Black On Black

I had to get my photo taken for work, and I wanted a professional outfit.  I also felt like wearing this tunic.  To create a more polished look, I buttoned the dress all the way up, added a blingy necklace with just a subtle pop of color, and threw on a blazer.  I love wearing black on black, and it had been a while since I had done it. 

Tunic:  Torrid (Available here)

Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)

The necklace and gold belt help add a little more interest and break up the solid black.  To finish the look, I added a monochromatic satchel and gold bracelet.

Necklace:  Ann Taylor

Satchel:  Target

Belt:  Torrid

Bracelet:  LOFT

All in all, I was happy with the result, and it was a great way to start incorporating more of a fall feel into my look even though the temperatures are still quite summery.

Booties:  Target

Glasses:  Valentino

Do you like wearing all black?  How do you keep it feeling fresh?

For the tunic in another look, see here.
For the blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Eloquii Love

Happy Wednesday!

Today on the blog, I've styled my new printed dress from Eloquii for work and the cool weather.  I wore this look to work yesterday, and I was so comfortable!

Dress:  Eloquii (Available here)

Blazer:  Eloquii (Available here)

The dress is rather lightweight, which will be wonderful for summer, but it's still a little thin for the chilly March weather.  The tights and my favorite blazer from Eloquii added the needed warmth.

Tights:  New York & Company

Booties:  Target (Available here)

The neckline of the dress negates the need for a necklace, but a bold cuff and silver disc earrings complete the look.

Earrings:  The Limited

Cuff and ring:  The Limited

Clutch:  The Limited

Do you shop at Eloquii?  I've been really impressed with both quality and design! 

P.S.  This dress was hemmed.  At 4'9", it went well past my knees, so it should definitely work if you're taller!  :-)

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

A New Favorite

Sometimes, I purchase an item that seems excessive but that turns out to be a really good buy.

Blazer:  eloquii (Available here)

Such is the case with this black blazer from eloquii.  Obviously, you can't really go wrong with a black blazer, but I definitely didn't need yet another one.  That said, I had really been wanting a longer length black jacket for a while.  With the longer length but simple cut, this blazer brought something different to my black jacket collection, and I'm really enjoying this new addition to my wardrobe.

Pants:  LOFT Petites (Available here)

Booties:  Target

When I say really enjoying, I mean that I'm wearing it ALL the time.  I've already featured it on the blog a couple of times (see here and here) and expect to see it a lot more.

Today, I'm pairing it with floral pants and a gold scarf.  I recently wore this outfit to work, and I got a ton of compliments!!!  And more importantly, I was so comfortable all day!!

Camisole:  LOFT

Earrings:  Target
Eyeglass Frames:  DVF Diane Von Furstenburg (Available here)

Scarf:  New York & Company

Like pretty much every item I add to my wardrobe, this blazer needed to be altered.  I did a few before and afters of this look, so I could show you the changes I made.

The most obvious alteration was shortening the sleeves.  When purchasing an item, it's important to fit your largest body part and then have everything else tapered down.  The sleeves of jackets are often too wide for my liking, so I also had the sleeves narrowed.

Lastly, I had the jacket taken in under the arms.  Before alterations, the jacket definitely made me feel a little more top heavy than I am. The before photos are a little dark, but, in the second and third photos, you can see the extra fabric under the arms.  The alterations helped create a slimmer and more streamlined look.

Clutch:  The Limited

Do you have clothing altered?  What are the items you're most likely to alter?

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

Yellow & Red

So, I said I wanted to incorporate more color into my wardrobe this year!!

Dress:  Eva Mendes for New York & Company

I'm proud of myself - the first thing I thought to wear with this amazing red tassel necklace from eloquii was NOT black!  It was actually this yellow dress!! LOL

Blazer:  eloquii (Available here)

I just know that in a previous life I must have been a showgirl or maybe a curtain because I can't seem to get enough of fringe and tassels!!!  This necklace just had me at hello, and I bought it knowing that I would have to find as many ways as possible to incorporate into my wardrobe.

Necklace:  eloquii (Available here)

I added in black basics with a long blazer and booties to help ground the look a bit and keep it from going too ketchup/mustard. 

Clutch:  Amazon

Bracelets:  Forever 21, The Limited, eBay

I've been looking for a longer length black blazer for a while, and this open front style from eloquii had the perfect combination of relaxed and structure that I wanted.

Even though it needs some alterations, I couldn't wait to try it out in a look first!

Boots:  Target

The sleeves are too long, and as is normal for me with blazers, I need to get a bit taken in under the arms and around the arm holes.  They are cut just a bit too wide for my petite frame. Before and after photos coming soon!!

