Navy Vest Two Ways

Here I am breaking the rules again by wearing white after Labor Day!

I just got this ink blue vest on sale at White House Black Market.  In fact my whole outfit is from WHBM.  I have this same vest in white that I bought there last year, and love.  This year's version added a belt, which is a great addition.  The belt isn't attached so I can wear it with any of my own belts as well.  This tailored vest projects a similar look as a blazer, but it is much cooler (and yes, we still need that here in Houston, we've started to have some nice mornings, but it is still 90 by noon!). I have it paired here with a white blouse and skirt for work.  In my second look I've paired it with jeans.

This tie front blouse is a little out of the norm for me.  It's a little more feminine than I usually wear, but it's nice for a change.  It took me several times to get the bow just at the right length the last time I wore it.  I returned it to my closet without untying it so today when I put it on I didn't have to fuss with it at all! 

My skirt is in the same soft white as my blouse.  I think that is the key for wearing white in fall and winter - keeping it closer to ivory tones rather than bright white.

 

Tie neck blouse - White House Black Market, similar, similar
Ink Blue Vest - White House Black Market, exact and on sale
White Skirt - White House Black Market, similar, similar and under $20
Nude Pumps - Louboutin, exact

I wore the dark blue vest again to go to book club.  I started with my favorite, extra-comfy jeans and t-shirt, and added the vest on top.  I grabbed my go-to neutral bag and blue suede cork wedges.  I also tried it with a matching neckerchief.  I felt so Parisian like that, ready for Champs Elysees!
 

 

 

 

 

Ink Blue Vest - White House Black Market, exact and on sale

Gray T-shirt - Mossimo from Target, similar from Old Navy

Skinny Jeans - 7 for All Mankind, similar, similar from Nordstrom under $30, 

Cork Wedges - Stuart Weitzman, exact (I sized down a half size and increased the width, so I wear a 7M 95% of the time, but on these I have a 6.5W)

Purse - Louis Vuitton - exact - pre-owned

Scarf - Liz Claiborne - similar J.Crew via Nordstrom $12.50, similar splurge Hermes   

 

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!

Pink on Pink

I just got this new pink knit moto jacket. I've been looking for a light pink jacket all year - ever since Pantone announced that it was the color of the year along with light blue.  I've tried on several, but nothing was a keeper until I found this one.  It's knit, so it is comfy like a cardigan.  The crop fit usually works well on my frame, and it comes in petites so it's not too long in the sleeves for me.  I also like how the moto detailing keeps this soft color from looking too sweet.  I wore a blouse under the jacket in a dustier pink, that has an attached tie.  I tried it on first with a blouse in a more perfect match, but again I thought it was too sweet.  I thought this darker pink helped ground the outfit and looked a more professional.

I paired it with a navy skirt, which is a wardrobe staple for me.  I wear my all the time.  It pairs so nicely with so many colors, and always looks classic and put together.  I recently had to retire my often worn navy pencil skirt, but not before I replaced it with this one. My last skirt was getting too big, yay! That's my favorite reason to replace something. 

I found this new navy skirt to be very comfortable, with soft fabric and just the right amount of stretch.  I wear skirts all the time, but sometimes I have trouble with them either riding up, or shifting around while I walk.  Some skirts are all over the place, and some stay where they are supposed to be.  I don't think it is determined by fit because I have both lose and tight skirts that do both.  Anyway, this skirt stays put!  I noticed that the lining is reversed.  Usually the silky side of the lining faces inward, but on this skirt the silky side of the lining is facing the skirt.  Maybe that has something to do with it.  If you're in need of a navy skirt try this one this one.

On my feet are my Ivanka Trump T-strap pink pumps.  I got them earlier this year at DSW (previously styled here.)  I have a couple of pairs of her shoes (like these) and I've found them all to be cute, comfortable, and reasonably priced. I can't find these exact shoes still available, but I linked to a similar pair below.

Pink Knit Moto Jacket - White House Black Market (Exact)

Tie Blouse - Max Mara (mine is old but here's a similar one with a longer more up-to-date tie)

Navy Skirt - T Tahari (exact)

Pink Pumps - Ivanka Trump (mine are sold out but here's a similar pair)

 

 

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!

Happy Friday

I blogged about this dress before. I like to wear it on Fridays because the heathered navy fabric makes me feel like I'm in denim. I tend to wear this dress with the same formula too: bright blazer and matching shoes.

