Print Mixing Mash Up - Checked Trousers - Outfit 1

in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This week the Print Mixing Mash up features a pair of Worthington black and gray checked trousers. The checkered pattern on these is very subtle, but it is definitely a print, rather than a solid. Worthington has been making reliable dress pants and women’s work clothes for JCPenney since 1985. I have several pairs of their pants, and they are long lasting, wrinkle resistant and fit pretty well.

I have had these pants for many years and have worn them to work and for special outings where I need to be more dressed up. I wanted this first look to be a bit more casual, so chose a thrifted, pinkish red, Merona, gingham blouse, along with my City Streets floral bomber jacket, also from JCPenney. So, yes, I am mixing three prints here. Ha, ha. See how easy it becomes after a little practice.

The prints on the blouse and the trousers are almost an exact match for size, which gives the outfit a more uniform look, even though they are a different color. With the floral bomber on top it pulls the two colored prints together.

This black and gold fringe necklace on a berry colored cord was the perfect accompaniment.

Hello, again, my favorite ballerina flats. These SO flats have a memory foam footbed that make them very comfy. Right now Kohl’s is having a sale on these for only $19.99. They also added a few new colors, so if you are looking for a fun, comfy flat check those out here.

It used to be the trend to match our bags with our shoes. Now the trend has gotten away from that, but every once in a while, I like to match. It just makes an outfit looks polished and balanced. This NY & Co tote was a thrift find. Do you like to match your shoes with your bag? Do you carry the same purse all the time, or do you like to change them frequently? My hubby put me on a purse fast, because I have so many. I keep telling myself I need to use more of them, so they aren’t just laying around, but I get lazy and don’t want to take the time to change everything to a different bag. Ha, ha. How about you? Are you a purse hog like me?

What do you think of this outfit? Do you have a pair of printed trousers, jeans or ankle pants in your closet? How about grabbing a few of your printed tops or jackets and see what new combinations you can come up with.

I’ve included a few shopping links for Worthington pants and floral bombers. Have fun shopping. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Fun Fall Look - Floral Bomber Jacket

in , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For the next few Thursdays, I thought it would be fun to show off some of my own fall fashion ideas, using some of the current trends. For each featured piece, I'll include a few shopping links for you to look at as well. That way if you are inspired by the looks I show you, you can find a similar piece for yourself. I try to keep the links connected to stores that offer clothing choices at a little lower price point and places, I feel, have trustworthy brands.

This week's look was one that I wore to my 35th high school reunion which was this past weekend. I graduated in 1982 from Alden High School in Alden, NY. I had never gone to any of my other reunions, as I was not all that popular in school and didn't think it was any big deal. This year, I decided to go and asked two of my closest high school buddies if they would go too. We had a great time and it was fun to give hugs and talk to people I had not thought about in a long time. Let's face it at this point in our lives we no longer care about the things that separated us when we were 16 or 17 years old. We are just glad to see each other and happy to have a similar connection in our history.

I opted to wear an outfit that wasn't real dressy. I was the girl in high school that always wore jeans and tees or flannel shirts.. I wanted to look put together and look my brand, without being fake. This is what I came up with.

I got this floral bomber from JC Penney. This is the exact one and it comes in a bunch of fun prints and colors and right now is on sale for $12.99. This is not lined and is not heavy. It really is a simple piece to throw over a tee or pullover sweater to add a trendy pop of color. The background is black and the flowers contain pink, green, blue and white. The cuff and waist are knit and it has a zip front closure. 

I chose my olive skinny cargo pants (Gloria Vanderbilt - Kohl's) and my Primrose Pink tee (Liz Claiborne - thrifted) as the basics with which to style the bomber. 

The only jewelry I wore was this layered beaded necklace in a shimmery dark navy.

For a bag, I decided on my medium blue, envelope clutch. I love the texture on this piece and while it doesn't exactly match the blue in the jacket, I think it complimented the outfit without being a distraction. 

And once again, my feet are wearing my SO flats. I bet you are getting sick of seeing these shoes, but I really can't say enough about their comfort and wearability for so many occasions and outfits. From casual to dressy to everything in between this little pair of shoes is a perfect choice. If you every are tempted to buy anything through my blog, this would be the item. 

I have a medium width foot, so if you are very narrow or have a wider foot, these may not work for you. The best thing is to go to Kohl's and try them on. 

I felt confident and comfortable in this outfit for my reunion. Some people were dressed up and some wore jeans, the point is to be yourself and wear an outfit that looks neat, clean and put together. 

How about you? Have you gone to your high school reunion? What did you wear? 

Have a great weekend!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Piece Perfect - The Utility Jacket

in , , , , , , , , , ,

When I began thinking about this month's Piece Perfect column, I was thinking about showing a traditional jean jacket. I have shown a dark wash crop style denim jacket in a previous Piece Perfect column, which you can see here. I thought it would be fun to show a post with a more traditional cut and wash of denim jacket, but for lack of picture taking time, I will save that for another day. Today I am going to focus on the utility jacket. 

