Edgy Formal

Our weather has been a bit up an down, so for a spring night when the temperatures have dropped, I love the idea of pairing this maxi dress with a moto jacket. 

Dress:  The Limited

The satiny fabric of this dress instantly makes me think of wearing it for formal occasions, but by pairing it with a moto jacket, the dress becomes more casual and a little cooler.

Jacket:  Torrid (Available here)

Earrings:  The Limited

Glasses:  c/o Firmoo.com (Available here)

Clutch:  The Limited

I paired the dress with some simple dangly earrings, a jade bracelet (one of my amazing Mother's Day gifts from my honey), and a black clutch with tons of gold hardware.

Bracelet:  Vintage (gift)
Ring:  Francesca's

The overall effect is a little edgy but also a little feminine and romantic.

Do you dress down fancier pieces in your wardrobe to get more wear out of them? What are some ways you do it?

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

Reverse It

I first featured this dress styled simply and somewhat casually with beige booties and a chocolate clutch. 

The Dress Worn as Designed

When first trying this dress on, my seven-year-old said that I had the dress on backwards.  I explained that it was the design to have a lower vee back. 

She then suggested that I wear it reversed.  What a great idea!  I knew my baby was a genius!  :-)

Dress:  ASOS (Available here)

Dresses are wonderful, but they usually offer rather limited styling possibilities.  

As designed, this dress is versatile enough to style for casual days and evenings, as well as for work, but the fact that I can wear it reversed for another evening possibility gives this one bonus points.

Reversing the dress created a deep v-neckline that was stunning for an evening out with the man.

Jacket:  Torrid (Available here)

Boots:  Target

Clutch:  Target

Earrings:  The Limited

I really played with textures and patterns in this look, mixing an unexpected straw clutch, wood watch, and faux leather jacket to the weaved texture dress.  Lace print glasses added another subtle print.

Watch:  c/o JORD Wood Watches (Available here)

Glasses:  Valentino

Have you ever worn a dress backwards?  How did you like it?

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

Fall Double Feature: Mad for Plaid

I hope you've been following my series in collaboration with Irene from Petite Plus, Meow! We've had so much fun this past week discussing fall trends!

Today, Irene and I are talking PLAID!

Whether you prefer it preppy, grungy, classic, or punk, plaid is back in a big way for fall this year.

My office job often dictates my clothing purchases and outfits, but a girl likes to play too!  So today, I styled glen plaid for both work AND play!

Glen plaid is a classic, but it can definitely read conservative - more conservative than I like. 

Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)

For work, I wanted to keep the look conservative but I wanted to add in some fun and individual elements, so I decided to play around with pattern mixing by adding a floral top to a glen plaid blazer. 

Pants:  The Limited (old)

Even though this blazer has a classic silhouette and print, it's got this amazing spade print lining and faux leather elbow patches. 

The flirty crop top adds a fun touch.

Top:  Target (Similar here)
Clutch:  The Limited

I kept jewelry minimal with just earrings and a couple rings, but I made sure that each of the pieces was interesting and "me."

Earrings:  Target (Available here)

Rings:  eloquii and NY&Co. (Available here and here)

I stayed simple on bottom with black skinny pants and added burgundy heels and clutch for a pop of fall color.

Heels:  Target

While my work look is a little preppy (with just enough whimsical elements added to get me through the work day), my evening look has a somewhat edgy feel.

Top:  The Limited (Available here)

Bracelet:  The Limited (old)

For play, I layered a sheer glen plaid top over a nude bra.  I threw a faux leather moto vest over top and added cutout ankle booties.  

Necklace:  Target
Booties:  Payless

A coated tweed clutch and pewter and silver jewelry complete the look.

Clutch:  The Limited

Rings:  Torrid
Bracelet:  Ann Taylor (Available here)

I took the "play" pics over a couple different days, so there are a few subtle differences in the pics.  Remember those "Find what's different" games we did as kids?  Today's blog post has a built-in activity!!  :-D

Always feminine, Irene paired her mid-length plaid skirt with a cozy sweater and ankle booties for a ladylike look with a little sass.  I love that we are both using roughly the same color palette but creating very different looks. 

Irene of Petite Plus, Meow!

See more of Irene's look over at Petite Plus, Meow! or follow her on Facebook.

Are you mad for plaid?  How would you style this trend?

For more looks featuring these pants, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Check out all the other fall looks from this collab here, here, here, here, and here.  Last installment tomorrow!

Date Night in Black and White

Last night, the man and I had a dinner date at Brazikat, a Brazilian steakhouse in the St. Louis area.  Being a vegetarian, this was clearly the man's choice, but thankfully, I still had lots of yummy options.  If you're from the area or planning a visit, let me just say - the grilled pineapple can't be beat!

Skirt:  The Limited (Similar here)

Blouse:  New York & Company

While the food was delicious and the live music created a wonderful ambiance, my favorite part (besides my great company, of course) was getting a chance to dress up.  The weather was cool, but not too cold, so it was a great chance to wake up the legs from their winter hibernation by baring a lot of leg!

I've had this blouse for a while but have only had a chance to show it on the blog in one grainy photo.  The dramatic ruffle is so lovely, and I find asymmetrical hemlines very flattering.

Jacket:  Target

Booties:  Target (Available here)
Clutch:  Target (Similar here)

I finished the look off with open-toe booties, a printed clutch, and delicate, but slightly tough looking, jewelry.

All in all, I was quite happy with this look.  It has a mix of romance and edge, that I particularly enjoy.

Earrings:  Torrid (Similar here)

Necklaces:  Target and The Limited

What's more, this outfit was super comfortable.  As I've gotten older, I find comfort increasingly important.  Feeling comfortable makes me feel sexy.  A flowy top like this disguises areas I'd rather not show off a lot while the deep v-neck and short skirt show off assets I love to flaunt.

Bangle:  Target (Available here)

What makes you feel sexy?  Are you a fan of large ruffles?

For this skirt in other looks, see here, here, and here.
For this jacket in other outfits, see here, here, here, here, and here.

P.S.  Are you a closed-eye smiler?  I fight against this every time I take pictures, but it's often the same as pics from when I was a year old - squinty eye smiler for life! ;-)

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?

Lace and Colorblocking

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Jacket:  Target Petites (Available here and in regular sizes here)

Today's look is a recent work look.  I always seem to add black jackets to this dress, but I really do love a black and white look!

Overall, I really like this outfit.  It has a simple color palette, but the textures and subtle prints add a lot of visual interest.

Dress:  The Limited

Boots:  Payless (old)

I tend to gravitate strongly towards neutrals in the fall and winter (especially my forever friend, black), but I also don't want to get bored with my clothes.  

Ring:  Torrid (Available here)

Long earrings:  Torrid (Sold out on-line; May be available in stores)
Stud earrings:  The Limited

Adding special details keeps me from getting too bored.

Tights:  The Limited (old) (Similar here)
Tote:  The Limited

I wish these tights fit better though.  :-/

Most of my tights come from The Limited and fit very similarly; however, this pair is too big (hence the sagging towards bottom of the tights).

Belt:  The Limited (Similar here)

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