Building a Casual Wardrobe

Hope you're all having a great week!

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

Today's look pairs my Torrid stiletto skinnies with a comfy tee and cropped blazer.  I wore this outfit last Sunday to run a few errands.

Bracelet:  The Limited
Sandals:  Payless

Clutch:  The Limited

The low-heeled sandals kept the look comfortable and gave the outfit a feminine charm.

Earrings:  The Limited

I love that the back of this jacket has interesting detail, giving this simple look a cooler vibe.

Jacket:  Torrid (Available here)

Building a casual wardrobe has been a difficult process for me.  My personal aesthetic tends towards evening looks and more polished pieces.  When I get home after a long day of work, I often reach for sweats and grubby tees.  Being so petite, most of my jeans require heels, which doesn't work well for running around with the kids or other casual events.  I've been working on building a stylish casual wardrobe that tows the line between my ultra-casual lounge wear and my work and evening wardrobe.

I think this outfit does just that.

What do you like to wear for casual wear?

To see these jeans in another look, see here and here.
For this tee in another look, see here.
To see this jacket in another outfit, click 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"!

Flower Child

Happy Monday, everyone!

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

Today's look pairs my peony pink pants with a great floral blazer I recently got from Torrid.  

Blouse:  Torrid (Available here)

I wasn't sure I would like the bright pants paired with such a bold print blazer, but I love it.  The black top and sandals help temper the bright colors and bold print. 

Necklace:  The Limited
Sandals:  Payless

I added gold jewelry and a large white satchel.

I can't wait to pair this blazer with a striped top or dress!

Do you like floral blazers?

For these pants in another look, see here.

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Seersucker for Summer

Looking office-appropriate in the summer is often a challenge for me.  

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

Summer makes me long for maxi dresses, tees, and flirty skirts and dresses - clothes that are perfect for casual events and evening wear but not so great for work.

Seersucker is one of those great summer fabrics that helps bridge the gap between casual and work.  Paired with black skinny pants and a bow-front blouse, the seersucker blazer has enough polish for work.

Blouse:  Old Navy Petites (old)
Clutch:  Target (old)

Sandals:  Payless

The cotton fabric is breathable and cool, while the jacket still takes away air-conditioning chill.

Jade ring:  Vintage (Similar here)
Necklace:  Target

How do you summerize your work wardrobe?


For this blazer in another look, see here.
To see this blouse styled differently, see here, here, and here.

Spearmint and Orange

Hope you're all having a great Saturday!

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

Today, I feature a recent work outfit.  I paired an orange-tipped blouse with a spearmint green blazer and navy skinny pants.

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

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

I love the mix of green and orange.  The navy pants keep the look subtle enough for work, while being a softer choice than black. 

A straw bag with orange trim and a fun alligator ring finish the look (close-up of ring here).

Purse:  The Limited (Available here)

Ring:  Target (Similar here)

Do you like mixing orange and green?

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

Mixing Prints

One of my favorite things to do to liven up a simple color palette is to mix prints.

Blouse:  The Limited
Jacket:  The Limited

The black and beige color palette is simple, but adding in the print of the top, the textured design of the wedge heel, and the zebra pattern on the purse, creates a more nuanced look that is infinitely more interesting than black and beige alone.

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

The citrine yellow of the purse adds a fun pop of color. This purse was a total impulse buy, but I thought it was way too cool to pass up.  I can't wait to wear it with a ton of different outfits this summer!

I don't always like wedge heels, but I love the peep-toe design of these.  I do love how wedges add height without the discomfort of stilettos.

Wedge sandals:  Target (Similar here)
Purse:  Target (Available here)

Do you like to mix prints?  Do  you like to wear wedge heels?

For this top in another look, see here.
For this jacket in other looks, see here  and here.