I wasn't going to post this outfit since it is so similar to this one from a couple of weeks ago (see post here), but I got so many compliments today so I decided to post anyway. There's just something about a bright pink jacket and matching shoes that makes people smile.

Have you seen all the great new pink items at J. Crew? They have a three shades of pink items, and the bright pink is called Wild Flamingo. I'm smitten! I might have to get this skirt or this jacket.

Pink jacket - Tahari, similar
Navy dress - Dalia, similar, similar
Pink Sandals - Kelly & Katie, similar, similar, similar

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!

Houndstooth for Fall

 

The Houndstooth pattern originated in the Scottish Lowlands in the 1800's.  During the 1930's it became the design aristocrats used in for casual wear.  By the 1960's Christian Dior and others brought it main stream and it can now be found on all types of clothes and accessories.  My first item in houndstooth was a scarf I bought while in college that I still have. The pattern seems to be reinvented every few decades, as with most fashion trends.  The size of the pattern changes as does the color combination, but the small size in black and white is always classic.  Here are two outfits with my houndstooth skirt. 

 

I'm wearing it with this pumpkin blouse again (see how I last styled it here). This time I paired the blouse with this collarless J. Crew blazer in the same color (see previously styled here). I like this outfit formula of a matching blouse and blazer with contrasting skirt.  I tried it for the first time only a few months ago, after seeing it on Pinterst over and over.  I use this formula often now. 

 

 

Houndstooth skirt - Albert Nippon (similar)
Orange silk blouse - Joie (similar)
Orange blazer - J. Crew (similar)
Black pumps - Ralph Lauren (similar)
Handbag - Celine Nano (similar)
Belt - Hermes (exact, pre-owned)


For my second outfit I paired my houdstooth skirt with a cobalt blue blouse and a black blazer.  Until I saw these pictures together I didn't realize that I always wear my Hermes belt with this skirt! The skirt doesn't have belt loops, but it does have a defined waistband, so I guess in my eye that needs a belt.  My blazer has a subtle snakeskin print.  A bolder print would have been too much paired with the houndstooth, but this is subtle enough that it's not overpowering.  I finished the look off with my awesome suede cobalt heels.

Houndstooth skirt - Albert Nippon (similar)
Cobalt blouse - The Limited (similar from Target)
Black blazer - Tahari (love this similar one)
Cobalt pumps - French Connection (similar and cute)
Belt - Hermes (exact, pre-owned)

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!


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Three Color Combinations

Creating outfits with two colors has always been easier for me than outfits with three colors. Of course there's black and white which can be paired with any number of third colors, but once I depart from that it gets a little tougher.  In my experimenting I've found that it works best as long as you use one or two neutral colors, and use colors in the same tone.

In this first outfit my navy blazer is my neutral color, and all three colors are deep jewel tones. I wore my burgundy ponte pants that I got last year.  I'm glad to see this color is still going strong again this year.  If you don't have anything in ponte yet, it's a very thick knit that offers lots of stretch while still maintaining it's shape and it's wrinkle resistant.  That translates into being comfortable and looking good all day, even if you're traveling!

On top I wore a teal blouse with a front zipper.  This is a great alternative to the more common button down shirt.  The zipper pulls the fabric evenly all the way down, preventing any gaps that tend to happen when I wear button down shirts.  I matched my shoes and purse to my burgundy pants to keep things simple.

Blazer - Brooks Brothers, similar

Top - Lafayette 148, similar from Ann Taylor

Ponte pants - White House Black Market Similar, similar

Purse - Via Spiga, similar from Tory Burch

Shoes - French Connection, exact

 

In this next outfit I wanted to wear my olive green blouse.  I love all shades of green paired with navy so I opted for my navy pencil skirt.  I could have added a navy blazer, but in an effort to practice putting three colors together I chose to go with my camel blazer instead.  Since the camel blazer and navy skirt are both neutrals I felt like I could do a little more with my accessories.  I wore these peep toe pumps, a Louis Vuitton purse, and a Tigers-eye necklace that all have multiple shades of brown in them and blend with the camel.

Camel blazer - J.Crew, similar

Olive top - White House Black Market, similar, similar

Navy pencil skirt - J.Crew, exact

Shoes - Monolo Blahnik

Purse - Louis Vuitton, exact but pre owned

 

How about you, what are your favorite three color combinations?

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!

Bootie Trends

There are some trends that I never adopt.  Off the shoulder tops have been big this year. I think they are pretty, but who wants to wear a strapless bra? No, thank you! I'm not a big fan of cold shoulder tops either, they just don't look right to my eye.  And don't get me started on distressed denim! I know people think it looks edgy, but I think it just looks sloppy.

