Shop Your Closet: The Red Suit

For the past two years, I did a series on color and confidence.  This year, I was struggling to come up with a purple look, so I decided not to do the whole series, but expect to see a lot of color this week anyway!

Pants:  c/o Eloquii (Available here)

For today's post, I am showing some ways to get a little more mileage out of a suit.  Red packs such a bold and powerful statement, and for the first look, I wanted to go all out.

Jacket:  c/o Eloquii (Available here)

Shoes:  ASOS (Available here)

I paired my red suit with a red crop top and a red lip for a strong dose of color.  The gold heels and fun clutch make this look ready for evening.  For work, I could simply pair with a more formal blouse and basic pumps.

Top:  Eloquii (Available here)

Sunglasses: Tory Burch

The next two looks I actually did wear to work.  I paired the red pants with a black tunic, white pumps, and a skinny white scarf for an easy colorblocked look.  

Black Top:  Eloquii (Available here)

Scarf:  Eloquii (scarf from jacket here)

Purse:  Torrid
Glasses:  Coach

For work, I added a basic cardigan to stave off the air-conditioning chill.

Heels:  Candie's

For the last look, I went more colorful, pairing one of my favorite dresses from last year with the red blazer for a fun take on primary colors.

Dress:  Eloquii

Satchel:  The Limited

Booties:  ASOS (Available here)

I used to wear a lot of suits but have gotten a little more casual as of late.  A great suit though is such an important investment, and it is a truly versatile purchase!

Normally, I would suggest sticking with a neutral like black, navy, or grey, but a red suit can be almost as versatile and definitely projects a confident appearance!

Need more red inspiration?  Check out these posts from the last year for more ways to incorporate red into your wardrobe:

Pair red with faux leather and/or leopard print!
Left to right:  Spring Transitioning; Winter Romance

Something about red and stripes!!
Left to right:  Reading Between the Lines; Baby, You're a Firework!; Fall Colors

For the dress in other looks, see here and here.
For more red looks from Color & Confidence 1 & 2, see here and here.

Imitation Game: Gabi Fresh

So, of course, I am a huge fan of GabiFresh!!! I mean, who doesn't love her blog, right?

Jacket:  Boohoo (Available here)

Well, today's Imitation Game post is a very direct inspiration.  I had my eyes on both this tee and jacket from Boohoo when I clicked over to GabiFresh and saw her rocking both pieces.

Photo on left from Proof c/o +gabifresh 

Tee:  Boohoo (Available here)

After seeing how amazing Gabi looked, I decided to stop putting these pieces in my cart and actually buy them! 

Jeans:  Torrid

Initially, I wanted the mauve version of this jacket, but I didn't love the color against my skin.  This green actually works much better against my warm skin-tone. 

Shoes:  Prabal Gurung for Target

I love a bold coral lip and personally find it easier to wear and more flattering on me than red, so I took a cue from Gabi's make-up too.

I finished the look with my favorite heels - I love how the floral pattern and lace-up design adds a feminine and sexy touch to this simple jeans and tee look!

Now, let me talk about these jeans...I love the look of boyfriend jeans, but I definitely need to find a different pair soon.  These are from Torrid, and they drive me crazy as they stretch out and start falling down almost immediately after I put them on.  Plus, I find the denim a little bulky.  I absolutely love Torrid's skinny jeans, so these are just a real bummer.  Any suggestions for a good pair of boyfriend jeans that won't stretch out?  I am a 12/14, so I can do straight or plus sizes.

Sunglasses:  Calvin Klein

What do you think of my inspiration?  Are you a fan of GabiFresh and her style?

See the jeans in other looks here, here, and here.

Manic Monday: Geometry Lesson

Hope you all had a great weekend!!!  I have so many outfit ideas to share for spring, but my motivation and energy to take pictures has been a little low lately...and the cool/cold and rainy weather we have been having here in the St. Louis area hasn't really been helping me get my mojo back!!

I'm working on it though, and I can't wait for next week when I will be interpreting a few spring trends in collaboration with fellow petite plus blogger Irene of Petite Plus, Meow! 

Skirt:  Lane Bryant (Available here)

Today's work style is centered around this fab skirt.  I know I have said it before, but I really can't get over the amazingness of this piece.  I also love that it is versatile.  Really, versatility is a must in my wardrobe, and this skirt is a piece that I can easily take to work but that dresses down like I did in this previous look.

Blazer:  Apt. 9 Petites for Kohl's (Available here)

For work, I paired the graphic print skirt with a white and black top with geometric layering. 

Top:  Eloquii

Bracelets:  Express

I finished the look with strappy blue heels which also add more geometric shapes to the look!

