Manic Monday: Spring Transitioning

As the weather starts transitioning to spring, I'm starting to think about wearing more color.  I've been wearing a lot of black lately, but I have also been trying to incorporate more bright colors and pastels.  One of my favorite ways to transition my wardrobe is by taking a cold weather staple, faux leather, and adding spring-like touches such as a pretty coral blouse and turquoise jewelry.

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

This outfit could easily be worn a lot of different places, but by pairing it with a large clutch and simple pumps, it is work-ready. 

Bracelet:  Purchased from jewelry vendor

I would possibly add a blazer depending on how cold it was or if I needed to up the professional appearance of the outfit.

Blouse:  Target Petites

Necklace:  eBay

Heels:  Target

Clutch:  Target

Glasses:  Valentino

Leather, real or faux, can be a great staple for work, even in more conservative office settings.

Would you wear leather for work?  How do you transition your wardrobe for spring?

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

Wild Card Wednesday: Fringe Benefits

I love fringe, soft pink, and faux leather, but it took me until this Eloquii skirt was on clearance to nab it.  I knew that the skirt would be too long for me, and I was worried that it couldn't be hemmed because of the fringe.

Skirt:  Eloquii (No longer available on-line)

Finally, after staring at it off and on for a couple months, I decided to give it a try.  My tailor was able to move the fringe up, shortening the solid portion of the skirt.  I also had her trim the
fringe a bit to make it more proportionate to my frame.

Sweater:  Ann Taylor (Sold out on-line; may be available in stores)

Cardigan:  New York & Company

Boots:  Betseyville for Target

Cuff:  Express

Clutch:  Target

I added a sleeveless sweater and a draped cardigan.  The double sweater combo adds a softness to the faux leather.

I finished off the look with ankle boots to keep my toes warm!

Necklace:  Shoxie.com

Sunglasses:  Tory Burch

Are you a fan of fringe?  Have you ever avoided trying a style or buying a piece because you didn't think it would work for you?

For the grey sweater in other looks, see here, here, and here.

Not So Drab Olive

I hope you all enjoyed your Sunday!!!

Skirt:  Eloquii (Available here)

Today, I'm wrapping up with my four ways to wear this army green skirt from Eloquii.

I think that I saved the best for last as this is probably my favorite pairing of this skirt.  For today's look, I've styled my skirt with a leopard print/camo sweater and cropped coat, also from Eloquii.

Sweater:  Eloquii (Available here)

Coat:  Eloquii (Available here)

Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie

This coat is a super versatile piece as it's actually a three layered coat that unzips to various lengths.  Eloquii has really been killing it this season, and this coat is a great example of that! 

Clutch:  Asos (Available here)

Glasses:  Valentino

To add a fun touch to this look, I added a faux fur clutch from ASOS.

Ring:  The Limited

The pops of peachy pink and ivory lighten up this look and add a girly touch.

Cold weather can sometimes lead to drab wardrobe options, but I think this look is both warm enough to take me through the winter season (once I add tights) and fun enough to keep me from getting too bored.

Hope you enjoyed the four ways I styled this skirt!

Which styling was your favorite?

From left to right:  See here, here, and here.

Fashion Favorites 2: Faux Leather Pencil Skirt, 9 Ways

Yesterday, I featured the light and airy tulle skirt as one of my fashion favorites.  On the other end of that spectrum is a faux leather pencil skirt. 

I seldom wear real leather, so faux is a must for me, but I also look for quality vegan leathers that have properties of real leather (flexibility, weight, soft texture, etc.).

This pencil skirt that I picked up at The Limited early last fall definitely fit the bill.  It fits well without any alterations, is super versatile, and works for all but the hottest of summer days.  For these reasons, it has made it to my list of fashion favorites.

Soft and Cozy
One of my favorite ways to wear a faux leather skirt is to pair it with a sweater.  The softness of the sweater provides a nice contrast to the structured and hardness, if you will, of the skirt.

Playing with Proportions

Cozy in Leather and Lace

All-Black Looks
Nothing is sleeker than black leather mixed into an all black look. 

Oh, For the Love of a Skirt

The Devil Wears ASOS

With Blazers for Work
A faux leather pencil skirt can DEFINITELY work for the office.  Paired with a structured blazer and soft blouses, it becomes almost demure.

Black and Navy

Professional in Faux Leather

Tee Time
Adding a t-shirt takes a faux leather pencil skirt in a more casual direction.  To make this look even more casual (and more comfortable), the booties could be swapped out for white low-top Converse or a similar style sneaker.

Dress Up Tee Time

Warm Weather-ize
A soft blouse has the same effect as a sweater in balancing out the stiffer fabric of the faux leather pencil skirt.  For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, the ideas above are largely in season.  For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere who are warming up to Spring, a soft blouse is a way to transition your faux leather skirts for the season.  I would swap the booties out in these looks for a pair of strappy sandals.

Modern Monochrome

Honorable Mentions 6

I'm looking forward to coming up with a few ways to style this skirt for spring and summer.  I'm thinking more soft tops and pretty sandals.

Are you a fan of faux leather pencil skirts?  How do you style yours?  Do you wear them all year or just in the colder months?

Playing with Proportions

Happy Sunday!!

For today's look, I wanted to play with proportions a bit, pairing a cropped sweater with a longer button down top.  Layering a longer top under a crop top is a great way to make your crop tops more versatile and to make them suitable for work.  

Skirt:  The Limited

Sweater:  eloquii (Available here)

I would have loved some leopard print booties with this look, but since I didn't have any, I tried two different shoe options.

For the first look, I paired my faux leather pencil skirt with black booties.

Booties:  Target

Blouse:  The Limited (Available here)

Purse:  Express

I added my leopard print coat to get the pop of print that I wanted.

Coat:  Old Navy Petites

Necklace:  Ann Taylor

For the second look, I went with leopard print heels.  The pumps make the outfit a little more office-ready. 

Heels:  Target

I really love the comfort of booties though, and I've been looking for some leopard print ones for a while.  I think if I can find a pair that works for me that they will be a great addition to my shoe wardrobe.

Do you layer crop tops? Which styling do you prefer?

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

For this top in other looks, see here and here.