12 Days of Holiday: New Year's Cocktail

Sometimes New Year's Eve calls for more formal attire. 

Dress:  Eva Mendes for New York & Company (Available here)

Sparkly dresses are great, but I love black dresses for the clean slate they provide.  This one-shoulder dress is different for me, but I was attracted to it as I think it can be worn in a variety of ways.  

To create a cocktail look, I added a few sparkly sunburst brooches and metallic belt.  I mixed gold and silver here with a pop of rhinestones to add more formality.  

Heels:  Simply Vera by Vera Wang

Clutch:  New York & Company (Available in black here)

The brooch on the shoulder actually came with the dress (it's removable), and I added the other brooch to my belt to create more visual interest.  I have been looking for some pretty brooches for a while, so I was excited to find these as part of Eva Mendes' collaboration with New York & Company.

Earrings:  Torrid
Brooch:  Eva Mendes by New York & Company (Available here)

Belt:  Torrid

This dress is too long, and I haven't had a chance to alter it yet.  I used the belt to create an asymmetrical look that added a bit of drape as well.

After some consideration, we plan on staying in with the kids for New Year's, so my look will be decidedly more casual than cocktail attire, but it's fun to play around with sparkly champagne looks!  :-)

Ring:  The Limited (Available here)

Hope you all have a safe and healthy New Year's Eve!!!  My last holiday post up soon!

Sweet and Sassy

Hi everyone!  Hope you all had a great day!
 
Today, I paired my jewel collar cardigan with a burgundy dress and bow belt for a look that's a little sweet, a little sassy.

The Peter Pan collar and bow belt add sweet, feminine touches to a basic work look.

Dress:  LOFT Petites (Sold out on-line; see here)
Cardigan:  LOFT (Available here)
Purse:  The Limited (old)

Belt:  The Limited (Similar here)
Tights:  The Limited

Boots:  Payless (old)

For this cardigan styled differently, see here and here.
For this dress in another look, see here.

Do you like to add girlish touches to your outfits?

Party Time! Excellent!!!

Today, we had our annual holiday party at work.

I wanted a festive look that was still work-appropriate.  That meant no cleavage, no short skirts, etc.

Blazer:  The Limited (Available here )
Pants:  The Limited (Available here)

Blouse:  The Limited (No longer available on-line, check local store for availability)

As you may know by now, I love menswear-inspired pieces, especially tuxedo looks.

I chose my velvet skinny pants with this sequined bib-front blouse and tuxedo blazer from my December Wish List.  To add more sparkle and feminine glamour, I added a shiny pewter clutch, these pretty vintage-inspired earrings, and patent leather black heels.  I also wore this fun ring because you know, what says "holiday" more than a rhinestone gecko?  ;-D

Ring:  Target (Available in stores; Similar here )

Purse:  Target (Available here)
Shoes:  Target (old)

Earrings:  Target (old)

I don't get nearly enough chances to wear sparkle, so today was fun!

Do you have any office-related holiday parties to attend?  What do you plan on wearing?

Winter Sparkle

It feels weird giving this post the title "Winter Sparkle" as we had a high in the 70s today!  Crazy!

Today's outfit was consistent with the season, if not the weather.

Cardigan:  LOFT (Available here)
Blouse:  LOFT (no longer available on-line)

Loving the luxe look of velvet, I paired my burgundy velvet pants with my rhinestone collar cardigan.

Pants:  The Limited (Available here)
Heels:  Target

The look feels "holiday" - the pants and color palette remind me a bit of Santa's suit.  The white top and rhinestone collar make me think of snow and snowflakes.

Bow earrings (Available in-store at Target)

This outfit would work well for a casual holiday party.  In fact, I may wear something similar to this for Christmas as we don't get very dressed up for holidays in my family.

Bow ring:  The Limited (old)

I do think that the flowy, lightweight top was a poor choice with velvet.  Next time, I would pick a more substantial fabric for a more consistent look.

Purse:  New York & Company (Similar here)

Do you add more sparkle to your look during the holidays?

Casual Festive

Hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving!

I wanted a comfortable outfit that was somewhat casual, but festive.

This is what I came up with:

Blouse:  The Limited (Available here)
Jeans:  Target (Available here)

I realize I wear a lot of black - I can't fight it; I just really like it!

Heels:  Target

This outfit is a little different for me as I almost always wear layers, even in the summer time.  It was a warm Thanksgiving this year, so I decided to skip the extra layer of a cardigan or blazer.

I accessoried with a bold cocktail ring with purple stones, but let the embellishments on the top speak for themselves.

Ring:  The Limited (old)

Do you have a basic formula for dressing with which you tend to stick?  For me it's pants or jeans, a blouse, blazer or cardigan - usually in shades of black and white.
 
Hope you're having a great Friday!!

Velvet Ingenue

Happy Tuesday!!!

Cardigan:  LOFT (Available here)
Pants:  The Limited (Available here)

Today, I wanted a comfortable outfit because I had errands to run after work.  I also wanted a slightly festive look since it was my last day at work before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Tank:  Target
Flats:  Target

I chose my black velvet pants and this pretty embellished cardigan.  I paired the outfit with flats to keep the look more comfortable, which also makes the outfit more casual, in my opinion.  

If I were to wear this outfit to a holiday party, I would add more sparkly jewelry, a pair of heels, and a fun clutch.

Purse:  New York & Company (Similar here)

The ballet flats and faux-Peter Pan collar add sweet touches that give this look a slight ingenue quality.

Bow Ring:  The Limited (Available here)

If you are interested in this cardigan, I would suggest going down a size or two.  I personally found this cardigan to run large.  I went down a size, and I still think it was a bit too big.Hope you all had a great day!!

Casual Friday, 80s Flair

Happy Friday!!!!  

First, let me apologize for today's pics.  I can't seem to get the lighting right indoors.  :-(

On today's casual Friday, I went with my favorite skinny bootcut jeans and paired them with a houndstooth plaid top and light pink blazer.

Jeans:  The Limited (Available here)
Blouse:  New York & Company (Sold out online, view here)

I like how the look is slightly 80s.  The pastel blazer, the pushed up sleeves, and the neck-tie on the blouse all channel the 80s without making me look like an extra from "Pretty in Pink."  

Blazer:  New York & Company (Available in black here)

I love vintage, but it's very important to me that the any vintage or vintage-feel piece be worn in a modern way.  In my opinion, too much vintage can look a little costumey, which is great for Halloween but not every day wear. 

Tote:  New York & Company (Similar here)
Shoes:  Target (old)
Bow ring:  The Limited (Sold out online, see here)

Do you like 80s fashion?  What 80s inspired or vintage pieces would you wear?

Bracelet:  The Limited (Sold out online, see here)