A Midspring's Night Dream

Not much that I love more than a maxi dress.

Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)

Enter one in black in a silky fabric with sheer cutouts, and I'm in dream land.

Dress:  The Limited (Available here)

Clutch:  The Limited (Available here)

Earrings:  Ixora Boutique

I paired the dress with pretty pastels - a mint blazer, a blush clutch, and pale yellow nails.

Bracelet:  LOFT

The pastels soften up the black dress and give it more of a spring feeling. 

Pendant:  Antiquarian Couture (See more here)

The sheer insets are right on trend for spring evenings, but I'm also having fun thinking of ways to style this dress for fall and for more casual situations.

How would you style this dress?

Did you miss this morning's 1st installment of Dress Week 4?  Check it out here!

Pastel Pop

So far, I've worn this skirt with other neutrals.  I love the look of black lace mixed with neutrals, but recently for work, I decided to incorporate some color.

Skirt:  Ann Taylor Petites

Blazer:  The Limited

Lace can go a little garish in my opinion, so when adding color, I prefer to add soft or muted colors, like this pale blue blazer.

Satchel:  The Limited

Tank:  LOFT Petites

Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie

Tights:  The Limited

I added in several delicate bracelets and necklaces to create more of  a statement look with the jewelry.

Bracelets:  The Limited & Torrid
Rings:  Torrid

Earrings:  Eva Mendes for New York & Company

Necklaces:  The Limited & Target

Do you wear much lace?  Do you add color or prefer to stick with a neutral color palette?

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

Taking My Own Advice

Maybe it's the fantasy element that tulle skirts seem to create, or maybe it's the reality that tulle skirts don't really have a super practical place in [this] working mom's wardrobe, but I find no fashion piece more dreamy!

Skirt:  eShakti custom (Sold out on-line; Similar here and here)

For today's look, I wanted to play up the soft pink color by adding pastel blue and soft neutrals.  I also wanted to take a leap out of my comfort zone by adding a crop top.

Blazer:  The Limited

Crop top:  Forever 21 (Sold out on-line; Similar in black here)

Clutch:  Titanic Museum Shop, Branson, MO
Bracelets - right arm:  LOFT (Sold out on-line; Similar here)

Shoes:  Target (old)

This isn't the first time I wore a crop top, but before I only showed a sliver of skin and I chose a more concealing style of top.  My soft tummy is the body part about which I'm least confident.  While I have accepted my belly and can appreciate the fact that it once held two babies, I don't necessarily love the idea of showing it off. 

Earrings:  Ixora Boutique (Sold out on-line; Similar here and here)
Necklace:  The Limited (old)

But, as I have said on the blog before, practice makes perfect and "fake it 'til you make it"!  My body love is still a work in progress, and today, I'm following my own advice. 

Bracelet - left hand:  New York & Company

Would you wear a tulle skirt?  A crop top?

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

Dress Week 3: Pastels and Lace

Happy Monday!

Today I end Dress Week 3 with a recent work look.

Dress:  LOFT Petites (Similar here)

I paired my ivory lace and crochet dress with a pale blue blazer and yellow clutch for a soft look that also still manages to look professional.

Multiple textures add visual interest to this look, while the color palette keeps the various textures from being overwhelming.

Blazer:  The Limited

I enjoy pastels quite a bit, but I find that many soft colors wash me out.  This blue is one of the better pastels for my complexion.  I usually wear any color that I like, regardless of "flattery," sometimes wearing slightly darker make-up to avoid the wash-out effect.  


If you're a fan of pastels but don't like them with your skin tone, you may find adding accessories, like this clutch and necklace (worn as a bracelet), to be a more suitable way to enjoy the pastel trend.  Sage green nail color adds another pastel pop.

Clutch and Necklace:  The Limited
Bracelet:  LOFT

Booties:  Target (Available here)
Necklace:  Target (Available here)

Are you a fan of pastels?  How important is "flattery" in your choice of wardrobe colors?

