Congac Leather Skirt Part I Burgundy

This is the first a three part series on this leather flared skirt.  But first, there are a ton of sales going on this weekend and some that have already started.  White House Black Market is having their Friends and Family sale – 25% off your order with free shipping. It officially starts Friday, but if you're on their mailing list you got the email with the code today.  Sephora has 20% off starting Friday too. Ann Taylor has 40% off begining Thursday.  J Crew has 25% off your purchase going on now, and Nordstrom has 40% off fall clearance items now through Friday.  If you've been waiting to buy something it might be a good time.

I bought this cognac leather skirt at White House Black Market last year and have loved it.  I've worn it to work, I've worn it to luncheons, and I've worn it out to diner.  It is available again this year but in a buttery soft beige suede. It is on sale now for $160, down from $300, and with your 25% off on top of that it is a great deal, but sizes are going fast!

This style of skirt is so flattering on hourglass and pear shape bodies.  It isn't slimming on my body shape, which is why I usually stick to straight or pencil skirts, but it is a fun change.  I love the way it moves, and the leather adds some variety to my wardrobe. 

For my first look I've paired it with a burgundy blazer and an animal print tank.  This combination would look great with the current beige version of the skirt as well. I'm wearing burgundy pumps to match my blazer as I usually do. And, I accessorized with a long necklace to lengthen my torso. 

My next post will show this skirt with an emerald green blazer.

 Recreate the look:

Same skirt in beige suede

exact burgundy pumps

Dark Red Trophy Jacket On Sale

Leopard Print Blouse

 

 

Leopard Skirt

I'm trying to dress for fall even though the weather still isn't cooperating.  Eventually I'll be able to get my boots out! 

I love this leopard skirt.  I recently saw another lady wearing it with a black silk blouse with billowy sleeves and black pumps; she looked so elegant.  It's a print that works with so many colors.  I've paired this skirt with black, burgundy, brown, beige, green, and pink.  You can dress it down with a white t-shirt and jean jacket, it can take you on a date with a silky black blouse like I described above, or you wear it to work like I'm showing here.

I've paired it here with a mock turtle neck in dark green and my camel blazer.  My suede shooties in dark green repeat the color of my top.  You can see the last time I wore these shoes here.  I added a long strand of cream and brown pearls to help elongate my bust, which is always helpful when wearing high collared tops.

Recreate the look:
Leopard Skirt: WHBM similar
Camel Blazer: J Crew Regent Blazer in Warm Camel
Green Shooties: WHBM Similar save, Similar splurge
Green Mock Turtle Neck: similar


This post was shared on these lovely blogs:
Jolynneshane.com, 
fashionshouldbefun.com, 
www.rachelthehat.com, 
sheelagoh.com
theclosetbychristie.com, 
www.foragefashion.com, 
poshclassymom.com, 
nancysfashionstyle.com, 

Bottle Green Ankle Pants

These bottle green ankle pants are from White House Black Market.  They are ponte knit so they are comfortable, yet still appropriate for work.  The matching green suede lace-up shooties are also from WHBM.  I purchased both of these items last year and have really enjoyed them. Bottle green didn't carry over into this year, though. It has been replaced by olive green.  The outfit idea still works paired with olive green pants and booties, so that is what I linked to below.

 

On top I have a beige and white stipe shell by Laundry. I got it from Neiman's Last Call a couple of years ago and it is still on heavy rotation. It is easy to wear under a blazer for work, but it works well with shorts and jeans on the weekends. I love versatile items.

My blazer from, you guessed it, WHBM, is the perfect topper for the outfit.  It's a longer jacket so it provides the little extra back side coverage which I think is needed for knit pants at work.  See it previously styled here with a dress. The waterfall lapel and collarless style keep this outfit from being boring, although, as we get further into fall I could replace it with my classic camel blazer for a different look.

Recreate the look:

Knit pants: similar option in olive green

Suede shoes: similar olive green Tory Burch wedges

Blazer: similar collarless ivory blazer

Top: similar with vertical stripes, similar with wider stripes

This post was shared on these lovely blogs:

http://www.twopeasinablog.com/, 

http://stylelixir.com/everyday-outfit-ideas/, 

http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com/, 

www.elegantlyfashionable.com, 

http://notdeadyetstyle.com/, 

http://www.notdressedaslamb.com/, 

http://www.stylenudge.com/, 

http://www.stillbeingmolly.com/,  http://getyourprettyon.com/,  http://50isnotold.com,  http://www.shoppingmycloset.com/,  http://colorandgrace.com/,  http://thepleatedpoppy.com/category/what-i-wore/,  http://www.theblendedblog.com,  http://sydneyfashionhunter.com,  http://www.themummychronicles.com,

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!

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!

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!

Stylebook Closet App after 30 days

I've officially been using the Stylebook app for 30 days now, and still love it. I faithfully log my outfits daily. As I mentioned in my first Stylebook Closet App post, the reason I finally purchased the app and started using it was for the stats it provides. As a data lover I knew I would learn valuable information, and I have.

I'm up to 362 items uploaded, and yes, I'm still adding. At this point I mostly shoes, bags, and necklaces left to upload and I just add them as I wear them.  Here's something that blows my mind though, I have 194 tops and 68 dresses.  That equals 13,192 different combinations without even counting how different shoes, accessories, or jackets can change up a look.  And it doesn't include dresses either.  Obviously not all of those combinations would be great or even wearable, but still, I think I have too many clothes!

The first thing that stands out to me is that after this first 30 days is that I have worn 147 items out of the 362, or 40%.  That's a whole lot more than I thought I would have.  I do still have 215 items I haven't worn, which seems like a lot though. I'm really going to be strict with myself and if something hasn't been worn in 6 months I am going to get rid of it.

In the first 30 days I've found that I wear this pair of orangey-red ballet flats, that I purchased 2 years ago at Target, all the time. I wear them so often that in 30 days the cost per wear is down to $2. They are falling apart and I should really throw them away, but given how much I wear them I think I'll replace them first. As I search for a replacement pair I plan on upgrading as well, since I know I will wear the heck out of them. Maybe I can find a cute pair by Tory Burch.

The other thing I've learned from this fabulous app is I carry my Louis Vuitton bag quite a bit. It is the first LV bag I ever purchased and I bought it second hand for $500. I've been wanting a new one. Specifically this one,

but I haven't been able to rationalize the purchase. Now, seeing how much I carry my first one, I know I would certainly get my money's worth out of it. Although, if I'm going to buy another designer bag, I've had my eye on a Dior bag and a YSL bag too. Oh, and then there's that Valentino Rockstud that I've been adoring. Sigh...so many bags, so little dough.

I dying to hear from other people who have embraced this app.  How many items have you uploaded?  What features do you use the most?  Does it help you plan what to wear/pack/buy?