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?

Cassential Links, 1/19/14

On my radar:

What does it mean to be a dad?  A black dad?  Gay black dads?  Societal notions of gender, race, and fatherhood examined by the reactions to these two families.

Showing some local love for these St. Louis bloggers

While I love having fun with new trends and enjoy breaking trends down on the blog, I'm in full agreement with Amanda about not following trends.  Fashion is way more fun if we don't all look the same and wear what truly suits us.

As women, we are often taught to apologize for being who we are, explaining our way through life for not following the norms.  Time to be who we are in all our glory, unapologetically.

The Curvy Fashionista just turned five, and Marie is looking fierce in a satin jumpsuit and gorgeous make-up.

The internet exploded with hateful critique of Gabourey Sidibe and her Golden Globes look.  She offers the best response ever.  Gotta love her attitude!

So, Lena Dunham is airbrushed in Vogue, like EVERYONE ELSE, and Jezebel pays $10,000 to get the unretouched pics?  The story has made the blogging world abuzz this week, but the best response was this fundraiser started by blogger Nicolette Mason and musician Brad Walsh.

And the controversy over Mindy Kaling's gorgeous cover of Elle.

While body diversity in modeling has increased some, plus-size models are getting skinnier.  Plus-size models are smaller than their target demographic.

Love this cool retro-inspired outfit - leopard spots, black and white leather, and pops of red.  Gabi nails it.

As a poor/working glass white girl, I certainly didn't have many of the benefits of my middle class peers, but over the years I learned how my race afforded me opportunities and everyday privileges.  Good article for explaining white privilege.

Just as everyday women look sexy in our skivvies, so do men.  :-)

Fashion Favorites: White Blazer, 6 Ways

Blazers are a major staple in my closet, and this white blazer is one of my favorites.
This white blazer has a slightly cropped shape, making it flattering for petite figures.  I love this particular blazer with pants, dresses, or skirts, making it super versatile.

Here are some of the ways I've worn it:

With an LBD for work

The Essential LBD

With a heart print blouse and ballet flats

Hearts Afire

Springy with a green pencil skirt and floral

Spring To It

With faux leather for warm weather edge

What's Black and White (and a little red) All Over?

With soft blue and greys for an easy-going evening look

Blue & Neutrals

With red and black for a graphic pop

Red Pants, White Jacket

Are you a fan of white blazers?

Fashion Favorites: Sheer Maxi Skirt, 3 Ways

One of my favorite, most comfortable skirts is this sheer maxi.  At first glance, skirts like these may seem difficult to wear; however, I have found this skirt to be rather versatile. 

The skirt looks best with crop tops or tucked in blouses to accentuate the waist and balance the flowy fit of the skirt. 

The sheer style of this maxi makes it particularly great for curvy petites.  The sheer maxi doesn't overpower petite frames, and the mini skirt under-layer shows off curvy legs and creates a lengthening effect.

I just think it's a fun skirt and am looking forward to wearing it again once the weather warms up a bit, possibly with some printed tights layered underneath.

Here are three ways I've styled my sheer maxi skirt:


Date Night Maxi

Skirt Week:  Drama Queen

St. Louis Magazine Honors The City's Most Stylish

Do you like sheer maxi skirts?  How would you wear one?

Similar skirt available here and here.

Fashion Favorites: Red Pants 7 Ways

While black pants will always be my favorite, red pants make a fun and confident statement. 

Looking over the ways I've worn my red pants over the last year, I find that I usually pair them with other neutrals.  I opt for modern graphics and cat prints to complement the bold red.

Here are some of the ways I've worn my red pants over the last year:

Mod Squad

Go Bold, Go Casual

Put On Your Dancing Shoes

Going Bold in the Workplace

Urban Safari

Stripes Week:  Red-y for Work

12 Days of Holiday:  Cozy Days

Would you wear red pants, and how would you pair them?

For similar pants, see here and here.

Fashion Favorites: Cobalt Moto Jacket 7 Ways

Since I'm not feeling well this week, I thought it would be a great time to do a fashion recap of some of my favorite clothing items.

I'm all about versatility in my wardrobe.  When I shop for new clothing, I usually consider a couple of key factors:

• Do I love the item?  Is it special or unique?  Does it speak to me?
• Does the piece work with other items in my wardrobe?  I usually won't buy an item if I can't come up with at least three distinct outfits.
• What's the estimated cost-wear ratio?  While I can't always guesstimate how much I'll love and wear a piece when I buy it, I try to gauge the cost of an item against how often I expect to wear it.  I'm willing to pay more for pieces that I will wear often and try to save on those that won't get a lot of regular wear.

This moto jacket is one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe.  I found it on clearance, and it's one of my favorite colors.  I love the versatility of this piece and find myself reaching for it quite often.

Here are some of the ways I've worn it over the last year:

Neon Edge

Adventures in Traveling:  Indiana, Ohio, and Hershey, Pennsylvania

Adventures in Traveling:  NYC

Fall 2013 Fashion Trends:  (Faux) Leather

Spring Romance

Singin' the Blues:  Casual Rock-n-Roll

It's My Birthday, and I Can Wear What I Want To

Are you a fan of moto jackets?  What factors do you consider when buying new items for your wardrobe?

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.