Pantone Spring/Summer - 2019 - Jester Red & Pepper Stem

Today’s Pantone colors are the rich saturated relatives of red and green. These two pair perfectly for a tropical vibe mixed with a punch. Jester Red jams with a touch of blue and Pepper Stem is green with lilting yellow tones. I love how these two mix together to create a colorful summer vibe.

This Jones Wear printed midi-skirt is a great piece for spring, summer and fall. It is fully lined, so in the summer you don’t have to worry about wearing a slip. The length is modest, and pairs well with anything from heels to flats to flip flops. I’ve featured this skirt on the blog before in a fall Pantone palette. You can see that post here.

This Field Gear jacket is thrifted. I have also featured this on the blog before too. You can see that post here. If you take a look at that post, you’ll see it was also for the Pantone palette from last spring, where the color of the year was Greenery. This is a softer, light weight suede, which makes it the perfect piece for spring and summer.

This 3/4 length sleeve tee is a bit more red than the Jester Red color, but I thought it was pretty close. What drew me to this Rafaella Studio thrifted piece was the embellished neckline. The cowl neck is covered with beads in a hematite type sheen. I didn’t need any necklaces with this pretty piece in place. Tops with embellished necklines are a nice, easy way to dress up an outfit, without having to think about jewelry. You can see the intricate beading below.

For my accessories, I chose a thrifted Simply Vera/Vera Wang navy bag and thrifted Relativity loafer heels, to go along with the classic color Eclipse. Once again, let me reiterate, this is not a contest to see how close to the Pantone color palette you can get, but a spring board for inspiration and new color combinations that you may not have thought of before. We often think of red and green as a Christmas color combo, but when you make the green a little more tropical it pairs well with any red without looking Christmasy.

I added this belt too, just to make the outfit a little more polished. This is a stretchy belt that just clasps together in the front. A stretch belt is a fun way to add fun to an outfit and cinch in our waists.

I thought this was a fun, festive outfit that could be worn to a party. If the weather is hotter, sub out the 3/4 length sleeve tee for a tank top and use a light weight sweater or hoodie with flip flops or sneakers for a more casual look.

What do you think of Jester Red and Pepper Stem? Do you have any of these colors in your closet? If you do, have you ever worn them together? I love to hear you feedback.

I’ve included a few shopping links for similar colored items. Have fun perusing. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Pantone Spring 2017 - Kale

Whether it is called Kale, olive, army green or dark green this color has been around for a while. It seems to be making a resurgence as a go to color for pairing with a variety of brights, pastels or darks. In a way this green is as worthy of being called a neutral, as khaki, taupe or gray. What exactly makes a color a neutral, you might wonder. A neutral color is a hue that lacks certain elements of color. Neutrals are colors, but they are often thought of in terms of base colors or back ground colors, rather than the color that steps to the front and shouts, "I'm here! Look at me!"

If you have read any number of fashion blogs you will see the term neutral over and over. Usually in the fashion world neutral colors include white, ivory, cream, tan, beige, gray, taupe, and our color for today, Kale. Neutral colors can be easily paired with almost any other color from hot pinks and bright purples, to soft blues and dark navies. 

For my outfit today I chose to go with a casual look. 

I paired a 3/4 length sleeve French Laundry tee (cute style here) with an a.n.a. military style jacket (black one here). Then I paired that with Apt. 9 light wash skinny ankle jean (distressed hem skinnies here) and rolled them up once. 

My accessories included a statement necklace and beaded cuff bracelet. For my main pop of color I chose this floral Dana Buchman cross body bag from Kohl's which I found early this spring. Here's a cute straw version. 

For my shoes I went with a steel gray flat. These are very comfy and slip on easily. These are Life Stride brand which I bought at a thrift store. (Here is a similar look from Eurosoft at DSW.) 

Here is a close up of the sleeves on my tee. I love the lace insets and the bling at the end. I didn't like the thought of hiding the sleeves under the jacket, but I wanted that monochrome look on the top. I will be wearing this tee for other occasions too! 

I thought I would throw in a silly picture, since I haven't done that in a while. I do not remember what I was doing, other than being silly. Ha, ha. 

What do you think of the color Kale? Do you own clothes that are this color? If not would you wear it? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.  I appreciate all your feedback. 

Below I've listed some shopping options. These are affiliate links which means when you click on a link I get a few cents. If you purchase something through my site I get a little bit of a commission. All opinions are my own,

Thanks for hanging out on the blog today. Be sure to check back Thursday to see who this month's Beautiful Blogger inspiration is. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Sara and Hannah of The Perfect Storm. 

Pantone Spring 2017 - Island Paradise

When Pantone created their Spring 2017 line up, the over all force behind the colors was the idea of nature. As I described last week, Greenery speaks to everything that is budding out now that spring has arrived. Trees, bushes and even the grass green up to their fullest potential. Island Paradise also brings the natural world into our homes and wardrobes.

