Urban Safari

Happy Friday, everyone!!!

Today's post features an outfit that I wore to work yesterday.

Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)
Pants:  The Limited (Available in other colors here)

I paired red pants with a black wrap top, camel blazer, and leopard print heels.

I originally conceived of this outfit with just a simple black silky tee, but I decided that I wanted a slightly longer and more detailed top.  The pics with the plain top are from this past weekend (before my haircut).

Top:  Old Navy Petites
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

Purse:  Express (Similar here)
Necklace:  Forever 21 (Available here)

I love that this look has a slight safari feel with the camel jacket and leopard print.  The red makes the look perfect for navigating the urban jungle!  ;-)

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

Hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Would you pair red with leopard print?

For this blazer in another look, see here.
To see these pants styled differently, see here, here, here, and here.

Wonder Woman

Something about this outfit reminds me of Wonder Woman.  I think it's a combination of the gold hardware, the red, and just how powerful I feel in this look.

Dress:  New York & Company (Similar here and here)

I wore my peplum dress with a red blazer and added in black and gold accessories.

Jacket:  The Limited (Sold out on-line, may be available in stores; Similar here)

I feel super put-together in this look and ready to take on the world.  RAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRR!

Belt:  The Limited (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

Do you have an outfit that makes you feel powerful?  What makes you feel like a superhero?

Purse:  Express (Similar here)
Ring:  LOFT (Similar here)

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

Happy Monday!

Mondays can be rough.  Returning to work after a weekend of leisure or hectic errands running, returning to our morning work schedules, etc. can be difficult.  Sometimes it's nice to wear a bright color to start the week off right.  

Peplum jacket:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse:  New York & Company (Similar here)

Pants:  The Limited (Sold out on-line)
Shoes:  Target (old)

Today, I paired some of my favorite black and white pieces from this fall with my new red peplum jacket.  Red, white, and black is one of my favorite color combinations. 

Purse:  Express (No longer available on-line) (Similar here)

The color red signifies confidence and power.  It's also just a really happy color!

Bracelets:  Express, Target, Claire's, The Limited
Ring: LOFT

To see more red, white, and black looks, click here, here, here, and here.

Do you have any favorite pieces to get you through the Monday blahs? 

Hope you all had a great Monday!!

Fashion Repeat

Hey everyone!

I'm back after a short hiatus!  I had a major family emergency, which made fashion seem rather unimportant.  As much as I love clothing and having fun with style, I was reminded this week how important it is to put things like fashion into perspective.

Today, I opted for familiar favorites.  This blog is all about real-world style - which means that clothing gets repeated, sometimes often.  

Writing this blog has created a little self-induced pressure to continually come up with new ideas and new looks, but the reality is that most of us have certain looks that we like to wear over and over.  Those are great outfits for those frantic mornings and "I have nothing to wear" days!

Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)
Blouse:  Old Navy

I love my tuxedo blazer, but I struggle with creative new ways to style it.  The champagne color can be difficult to mix with other colors, so I usually opt for pieces in black and champagne to pair it with.

Pants:  The Limited (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

I added green pumps and my jade ring to add in a bit of color.  I liked the green color with champagne which makes me think that I should add a blouse or dress in that shade to my shopping list.

Purse:  Express (Sold out online, see here)
Ring:  Vintage (gift)
Earrings:  The Limited (Similar here)

Do you make shopping lists based off what you already have in your wardrobe, or do you shop more on impulse?

The Cat's Pyjamas

Happy Monday, everyone!  Hope you all had a great day! 

Dress:  The Limited (Available here)
Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)

Today, I played up this fun leopard print of this dress with a black blazer and black and gold accessories.

Purse:  Express (Available here)
Belt:  The Limited (Similar: here)

 I love the pop of color with the bright geranium nail color.

Tights:  Torrid (Available here)
Boots:  Payless

The holidays are on my mind this week. What are your Thanksgiving plans? 

I have thoughts of pumpkin pie cheesecake and my mom's mashed potatoes in my head.  I also have thoughts of giving thanks.  I am thankful for so many things this year.  Among the many things, I am thankful to be more financially stable this year and thankful for fashion, which gives my life passion.  I am so thankful that I was able to get my blog off the ground this year and am very thankful to all of you, my readers!

Bracelets:  Target, Claire's; gold bangle (unknown)

See you tomorrow!

Hey there, babydoll!

Happy Friday, everyone!

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

I've been sick all week, and this morning, I felt very fatigued. I wanted a comfortable outfit for work that would help get me through the day.

