Catting Around

I've been so excited about this skirt.  I ordered it in early March, but due to shipping delays, I just recently received it.  

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

Then, of course, like virtually everything, it was too long for me.  The underpiece of the skirt fell right to my knee as shown, but the longer portion of the skirt was mid calf length.

Camisole:  The Limited

Jacket:  The Limited

Clutch:  The Limited

Since I wanted to keep this skirt as an option for work, I didn't want to go too short.  I kept the length of the shorter part of the skirt as is, but opted to have the longer part of the skirt hemmed to below-the-knee length.

I was able to keep the cool effect of the skirt while still keeping the length work-appropriate.

Heels:  Target

For my first wear of this skirt, I actually opted for a non-work look, pairing it with a bright leopard print camisole and cobalt moto jacket.

Earrings:  Torrid

Ring:  Kohl's (Gift)

This look is perfect for catting around town!

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

Spring Berries & An Eyewear Feature from Firmoo.com

Hope your week is off to a great start!  Today, I'm excited to bring you a look featuring my new eyeglasses from Firmoo.com Global Online Optical Store.

Dress: Eloquii (Available here)

Firmoo recently reached out to me about trying one of their products.  They offer both prescription and non-prescription eyewear, and I was pleasantly surprised when Firmoo allowed me the option of getting prescription glasses.  I simply had to provide my prescription and my pupillary distance (which I obtained from a quick call to my optometrist).

Glasses:  Firmoo.com

I opted for a purple frame with a squarish shape (style #FL18232).    I've worn glasses since I was two years old and often begrudged that fact.  Because of that, I always used to avoid glasses like these, opting for more subtle wire frames.  I also chose practicality over fashion in my eyewear.  Limiting myself to just one pair every year or two, I always went for neutral frames that would work well with any outfit.

Jacket:  The Limited (old)

Purse:  The Limited

Lately, I find myself embracing larger frames and treating my eyewear more as another accessory.  It's difficult to treat eyewear as an accessory when it can be so expensive, but that's the great thing about Firmoo.  Their eyewear is relatively inexpensive, and they have such a great variety!!

Shoes:  Sugar (Available at Kohl's here)

Inexpensive doesn't mean cheap though.  When I received my glasses, I was impressed that they came with a case, a pouch, a cleaning cloth, and a mini screwdriver keychain. 

The frames are a lightweight plastic.  While the side pieces don't feel quite as durable as some of my other frames, this difference is more than made up for with how lightweight they are.  As someone who has worn eyewear almost all of my life, I'm no stranger to glasses that pinch or that are heavy on the bridge of the nose.  Not this pair.  I barely feel like I'm wearing glasses due to the light weight. 

I was worried that ordering glasses on-line would be difficult.  Usually, I'm in the store trying on dozens of pairs before deciding on a pair of frames.  Thankfully, you're able to upload a photograph of yourself to virtually try on frames.  The measurements of each pair of frames is also available, allowing you to measure them against an existing pair to get the right size for your face, style, and personality.

I'm really pleased with my new glasses, and I would definitely consider purchasing from them in the future. 

I also love how well they go with my blue and berry dress from Eloquii!!  The weather was simply delightful here this past weekend, and I opted for bare legs and my seemingly requisite moto jacket.

Rings;  The Limited & Torrid

Have you bought eyewear from Firmoo.com before? 

Interested in purchasing a pair of glasses for yourself?  Go to http://www.firmoo.com/z/new-50-off.html to save 50% off your first pair!

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

*Full Disclaimer:  Eyeglasses were provided to me from Firmoo.com in exchange for a product review.  All opinions are my own.

Maximizing on Winter

During certain phases in college, I practically lived in maxi skirts.  I went to school during a few extremely brutal winters, but I still wore these skirts.  At the time, I would layer my skirts over tights and even knee socks and/or knee boots. 

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

I had forgotten about these style hacks.  I've been wanting to wear some of my maxi skirts, but it has seemed too cold for such a breezy option. 

Remembering my styling tricks from college, I threw on some tights and knee high boots with my newest maxi skirt and stayed nice and toasty!

Top:  Eloquii (Available here)

Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)

This cobalt blue color is one of my absolute favorite colors, and I love the waistband and pleating details.  Blue is a huge color trend for spring - in fact, there are four shades on Pantone's spring 2015 color palette!

This is the first bottom I've purchased from Eloquii, and I'm so happy with it.  It's supposed to be a midi skirt, but since I'm petite - instant maxi.  I'm sort of loving the midi skirt trend because if I want a maxi skirt, I can get one right now without having it altered!!

Clutch:  Vintage

Bracelets:  LOFT

I am normally a 12 on bottom, and Eloquii starts at a 14, so the waist is a little big, but that's an easy enough fix if I decide to alter it.  The skirt is unlined and is a tad sheer, so I added a slip which also added a little extra warmth.

I wanted the waistband on the skirt to stand out, so I paired the skirt with an off-white crop top also from Eloquii.  Since I wore this to work for yesterday's casual Friday, I threw on a blazer for a professional edge.

Rings:  Torrid

Mixed metal accessories, including my super cool pendant from Antiquarian Couture, completed the look.

