned.  

Dress:  LOFT Petites (last year) (Similar here)
Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)

Hopefully, my outfits will give you ideas for a range of holiday events, from fabulous parties to running errands to New Year's Eve rocking.

Today's outfit is a recent attempt to incorporate a little holiday glitz and glam into a work look.  The red dress is made more festive with a velvet sparkly belt and faux leather lapel blazer.

Belt:  LOFT (Available here)
Tights:  New York & Company (Available here)

Clutch:  The Limited (Available here)
Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie (Available here)

I think this is a perfect day-to-night look or would look great for a work holiday party.

Bangles:  LOFT (Available here and here)

How do you transition work looks for evening holiday celebrations?

For this dress styled differently, see here, here, and here.

Stop by for a Spell: Halloween, Part 1

Tonight, on this All Hallow's Eve, I'm bringing you two wicked looks.

Skirt:  Target Petites (Available here)
Shirt:  The Limited (No longer available, see here)

The outfit featured here is what I wore to work today.  Since I can't wear a costume to work, I celebrated during the day by wearing Halloween colors and adding in a few scary touches.

Tuxedo blazer:  Forever 21+
Boots:  Payless

Satchel:  The Limited

I had planned on wearing this outfit during St. Louis Fashion Week but never got around to it.  I am a firm believer that you can mix black and orange any time of the year (as I did here and here), not just on Halloween.  That said, this outfit is perfect for Halloween too!

Necklace:  The Limited

The proportions make this outfit a little less conservative and more trendy than I normally like to do at work, but I made a concession for the holiday.

Rings:  Torrid (Nail ring available here)

The skull and nail rings add a spooky touch without taking the look over the top.  The web necklace completes the subtle Halloween theme.

Bracelets:  The Limited (Available here and here)

Beware!!!!  Another scary look coming up soon!!

For this skirt in other looks, see here and here.
For this top in other looks, see here and here.
For this jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
For last year's Halloween outfit, see here.
For more on fall's midi-skirt trends, see here.

Fall 2013 Fashion Trends: Lingerie-Inspired Clothing

Today's glimpse into fall fashion actually incorporates five major fall trends. 

Skirt:  The Limited (old)
Peplum top:  Ann Taylor Petites (Available here)

Lingerie-inspired clothing was a huge trend on fall runways, and I love this trend because I have always loved corsets and bustier-style tops, especially when worn with tuxedos.

Jacket:  Forever21+ (Available in pink here)

Tuxedos and new, ingenious takes on the tuxedo continue to be popular this fall, as does leather, real or faux.  Peplums remained a strong trend on fall runways (More on the leather and peplum trends coming soon).

Surprisingly, pink, in just about every shade, is also a major color trend this fall.  

Ring:  Earthbound Trading Company (Available in stores)
Handcuff bracelet:  The Limited
Earrings:  Target (Available in stores)

Clutch:  Target
Heels:  Prabal Gurung for Target

 From the runway:

Nina Ricci Fall 2013 Lingerie-Inspired Look
Source:  Huffingtonpost.com

Nina Ricci Fall 2013 look
Source:  Style.com

My favorite lingerie-inspired looks came from Nina Ricci, but silky pajama dressing was also a big trend.

Louis Vuitton Fall 2013 look
Source:  Style.com

Bracelet (left hand):  The Limited

Today's outfit incorporates the lingerie trend through the bustier top, the corset-like seams on the pencil skirt and the lace-up booties.  I love that each piece is a nod to lingerie without being overly frilly.

Would you wear the lingerie trend?

For this skirt in another look, see here.

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

Source:  SaintLouisFashionWeek.com

P.S.  The Official list of nominees for the St. Louis Fashion Blog Awards is in, and I'm nominated in three categories!  Thank you to all of you who nominated me!

You can vote at http://www.saintlouisfashionweek.com/bloggers/st-louis-fashion-blogger-awards/ for People's Choice Awards winners in each category!  

Please take a look at the nominees, and if you think I'm the best in my categories, I'd appreciate your vote!

Vote once a day through September 16th.  

Meet the bloggers of St. Louis Fashion Week here.  Many of them are nominated!  It's always great to discover new blogs.

Date Night Maxi

The man and I had a lovely dinner date over the weekend, and this is what I wore:

Skirt:  The Limited (Available here)
Tank:  Target (old)

Blazer:  Forever 21+ (Available in pink here)
Clutch:  Target

I love how this outfit has a formality but does not feel too over-the-top.

