Fall Trends 2022 - My Take: Outfit 2

This week I am focusing on three more fall trends: an oversized button down, cargo pants and a cozy coat. Here in the midwest cozy coat season is not upon us quite yet. In fact, it still feels summery and seeing as summer doesn’t end for a few more weeks, I think these warm temps are around for a while longer. That makes it hard for me to transition to fall outfits. As much as I want to, I am still reaching for my tees and cropped pants, rather than sweatshirts and boots.

For this outfit I started with the cargo pants, then the oversized button down, followed by the tee. I realized as my outfit came together, that it was going to have a monochrome vibe, so I kept my accessories more understated with similar tones. Let’s take a look at each piece separately.

Cargo pants

I found these Sonoma straight leg pants at a thrift store and I liked that they were a lighter weight version of a cargo pant. Like typical cargo pants they have extra pockets on the legs, as well as the normal pockets front and back. These also have full seams on the front of the legs giving them extra texture and interest. In addition these have tabs on the lower leg so you can roll them up and button in place, if you want to use them as more of a crop pant.

Basic tee

My Time and Tru tee is another thrift find. I was looking for a few tees like this that would work as good layering pieces. You can also see my necklace and a little bit of my belt, both of which have black and silver.

Style Tip: A light weight tee or cardi is a great way to add warmth in the cooler weather without adding too much bulk.

Oversized button down

I found this J. Crew button down on the men’s rack at the thrift store. The men’s rack is a great place to look for oversize pieces that have a more masculine flair. I often see gingham patterns in women’s departments, but they are usually larger checks. Sometimes it’s nice to also have a smaller print.

Style tip: Men’s shirts typically have longer sleeves since many men’s arms are longer than women’s. If you are a seamstress just cut the cuff off and make a hem. Otherwise just roll the cuffs once. You still get a cuffed look, but it’s not hanging down past your knuckles.

I added my olive green Sperry’s and a recently thrifted silver cross body bag.

Last but not least my topper.

Cozy coat

I fell in love with this cozy number that I found thrifting last year. Using it in the cold weather, I found it to be quite warm. The brand is Emma James which is an off shoot of Liz Claiborne. It is faux suede and has a faux fur lining throughout.

I think many of us have more than one cold winter coat. I have a wool one that I like to use in the really cold weather, and a real leather jacket that gets used before it gets super cold. This one is great for cold days and lighter weight so a good coat for shopping.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. Let me know what sort of coats you have. Do you wear oversized button downs? Do you wear cargo pants? I love to hear from you, so be sure to leave a comment. I am adding a few shopping links for you to peruse. Every time you click on a link, I get a few pennies. When you make a purchase through one of my links, I get a little more. Thank you for all your support. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Fall Trends for 2022

Once again, the season of fall is just around the corner and the fashion world always has its take on what is new and popular for the season. I am a firm believer that there is nothing new under the sun, whether it be a story plot, a difficulty or a fashion trend. Many of these trends you will already have in your closet. This post might introduce you to something new, or it might give you inspiration to dig out a particular piece and give it new life.

Baggy Jeans

I still love my skinny jeans, but baggy is in and because I love jeans in general I thought I would include this trend. Jeans are no longer just for the working man or woman on a ranch or construction site, now they are spot on for a casual day at home, a work day or even an dressy evening out.

Style Tip: If you want to dress up your jeans think fabrics and accessories. A silky top, heels and few statement pieces of jewelry will take your casual day outfit to night time glam outfit.

Basic White Tanks

I can get on board with this because just about everyone has a white tank top in their closet. This piece is perfect for late summer and early fall layering. Throw a blazer over your white tank and your ready for work, or add a cozy sweater for a casual lunch date look.

Style Tip: When looking for tank tops that are going to serve as actual tops and not just layering pieces choose fabrics that are a little thicker for less show through. Also, if you want more fitted look for ribbed knits; if you want less cling look for flowy fabrics in an a-line silhouettes.

Bomber Jackets

Bomber style jackets are back in force and they don’t just have vintage military vibes. They vary in color, prints and fabrics making them a piece that is accessible to everyone who wants a shorter coat for cool weather days.

Style Tip: Use a lighter weight bomber jacket like a sweater or blazer. Wear it over a blouse for work, or a tee for a casual date night look. Add accessories like metallic or sparkly jewelry, or soft scarves to make this menswear style completely feminine.

Oversized Button Ups:

Many of you already know, I love oversized button up shirts. I have shown you a few of my own over the last few years. I use them as jackets, under sweaters and vests and as tunics over skinny jeans with boots. Oversized is not for everyone, although I think most every body type can pull off an oversized button up by using it as a layering piece or a tunic, or even a short dress for those of you who are more petite. Don’t be afraid to try this trend, you might find you like it.

Style Tips: If you don’t like all that fabric especially if you are slight of frame, try belting the shirt or tying it at the waist. If you are a thrifter, be sure to shop for oversized button ups in the men’s section. That’s where I have found most of mine.

