Halloween Sequins

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween is my favorite holiday!  A day of playing dress-up?  Yes, please!  Sign me up!

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse:  The Limited (Old)

Unfortunately,  I couldn't go to work in a costume, so instead, I decided just to have fun with the classic colors of Halloween by incorporating them into my work look.

Cardigan:  Converse One Star by Target (Available here)
Shoes:  Target (old)

I chose my black tuxedo stripe skinny leg pants and black biker-style cardigan.  Then, I opted for my coppery orange sequin top with sheer black overlay for a subtle, work-appropriate display of sequins.  I added orange and black glittery nail polish and a slightly gothic-looking ring.

Ring:  Claire's (old)
Bracelets:  Claire's, Target, The Limited

Earrings:  Express (Available here)

Lastly, I added large gold disc earrings, paying homage to the almost full moon.

Hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween!!!

P.S. Hope all of you in the Northeast are staying safe.  Sending lots of positive, healing energy your way! 

The Yin and Yang of Dressing

Hi Everyone!!

Pants:  New York & Company Petites (Available here)
Blazer:  New York & Company (Available here)

As I have discussed previously, I love the look of women in well-fitting suits and traditional menswear fabrics and styles.  

As much as I like dresses, lace, and other "feminine" clothing, there's something about a woman in a tuxedo or suit that I find much more provocative.  

A woman's natural curves, no matter how slight, balance out the "masculine" presence of the suit creating a look that is ultra-powerful, in my opinion.  It's a look that feels complete in that it mixes the hard and soft, "masculine" and "feminine" - the entirety of each of us as human beings.

Today I was inspired by the Helmut Newton photograph, "Le Smoking."  

Le Smoking - Photo by Helmut Newton (1966)

My version adds some 2012 touches - faux leather details on blazer, burgundy patent leather pumps - while keeping the androgynous feel.

Blouse:  New York & Company (Sold out online; see here)
Shoes:  Target (Available here)
Belt:  The Limited

See this great blog post for more discussion on the history and gender-bending impact of the women's suit and tuxedo:  http://monicadmurgia.com/tag/le-smoking/.

Birthday Suit

Blazer:  Ann Taylor Petites (Available here)
Pants:  The Limited (Available here)

What did you think I meant?  ;-D

Hope you all had a fabulous day!  Today is my birthday, and I wanted a special look that really captured the essence of my personal style.

Blouse:  Ann Taylor Petites (Available here)
Tank:  The Limited (Available here)
Necklace:  The Limited

The man treated me to a black velvet suit and this lovely green blouse for my birthday.  

The entire velvet suit seemed much too formal for the workplace, so I decided to skip the velvet pants and paired the velvet blazer with simple skinny black pants.

Purse:  Express (Available here)
Shoes:  Target

Velvet is probably my favorite fabric.  I just find it so sensual and sexy.

I remember seeing velvet suits by Tom Ford for Gucci in a magazine back in 1996.  I was a college student who was just starting to get out of her grunge phase.  

I was so enamored with the Gucci suits.  I loved the strong look of the women walking down the runway in this traditionally masculine look.

A 2012 Gucci velvet look:

Gucci Velvet Tuxedo Suit, Source: Saks Fifth Avenue

A velvet suit is so perfect for more formal occasions. I would definitely wear the full suit for a work holiday party.  I would also wear with the suit with a slinky top for a special date night.

Would you wear a velvet suit?

Leopard & Neutrals

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Jeans:  Target (Available here)
Blouse:  New York & Company

Today, I mixed my cognac coated denim with a chiffon leopard print top and black cardigan.

Cardigan:  LOFT Petites (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target

I love the mix of cognac, ivory, and black.  The leopard print, texture of the jeans, and bangles add visual interest.

Scarf:  Paul Harris (15+ years old)
Bangles:  The Limited, Claire's, Target

The scarf added needed warmth while also providing a shot of flattering ivory which really brightens the face.