One trend that I'm all for though is booties! Although, I just realized booties might be more of a staple than a trend at this point; I just saw this post reviewing 3 years of booties and it was posted in 2012!  Anyway, I just started wearing booties last year so they are new to me!  Recently I've figured out how to wear booties with skirts too. 

It took me a while to get the combination right. The first few times I tried booties with a skirt my legs looked short and stumpy.  If you have average calves (14" around) it seems effortless! Erin from Living in Yellow recently posted about booties in every combination and she looks great! If you have bigger calves like me (16 inches) it takes a little more effort, but I have found two combinations that work.You can either (1) wear any style booties with matching opaque tights, or (2) you can pair bare legs with a skirt that hits the top of your knee (or shorter) with booties that have a deep "V" in the front to help elongate your leg as seen here.

Gray suede booties - exact they come in black and red too, similar, and I love these too

Jacket - White House Black Market similar, similar

Blouse - White House Black Market similar,  similar in lace 

Skirt - White House Black Market similar from JCrew 

Purse - Via Spiga similar  similar

 

What about you? Do you like off the shoulder or cold shoulder tops?  What about distressed denim: yay or nay? Have you tried your booties with skirts?

 

 

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!

Pumpkin Spice

I'm starting to see pumpkin flavored everything in the grocery store, and this morning when I went outside it was almost cool. Fall will be here soon!

This pumpkin colored blouse will likely be in heavy rotation for the season. I just purchased it and it's made of a beautiful silky fabric that drapes nicely. With short sleeves it will be easy to wear with a jacket for work, or on its own on weekends. And, bonus, since orange is opposite of blue on the color wheel, if you have blue eyes the orange will really bring attention to them!

This crop tweed jacket is also a recent purchase from White House Black Market. It's light weight so I'll be able to wear it year round.  I've always loved military inspired details like these Epaulettes. I'm so excited to see military details trending. The neutral color is so versatile, and matches my suede sandals and belt.

I wore my favorite denim skirt for a more casual look, but my navy skirt or black skirt would have worked too. I chose the denim because it has belt loops, which gave me the opportunity to wear my reversible Hermes belt, that I usually only wear on the black side.

My Celine Nano inspired the whole outfit, and ties everything together by repeating the color palette. 

 

 

Crop jacket: White House Black Market, similar, similar 

Top: Joie available in several colors

Belt: Hermes

Denim Skirt: White House Black Market, similar, similar, and this similar on that's under $40

Purse: Celine Nano black and white version

Shoes: Audrey Brooke/DSW similar, similar under $50, similar

 

Over to you, what's your favorite pumpkin flavored food, or pumpkin colored item in your closet?

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!

Running Through the Airport

Last week I had a short business trip to Dallas. I usually schedule my flights so that I can drop my daughter off at school and then drive to the airport. This time my flight was cutting it a little close, so of course everything went wrong! The entrance ramp to the freeway was closed so I had to detour through downtown, then once I got to the airport and parked the parking shuttle took forever to arrive, then my terminal was the last one on the route, my bag had to be screened twice....you get the picture. As I'm going through security I here the final boarding call for my flight. I made my flight, but not before I ran all the way down the concourse to get to my gate...in my Louboutins!

The next time someone asks me if my shoes are comfortable I'm going to say, "Yes! I can even run in them!"

This is what I was wearing. The print on this jacket gives it a lot of versatility. I paired it with pink and yellow today, but it works with lots of different combinations. I've been seeing bell sleeves a lot this fall already. I prefer flared sleeves at 3/4 length like they are here so that they don't fall into my food, knock over papers, or get caught on door knobs. 

I paired the jacket with a yellow shell from Ann Taylor, and this dusty rose A-line skirt from Theory. I like to carry this Louis Vuitton purse when I travel because my iPad fits in it, yet it is still fairly compact. My nude Louboutin's with the rubber sole savers (see post) ended up being a great choice!

Jacket: Lafayette 148

Shell: Ann Taylor similar

Skirt: Theory Similar, Similar

Shoes: Christian Louboutin exact

Bag: Louis Vuitton Monogram Looping GM  No longer available, but here's a used version

 

After my meetings were over I swapped my skirt and pumps for jeans and mules and I was ready for dinner.