Island Paradise exudes my idea of sunny days, blue waters and white sandy beaches. While I am not a sun worshipper, I do like to be near the water, gentle breezes caressing my face and the feeling of sun warmed sand beneath my toes. It creates the perfect harmony of peace and relaxation. This Pantone color gives me that same feeling. Just looking at it makes me feel happy and helps my stress level to decrease. 

I don't own many pieces that perfectly match this color. I have lots of navy, cobalt and denim, but not very much that truly speaks to this sunny blue. I found this sheer top at a thrift store and hadn't really worn it much. When I saw it hanging in my closet, I thought it might work well to create the feeling of the summery tropics.

Due to the sheer nature of the shirt I decided to wear it open more like a jacket or cardigan. I opted for a white ribbed tank top underneath. The beauty of styling a tank with a shirt like this is the outer shirt can be removed outside when it is really warm, and it can be put back on when you go into an air conditioned store or restaurant.

To keep the look fun and tropical, I paired the top with my Worthington pumpkin colored pants from JC Penney (possible options here). Worthington pants are a good fit for me, allowing enough room for my thighs and bottom, while not gaping at the waist. These are a light weight polyester blend with a side zipper, that allows easy movement. 

The above picture also gives you a good view of my blush flats and cross body bag. While the bag is not actually a true blush color, there is enough similarity that I think it works. Mind you, you  don't always have to match your bag to your shoes, but once in a while, I think it makes an outfit look crisp and finished. 

I kept my accessories simple with a single strand bead and metal necklace and one beaded bracelet. With the busy pattern of the blouse I didn't think it was necessary to add too much jewelry. However, I wanted to have a little something to show off, in case the outer blouse was removed. 

Overall, I think this is a great resort outfit, meaning I would take this on vacation to a warm place. I could see myself in this outfit walking on the beach with my hubby, breeze blowing the flowy blouse, pants rolled up, flats in hand, feet in the surf. It's probably a sunset walk, after a delicious dinner out.....ahhhhh, how relaxing!

What would you wear to go to a warm destination vacation? Did you like this outfit? Let me know in the comments section below. Or you can leave me a comment on Facebook. I love hearing from you. Have a great Tuesday!

Be sure to check back on Thursday to see this months, Beautiful Blogger. Until next time.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a shopping link I get a few cents. If you purchase something through a link, I get a little commission. Having a blog does take time, so I appreciate any support you give. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Sara and Hannah of The Perfect Storm. 

Piece Perfect - Spring Transitions

There are numerous pieces we could talk about for the season of spring. Look at what is on the racks at your favorites stores. Light weight blouses, flowy fabrics, pastels, bright floral prints and a variety of hemlines on both pants and skirts. However, if you have ever spent time in the mid-west in the months of March, April and May you know that going from winter to spring is not always easy to style. 

Layering is essential for me, especially until the temperature hits the upper sixties or seventies. However, as the temps begin to climb into the forties and fifties, I do feel less of a need for heavy layers. I turn more towards lighter weight long sleeve tops and pack away my turtleneck sweaters. I wear pants that end at my ankle with shoes that are more open.  

I like a 3/4 length sleeve top for these transitional days. The first is a light weight tee with a pastel floral print. The second is a hooded pullover sweater. The tee I would wear under a cardi or jacket, which I'll show in a bit. The sweater is heavy enough that I can wear it alone or over a tank top or camisole.  Below each idea, I'll show a few alternatives.

These are two pairs of shoes that I consider transitional. They are both flats, but more importantly they are more open than the boots and oxfords I had been wearing in the winter months. 

The reason I consider these transitional is that they are made of canvas. Canvas is perfect for summer months, but not so much for the cold snowy days of January. 

Taking my 3/4 length sleeve tee, I added a pair of ankle jeans. This length of pant is great for spring. It still gives you full coverage on your legs, but allows your ankles to breath and feel the fresh, albeit often nippy, spring air. 

Since layering is still essential I added my fun patterned blazer. This is a lovely piece made with light weight fabric and fully lined. It is not heavy at all, but still adds a layer of warmth.

By the time I posted this the cute leopard print was sold out! Sorry!

Here is another possibility, just by swapping out the jacket with a open front 3/4 length sleeve cardi. I found this light weight cardi at a thrift store this past weekend when I was visiting my mom in Buffalo, NY. Besides the weight I was drawn to the circular texturing. The circles are half cut open.

Here is an easy work outfit. Light weight dress pants, 3/4 length sleeve pullover sweater, canvas sneaks and go!

These are just a few of the transitional pieces that can help you go from winter to spring with ease, comfort and style. 

Let me know what you think of this post. Did you find this helpful. I hope that when you look into your closet you can find inspiration for new outfits to put together a great spring look. Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the the comments section. Your comments help my blog grow. And if you are not a current subscriber, but would like to receive my emails once a week be sure to click on the subscribe button. I appreciate it.

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

Thursday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. Friday linking up with Jennie of a Pocketful of Polka Dots and Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style.