To Thine Own Self Be True

Have you been following my series on dresses?  If you've missed the first two installments, you can catch up here and here.

Hand Chain:  Smart Glamour Custom "Audrey" (Available here)

Today, I'm talking a bit about personal style.  I'm all about dressing true to one's own style, and through the years, I've been able to hone in more on what that means to me.

My style is actually somewhat eclectic.  I really enjoy a range of different fashions, but at the end of the day, if I wear what feels truest to me, it would involve something similar to this look.

Blazer:  Eloquii (Available here)

Dress:  ASOS (Available here)

Boots:  Target

Clutch:  The Limited

Here's what I love about it: 

1.  It's black and white.
2.  It includes a tuxedo blazer.
3.  It includes comfy and edgy booties.
4.  It's cleavage-baring without being over-the-top.
5.  The blazer has a unique detail with the zip-off collar.
6.  It makes me feel fantastic.

The removable collar is so cool!

To assess your own style, I suggest taking a look at your closet.  Do you have multiples of similar items because you are continually drawn to certain styles?  If you had to limit your wardrobe to 6 or 7 pieces, what would you choose?

Dressing for yourself is the only way to go.  Even though our styles may be restricted by the confines of work dress codes, lifestyle, and incomes, at the end of the day, we should all still have at least one outfit that feels just like us, that feels true to ourselves and makes us feel amazing!  If you're lucky, you have a whole wardrobe that does this!

To make this look even more "me", I plan to have the dress hemmed up a bit.  I think a shorter length will work better with the looser fit of the dress and also work better with the long blazer.

Ring:  Vintage (gift)

What do you wear when you want to feel uniquely YOU!?

Tickled Pink: Not A Shrinking Violet

Spring makes me want to pull out the bright colors, so recently, I wore these pink pants with white pieces to create a cheerful work look.

Pants:  The Limited (old) (Similar here)

Jacket:  Peter Som for DesigNation by Kohl's (Available here)

The zipper detail on the pants echoes the zippers on the moto jacket.  The studded top underneath continues the detail.

Top:  The Limited (old)

Bag:  The Limited (old)

I added navy shoes and an ivory and navy bag to complement my navy nail tips.  Gold jewelry completes the look.

Earrings:  Express (old)

Bangles:  Target and The Limited (Target bangle available here)

I love that this look has just a bit of edginess to it while still feeling fairly classic and completely appropriate for a more casual day at work.

Shoes:  Target (Similar here)

Would you wear pink pants?  How would you style these?

For these pants in other outfits, see here, here, and here.

Dress Week 2: Planning for Spring

Happy Monday everyone!

For those of you were off of work today, let me just acknowledge my jealousy!  :-)  For the rest of us, it was back to work and back to trekking out in winter weather!

While the weather outside is frightful, I'm thinking about my outfits for St. Louis Fashion Week in the spring and came up with this outfit.

Dress:  Eva Mendes for New York & Company (See here - no longer available on-line)

Boots:  Target (Available here)

I'm loving this one-shouldered asymmetrical dress made cool with open-toe ankle booties and gold jewelry.  This look could be worn now with the addition of some warm tights.

Jacket:  Target

Clutch:  The Limited

Ring:  Shoxie.com (Similar here)

I featured this dress here on the blog back in December, but at the time the dress was too long.  I used a belt to create a shorter look, but I always knew that I wanted to get it hemmed.

I love that I can now wear the dress loose or belted to create different looks!

Necklace:  Vintage

For this jacket in another look, see here.

Textured Neutrals

As I discussed in yesterday's outfit post, I gravitate towards neutrals in the fall and winter.

Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)Camisole:  LOFT Petites (Sold out on-line; may be available in stores)

I love today's look.  I mixed black, beige, and navy with touches of gold.  The mix of textures, trims, fabrics, and metal details on the jacket and pants makes the outfit feel both interesting and a little more luxe.