Tote:  The Limited (Similar here)

Do you like mixing neutrals? 

To see top styled differently, see here.
To see jeans styled differently, see here

Thanks for reading!  Have a great weekend!!!!

Black is the New Black

Some people may find an all-black look boring.  While I love color, I love mixing textures and shapes of black pieces to create all-black looks that are interesting and flattering.  I love how all-black looks can go from edgy to romantic to classic to gothic depending on how you style them.

Just this week,  I've worn three black outfits:

Monday's three-piece suit look was classic, but quirky and masculine.
Tuesday's Chanel-inspired look was classic modern with a touch of romance.

Jacket:  The Limited (Available here)
Dress:   New York & Company (Similar here) (Styled differently here)

Today's all-black look is modern and edgy.  I paired my new black quilted faux leather jacket with my black peplum dress.

Shoes:  Target
Earrings:  Target

A black bag and silver earrings complete the simple look.

Purse:  The Limited

For more on the peplum trend, see here.
For more on the leather trend (and my views on real leather), see here.

How do you like to rock all-black looks?

Mix It Up!

I love dresses for their ease and comfort; however, they definitely offer fewer styling options than pants or skirts.  Pants and skirts offer lots of mix and match options that allow you to create a range of versatile styles.  

With most pants or skirts, you could wear them more than once a week, and with different styling, no one would know.  With dresses, there's only so many ways to wear them and they tend to be more memorable, which definitely makes styling them more limiting. 

Dress:  New York & Company (Similar here)
Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)

Today, I wore my cobalt dress.  I chose the same formula as the last time I wore it:  blazer, belt, tights, and boots. 

For how I wore the blue dress before, see here and here.  For the blazer in another look, see here.

Tights:  Target (Similar here)
Belt:  The Limited (Similar here)
Earrings:  The Limited

This time, I chose a thinner belt, my grey suit jacket and grey and black leopard tights. 

I like the combination of cobalt blue, black, and grey.  I also like the idea of taking a piece as potentially stuffy as a classic grey blazer and loosening it up with bright blue and leopard print.

Boots:  Payless
Purse:  The Limited
Ring:  Purchased at local jewelry show

Do you like dresses, or do you tend to stick with pants and/or skirts?

Channeling Chanel

I've been waiting for the temperature to drop so that I could wear this tweed jacket.  It's one of my very favorite pieces.  I love the collarless design and the silver threads.

Jacket:  Gap
Blouse:  Old Navy (Similar here)

I love how the tweed jacket, bow front blouse, and quilted bag have a Chanel vibe.  I love the classic style of Chanel but can't afford the hefty price tags.

Tote:  New York & Company (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

Chanel jacket (see more black tweed jackets)

My general view of designer fashion is that it's inspirational, but ultimately not worth the higher price tags.  I can be a little fickle in my fashion choices and like to change my wardrobe up regularly.  Also, unless the piece is truly high-quality enough to last for 20 years with regular usage, $2000 for a purse just isn't very rational,  maybe even a little immoral.

IF I ever decide to save up for a designer piece or hit the lottery, I would definitely choose to invest in a Chanel piece - a quilted bag or a tweed jacket.  I would go with black in a classic style like the jacket shown above so that it would get lifelong wear and hopefully be passed down as an heirloom to my daughter. 

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)

Do you have any favorite designers?  What's your take on high-end fashion?

More on Chanel's famous black tweed jacket here at The Guardian

Bracelet:  The Limited (Sold out online; see here)

Fine and Dandy

Today I was Inspired by menswear. I pulled my vest from the back of my closet and paired it with my favorite black suit.  

Suit:  The Limited Black Collection (Similar pants here; Similar vest here; Similar blazer here)

I have worn vests off and on since junior high school. I have never stopped liking them, but for some reason, I find my vest to be an occasional piece that I only put out a few times a year.