For this dress in other looks, see here and here.
For this blazer in other outfits, see here and here.

Blush and Back Zips

Happy Friday, everyone!!

Today, I'm featuring two recent work outfits that have a few details in common - blush pink and back zips.

Pants:  The Limited (Sold out on-line; may be available in stores)
Blouse:  LOFT Petites (Sold out on-line; see here)

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)Blazer: New York & Company (Available here)

I'm not usually one to buy multiples of clothing items.  I like variety in my wardrobe, and I don't like looking the same everyday.  That said, when it comes to pants, I make an exception, especially if they are a more basic pant like the navy and black skinnies I'm featuring today.

Heels:  Target (Similar here)
Purse:  Forever 21 (Available here)

Cardigan:  LOFT Petites
Heels:  Target (Similar here)

I love the back zip detail as it gives these pants an extra something, and also because it reminds me of when ankle zips were popular when I was a kid. 

I feel like I'm doing a major booty shot here, but how else am I supposed to show you the cool detail?  :-)

Earrings:  Ixora Boutique (Sold out on-line)

I've long been a fan of blush pink - it reminds me of ballet, and as I've stated here before - I LOVE ballet-inspired fashion.

I love how the pale pink adds a soft detail to the darker neutrals.  Pastels are a HUGE trend this spring, and pink, in all its shades, is having a serious moment this year.

Tank:  Target (Available in other colors here)
Blouse:  Gap (old)

Clutch:  The Limited (Available here)
Necklace:  The Limited

Would you wear blush pink?  Are you a fan of back-zipped pants?


For the blush blouse in other looks, see here and here.
For the black cardigan in other looks, see here, here, here, and here.

For the beige blouse in other outfits, see here and here.
 

Black Pants for Work: I Adore Me

Black Pants Week continues with my go-to for work, evening, and weekends - black skinny pants.  Skinny pants are perfect with flats, heels, or boots.  The gold studs on the ankle of these pants add a style detail that sets this pair apart.

Pants:  The Limited (Sold out on-line)
Blouse:  The Limited (Available here)

One of the beauties of black pants is that they provide a blank canvas - you can add pair just about anything with them.  My favorite way to style them is to lighten them up with soft blouses and colored blazers as I did here.

When I first spotted this blazer, I was pulled in by the pale blue color (a color I didn't already have in my wardrobe) and by the ruching on the sleeves which makes it perfect for pushing jacket sleeves up.

Blazer:  The Limited (Available here)

Then I saw the lining which said "Adore Me," and I thought, "Well, that's pretty needy, isn't it?"  And why is a jacket from my favorite store promoting the idea that women should look to others for approval? 

Then, I found a deeper meaning. 

The lining is on the inside of the jacket.  I came to the conclusion that while it may not have been the intent of The Limited, the words "adore me" on the inside of the jacket is a message to self, a reminder to the wearer to adore the many wonderful things about themselves.  

Necklace:  The Limited (Available here)

Is my body good enough?  Am I smart enough?  Am I a good enough parent?  Is my outfit stylish enough?  Do I look young enough?  Am I competent enough at my job? 

Sometimes, it is easy to feel like we are simply not enough.


We are so often told by our culture that our best may not be or is not enough.  As women, we are so often taught that we must be superwomen who can take on the board room, the kitchen, and the bedroom without breaking a sweat.  We are told that we must be skinny AND curvy AND have gravity-defying breasts.  We are told that we must be experienced sexually and always sexually available while remaining virginal and "innocent" - child-like even.  We are told to break the glass ceiling in the workplace but to feel guilty about leaving our children with babysitters and day cares. 

So often, culture and society fail women.  They fail us by teaching us that we are not worthy, that our best is not enough.  Feeling fully confident in ourselves can be a constant struggle because the media, politicians, and especially corporations are constantly telling us otherwise.

Unfortunately, insecurity sells.

It's up to us to reject the messages with which we are bombarded.  That is a difficult process, but daily affirmations are one way of converting those negative messages into positive ones.

