Winter Trends: Velvet

As 2016 comes to a close, so does my winter trend series with Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!  For our final installment, we are talking about our favorite tactile treasure - velvet. 

Dress:  Smart Glamour (Available here)

I love wearing velvet - it is just so soft and comfortable, and it's hard to resist touching the fabric while you're wearing it! 

Irene and I both stuck with pretty velvet dresses in neutral shades.  I'm wearing a grey Joan sheath dress with customized 3/4 length sleeves and full skirt from Smart Glamour.  The dress has a cutout detail which gives it a little extra flair.

Glasses:  Valentino

Clutch:  NY&CO

Heels:  ASOS

To dress the look up, I added gold lace-up heels and gold jewelry.  I love the contrast of grey and gold.  Silver is more expected, but I think gold creates a more sophisticated mix.

Bracelets:  LOFT

Irene styled a taupe bodycon slip dress for a recent holiday house party.  She layered her dress over a black tee for a cool 90s feel.

Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!

See more of Irene's look on Instagram or Facebook or head over to Petite Plus, Meow! to catch up with what's new on her blog.

Necklace:  Express

Hope you enjoyed our winter trends series!  

Look back at our featured trends of faux fur, gold, and sparkle, and stay tuned for tomorrow's Casual Friday post - my last outfit post of the year!

Do you enjoy velvet?

Winter Trends: Sparkle

Have you been keeping up with the winter trends collaboration with Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!?  So far, we have shared our personal takes on faux fur and gold, and today, we take on sparkles!

Dress:  ELOQUII (Available here)

There's something about a shiny, sparkly piece that is so hard to resist.  I had been eyeing this cute striped dress from Eloquii for quite a long time before I finally took the plunge and got it.  The stripes are a pretty candy-colored mix of pinks and purples.  It reminds me of a sparkly candy cane!

Glasses:  Tory Burch

To add even more sparkle, I added a black sequin bow and sparkly earrings.

Sequin bow collar:  ELOQUII

Purse:  Betsey Johnson

My husband got me this too-cute-for-words gingerbread woman purse and gave it to me before Christmas so that I could enjoy it during the holiday season.  I thought it was a great addition to this dress.

I wore this look to my office holiday party and received a lot of compliments.  

To get more wear out of the dress, I may try it with a simple trench later on to tone down the sequins.

Boots:  FarylRobin Fawcett

Irene provides some great ideas on how to tone down a sparkly sequin piece, pairing a sequin pencil skirt with various sweaters to add a cozy or sexy feel.  

Petite Plus, Meow!

Head over to her blog to see more.  You can also find her on Instagram or Facebook.

Stay tuned next Thursday when we finish up our winter series with one of my verrrry favorite fabrics - sensuous velvet!

Winter Trends: Gold

It's Thursday which means it's time for the second installment of my winter trend collaboration with Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!!! 

Skirt:  ELOQUII (Available here)

Today, we are sharing our love of gold, this season's "it" metallic.  Seriously, gold was all over fall runways, and it's definitely a trend that is perfect for the holidays!

I recently picked up this gold foil skirt from ELOQUII.  It's lightweight and has such an amazing shimmer and sheen!  

Blazer:  ELOQUII (Available here)

Sweater:  ELOQUII

Since I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to style this skirt, I played around with a couple of different options.  The look with the blazer is my favorite as I like how the ivory brightens up the look.  The gift purse perfectly ties the look together.

Purse:  Betsey Johnson

Heels:  New Look Wide Fit

Necklace:  The Limited

Top:  ELOQUII (Available here)

For the second look, I kept things a little simpler with a black cropped sweater.  I added a little extra shimmer to the look by pinning a brooch on the skirt's waistband.

Brooch:  NY&CO

Pom pom keychain:  Torrid (Available here)

Irene is also rocking ELOQUII today with her adorable fit-and-flare dress that is available in PETITES!!  

Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!

The gold glitter band is such a fancy addition to the perfect little black dress!  Learn more about Irene's look at Petite Plus, Meow!  or check out her Instagram or Facebook pages.

Glasses:  Tory Burch

Clutch:  Eva Mendes for NY&CO

Catch up with the first installment of our winter trends series here!  And don't forget, we're here all month, so stay tuned next Thursday for our next winter trend!

Winter Trends: Fur

On each Thursday for the rest of December, fellow petite plus blogger Irene of Petite Plus, Meow! and I will be sharing our takes on some key winter/holiday trends.  Today, we are starting with one of my favorite fabrics - fur - only faux, of course!

Jacket:  Eloquii (Available in blush pink here)

While it is typically a fall and winter staple, faux fur returned big last year, and the momentum hasn't stopped.  This year, statement furs were a huge hit on runways, so I decided to try out my long-haired black fur jacket in a party look that would be great for New Years' Eve or a holiday party with friends.

Dress:  Eloquii (Available here)

I paired my fur jacket with a faux leather bustier dress and glittery heels.  I love the mix of textures in an all-black look.

For a little added shine, I finished the look with gold dangly earrings and a gold beaded velvet clutch. 

Earrings:  Eloquii
Ring:  LOFT

I love that this look is kind of quiet due to the color palette but that it still makes a statement.

