Wild Card Wednesday: Dressing Down the LBD

My husband and I recently had a movie date to see Bad Moms, and I went with this comfortable knit look.

Dress:  ASOS

The dress is so comfortable, and the lightweight knit bomber jacket was the perfect cover-up.  It was still warm outside, so I didn't want to dress too warm - the jacket was just right.

Jacket:  Boohoo Plus (Available here)
Clutch:  The Limited

Plus, I really love how the jacket and booties give this LBD a decidedly more casual vibe.

Booties:  life+style by Sonoma

Glasses:  Valentino

Bracelet:  The Limited

My husband loved this look, and so did I.  Oh, and we both really loved the movie too!  :-)

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

Shop Your Closet: Ruffles

I have been fighting a cold which is never fun, but fall fashion has me all kinds of happy!  I'm seriously loving the trends this year, and I feel like after a couple rather boring fall seasons, we're seeing some more inspired options.

This season, ruffles are a big trend, and a tunic dress in black is a great way to hop on this trend without going too girly.  Today's Shop Your Closet features three ways to wear this ruffled tunic from Eloquii.

Wear-Now Evening
First up is a wear-now option.  It's still pretty warm in my neck of the woods, but I get too excited about fall fashion to wait until it's actually cool to shop or wear my fall pieces. 

Tunic:  Eloquii (Available here)

Heels:  Amazon

By opening up the neckline and pairing with strappy heels, I can stay breezy and cool on a still-balmy late summer night.

Clutch:  Target (old)

Sunglasses:  Tory Burch

Earrings:  Eloquii

Casual
There are a lot of new denim options this season, but skinny jeans aren't going anywhere.  They're now a wardrobe classic for many of us, but like all great classics, it's always best to update for the season to create a fresher look. 

Jeans:  Torrid (Available here)

Ring:  Earthbound Trading Company (old)

I paired the ruffled tunic over skinnies for a play with proportions.  I like how the soft black color of the denim creates a subtle contrast against the tunic.

Glasses:  Valentino

Shoes:  Target

Clutch:  The Limited (old)

I had planned a third look for today's post to show how I would be styling my ruffles for cooler weather.  Since I wasn't feeling well, I didn't get a chance to snap photos, but be sure to look for this tunic in the coming months layered over long sleeve tops and paired with tights and velvet boots! 

How would you style this tunic?  Are you a fan of this fall's ruffle trend?

Wild Card Wedesday: Laces & Knots

I love a dress that has effortless sex appeal, a dress that is comfortable and easy but a little daring at the same time.

Enter this ivory number from ASOS. 

Dress:  Missguided Plus from ASOS (Available here)

I bought this dress in early summer with the intention of wearing it for my anniversary in August, but then the hubs and I decided to just have a low-key after-work date instead.

I have been eager to wear this dress and hope to have occasion to wear it very soon, but since it was burning a hole in my closet, I decided I just had to feature it on the blog.  

Clutch:  The Limited

Glasses:  Valentino

It's super comfortable, and I feel so good in it.  I am not a big fan of tight clothing, and the loose fit of this dress mixed with the plunging neckline makes this dress EVERYTHING to me!  The knot detail is unusual and adds interest to this simple dress.

For today's styling, I paired the dress with gold metallic lace-up heels and a blush clutch for a sweet, subdued blend of colors.

Heels:  ASOS (Available here)

Bangle:  LOFT

I kept accessories minimal with a gold bangle and stud earrings.

What type of clothing makes you feel your sexiest?

Wild Card Wednesday: That Versatile Skirt

This skirt is such a favorite that I excitedly keep styling it in different ways.  Today, I went for a flirty, feminine look that I would wear for an evening out, a date, or even a daytime event.

Skirt:  Lane Bryant (Available here)

Top:  Eloquii

I considered a shoe or clutch in another bright color, but I decided that I preferred the simplicity of black and white. 

Shoes:  New Look Wide Fit (Available here)

The white clutch creates a nice graphic contrast.

Clutch:  NY&CO
Glasses:  Coach

I finished the look with a simple gold bangle and dangly earrings.

Earrings:  Eloquii
Bangle:  Target

How would you style this skirt?

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

Winter Romance

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend and a fabulous Valentine's Day no matter how you decided to spend it!

Skirt:  eShakti custom (Available in black here)

Valentine's Day means different things to different people.  I'm all about love, but for me, V-Day is first and foremost an excuse to get dressed up - not that I usually need one! 

I am a little late on posting these Valentine's Day outfit ideas, but I figured they also work well for other date nights or evenings out!

Dress:  LOFT (Available here)

Coat:  Old Navy Petites (old)
Clutch:  The Limited

I really love this red lace dress from LOFT.  I have already worn it to work, but today, I'm styling it for a night out with knee high socks.  

Blazer:  Apt. 9 Petites (Available at Kohl's here)
Cuff: Eloquii

Earrings:  Macy's

Socks:  Torrid (Available here)
Boots:  New Look Wide Fit (Sold out on-line; see here)

A tulle skirt is fun and flirty but also romantic.  For a special date night, I would pair a frothy pink tulle skirt with a faux fur coat and metallic gold.

Camisole:  The Limited
Jacket:  Target (Available here)

Bracelet:  Swarovski

Glasses:  Coach

Brooch (worn on skirt):  New York & Company

Clutch:  ASOS (Available here)

Even though I would have preferred to wear one of these outfits, the man and I actually kept things casual for our Valentine's Day.  The snowy and cold weather prompted a super casual leggings, tunic, and motorcycle boots look (a variation of this look coming to the blog later this week) which was just fine for our low-key V-Day lunch and evening movie at home.

Shoes:  Anne Michelle

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!!! Did you stay casual or get dressed up? 

For the leopard coat in another look, see here.
For the black blazer in another look, see here.
For the skirt in other looks, see here, here, here, here, and here.
For the jacket in another look, see here.