Bracelets:  Target, Claire's

I've documented some of my body image struggles here on the blog, but I haven't spent as much time talking about how I've mostly overcome them.

Learning to love myself was and is an on-going process.  One thing that has helped is learning to change the voice in my head.

Look in the mirror - instead of criticizing yourself (as I was always prone to do), find something about yourself that you love.  

Force yourself (if necessary) to say the words out loud:

"My ______ is beautiful.  I am beautiful."
"I provide/teach my children _________.  I am a good parent."
"I _________ this at work last week.  I am great at my job."

It may seem silly at first, but when you tell yourself the words out loud, it starts to change the energy around you.  When you keep doing this, your words become less forced - it becomes second-nature to think positively and confidently about yourself.

We're all going to have our not so confident days.  That's human nature and a product of cultural sensitization to the messages that constantly tell us we aren't __________ enough.  Reminding ourselves that we are good enough helps us combat those negative feelings.

And with that, I return to my jacket with its reminder to give myself the affirmations I deserve (that we all deserve).  

I ADORE ME! 

In a month centered around love - take the time to love yourself!

Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie (Available here)
Satchel:  The Limited (old)

Do you give yourself any affirmations or have other strategies of boosting your confidence when you're having a "not ________ enough" day?

For this blouse in another look, see here.
For these pants in other looks, see here, here, and here.

P.S.  Click here to check out my newest post for The Curvy Fashionista featuring petite plus-size styling options for your Valentine's Day look (Most of the styles are available in petite, plus size, and misses/straight sizing as well).

Cheer Up Winter!

Hope you all have been having a great day!  

Pants:  The Limited (Sold out on-line; Similar here)
Blouse:  New York & Company (Similar here)

Pants:  The Limited (old; Similar may be available in stores)
Blouse:  The Limited (Available here)

Like many of you, I've been house-bound all weekend and will continue to be so tomorrow as I'm stuck in a near-record Midwestern snowfall.  As most of us in the U.S. are facing harsh blizzard-like snow and extreme temperatures, I've been thinking about ways to warm up and stay cheerful through the winter.

Jacket:  LOFT Petites
Clutch:  Target

Snow is beautiful, but I'm not much of a cold weather gal.  If you're a winter lover, this may not make much sense to you, but for me, months of little to no sunshine makes me feel down in the dumps. I often rely on my wardrobe to get me through the worst of it.  

Blazer:  New York & Company Petites (Similar here)
Tank:  Old Navy Petites (Similar here)

After the fun of holiday glitz and glam, I usually turn to pretty spring colors and interesting details to boost my spirits.  One of my most frequent work looks involves black pants with an ivory/white blouse and brightly colored jacket.   

Necklace:  The Limited (Available here)

I look for blouses in delicate fabrics with black trims and details to keep the look more intentional than a basic black pants/white blouse combo.   Accessories also help tie the individual pieces together to create a more cohesive look.

Bracelets:  Torrid and The Limited (Available here and here)

Tote:  The Limited
Boots:  Fergalicious by Fergie (Available here)

Heels:  Target (Available here)

The pops of springy colors give the outfits a happy feel while still being winter appropriate and warm.

Do you have a cold weather work uniform?

Soft Separates

Today's look features a spring-ready work look.

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

I paired navy trousers with a mint crochet top and ivory herringbone blazer.  

Blazer:  The Limited (old) (Similar here)

I love the softness of the colors of the top and jacket and the crisp contrast with the navy.  Mint is one of my favorite colors and paired with ivory, reminds me of the beach for some reason.

Earrings:  Hand-made

.The crochet and herringbone print add visual interest, but the overall shapes and cuts of this these pieces are very office-appropriate.

Ring:  Purchased at local jewelry show
Tote:  Target (old)

Do you like mint green?  What is your work dress code?
 
For this top in another look, see here.
To see this blazer styled differently, see here and here.
To see these pants in other looks, see here, here and here.