Little White Dress in fall

In August I blogged about the Little White Dress trend (see post here).  It seems like an easy choice in summer, but it can work in fall just as easily.  Back in August I paired this same white dress with a coral linen blazer with matching belt and strappy sandals.  Here, for fall I used the same formula, but with gray as my accent color and more fall friendly materials like these suede peep-toe booties.

 

I purchased this gray blazer last year at White House Black Market.  I like the updated stand up collar and lapel. It also has two shades of gray (but not 50 tee hee!) which gives it more interest while still being subtle.

 

You can read my review about my white dress that I got from Trunk Club here.  It's ponte knit so super comfortable.  These pictures are after a full day of work and there are no noticeable wrinkles either.  The label says dry clean only, but I just washed it at home with great results.  It shrunk a tad in length which was fine with me since I felt it was tad long anyway. This exact dress is still available and runs true to size.

 

These Nine West Booties are my favorite purchase of the year!  Swoon! See how I styled them with lavender pants here, and with a burgundy jacket here.  These exact booties are still available, and true to size.  

 

 

Recreate the look here:

Jacket - mine  is old from WHBM, similar 2 tone from JCrew, also this one with stand up collar from JCrew

Booties - exact Nine West Booties

White Dress - same brand and fabric as mine with cute waist detail

 

 

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! Many thanks!

 

This post was shared on

The Pleated Poppy

Shopping My Closet

Elegantly dressed and stylish

elegantly fashionable

Not dead yet style

Not Dressed as a Lamb

Get your pretty on

jolynne shane

Style Nudge

two peas in a blog

 

 

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!


This post was shared on:
http://www.thefabjourney.com/

Gray and Pastels

Last week I blogged about a lilac and gray outfit I was wearing.  It got me thinking about how gray looks great with all pastel colors. So, I used the same  gray and pastels formula for today's outfit of gray and sky blue.

This is a sky blue leather skirt from White House Black Market that I got last season.
The gray zipper eyelet jacket is Armani Collezioni that I got at Neiman's Last Call, also last year.

 

I paired it with gray and navy pearls, and a wrist-full of silver bangles.  I learned how to stack bangles from growing up in the Middle East...looking at these pictures I'm not sure if that projects the successful business woman image I'm going for, but I am in very cosmopolitan Houston, so maybe it works!

 

 

Here are the shoes I'm wearing.  The are still available at DSW, and are on sale. The gray tied in with my jacket and it's not obvious in this picture, but there are shades of blue throughout the gray, so these are just the perfect shoe for this outfit!

 

 

I don't use affiliate posts, so I'm not making any money when you click on these links.

Outfit Formula: Formal Suit Made Casual

The matching skirt and blazer tends to be the most formal and traditional outfit formula, but when done in Searsucker, it's emidiately a bit more casual while still professional, and perfect for a Houston summer.  This seersucker suit is from Tahari, and the white shell is White House Black Market. Paired with an orange Michael Kors purse and these brown embossed Prada peep-toe heels, you have a great summer work outfit.

 

Prada shoes are often the most comfortable shoes I own. These brown embossed leather ones were a little loose in the heel and sometimes I would walk out of them. I added some heel cushions and now they fit great.

Outfit Formula: Matching Blouse and Shoes

Do you ever use formulas to get dressed?  I do. Here are some of the formulas I use most often for office outfits:

1) Matching skirt and blazer with contrasting blouse - this is your most traditional formula.  It is the most similar to a man's power suit where your blouse becomes synonymous with his tie.

2) Matching skirt and blouse with contrasting blazer

3) Matching blouse and blazer with contrasting skirt

4) Matching blouse and statement shoes with any combination of skirt and blazer

I use one of first three formulas when I'm pressed for time or when I have important meetings, because they are easy to put together and always look smart. 

When I'm I feeling creative or want to have a little more fun, like today, I'll use #4! 
Today I wore this black and white striped skirt with a pink blouse and matching statement strappy sandals. 

My skirt is from White House Black Market, the blouse is from Stitch Fix, the Shoes are Kelly and Katie from DSW.  My necklace is white topaz that I got in Sri Lanka (you can read about that trip in my Travel Blog). 

Here's a close up of the blazer.  It is by Elie Tahari, and has these wonderful ribbon details to really make it much more than your ordinary black blazer.

And these shoes are so fun!  They are by Kelly & Katie which is a private label brand created by DSW. They have enough elastic in the strap that I can get them on without having to unbuckle them which is convenient.  They are very comfortable except for a small spot on the top strap that rubbed against the top of my foot.  I actually just put a piece of tape under the strap and the problem was solved.