Shopping Our Closets - Utility Vest

Today’s outfit revolves around a utility vest. Vests are great pieces to have in your closet. Whether you wear them as an extra layer in the winter, or style them as a fun topper in the summer, a vest can add interest and depth to an outfit. Spring is the perfect time to pull out those lighter weight vests and change up your looks from dark, cozy colors to lighter pastels and brights.

Style Tip: Try using olive as a neutral in your outfits. It is a nice change from the typical tan, beige or gray, and works great in any season.

My Mudd brand vest was a clearance find at Target a few years ago. I have a few utility jackets, but I liked that this was a vest, and is made of a soft, medium weight fabric making it perfect for warmer days. For those of you who like pockets a utility vest is a practical workhorse for your wardrobe.

I just nabbed this Croft and Barrow puff sleeve top on the Kohl’s clearance rack. You know how I love embroidery and the sleeves on this were pure perfection. While the whole print isn’t embroidered, but the combination of print and embroidery really stands out.

I wanted to show you another ankle length jeans look. Last week I showed you a wide leg jean. This week is a thrifted, Gloria Vanderbilt, straight leg version, and once again, it is in a lighter wash. These are also a pinstripe, which is harder to find, but you can’t really tell unless you get close.

I knew I wanted to do something pink and gold for my jewelry so I chose this floral statement necklace and the gold bracelet for a bit of bling.

My bag was a clearance find at Meijer a few years ago when velvet was trending. My sneakers are Sperry’s.

What do you think of this outfit? Is this a style you would wear? Do you have a utility jacket or a utility vest? How do you like to wear them? I love to get your feedback, so leave me a comment or two.

I am including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. They are brought to you by me and I do not receive compensation for your clicks, but only if you make a purchase through the link. These are provided for your benefit, to give you ideas and options for items you might like to purchase. All opinions are my own.

Buy Me a Cup of Coffee. I provide this link for you to monetarily support my blog. I do not make money on my blog, but I do sacrifice my time to bring you fresh ideas and thoughts. If you enjoy these posts this is a small way to support my efforts.

I hope you are having a great week.

Kickin' It with Kimonos - White Print

Today’s outfit features a longer kimono with the more traditional rectangular shape with sleeves. I have styled this pretty Sonoma kimono one other time on the blog. You can see it styled for a casual look with ankle jeans and a silk sweater top. I found this piece on the Kohl’s clearance rack last summer. Speaking of Kohl’s, I got a 40% off coupon in my wallet that I need to use before the day is over. Plus, my hubby had gotten me a Kohl’s gift card for our anniversary, so I guess I will be doing a little online shopping today. Ha. ha.

I have shown you how to wear kimonos and ruanas with skirts, shorts, white pants, short dresses and jeans. Today I thought it would be appropriate to show you, that you can also wear a kimono or ruana with a maxi dress.

I have had this navy, column type maxi dress from Christopher & Banks for a few years. It is a medium weight knit, so no need for a slip. It drapes nicely and can be dressed up or down, depending on where you want to wear it. The heavier knit has stayed fresh over the years, so the dress never looks worn or faded. The dress has its own elastic waistline and came with a simple cloth, tie belt. I typically use other belts to jazz it up a bit, but you really wouldn’t have to use a belt at all. You can see how I styled this sleeveless piece before in my Marvelous Maxis series.

When I chose my accessories, I wanted to keep the look slightly more casual, so I opted for browns and a little blush in my jewelry to pull out the very light pink along the front edge and neck line of the kimono. My sandals are Croft & Barrow, Ortholite brand and they are very comfy. The bag was a thrifted Aldo piece. I really like how the earth tones of the bag, sandals and belt really compliment the whole outfit.

Here’s a few twirling pictures. What little and big girls don’t love a good twirl…but not too much, or I’ll get sick. Ha, ha. The joys of aging!

I do like how this outfit turned out. What do you think? Have your worn a kimono with a maxi dress? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Your comments do help my blog grown and they also help me to know what content you enjoy reading, so if you have a moment, leave me some love.

I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. Have fun shopping! All you clicks give me a little bit of money. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone Spring/Summer - 2020 - Flame Orange, Blossom and Cuban Sand

Today’s colors are bright and light and make me think of late night bon fires and light pink peonies. The classic color of Cuban Sand makes me want to take my shoes off and walk on the beach. The combination of these three colors together makes for the perfect summer look, complete with my own version of print mixing and boho vibrations.