Cozy Coats:

Nothing beats the colder weather like a soft, cozy coat. Whether you like real or faux fur, real or faux shearling, soft wool blends or suede, a warm coat in a pretty color or with fun details can make a blue winter day seem a little less daunting.

Style Tip: When shopping for a coat, be sure you wear layers that you would normally wear under your jacket, or at least keep that in mind when you trying coats on. Sleeves that feel perfect with your polyester blouse may not be as roomy when you have on a chunky knit sweater. The same is true for being able to button or zip the coat. Think ahead to how you will most often wear the piece and what you will wear underneath.

Cargo Pants:

Cargo pants are a great alternative to jeans. I realize not every woman wants pockets on the side of her pants accentuating her thighs, but if you don’t mind those added details, cargos can be another way to a fun casual look. I especially like the jogger styles, because I think they look a little more slimming than the typical canvas or heavy cotton material.

Style Tip: When styling cargo pants try to balance out the extra pockets on your legs with a top with slight shoulder pads or or with pieces that are trim like a fitted tee, or a cropped jacket. Too much material on top begins to make the outfit look less classy and more unkempt.

Vests:

Vests, or in the fashion realm, fitted waistcoats are making a comeback, though I don’t know how much retailers are catching on with this one. Even at thrift stores it is hard to find vests, so hopefully you have a few in the dark recesses of your closet that you can pull out and give the light of day. I like vests for three reasons. The first is that the old fashion waistcoat really makes an outfit look polished and professional, whether you are wearing jeans or a pleather pencil skirt. A vest also adds a layer of warmth in the cooler weather. Finally, vests are a great way to draw in the waist and cover the bumps and bulges without wearing a full on corset (and yes, those are trending this fall as well, but I have chosen to leave those to the younger generation).

Style Tip: While vests look wonderful with trim button up shirts or more fitted sweaters try pairing a vest with an oversized button up for a fun artsy boho look. You can also wear a vest under a blazer for added interest and polish.

Maxi Skirts (and Dresses):

I’m not including any links for maxi dresses since I just showed you two from Closet52 a few weeks ago. Hem lengths really are an anything goes standard, but for the fall the longer, floor length styles are trending again. When it comes to styles these vary as well. One website talked about the Bohemian influence which would include tiered and prairie silhouettes, while another site said a-line and columns are in.

Style Tip: If you are petite you might struggle with finding a maxi skirt that is not too long. Try shopping for skirts that are tea length on other women. Tea length usually falls between the knee and the ankle which will probably be just about right for ladies that are 5’2” or shorter.

Leather (real or faux) jackets:

I have always loved leather jackets. I own a couple that are actual leather and the rest of my stock are fake. Fake leather today, looks just as good as the real thing, but varies from manufacturer to manufacturer as to how durable and long lasting the materials are. I recently went through my jackets and did put a few in the donate pile, mostly because they are more snug than I want these days. My style has also evolved over the last few years and I am more likely to reach for a utility jacket, a cozy sweater or a blazer when I want a light weight jacket or extra layer indoors. However, I still intend to hang onto a few of my more loved pieces.

Style Tip: When shopping for a real or faux leather jacket be sure to find pieces that are made of flexible, soft materials. The stiffer leather will become stiffer with age, unless regularly worn and tended to, and faux leather that is too cheap or stiff will tear away from the under layer.

Additional Trends worth mentioning:

Square Loafers:

Leopard Print:

Just a quick word here. Leopard print is always going to be around, so wear it, flaunt it, carry it and wrap yourself up in it. In addition sturdy tote bags are trending and very useful for work or even travel if you don’t want to pack too many suitcases. I also added the faux fur bag, since fur ( and faux fur) accessories are trending as well.

As always there are many more trends I would love to discuss, but these were the ones I felt we all could get on board with. Maybe you don’t like baggy jeans, but you do like square loafers. Maybe you are a fitted vest kind of girl, and absolutely don’t like oversized button ups. I hope you enjoyed hearing more about these fall trends.

All of the items listed are affiliate links. I get a small amount if you click on a link and a little bit more if you purchase through my site. I appreciate every click and even more appreciate your support for the blog. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these trends. How many of these do you have in your closet?

Next week I hope to show you my take on a few of these trends. Until then have a great week!

Pantone - Spring/Summer - 2021 - Raspberry Sorbet, Mint and Willow

Today’s Pantone outfit revolves around a tantalizing pink, a refreshing green and another earthy color reminiscent of the weeping willow trees that hug the banks of lakes and streams. Raspberry Sorbet, Mint and Willow combine in an outfit that is both sleek, colorful and casual.