Looking for some definition for the utility jacket I was able to derive that our modern day utility jacket was modeled mainly after the Vietnam era military jacket. The color is most often olive green, but now can be seen in gray, black and even orange (see my Pantone Spring 2017 post on Flame.) These jackets are typically light weight with both buttons or snaps and a zipper, as well as multiple pockets. Most of them have elastic or a draw string to gather the waist more tightly against the body.

Today, utility jackets are all the rage. I like mine because it is roomy, which allows for a few layers underneath if it is cooler, but can also be worn as a light weight jacket over a tee or tank top. This is the look I came up with for my jacket.

If you follow my blog, you might remember this outfit from a post called Spring Trends 2017. I used these pieces for a flat lay. A flat lay is simply a picture of the clothing laying flat on the floor, folded, rather than on a person. See below.

I had another blogger tell me she would like to see the outfits from my flat lays on me, to get a better idea of proportions and fit. I liked the way this looked in the flat lay and I like it even better on me! 

As you can see I started with a pair of distress crop jeans, and a breton type tee.

Here's a closer look at the detail, both on the tee and the jacket. 

I thought the blush accessories looked perfect with this outfit. It keeps the outfit summery and fun. I also like the raw hem on the jeans. I kept the jewelry simple and gold to go with the gold sequins on my tee. 

If you've never considered a utility jacket you might want to invest in one. It gives an outfit a fun casual look and can be worn with so many colors. Do you like this outfit? Would you wear frayed hem jeans? I didn't used to think I ever would, but then here I am! Never say never!

Below I've provided some shopping options. This post contains affiliate links. If you do a little looking and/or buying through my blog, I make a little bit of money. I appreciate all of your support, especially your feedback. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog and have a great weekend! 

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. 

Color Crash Course - Blush and Pastel Orange

in , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Color inspiration can come from anywhere. I love the bold greens of new plants and bright blues of summer skies.  I also have many fond memories of childhood trips to the corner store for candy, bubble gum and popsicles. All of these things, not only evoke memories, but also provide a spring board for fashion creativity. As with any visual creative venture, whether drawing, painting, photography, working with ceramics or fabric, color plays a part in our designs. Have you ever looked at a painting and wondered, "What were they thinking?" Have you ever thought that about a person's outfit? I've had that thought about pieces that I have brought home from the store that lay dormant in my closet, until some such time as I pull it out and that bell goes off. "What was I thinking?"

Intentionality is as important to outfits as it is to a painting, a story or a musical composition. I want what I wear to mean something, even if it is as simple as saying, "I feel attractive in this." Sure there is a time for improvisation, just like in jazz, a time to just throw on that comfy pair of jeans, a cute graphic tee and those fun sneakers and just wander around town, with no real intention at all. 

I think we can be intentional about the colors we choose in our outfits as well. My outfit today revolves around two colors that we often associate with summer, blush and pastel orange. 

I wore this outfit to work, one of my last days there. It was a cool day, thus the sweater. What inspired me to pull this outfit together was the top.

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you just don't know what to wear? Instead of pulling out the bottoms first, pick a printed top, then chose all your other pieces, including your accessories to compliment the top. In this case, this sleeveless top with a ruffle down the front heralds hues of pink, blush, orange and black all on a white background. I pulled out my blush sweater, bag and flats to go with the lighter pink. I added my pastel orange pants to emphasize the light orange and I added just a pop of Pink Yarrow for one of my accessories. 

This works great for planning a weekend getaway. Pick your favorite printed bag or scarf and build all of your outfits around it. If you are like me, the disadvantage of having a bulging closet is having too many choices. Building an outfit around a top, a scarf or a bag limits the options. See my posts on styling an outfit around a bag, here and here. 

Both the sweater and bag are from a thrift store. I don't know the brand of the sweater as, the tag was torn out, but I like its ribbed shawl type collar, open front and waffle weave. Here is a cute option from H&M. The cross body bag is a Vera Wang. Here is a more pinky version from Kohl's.  I love to use a cross body bag when I shop. It let's me have both hands free to peruse the merchandise! Thus my bulging closet! Ha, ha.

I picked up these SO flats from Kohl's this year. They are cute, comfy and were very reasonably priced. I have already worn them a number of times. They are on sale for $17.99 right now and come in a variety of colors. Now that I looked at them again, I am thinking I may want another pair. The floral ones are both cute and so are the light blue!

I hope you enjoyed this month's Color Crash Course column and I hope it will inspire you to think more about the colors you choose for your outfits. Any color combination can work. It is just a matter of intentionality. 

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by the blog! 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, and JoLynn Shane in the Fashion Friday link up.