Belt:  The Limited
Tank:  Old Navy Petites (Similar here)

I love the look of traditionally masculine looks, like this three piece suit, on women.  The polkadot scarf, worn like a necktie, adds a slightly quirky touch.  It also helped conceal cleavage during work hours.

Scarf:  The Limited (old)
Shoes:  Target (old)

Menswear inspired fashion was very popular on fall runways, so this outfit feels right on trend but very "me" at the same time.

Lest the look be too masculine, I wore my hair down and threw on a cuff to give it that feminine mix.

Cuff:  The Limited
Tote:  New York & Company (Similar here)

Do you have items in your wardrobe of which you don't want to let go, but that you don't wear too often?

Do you like the menswear look on women? 

Color Pop!

Happy Sunday everybody!  

Hope you're all having a great weekend! 

Today, I went out to lunch with my mother and then ran some errands.  I opted for a neon yellow sweater and paired it with my black lace skirt.  Then I added opaque black tights and black wedge boots to give me both height and comfort.

Sweater:  The Limited (Available here)
Skirt:  Torrid (Available here)
Purse:  New York & Company (Similar here)

Even though this color can be hard to wear (it's not a super flattering shade for most skin tones), there's something about how this bright citrine yellow pops, especially with black, that makes me seek it out.

Tights:  Torrid (Available here)
Boots:  Target (Available here)

I'm especially looking forward to wearing this sweater in winter.  When I'm feeling a case of the winter blahs, wearing bright colors makes me feel a little better!

Necklace:  Express (old)
Cuff:  New York & Company (old) 
Earrings:  Express (Available here)

 Would you wear neon yellow?

Casual Friday, 80s Flair

Happy Friday!!!!  

First, let me apologize for today's pics.  I can't seem to get the lighting right indoors.  :-(

On today's casual Friday, I went with my favorite skinny bootcut jeans and paired them with a houndstooth plaid top and light pink blazer.

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse:  New York & Company (Sold out online, view here)

I like how the look is slightly 80s.  The pastel blazer, the pushed up sleeves, and the neck-tie on the blouse all channel the 80s without making me look like an extra from "Pretty in Pink."  

Blazer:  New York & Company (Available in black here)

I love vintage, but it's very important to me that the any vintage or vintage-feel piece be worn in a modern way.  In my opinion, too much vintage can look a little costumey, which is great for Halloween but not every day wear. 

Tote:  New York & Company (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target (old)
Bow ring:  The Limited (Sold out online, see here)

Do you like 80s fashion?  What 80s inspired or vintage pieces would you wear?

Bracelet:  The Limited (Sold out online, see here)

Snakes on a Date

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Blazer:  New York & Company (Available here) (See blazer styled differently here)
Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)

Today's look is actually from last weekend.  The man and I had a rare movie night.  

We saw "Pitch Perfect" which was great.  I love fun and interesting female characters!

Blouse:  The Limited (Available in violet here)
Tank: Old Navy Petites (Similar here)

Since we weren't going anywhere formal, I kept the look simple with jeans a silky top.

Clutch:  The Limited
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

I LOVE snake jewelry, and I mixed my fun snake ring with a colorful python clutch.  

There's something so sensual and subtly sexy about a snake crawling around your fingers that makes a ring like this perfect for a date.

Ring:  The Icing (Available in stores)

 What do you like to wear on casual dates?

Falling for Camel

One of my favorite autumnal color palettes is camel and ivory.  It's sophisticated and rich looking, but what I love most is the softness of the two colors together.  In a season of burgundy, navy, and forest green, camel and ivory are fall's pastels.

Camel pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Purse:  The Limited

So, today, I paired camel pants that I recently purchased with ivory favorites - a sequined blouson-style top and blazer.

Blazer:  The Limited
Ring:  H&M (Available in stores)

See the ivory blazer worn differently here and here. 

Blouse:  The Limited
Shoes:  Target

The orange bag adds a pop of fall color.

What is your favorite fall color combination?  What colors do you like to wear with camel?