When I think of the color mint, I am more inclined to think of the light Green Ash color from Tuesday’s post. I guess my rendering of mint is based more on ice cream and Christmas candies than it is the actual plant. The mint plant is a bright, living green, so I think the Pantone color is much truer to the natural source. My Mint green top is a thrifted Falls Creek piece. I wore it for this shoot and then I got rid of it. It has been hanging in my closet for a while and I wasn’t certain, why I didn’t reach for it more often. After putting it on, I just didn’t like how stiff the fabric was. I’m all for structured pieces, but a piece has to move with me for me to want to wear it.

My camouflage pants, also Falls Creek, are a recent clearance find from Meijer. They are light weight, so good for summer. Unlike some camo that is more green, these tend towards more brown and gray. The Willow color is in there as you can see in the following picture. Willow was hard color to find. Most of my pieces are more olive green and Willow has more of a brown undertone.

Instead of choosing another clothing piece for the Raspberry Sorbet color, I opted to include it in my accessories. My necklace, bracelets, and the Vera Bradley tote were the perfect pop of this bright, saturated pink.

I went for my silver SO flats to tie in with the silver chains on the necklaces.

What do you think of these Pantone colors? Do you have the color Willow in your closet? I love to hear back from you, so leave a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to peruse. These links are brought to you at no cost, but using them to purchase something gives me a few pennies as a kick back. I appreciate all your support. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Spring Trend - Utility Dressing

Today I am looking at another spring trend, utility dressing. Typically we think of utility dressing as something a mechanic, painter or other utility worker might wear. Often the uniform will have large pockets, snaps and zippers for ease of wear and storage. These same details have translated into women’s fashion with utility jackets, pants, vests and tops. This spring the trend is bigger than ever and includes jumpsuits in sleek, fun styles.

I am not a fan of jumpsuits. I spend way to much time in the bathroom, so i need things to be as quick as possible, especially when I am at work. However, since I decided to do this little series, I thought I would try to come up with an outfit that mimics a jumpsuit, but still has the ease of a two piece outfit.

This outfit is actually made up of three pieces, but you get the idea. The way to mimic the jumpsuit look is to go back to a monochrome color scheme. I chose olive for my outfit, because that is the color I had utility type pieces in. Large pockets, snaps and zippers all make this outfit fit into the utility vibe.

My button up top is Worthington brand and I’ve had it for a while. I love to shop JC Penney’s clearance racks and I’m sure that is where I found this. I am fond of Worthington pieces as they are usually made for average women like me, who need a little stretch, but still want some structure in a blouse or a pair of pants. I’ve gotten a number of dress pants in this brand too. The other thing I like about this blouse is that is doesn’t gape in the front. The buttons are in the right spots. There is nothing worse than gapage (yes, I did use that as a word) if you are trying to look put together for work or other activities.

My cargo skinnies are another JC Penney purchase from a few years ago. These are Gloria Vanderbilt. I like her brand for the same reason I like Worthington, ease of wear and fit. I used to get Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, but my taste in jeans has grown to include brands that have an edgier and perhaps more youthful vibe to them. I think Gloria Vanderbilt is great for dress pants or, like these, something different than jeans.

The utility vest is a more recent purchase from last season at Kohl’s. This olive utility vest is Mudd brand and was another clearance find. There are very few things that I buy, that aren’t from clearance racks or thrift stores. I could have used my olive utility jacket, because yes, I have one of those as well, but it was a completely different shade of olive. Isn’t it funny how colors that are supposed to be the same, can be so different, but that’s a topic for a different post.

Here is a more detailed look at the pockets on both the pants and the vest. As you can see the vest also has toggles so you can adjust the fit to make it tighter or looser. It has both a full zipper and snaps, giving it added metallic details. I like the brassy look of the metals as well.

My accessories are fairly simple. A black velvet choker with a cross, a few faux leather bracelets, a straw bag with black trim and my black heeled Ralph Lauren boots. The bag and boots were thrifted.

I cuffed the pants for another fun element. If you didn’t want to cuff them, you could also tuck them in. Doing that allows the buckles on the boots to shine, adding that metallic utility detail to the entire outfit.

I’m adding this picture, just because I really liked my modelesque hair and smile. And I didn’t even need to have a fan! Ha, ha.

What do you think of utility dressing? Do you own any utility pieces? Do you own a jumpsuit. Remember, you don’t have to jump on the jumpsuit wagon to get the same effect. Following trends is not so much to mimic a look as it is to make it completely our own. I think that is exactly what I did with this outfit.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know your thoughts. I am so thankful for some of my subscribers who regularly offer their encouragement. I’d love to hear from even more of you. If you have a thought you’d like to share, just put it in the comments. You can also enjoy more outfits and ideas by following my Instagram posts and my Pinterest boards. If there is anything different you would like to see me feature on the blog, shoot me your ideas either in the comments below, on my Facebook page or if you subscribe you can shoot me an email. This isn’t just about fashion, but about making friends and traveling life together.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to peruse. I hope they give you ideas. These are affiliate links. If you click on a link, I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my blog, I get a small commission. All opinions are my own.