We had dinner al fresco at Aya Sofia, a wonderful Turkish restaurant in St. Louis.  I love Mediterranean food, and this restaurant never fails to deliver on super delicious food and excellent service. 

Rings:  Earthbound Trading Company and The Limited (Available here)

The weather here has been unseasonably cool lately, so this was the perfect outfit for dining outside.

Necklace:  Target (old)

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

Dress Week: Bring on the Night

Dress Week continues with an evening look in lace.  

Dress:  The Limited (out of stock on-line)

I would wear this dress to an afternoon/evening wedding or for a special date night.  

Jacket:  Forever 21+ (Available in ivory and pink here)

The strapless dress is cool enough for a muggy summer evening, but the cropped tuxedo jacket adds a touch of sophistication that dresses the look up a bit more.

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

Bracelet:  Target
Clutch:  Target

I added in gold jewelry for a little shine.  The neon pink pumps add a fun pop of color that takes black lace in a more summery direction.

Earrings:  The Limited (Available here)

What would you wear to an evening wedding?

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

Honorable Mentions

Today, I feature several looks from the last two months.  I call these looks honorable mentions.  These are outfits that for various reasons I decided not to include in full blog posts.

The first of these looks is from a recent casual Friday at work.  I paired dark denim (a casual Friday staple) with a more professional blouse and blazer.  I generally try to keep my casual work looks very polished, with fresh denim, dressier blouses, and an overall clean look.

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse, blazer, and purse:  The Limited
Shoes:  Target (old)

The next two looks pair my workhorse skinny black pants with cute blouses and blazers - a look that has definitely become a bit of a uniform over the last year.  I added in mixed bracelets and other accessories to liven up these looks.

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse, blazer, and necklace:  The Limited
Bracelets:  Target, World Market, Claire's
Shoes:  Target

Pants, blouse, blazer, and clutch:  The Limited
Earrings:  Purchased local jewelry sale
Bracelets:  Express and eBay

Today's last featured look is an evening outfit, pairing a faux leather skirt with a fringed top and cropped blazer.  Dangly bead earrings (same as in third photo) and lace-up stilettos complete the all black look.

Skirt:  The Limited
Fringe top:  Ann Taylor Petites
Blazer:  Forever 21+ (Available here)
Shoes:  Prabal Gurung for Target
Clutch:  Target

Hope you enjoyed my "honorable mentions"!

In The Mood For Polka Dots

Today's look was definitely inspired by my mood.  I've been feeling a little uncharacteristically melancholy the last few days.  That feeling has made me gravitate towards black and darker colors.

Dress:  The Limited (Similar here)
Blazer:  Forever 21+ (Available here)

Usually, I am inclined to pair this dress with bright pops of color and play up the fun, feminine vibe of the dress.  Today, I wanted to give the dress a little more of an edgy, artsy feel.

I added one of my favorite necklaces, a bold cuff, and lace-up shoes.

Ring:  LOFT
Necklace:  The Limited (Similar here)

I paired the dress with my cropped tuxedo blazer.  I'm a naughty fashion blogger for wearing this jacket three times in two weeks, but I'm really loving it.  It's hard for me to find a cropped blazer that is actually short enough for my petite frame.  This one is perfect!  I'll be on the hunt for more 21" long blazers.

Cuff:  New York & Company
Shoes:  Target (old)

These shoes are full-on Monet (I watched "Clueless" last night :-)).  They look okay in the pictures, but they are so old and worn out.  I love these shoes, and I haven't found a shoe that I like enough to replace them yet.  These shoes are interesting and super comfortable - a combination that's very hard to find. 

I develop very little attachments to clothing, but I find it very hard to get rid of shoes.  It's hard for me to find comfortable heels that fit my tiny, wide feet.  These shoes are actually a little big, but they're so comfortable, I've gone through two pairs. 

While I often shell out considerable money for clothing pieces I love, I have typically gravitated towards inexpensive shoes.  If I can't find shoes that actually fit my feet, I figured why spend a lot of money on them?

Recently, I've been checking out some custom shoe web sites, like Shoes of Prey.  I'd like to have better fitting, more high-quality shoes, even if that means having a much more edited shoe wardrobe.   

Purse:  Express

Have any of you ever purchased custom-made shoes?  Were you pleased with the results?

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