This very casual look revolves around my bright orange Worthington pants from JCPenney. I have styled these slimming skinny trousers many times on the blog before. You can see them with a dress, a sheer summery top, a dark green cardigan, and a multi print scarf. They are such a different color from what I normally wear and I like that I have been able to use them for so many different outfits. The fact that they are skinnies makes pairing them with a dress a fun option that I never would have thought of before.

My fringe, asymmetrical, open weave vest has been on the blog before too. You can see it styled with a pair of checked ankle pants. Say What brand is sold by a number of stores including Kohl’s, Target and Macy’s. I am not sure that this brand is as popular any more. Here is a fun shot of me twirling. In the second picture you can see the print at the top of the vest and notice the print mixing.

My thrifted, floral Croft and Barrow tee was really the inspiration for the outfit. Seeing as it had the orange and the light pink, I knew I could make this work. I am a sucker for floral anything. It is an easy place to find inspiration for an outfit and you don’t even really have to worry about accessorizing if you don’t want to.

You can see my Blossom colored necklace in the above pic as well. Another way I wear it is to double it so it looks more like a layered piece closer to my neck. I also chose a few light pink beaded bracelets to go with the necklace and bring more of the blossom color out.

I went for my George bag again from Walmart. While it is not exactly Cuban Sand, the patchwork mix goes well with the tan colors in the top and the vest.

My little thong sandals were a thrift find a few years ago. I don’t wear sandals all that much, but I wanted to give you all a feeling of summer. I would wear them a lot more, but I am very self-conscious about my bunions and my varicose veins. I know, I know! Get over yourself. Ha, ha. I’ll keep trying to push myself out of those boxes that confine me, but on the other hand we should choose to wear what makes us feel good about ourselves. Right?

What do you think of these colors? Do you have these in your closet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I love hearing your ideas.

I am including a few shopping links just for fun. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for following along on the blog.

Photos and graphic by Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone Spring/Summer 2020 - Cinnamon Stick, Grape Compote and Navy Blazer

Today ends my look at the Pantone New York colors for Spring/Summer 2020. Thursday I’ll be introducing the London Palette, so be prepared for more fun colors. Today’s outfit features the colors Cinnamon Stick and Grape Compote with splashes of Navy Blazer and Lark in my accessories. I felt like Cinnamon Stick was a reach for me, not because I don’t like the color, but because it seemed misplaced on a summer palette. I definitely think this rusty red is perfect for fall, but my brain has a hard time making it a first choice for summer. However, when I thought about pairing it with the medium purple of Grape Compote, I knew I might have something that could work for a casual, but fun summer day.

The focal point of this outfit is this Christopher and Banks tiered skirt that I ordered mid-lockdown to cheer myself up. I just love it and it is so easy to wear. It is fully lined, so again, no worries about slips or coverage. It also has an elastic waist, but because it is more of a band, doesn’t look so crinkled. I should have adjusted it a bit, as my paunch was sticking out. Ha, ha. I think I have finally hit that age, where the weight is piling on very fast and it is much harder to get rid of. I have started exercising again, counting calories and doing the 12/12 fasting thing, but I think losing weight is going to be a bit more challenging. I need to focus on better food choices and cutting back on carbs. How about you? Is the whole pandemic affecting your weight?

Once I decided to use the skirt, I looked for a rusty colored piece to epitomize the Cinnamon Stick Color. I think this Time & Tru tee from Walmart is probably a little too orange, but I liked how it ended up looking with the outfit and was a more summery choice than a heavy sweater, which were the only other pieces I had in this color.

My purple cardigan is an old Croft and Barrow piece, that I don’t wear a lot, but I hung onto because I don’t have anything that color. Now I am even more glad I did, because it goes so well with the skirt.

Seeing as the skirt had navy stripes in it, I added navy accessories with a simple bangle bracelet, bead necklace and my navy Grasshopper shoes.

I was going to grab my thrifted Simply Vera navy bag, but decided to go back to the Classic Palette and pull in Lark. My shoes have those decorative braids and my George patchwork top handle bag was just the right shade for the classic color.

What do you think of these colors? Purple has long been one of my favorite colors, but it’s funny that I don’t reach for it as often as my yellows or my blues. However, with this cute skirt, I may have to wear it a little more often. I can see this skirt being worn well into Fall with a few of my chunkier purple sweaters and some boots.

I hope you enjoyed this post and this outfit. I’d love to hear your thoughts so be sure to leave a comment or two. I do try to respond to all of your comments, so if you are curious, just check back in a few days.

I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. If you click on a link I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my links I might get a little more. I appreciate all your clicks. All opinions are my own.

Graphic designed by Rebecca Trumbull.