Flats:  Target (Still available in select stores)
Cardigan:  Converse One Star by Target (Available here)

I don't opt for flats as often as I should (we all know how bad heels are for us, right?), but I was so excited to wear my new green ballet flats, which I got for a steal for $6 at Target.  I had eyed them late this summer, but passed them up.  When I saw them again on clearance, I knew I had to have them.  They are my favorite shade of green.

Paired with black slim-cut pants, I feel a little Parisian.  The ivory baby-doll top is a little voluminous, but the cardigan helps temper some of the volume.  I love the tie-back neckline of the blouse.

Ring:  H&M
Earrings:  The Limited

Fun accessories, like my purse necklace and "evil eye" ring finish the look.

Necklace:  Vintage Judith Leiber (Similar here)

Hope you all had a great day!  Happy Weekend!

Purse:  Express (Available here)

Black and Yellow

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Today was a casual day at work, so I chose my favorite jeans.  I think these skinny bootcut jeans are the best fitting jeans I've ever had.  They have a lot of stretch, so they are super comfortable, but they retain their shape during the day without bagging the way that a lot of stretch denim does.  

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse:  The Limited (Available here)
Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)

I added my trusty black blazer and a citrine silky blouse for a happy pop of color.

Please forgive the lint on my jacket.  I only got a few pictures in when the camera needed a re-charge.  It was then that I noticed the white lint.  :-)

Purse:  Express (Available here)
Bracelet:  Target
Shoes:  Target (old)

Hope everyone has a delightful weekend!

Croc N' Roll

Feeling inspired by bright colors this week, I decided to wear my green pencil skirt.  

Skirt:  The Limited (Similar here)
Tank:  Old Navy Petites
Jacket:  The Limited (styled differently here)

The last time I wore this skirt, I didn't get the proportions correct (see here).  

Today, the shorter jacket and loose, but not too long, top complement the shape of the pencil skirt.

Boots:  Payless

I added a little bit of a rock n' roll vibe to my work look by adding ankle booties rather than pumps.

I love adding a quirky, fun touch to my work clothes, and today, I added this rhinestone alligator ring.

Ring:  Target (Available in stores)
Bracelets (l to r):  Jodi Arnold for The Limited; ? unknown - old; Claire's; The Limited; The Limited

The ring feels a little tongue-in-cheek when paired with the faux crocodile bag

Purse:  Express (Available here)

Do you like to add a fun touch to your work looks?

Day-to-night Dress Up

Hi everyone,

Hope your weather is as lovely as ours has been here in the Midwest.  Today was gorgeous, and I celebrated this Wednesday with my favorite black dress made special with this awesome web necklace.

Dress:  Target (see styled here also)
Necklace:  The Limited (Available here)
Purse:  Express (Available here)

I love the artisan feel of this necklace and how well it works with the v-neck line of the dress.

Jacket:  The Limited (Available here)
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

The blue jacket and navy pumps don't "match" but I like the color range mix from the medium blue jacket to the black of the dress.  Mixing blues and blacks is popular for fall, but I have been semi-obsessed with this color combination since late spring.

An LBD is a no-brainer for day-to-evening work wear.  A black sheath is completely appropriate for the workplace, and the fitted shape with cool jewelry make it perfect for a night out.

Clutch:  Jason Wu for Target (Similar here)
Ring on right hand:  H&M (close-up here)
Earrings:  The Limited (Available here)

To make the look more evening, I added some sexier shoes and a clutch.  I took my hair down from its topknot, and voila - I was ready for an evening out in less than a minute!

I think this look would be perfect for a work-related dinner as it still looks professional, just more relaxed.

Shoes:  Target (old)

Simply Burgundy

Burgundy is the "it" color of the season.  Like many of Fall's trends, burgundy is an easy-to-wear classic. (More on fall's fabulous color here)

Today, I think the accessories are what make this outfit work.  The pants and cardigan are simple, basic, and let's face it...a little boring.  The burgundy top has fun detail but is more casual.  

The burgundy patent heels and faux croc bag with gold hardware look much more expensive than they are and elevate the outfit.

Purse:  Express (Available here)
Shoes:  Target (Available here)

While not on my official "September Wish List," I've been searching for a smaller black bag with gold hardware.  I saw this bag and fell in love with how luxe and edgy it looked.

Top:  Converse One Star for Target (Available here )
Cardigan:  Target Petites (Available  here)
Pants:  The Limited (Available here)

My obsession with snake jewelry continues!  today, I wore this fun snake earring with a simple pyramid stud in the other ear.

Earring:  eBay (Available: here)

Outtake: 
And sometimes, you just wanna be silly!
Inspiration:  Austin Powers - "You're an animal...You're a tiger."  :-)