Pants:  The Limited (Sold out on-line; may be available in stores)

Boots:  Payless (old)
Necklace:  The Limited (Available in silver here)

Most importantly, this look is so comfortable!  These booties are my go-to in fall and winter for their comfort and easiness, but they are starting to show some definite signs of wear.  I'm worried I'm not going to be find boots this perfect any time soon!

Earrings:  The Limited
Rings:  Vintage and The Limited

Clutch:  The Limited (Available here)

For this military jacket in another look, see here. 
For this cami in another look, see here.
For these pants in another look, see here.

For more on the military trend, see here.

P.S. Sorry for the grainy photos the last few days - getting my camera to take good pics after dark (the only time I've had to take pics) is difficult!!

Easy Separates

Happy Friday!!!!!

Hope the first week of the New Year has been great for you!

Today, I wanted an easy look that was still put together enough for work.

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Heels:  Target (Available here)

Blouse:  The Limited (old)
Cardigan:  The Limited (old) (Similar here)

I chose my velvet skinnies and mixed this magenta blouse and cardigan for a modern take on the twinset.  

I've had this cardigan for a while, but I don't wear it much.  I'm a little on the fence about keeping it as I'm not sure it's very figure flattering.  Since the cardigan is too big and a little shapeless, I tucked the blouse in to try to create more shape.  I'm generally not a huge fan of belts over cardigans on my body, but if you'd like to draw attention to a small waist or to create an hourglass shape, belting a baggy cardigan like this can quickly do the trick.

Cuff:  New York & Company (Similar here)
Ring:  LOFT (no longer available on-line)

Necklace:  Target
Purse:  The Limited (Available here)

 Stay tuned this coming week for a preview of my favorite spring 2013 fashion trends!!!

Have a great weekend!

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!

Leather or Not

Hi everyone!

Today I decided to wear my new blazer purchased from my September Wish List.  I love the faux leather sleeves and pocket detail.  

Blazer:  New York & Company (Available here)
Pants:  New York & Company Petites (Available here)

The high-waist and wider leg of the pant gives a subtle nod to the 70s, while the jacket shape and faux leather details keep the look modern.

Blouse:  The Limited
Belt:  The Limited

Leather is such a major trend this fall (See here).  Thankfully, vegan alternatives abound, so it's easy to find plenty of great pieces using faux leather.  I love the use of mixed materials in this blazer.  The woven fabric moves better than (faux) leather, and I think it makes the blazer more work appropriate than an all leather blazer might be.

Do you plan on nabbing any leather pieces this fall?  How would you rock them?

Casual Color

Hi everyone!  Hope you all have had a great weekend!  My weekend has gone entirely too fast!

Today, I ran errands, and this is what I wore:

Jeans:  Target (Available here)
Boots:  Target (Available here)

It's unseasonably chilly right now in my neck of the woods.  If it were warmer out, I probably would have worn flat sandals or ballet flats instead of the boots.

Blazer:  The Limited (Similar here)
Tank:  Target (old)
Earrings:  New York & Company

I am wearing two of my favorite colors together, and I love the look.  This teal shade of green is my absolute favorite, and I love it mixed with the eggplant blazer. 

Knit blazers like this one are great - they are super comfy but give you a put-together look.

Purse:  Express (Available here)Necklace:  The Limited (Available here)

Black and gold accessories complete the look.

P.S.  Please ignore my hair - I was having a bad hair day!  ;-P

In the Navy

I haven't always been a fan of navy.   I often find navy looks to be too preppy and conservative for my taste, but I really like the deep navy of this suit.  

The suit fits well, and navy is a more flattering neutral for many skin tones, including my own, than black.

Blazer:  The Limited (Out of Stock online - may be available in stores)
Pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Purse:  The Limited

I love Indian clothing and jewelry, and today, that was my fashion influence.

2009 Indian runway looks - Metro.co.uk

Though my outfit looks nothing like the looks above, I was inspired by the bright fuchsia and gold.

Blouse:  The Limited (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target

Bracelets:  Old - Brands Unknown

A dark navy suit is a classic and traditional choice for business interviews.  Adding a bright top, such as this one, will get you noticed without being over-the-top.

Earrings:  New York & Company (5+ years old)

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)