Transitional Spring Outfit

Before I get to my Pantone series I decided to do a few more posts featuring transitional spring outfits. If you are unsure what a transitional outfit is, let me explain by first giving you the definition of the word transition. Webster’s online dictionary gives several definitions for this word:

- passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another

- a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another

- a musical passage leading from one section of a piece to another

There are a few other definitions which are not as pertinent to our fashion content. The second definition seems to be the one that suits our needs the best, but I really like the third definition. Aren’t we a musical score, written by an Almighty Creator? The seasonal changes in our natural world and in the fashion world are akin to a piece of music changing and modulating from one section to another.

When it pertains to fashion we enjoy moving from one season to another just as much as we enjoy the change of the nakedness of winter to the covering bloom of spring. We enjoy moving our heavy, dark winter clothes to the back of the closet, or the bins in the basement and pulling out our bright, light weight tops and fun colorful maxi dresses. What often becomes a problem is that period of time when winter has not yet loosened its grip and the chill in the spring air is too cool for our light weight layers. The transition is this time period we, in the midwest, now find ourselves in. We still need our sweaters and our booties, but we crave our bright colors and layers that allow the sun to caress our skin.

Today’s outfit is another attempt at styling a look around a scarf. I have so many pretty, colorful scarves, so I thought why not use them as focal points for outfits.

The beauty of styling an outfit around a colorful scarf like this is it is so easy to do. This scarf has several colors including a light and dark pink, a light purple, a light blue and the orange. I wanted to stay away from pink for this outfit so I chose the orange, light blue and purple to focus on.

My Worthington orange pants have made many appearances on the blog. You can see them worn with a green sweater, a floral dress, and a print top. Worthington is a JC Penney brand and I find them to be a good brand if you are looking for durable, decent fitting work/dress pants.

My light blue Sonoma tee was a thrift find. I typically wear these crew neck or v-neck types of tees as layering pieces under sweaters or long sleeve button ups during the winter, but for a transitional outfit like this it was perfect to wear on its own, or in this case with a vest.

The above picture gives you a closer view of the scarf. It is a large square, which I folded into a triangle. The point point of the triangle is at the front. The two other long, narrow points fold towards the back and then around to the front. I tied those into a double knot over the bib part of the triangle.

I chose this open weave black marled vest to go with the black lines in the scarf. This vest is Croft and Barrow brand from the Kohl’s clearance racks a number of years ago. (I am not sure what was going on with my pants, but please don’t judge my crotch ailment — ha, ha! Probably because they are a little tight, bleh!)

This Nicole Miller bag was another Kohl’s clearance find a few years ago. It has appeared on the blog numerous times. I chose it for its purplish color. I also opted for a few purple bangle bracelets to add to the purple vibe of the scarf.

I chose my tasseled Dana Buchman loafers as I thought they went with the vest and as you learned earlier this year, loafers are back in.

Do I have you thinking about those pretty scarves in your closet? Do you have a few that you feel qualify as spring scarves due to their color and weight? I think it would be fabulous if you built an outfit around one of those scarves and told me about it in the comments below. I would love to hear your thoughts on how you put a transitional spring outfit together, using one of your scarves.

As usual, I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links, which means when you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through one of my links I get a few more cents. I appreciate every click. All opinions are my own.

I hope you week is off to a good start.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for another post on my Faith page, where we are working our way very slowly through Romans chapter 8. In addition if you follow my Fashion pages, Thursday will feature another transitional spring outfit, this time with a new maxi dress I got from a local retailer before the stay at home order went into effect.

Have a good day!

Spring Trend - Head to Toe Neutral

I thought it would be fun to shop my closet and see what sort of spring trend outfits I could come up with. When I began looking for neutral pieces I couldn’t decide what shade to go for. When I looked at various websites for spring trends, some of the neutral pieces leaned more toward camel than beige, but it doesn’t really matter. You can choose any version of neutral for this look. My neutrals are almost more of a cream than beige, but the effect is the same.

When putting a neutral outfit together, think in terms of texture. Adding texture gives the outfit interest. This is more important when your outfit doesn’t contain any pops of color. Color, whether bright neons or soft pastels makes an outfit speak. When wearing a neutral outfit, it can be too understated without adding textural elements.

This ribbed v-neck sweater I have had for a number of years. The brand is NorthCrest Classic, but was thrifted. The vest I purchased at Kohl’s and is Wallflower brand. I’ll be speaking to crafted pieces, another spring trend, later, but this vest fits the bill. My jeans are Croft and Barrow.

I thought gold would a be good choice for jewelry. I just like the way the gold looks agains the neutral background, but you could have used silver, copper or brass or mixed the metals. You could get a more classy dressed up look by adding a few strings of pearls.