Shoes:  Chelsea & Zoe (Available at Kohl's in blush here)

Glasses:  Valentino

How would you style this skirt for work??

To see how I styled the skirt previously, see here.
See the blouse styled in another look here.
For the blazer in other looks, see here and here.

Red Lips & Corset Details

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate!! My outfit for today probably isn't very Easter-y, but I'm wrapping up my short series on black dresses with this lace-up style from Forever 21.

Dress:  Forever 21+ (Available here)

I really love corset details, so imagine my surprise when I found this bare, but not too revealing, dress.   

Boots:  New Look

The neoprene fabric is a substantial weight without being too heavy, and the overall quality of this piece is really great!  I have been rather impressed with Forever 21 lately.  They have had some unique and cool pieces. all made well with nice fabrics.

Forever 21 has more of a juniors fit, which works well with my petite frame.  Juniors fits tend to have smaller overall proportions - I find their plus size line fits my bigger parts (bust and belly) while also fitting my smaller parts (hips and shoulders).  I did need to make one alteration to the dress which made a big difference in the fit - I took the shoulders up to move the waistline of the dress up to my natural waist.

Jacket:  Jennifer Lopez Collection for Kohl's

Sunglasses:  Tory Burch

Even though I think the quality of the dress is good, I was a little concerned that the dress could read too "junior."  Skater style dresses, while cute, tend to read a little young to me, and after a lifetime of always being thought of as younger than I am, I generally prefer to look my age.

Wanting to make the dress a little more grown-up, I opted to keep the hem as-is.  The dress was a little longer on me than intended, but I thought the longer length helped offset the low neckline. 

I considered pairing the dress with lace-up stiletto heels, but I thought the boots felt fresher and more modern.  The boots helped offset the overt sex appeal of the dress and were also comfy - more and more important to me these days.

I finished the look with a blush moto jacket, soft red lip, and a cute telephone clutch. 

Clutch:  Torrid (Similar available here)

Earrings:  Macy's

Would you wear a dress like this?  Where would you wear it?  What do you think about the length - good as is or would shorter be better?

For the moto jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, and here.

Wild Card Wednesday: Emerald City

Happy Wednesday!  Sorry that I missed Monday's post - I am still sick!  Ugh!!

Tunic:  eShakti (Available here)

Since I'm sick, I have really been craving comfortable options more than usual, so for St. Patrick's Day, I came up with this casual option.

Jacket:  Torrid (Available here)

Being so short but also curvy, it can be nearly impossible to get a proper fit.  I love companies that offer custom-fit clothing because it really helps eliminate the need for a tailor. While I am used to having to take everything to a tailor, it's still a bummer to buy clothes only to have to wait a week or two to wear them.


While there are few custom retailers I love, eShakti is the largest of them with the widest, most varied selection.

Booties:  life+style by Sonoma

Glasses:  Valentino

In addition to custom fit, eShakti offers custom styling options.  I decided to make this tunic into a dress by lengthening the hem.  I also shortened the sleeves as I prefer 3/4 length sleeves on my petite frame.

The emerald green color is so pretty.  The trapeze cut is fun, and the v-neckline is flattering.  It's one of those great versatile pieces that works well with tights in the winter but will also be easy and breezy come summer.

Bracelets (left to right):  Karma Mantra; purchased from street vendor in Mexico; The Limited

Clutch:  Target

For today's look, I added a faded denim jacket and comfy booties for an easy vibe.

What colors would you pair with emerald?  Have you tried a custom-fit dress?  Are you wearing green for St. Paddy's Day?

Imitation Game: The Blogger Midi

I don't usually buy clothing because I saw someone else wearing it, but I just couldn't help myself with this skirt from Lane Bryant!!

Skirt:  Lane Bryant (Available here)

I first saw it on Georgette of Grown and Curvy Woman.  Later, I saw it styled to perfection by Jeniese of The Je Nais Se Quoi.  I kept staring at the pics of both lovely ladies and just knew that I had to make this skirt mine!!!

Jacket:  Eloquii

Cobalt blue, white, and black is a fantastic color combination.  The print is vibrant, fun, and season-less.  The fabric has an amazing feel and the quality of this piece is really good!  I can see why this skirt has become a blogger favorite!

T-shirt:  Torrid

Shoes:  Target

For today's look, I styled the skirt with a statement tee and moto jacket for a more casual take.

Sunglasses:  Tory Burch

I finished the look with a graphic print clutch.  I love how the print pops against the skirt and subtly adds a little extra flair.

Ring:  The LImited

Clutch:  The Limited

I can't wait to wear this skirt for work and for a night out!

Earrings:  Rung Boutique (St. Louis)

How would you style this skirt?

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