Jeans: WHBM very similar

Shoes: WHBM Similar and on sale

Shell: Ann Taylor similar

Bag: Louis Vuitton Monogram Looping GM  No longer available, but here's a used version

 

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!

I Love Jackets

I love jackets. I know cardigans are a more popular outer layer, but nothing beats the crisp lines of a structured jacket to add polish to an outfit.

 

This red jacket is from White House Black Market (so is my shell and skirt.) I love the motorcycle inspired details that I started seeing last year and are now everywhere this fall. The 3/4 sleeves and little bit of spandex make this it comfortable and easy to wear. In addition to pairing it with a skirt as I did here it would also look great with a white or black t-shirt and jeans.

My black pencil skirt has an exposed zipper in the back which may be too edgy in some work places, but I think it pairs well with the edginess of the moto jacket.

 

My shell has black polka dots on top that fade to beige polka dots toward the bottom. It's a great piece that is still basic enough to go with everything, without being boring.

I'm in my Louboutin patent leather pumps today, and my carrying my black Prada hobo. When I'm in a bright jacket I like to keep my shoes and purse neutral.

 

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!

 
 


Red Moto Jacket White House Black Market exact, similar
Polka Dot Shell - White House Black Market similar
Black Pencil Skirt - White House Black Market similar
Shoes - Christian Louboutin similar
Purse - Prada similar

Style Statistics

What I love most about the Stylebook Closet app is the statistics it gives me on my wardrobe (see previous app reviews here and here). When I first started using the app 5 months ago I worked on my "Never Worn" list. It took a couple of months to wear everything in my closet once...and actually there are still 143 items on that list. Those last remaining items are sweaters, corduroy pants, boots and jackets, so once the weather gets cooler I'll clear out my "never worn" list.

In the meantime I've been working my "Worst Cost per Wear" list. This list takes the price you paid for an item and divides it by the number of times you've worn it, and then ranks the top 25 items. There's also a "Best Cost per Wear" list. Most of the items on that list tend to be my less expensive pieces like shorts and tee-shirts, but my top item on that list is a black pencil skirt that is currently $1.11 per wear! I've obviously gotten my money's worth out of it! Which is exactly what this app is helping me do. I want to get my money's worth out of my clothes. I don't mind spending a little more on an item if I know I'm going to wear it many times, but I hate to see high end items languishing on the "Worst Cost per Wear" list.

My outfit today includes three items on my "Worst Cost per Wear" list: the blouse, purse, and necklace.

I bought my necklace at the Gold and Diamond Mall in Dubai. It was pricey, but I wear it often, and will continue to for decades, so it may one day be $1.11 per wear too!

I also love my Celine Nano Tote. It was a little pricey too, so even though I've carried it 10 times since April it is still on the list. I carry it much more in the fall and winter, so it will be in heavy rotation soon, and will work it's way off the list in no time.

My blouse on the other hand is a reasonably priced item but prior to today I had only worn it twice. This black wrap top is from M M Lafleur, and it is one of the most comfortable, yet polished business tops I own (see previously styled here), so I don't know why I don't wear every week! I love the 3/4 length sleeves, and the front draping. Another plus is that the wrap part it fully sewn so I'm not fussing with it all day to insure I'm not flashing any cleavage.  It looks polished enough to wear on its own as I did here, but it also looks great under a blazer, and it pairs well with jeans too.

M.M. LaFleur is an interesting company (read their story here), started by a woman in finance who wanted a more inspired wardrobe. They design and manufacturing professional women's wear, and pay a lot of attention comfort, quality, and ease of care.  On top of that their customer service is excellent.

If you want to give them a try I recommend ordering a Bento Box. A stylist will curate and send you some items. You get to try everything on and keep what you like. My first box wasn't quite me and I ended up sending everything back. Then I got a sweet email from their marketing director, apologizing for missing the mark and asked if she could send out another box. I of course accepted their gracious offer and ended up with this lovely blouse. It currently comes in wine and ivory as well as black, and both are on my wish list.

Blouse - M.M. LaFleur Deneuve Blouse

Skirt - White House Black Market

Spectator Pumps - Lauren by Ralph Lauren

Bag - Celine Nano

 

Charity - I use affiliate links in this blog.  That means each time you click on a link to a product I get a few cents, even if you don't purchase anything.  I have a full time job and I keep this blog purely for fun.  All proceeds I make here I donate to charity, so please click away and know it's for a great cause! Also, please tell me what your favorite charities are in the comments.  I will donate to the ones that are most popular. Many thanks!