Would you wear bright yellow and red together?

For this dress in other looks, see here, here, here, here, and here.

Countdown to New Years!!

With Christmas over, the countdown to New Year's Eve and 2015 begins!

With thoughts of noisemakers and sparkly bubbly in mind, I decided it would be fun to come up with some ideas for New Years Eve fashion.

Dress:  eloquii (old)

Blazer:  The Limited (old) (Similar here)

Everyone tends to think sparkles, glitter, and sequins for New Year's, and those are certainly great choices, but sometimes a mini dress in a shocking color is all you need.  Seriously, the pink of this dress is so vibrant in person!

Boots:  Target

I played around with other toppers - a leather moto jacket and a sparkly cardigan - but, ultimately, I decided that the basic black blazer was the best choice with this dress. 

If you don't own a black suit jacket or blazer, I highly recommend one.  It's the most versatile closet staple you'll ever own!!

Clutch:  The Limited

Bracelet:  Swarovski (Gift)

I finished the look with ankle booties and a gold plated clutch to add a little edge and shine.  Simple accessories add interest but don't get in the way of all night dancing.

Earrings:  trendylittlepieces (Available here)

If it's cold in your parts or don't love showing too much leg, a pair of printed or sparkly tights would be perfect for the occasion!

What do you plan to wear for New Year's? Are you going out or staying in?

For this dress in other looks, see here, here, here, and here.
For this blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

St. Louis VIP Blogger Lounge + Two Fall Casual Looks

Jeez,  I'm so behind in posting this!  Between attending some of the St. Louis Fashion Week events, several family members' birthdays, my day job, and an upper respiratory infection, I haven't felt too much like blogging or even posing for pics.

That said, I have so much I want to share!
 

The Friday before last, I attended the Well Dressed Midwest VIP Blogger Lounge as part of St. Louis Fashion Week.  Local vendors were out showcasing their wares, and it was a great opportunity to introduce ourselves to various brands as well as meet up with other bloggers.

Jeans:  The Limited Petites (Similar here)

DJ TrashTalk provided us with tunes, while guests were treated to yummy flatbread pizzas, desserts, and other fare by Scape American Bistro (hosts for the event).

Sara's Social Booth made for fun photo ops, like this one with fellow St. Louis blogger, Michelle of Creature Type.  Seriously, if you don't know her blog, check it out.  She's one of the good ones, y'all.

Guests had the opportunity to try out flash tattoos like the one on my wrist here.

c/o Glik's

The Hive Alton

Zettie's Confections

While I had fun checking out the clothing and food vendors, I was most intrigued by the shoes!

Vogue Footwear and Lookie Lou - a vegan shoes company, left me with a serious desire to dress up my tootsies!

The Blogger Lounge was presented by Well Dressed Midwest, an amazing network for Midwestern bloggers to meet and connect with each other and various brands. 

Guests were treated to free t-shirts, which I'm wearing here today.

Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)

Boots:  Payless (old)
Bracelets:  Target, The Limited, Ann Taylor

I've been remarking to myself and others that I need to build a more casual wardrobe that works well for weekends running around with the kiddos but that still feels stylish and like "me."

Purse:  The Limited
Ring:  Ann Taylor

Necklace:  Torrid

The Blogger Lounge helped me twice in that endeavor. 

Leggings:  c/o Glik's (Available here)

In addition to these nifty t-shirts, I received a free pair of fleece lined leggings from Glik's. 

Glik's is a local chain store, headquartered in nearby Granite City, Illinois.  I grew up occasionally shopping at Glik's as a kid, but as an adult, I no longer associated it with hip fashion.

Sweater:  The Limited (Available here)

To my surprise, I learned that several of the stores have a boutique atmosphere and offer brands like Stuart Weitzman.

Rings:  Torrid
Bracelet:  New York & Company

Now, about those fleece lined leggings...they are so incredibly soft and comfortable..  I was very skeptical when I learned that they were one size fits all.  While they likely wouldn't work for anyone over a size 18 (and hence, are NOT one size fits all), they have incredible stretch which makes them an extremely comfortable fit for me as a size 12.  The fleece lining makes them warm for fall, while also providing some heft so that these are more pants than tights.

I've always been a proponent that leggings are pants, but ONLY if worn appropriately - with shirts that cover crotch/bottom and if in a truly opaque fabric, hopefully with some amount of weight (ponte knit, for example).

These leggings are perfection.  I even wore them to a dinner out to celebrate the birthday of one of my sisters. 

Do you consider leggings to be pants?

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

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

For the sweater poncho in another look, see here.