Pendant:  Antiquarian Couture (See more options here)
Earrings:  trendylittlepieces - etsy

If you're in the St. Louis area, you can pick up some of Antiquarian Couture's pieces at Cheap Trx or Rabbits and Rags, or contact the designer directly here.  Check out the lovely Jill of Stilettos on Sunday Morning to see another piece styled from Antiquarian Couture.

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

For the necklace in another look, see here.

Fall Color Week 2: Blues

Last November, I did a short feature on wearing fall colors (See here, here, and here).  I decided to do another series this year to include more colors.

 

Today, I'm featuring a combination that includes several on-trend colors for fall 2014.

Skirt:  Ann Taylor (No longer available on-line; See here)

As I posted earlier this year, radiant orchid is Pantone's 2014 color of the year.  For fall, this color is still around, but one of the trendiest colors for fall, as chosen by Pantone, is bright cobalt! 

Cami:  Ann Taylor (Similar here)

Left hand - Bracelet:  Ann Taylor (Available here) and Ring:  The Limited (Available here)
Right hand - Bracelet:  The Limited (old)

Here, I paired my cobalt moto jacket with perennial fall favorites -- navy and burgundy.  Navy and other deep and bright blues, were widely used on fall runways, so expect to see a lot of options in blue this season!

Jacket:  Forenza by The Limited (old)
Belt:  Torrid

As much as I love the combo of cobalt, navy, and burgundy worn here, I also liked the idea of adding a shorter jacket with this skirt.

So, I paired my soft blush moto jacket and burgundy and gold accents for a slightly different look.

Jacket:  Jennifer Lopez Collection for Kohl's
Heels:  Target

Rings:  Torrid and eloquii (eloquii ring available here)

Belt:  eBay (Similar here)
Clutch:  The Limited

Which combination is your favorite?

Would you mix cobalt with navy and burgundy?

For this skirt in another look, see here.
For the blue jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
For the blush moto jacket in other looks, see here and here.

Dress Week 2: Mixed Prints & Cobalt

Today, I'm wrapping up Dress Week 2 with a recent work outfit and a slight variation that I would wear for more casual situations.


I love mixing prints, but I questioned mixing three prints, especially for work.  I thought the pattern mix might be too much, but in the end, I decided to go for it.  Both the prints and the color palette are relatively simple which prevents the look from going over-the-top, in my opinion.

Dress:  The Limited
Jacket:  The Limited

Ring:  Earthbound Trading Company
Bracelets:  Express (old) Zoppini (old), New York & Company (Available here)

I'm always a fan of bold colors with black and white.  The cobalt jackets add a bright pop against the graphic black and white.

Silver accessories with pops of cobalt help tie the look together.

Blazer:  New York & Company
Scarf:  Gift

Tights:  The Limited
Boots:  Payless
Clutch:  The Limited

Would you mix three prints in one look?

For the blazer in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
For the moto jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, here, and here.
For the dress in another look, see here.

Fashion Favorites: Cobalt Moto Jacket 7 Ways

Since I'm not feeling well this week, I thought it would be a great time to do a fashion recap of some of my favorite clothing items.

I'm all about versatility in my wardrobe.  When I shop for new clothing, I usually consider a couple of key factors:

• Do I love the item?  Is it special or unique?  Does it speak to me?
• Does the piece work with other items in my wardrobe?  I usually won't buy an item if I can't come up with at least three distinct outfits.
• What's the estimated cost-wear ratio?  While I can't always guesstimate how much I'll love and wear a piece when I buy it, I try to gauge the cost of an item against how often I expect to wear it.  I'm willing to pay more for pieces that I will wear often and try to save on those that won't get a lot of regular wear.

This moto jacket is one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe.  I found it on clearance, and it's one of my favorite colors.  I love the versatility of this piece and find myself reaching for it quite often.

Here are some of the ways I've worn it over the last year:

Neon Edge

Adventures in Traveling:  Indiana, Ohio, and Hershey, Pennsylvania

Adventures in Traveling:  NYC

Fall 2013 Fashion Trends:  (Faux) Leather

Spring Romance

Singin' the Blues:  Casual Rock-n-Roll

It's My Birthday, and I Can Wear What I Want To

Are you a fan of moto jackets?  What factors do you consider when buying new items for your wardrobe?

Singin' the Blues: Cobalt and Cognac

Blue was a huge trend on fall runways, and cobalt was everywhere!

I've always considered green my favorite color since early high school, but in the last few years, I think cobalt has replaced it.  It is such a vibrant color, and it looks amazing with so many other colors.

Dress:  Eva Mendes for New York & Company (Available here)
Blazer:  New York & Company (old) (Similar here)

Shoes:  Target (old)

For some reason, I usually pair this particular blazer with black and white.  I don't wear a lot of browns, and I never really considered mixing cognac with cobalt, but I decided to give it a try.

I'll admit that I prefer cobalt with black, white, or grey (and a ton of other colors), but I don't mind this color mix and it's nice to try something new once in a while.

Tote:  Target (5+ years old)

Bracelets:  The Limited (Available here)

I love trapeze dresses, but they are super tricky to wear if you're curvy and petite.  The longer length blazer helps tone down some of the volume of the dress, making it a little more work-appropriate as well as a little more flattering.

Necklaces:  The Limited and Target (Available in silver here and available here)

Do you like trapeze dresses?  What shade of blue is your favorite to wear?

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