While my faux fur took center stage, Irene's fur collar adds a more subtle wintry touch to a pretty purple bodycon dress.  Her booties keep the look a little more informal and perfect for keeping tootsies warm in the dipping temperatures.  Her look would be great for an office holiday party or for sipping on some nog at a happy hour.

Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!

Head over to Irene's blog to see more of her look or follow her on Instagram or Facebook!

Glasses:  Tory Burch
Clutch:  The Limited

Are you a fan of wearing faux fur?  How will you be rocking it this season?

Spring Double Feature: Bolder Shoulder

I hope you have been enjoying my series with Irene of Petite Plus, Meow! on some of spring's biggest trends.  You have seen our takes on wearing white, florals, and stripes, and citron chartreuse, but we're not done yet!Today, we finish off our Spring Double Feature by baring a little shoulder and showing off those sexy clavicles with the off-the-shoulder trend that is everywhere this spring.

Top:  Target (Available here)

I decided to take this trend in a super casual direction, pairing an off-the-shoulder tunic with these comfy shorts from the new Marimekko for Target collection. 

Shorts:  Marimekko for Target (Available here)

The shorts feature Marimekko's citrusy Appelsiini print, a lovely graphic summery print. These shorts are available in both straight and plus sizes - for reference, I'm wearing a straight size large.  The top is also from Target.  It's a junior's size top, and runs big.  I'm wearing an XL. 

Wedges:  Sugar

I added wedge sandals to add a little height while allowing me to stay comfortable.  A straw hat and clutch, both oldies but goodies from Target, complete the look.

Clutch:  Target

I'm really digging the relaxed vibe of this outfit and the fact that both pieces are such airy, cool cotton.  They will be perfect for summertime.  The hubby and I have been discussing the possibility of another beach trip with the kids this summer, and these pieces will definitely be in my suitcase!

The top is super sheer, so you will need to pair with a tank or use as a cover-up for a bikini top as I did here.

Hat:  Target

I love my casual look, but I'm also digging the super sexy tropical floral dress that Irene is rocking three different ways.  Head to Petite Plus, Meow! to get all the details on her look and don't forget to follow her on social media - you can find her Facebook page here and Instagram here.

Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!

Sunglasses:  Tory Burch

Are you a fan of the off-the-shoulder trend?  

Spring Double Feature: Citron Chartruese

Irene and I continue our spring trend collaboration with another color trend - citron chartreuse!!

Skirt:  Eloquii (Similar here)

This spring, a lot of the color trends are those that are typically associated with fall - think rust, deep emerald  and teal greens, poppy reds, and of course, chartreuse!!  I love all of these colors, and they work well with my warm skin tone.  That said, I realized that I didn't own any clothes in chartreuse (note to self:  find something chartreuse, stat).  So, since I didn't quite have this color, I worked with what I did have - chartreuse's close, slightly brighter and more yellow cousin, citron. 

Jacket:  The Limited

The citron pieces pop against the royal blue moto jacket while the multi-color heels add a fun twist and help pull the colors of the outfit together.  To take a little of the Easter Sunday sweetness out of the combo, I added a silver bib necklace.

Tee:  LOFT Petites

Shoes:  Prabal Gurung for Target

Necklace:  JCPenney

Irene played with the chartreuse trend by pairing a chartreuse blouse and earrings with white pants and heels and a fuchsia lip for a bright and cheerful spring look.  You can see more of her look over at Petite Plus, Meow! and follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!

Are you a fan of citrusy colors?  Will you be partaking in the chartreuse trend?

Missed our previous posts?  Catch up with Doing White Right, Fetching Florals, and Stripe Storm!!

For the skirt in another look, see here.
For the tee in another look, see here and here.
For the jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Spring Double Feature: Stripe Storm

How have you been enjoying my collab with Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!?  So far, we've interpreted the white and floral trends, and today, we are back to talk about stripes, baby!!

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

Today's outfit is one of my favorites of the week.  In addition to florals, stripes are one of the big pattern trends for spring.  I just love the color combination and fit on this midi skirt and the fact that it has pockets!!!

Initially, I had planned to pair this skirt with the matching off-shoulder top from Eloquii.  Unfortunately, I looked like a flamenco-dancing clown!  The top was perfectly lovely on the model, but some things just don't work for busty petites, and that top was one of them.  :-(

Top:  ASOS Curve

Instead, I paired the skirt with my favorite sweetheart neckline crop top.  The straps are a tad long, so I was able to create an off-the-shoulder look with it, and I loved the letting the sleeves loosely drape on and off the shoulder. 

Shoes:  Christian Siriano for Payless

I added ikat print heels for a mixed print look and added my lipstick clutch for a slightly quirky take.

Clutch:  Torrid

Sunglasses:  Tory Burch

Irene plays in a preppy striped dress, giving it a bit of a 70s boho vibe with the addition of a suede fringe vest.  Head over to her blog to see more of her look and to get all the outfit details.  You can also follow Irene on Instagram and Facebook to see what else she has going on!

Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!

While stripes are a common print, this spring, they are literally everywhere and in tons of various fabrications.  Stripes are so easy to wear and can be a very versatile print in one's wardrobe.  I am trying to branch out into wearing more prints, and stripes are an easy and stylish way to go about it!

What about you?  Will you be partaking in the stripes trend?

Catch up with Irene's and my Spring Double Feature series with Doing White Right and Fetching Florals.

For the top in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, and here.