Top handle bags are all the rage for spring. Mine is not as trendy as the stuff out there right now, but I like the patchwork look and the room this bag from Walmart has. It is structured, sturdy and stylish. What more could I want. Okay, maybe a matching wallet with several one hundred dollar bills would be nice. Ha, ha.

These suede Sonoma boots have served me well over the years and really aren’t looking to worn yet. Once again, choosing suede adds texture, although an outfit like this would look fabulous with a cream or beige leather bootie or even an off white. You’d still be staying in the neutral zone with any of those.

The old saying the devil is in the detail would apply when wearing a neutral outfit like this. When picking out pieces for a neutral look, try to add a few things that have texture like a ribbed or cable knit sweater, a piece that is knitted or crocheted or even something with quilting. Also think about details when choosing accessories. Jewelry with fun add ons like feathers or charms, shoes or bags with buckles or interesting stitching all add texture and interest to a neutral outfit.

What do you think of the neutral trend? Will this be a trend you will wear this spring? How do you like to wear your neutrals? I love having your feedback, so leave me some love in the comments. I would also appreciate you telling your friends or family about the blog. Ask them to subscribe.

Have a great Thursday and stay warm. If you follow my faith page, be sure to check back tomorrow for the final installment in my New Year, New Mind, series.

Here are a few neutral pieces for you to shop. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Pantone Spring 2018 - Pink Lavender, Blooming Dahlia and Emperador

Welcome to the third installment in my Pantone Spring 2018 series. The first week I showed you Chili Oil, Arcadia and Lime Punch.  Last week I featured Ultra Violet, Cherry Tomato and Meadowlark.  This week I am going to style an outfit that revolves around Pink Lavender, Blooming Dahlia and Emperador. 

I wish these photos were a little more spring like; more like the weather today, when I am working on this post which is brilliant sunshine and temps in the 50's, However, working with my photographer means scheduling shoots when she is available, so we make the best of it. In this pic, it almost looks like I am at a studio with a winter background, but I can tell you we were definitely outside and it was cold!!

Pink lavender is a very pretty purply pink. I happened to have this short sleeve Croft and Barrow faux lace tee in my closet and it matched perfectly. My husband also picked up this necklace at a garage sale and thought I would like it. I did! I've told him, any time he sees costume jewelry at estate sales or garage sales to take a peek and pick up things he thinks I might like. I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to jewelry! 

Emperador is a chocolate brown. I often wonder at how they come up with the names for the colors on each season's palette. Some are obvious. Pink Lavender looks like pink and lavender mixed together, but Emperador? I googled the word and a brandy company came up. Brandy is more of an amber color, so I am not sure if that is what they were thinking when they gave this brown it's name. I'm not an alcohol drinker, at all, but if you are interested here is a link to Emperador. 

My moto jacket is thrifted and is a brand called Celebrity Pink. This brand is sold at stores like Macy's and Burlington Coat Factory. Here is a similar jacket. Mine is a nice faux leather with a silver zipper and snaps. I should have taken a picture with the jacket zipped up. 

This skirt from dressbarn I have featured on the blog last summer in my Marvelous Maxis series. It is roz & Ali brand. The skirt with its fun, whimsical, floral pattern is fully lined and the perfect transition piece for spring. I thought it gave the illusion of Blooming Dahlia, even though it isn't an exact representation. Plus I felt the outfit benefited from a pattern. 

I added a stretchy woven belt to the skirt and chose to carry my George satchel for a bit of that classic color, Warm Sand. I also slipped on my suede American Eagle ankle boots. 

What do you think of these colors? Do you have any of these in your closet? I think all three of these can be great to combine with stronger classic colors like navy, green or black. If you are not real fond of a particular color because you don't think it looks good on you, don't be afraid to try a smattering of the color in the form of an accessory such as a necklace, bracelet or even a bag. That is a wonderful way to add color without letting it overwhelm you. 

Let me know your thoughts on these colors and my outfit. I love hearing from you! 

Here are a few shopping links for you. These are affiliate links which means if you click on a link I get a few pennies. If you purchase through one of my links I get a little commission. I appreciate your clicks! All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. 

Pantone Fall 2017 - The New York Palette - Tawny Port and Golden Lime

This week's color combination is a blend of a dark maroon and a more subtle green. Tawny Port is described on the Pantone site as "Taking the red family to new depths..." I think of it as more of purple than a red, but then purple is made up of red and blue. Golden Lime takes on a more tropical hue, so I though pairing these two colors would make for an interesting outfit. 

These pictures were taken at Wildwood Metropark here in Toledo. This is an amazing park and so close to home. It used to be the estate of Champion Spark Plug magnate Robert Stranahan. The park boasts the original Manor house and outbuildings, as well as acres of trails, a covered bridge and boardwalk. It is used for everything from family picnics to all manner of photo opportunities. In December the Manor house will be decorated for Christmas and thousands of people will come to take a tour. 

For today's pics we just found a piece of trail to take pictures on.

I've had this skirt, which is Jones Wear Brand, for a while. Honestly, I don't even remember where I got it. Ha, ha. However, it is a fun skirt with it's whimsical pattern and colors. It is fully lined and would be considered either midi or tea length, depending on what chart you look at. 

This open waterfall cardi is ANA brand. It probably leans more towards purple than what Tawny Port actually is, but I think It works well. The Tawny Port splotches in the skirt actually are more red. It is amazing how you can pair something with a color that has both red and blue in it's undertones and it will lean toward the color of the piece you have on.

This faux lace top from Croft and Barrow appears more green in person, but you get the idea. I like these types of tops as they give the appearance of lace, but you don't have to wear a cami underneath. This one is a silky, stretchy material, so very easy to wear and wash. 

You can also see I added a gold belt to bring out that color in the skirt as well, plus it adds a point of interest and texture as well as defining my shape. I chose this bluish purple agate necklace as the skirt has just a little bit of this color in it too. 

My bag is thrifted and you can see I've used it before in this post. This dark olive bag from Talbots has two handles. One allows you to use it as a top handle hobo bag and the other as a cross body bag. It is nice to have options. 

I was really stumped when it came to what shoes to wear. My casual side won out in the end and I went for the combat boots. These are thrifted and are Falls Creek brand. Falls Creek is a brand sold at Meijer. 

I thought this was a fun outfit for fall. It is comfy, cozy and for cooler weather could be made wearable by swapping out the short sleeve stretchy tee for a long sleeve top and adding heavier tights under the skirt. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. I've included a few shopping links for Tawny Port and Golden Lime. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Have a great week and don't forget to stop back on Thursday for another Fun Fall Look.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge and Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. 

Marvelous Maxis - Wearable White

White has long been a summer staple for many women. I can remember when I was a girl, going shopping with my mom before Easter to get a new pair of white church shoes. Back then, we didn't wear white until after Memorial Day, with the exception of Easter Sunday. White is now a year long embraceable color. Spring, summer, winter and fall are all appropriate seasons for wearing white. In the warmer months our white clothing will usually gravitate to capris, shorts and lighter weight tanks and sleeveless tops. I have also found white skirts are a fun item to have in your wardrobe. 

Today's skirt is St. John's Bay brand from JC Penney. They currently do not have a white maxi version, but they do have a knee length version here. 

Look 1 - Casual

I topped the white skirt with a simple orange and white striped tee that I found at a thrift store. I like the bright color of this tee. 

I added my antler and bead necklace from Cabelas and a bracelet that matched. It's funny how sometimes you can buy two separate pieces of jewelry, at two different places, at two different times and end up having them look great together. 

To keep the look ultra casual I wore my black flat espadrilles. These are Easy Spirit brand and have a nice cushy insole. Here is a very cute low wedge version. Espadrilles are a great shoe for summer as they are usually made of canvas, which keeps your feet from getting too hot. They also look cute with just about everything.

Look 2 - Dressier

I didn't dress this outfit up as, much because I wanted to show you that making only a few little changes can make a casual outfit look a bit more dressy. 

I kept the same tee, but topped it with a Joe Fresh navy eyelet jacket from JC Penney. Penneys no longer carries Joe Fresh, but they have their own website. Here is a cute version from Old Pueblo Traders. 

You can see I also kept the same bag. This roomy top handle bag is from shopping a friend's closet. It is an Aldo brand bag and is well constructed with a burlap looking body and tan leather trim and handles. 

I swapped out my antler and bead jewelry for a few orange beaded bracelets and a bird pendant, with a gold chain and pretty faux rhinestones. 

I also swapped out my flat espadrilles for my Croft and Barrow Ortholite sandals. These are very comfortable, look stylish and come in two other colors. You can see them here. 

Here are the two outfits side by side.

Do you own a white maxi skirt? How do you style it? Do you wear it all year round or just in the summer? I actually could see wearing this skirt with a heavy sweater and boots in the colder weather, so I may just have to try that. I'd love to hear your input in the comments section below. 

Check back Thursday for a colorful outfit on my Color Crash Course column.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

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

Linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb, Nicole of High Latitude Style,