Pantone Autumn/Winter 2025 - London Palette: Lavender Blue, Chili Oil and Crown Blue

As we start the London Color Palette this week you will recognize a few of the same colors that were on the New York Palette. Chili Oil and Crown Blue are two of those. You can see the London palette colors by checking out this pin on my Pinterest board. For today’s look and a one other look from this palette I decided to combine colors that fall into the same color category. Today I combined the pastel Lavender Blue with the classic Crown Blue, along with Chili Oil for a casual chic color block look.

The leaf is not part of the outfit! Ha, ha. Watch the following and you’ll know why. We have an immense Cottonwood tree in our yard and the leaves start to carpet the grass from the beginning of August. Even with all the leaves on the ground there are still leaves on the tree…and the sticks!! Eye, yie, yie. The stick shed from Cottonwoods is crazy.

You saw this Crown Blue thrifted Coldwater Creek piece just a few weeks ago. See the post here in case you missed it. This is a retailer that has many pretty and practical pieces, but they are a touch out of my price range, that is why I like to find different brands at thrift stores to try them out.

Lavender Blue is the London pallet’s pastel. I have two pullover tops in this color. It is a purply blue that is hard to match with anything, so an outfit like this allows it to stand on its own. This piece is Apt. 9 and was purchased at Kohl’s a number of years ago. I had to show off the beautiful lace inset on the back, even though it was concealed under the jacket. You can see how I styled this in another fall outfit with a white skirt.

My Chili Oil pants are Chico’s So Slimming, which I bought on sale a number of years ago. These are ponte pants. I never thought I would like a knit pant like this, but I do. I do not wear them often as I look at them more as a dress or work pant, but it was fun to get them out for this outfit. You saw them a few weeks ago when I styled them with Lemon Grass and French Roast.

I felt like keeping it casual, and thought it would be a nice contrast to the previous look with these pants which was more dressed up. It is amazing how accessories like shoes and bags can change a look. I chose my denim Keds as a nod back up to Crown Blue jacket. I also gave the pants a cuff, which in this look keeps it a bit more casual.

My corduroy axcess bag is very old, but I love the colors and keep it hanging around, even though my current go to’s for bags are cross body and smaller.

My jewelry is a simple pendant charm necklace. I like that the coppery color goes with the Chili Oil vibe of the pants, and makes the pastel top seem more fall appropriate.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like these colors? Do you like to wear a color block look?

I am including a few shopping links for you. These are affiliate links and are provided to give you ideas, inspiration and possible shopping options. If you use one of my links to make a purchase, I get a little commission, and believe me at this point in time, all the pennies count.

Have a super Tuesday!

Pantone Autumn/Winter 2025 - New York Palette: Lemon Grass, Chili Oil, and French Roast

This week brings you another collection of colors from the Pantone Autumn New York color palette. Remember, I am combining colors as they inspired me, but you can take any of the colors from the palette and put them together, or maybe there are only one or two colors that you like and plan on adding to your wardrobe. This is always about what you like and how you can be inspired to look at your closet differently.

Today’s outfit is a contrast of light and dark combining the yellowy green of Lemon Grass with the classic French Roast along with the spice of Chili Oil. You can see the actual Pantone colors here.

This pale yellow top, is not a true yellow, but has just a hint of green, making it the perfect selection from my closet for the Pantone Lemon Grass. I found this a few years ago while thrifting and it is a brand called Jess & Jane. I discovered that Jess & Jane is a California based wholesale clothing company who only sells to specialty boutiques, so who knows where this piece originated from. It’s kind of fun to think of the roads some of our second hand pieces have traveled. I like the asymmetrical hemline and the funky ink spray pattern on the front. I also like the sleeve length, which is perfect for the transitional days between summer and fall.

I remembered that I still had these rusty, Chili Oil, Chico’s So Slimming ponte pants that I had purchased on sale a few years ago. Ponte pants are made from a thick, stretchy, double-knit fabric called Ponte di Roma. They offer a more flattering line than regular leggings due to the specially made seams and more support. I don’t wear dress pants very often these days as I no longer have an office job, but I hang onto things for now, because who knows when I may have to go back to work outside the home.

To add a bit of texture and a layer for cooler temps I reached for this thrifted Crazy Horse by Liz Claiborne corduroy vest. It does a fairly good job of mimicking the French Roast dark brown color on the New York classic palette. I love this piece as it is structured, but also has a bit of stretch making it easier to wear.

I kept my jewelry simple, as the top, vest and pants do the talking. A long black and white, beaded pendant necklace, and a stack, bead bracelet with browns, creams, blacks and a touch of yellow threw in a bit more texture and interest. I didn’t think to swap out my blue Fit Bit band for a brown or white one. Ha, ha.

I chose black for my shoes and bag to tie to the black print on the top. My bag is a thrifted Fossil shoulder bag, and my shoes are Aerosoles that I purchased a number of years ago from DSW. I really like both of these. The bag is a great fall and winter choice, and the heels are comfortable (for as comfy as a heeled shoe can be when you don’t wear them very often - ha, ha).

What do you think of these Pantone colors? Would you wear these colors together? Do you like Lemon Grass, Chili Oil or French Roast the best? Which of these colors do you already have in your closet? Leave me a comment or two. It helps my blog to grown and reminds me why I do this!

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I hope you are having a great week!

Color Play: Red Orange with Shade of Purple and Brown

This week I am showing you an outfit I actually wore all day. This colorful combination was inspired this past week by my husband’s Aunt Lynn who always wears skirts. I have so many fun skirts that I never wear and I thought, well, why not? Last week while she and my mother-in-law were visiting I donned this purple and blue skirt for a trip to our favorite British Tea Garden restaurant a little ways north of us. This week I decided to pull out this fabulous bohoesque piece. Keep reading for all the details.

Lighting makes such a huge difference in picture quality, as my daughter who is a professional photographer will tell you. It also makes a difference what sort of camera you use, time of day and so on. More expensive phones can take great pictures, and my little IPhone SE does okay, but on a bright, sunny day in the shade it just doesn’t capture the true essence of the colors in my outfit. My top definitely leans more towards a red orange, but in these phots it looks more red.

My top is a very recently thrifted Chico’s piece and is a linen blend. I’m not a huge linen fan as I have said before, but I do like the cool factor of linen, and a blend shows a little less wrinkling, but what really sold me on this piece were the sleeves. Aren’t they fun? Three layers of fringe add to the Bohemian vibe of this look.

This thrifted, colorful skirt is Notations brand. I like that it has a bit of a crinkle to it. Does anyone remember the old “broomstick skirts” from back in the 90’s? I had several back in the day, but ended up getting rid of them. They, like many trends come and go, but if you are into Boho or Cottage Core aesthetics in your fashion then you’ll want to keep a few of these long, wrinkly pieces. I have incorporated a couple back into my rotation, thus my desire to show off my skirts here and there.

The skirt has, not only the red orange color, but dark purple, a medium brown, a subtle olive green, and a periwinkle blue. For today’s outfit I wanted to emphasize the purple and brown in part to show off this fabulous glass bead necklace I found at the thrift shop around the corner from my house. They have so many awesome treasures. My grandson, who I have been watching this week said he loved my necklace and that the dark purple beads looked like candy. Ha, ha.

Another second hand find, this Universal Thread cross body bag was exactly what I had been on the hunt for. Obviously, it is more like the old fashion “butt packs” that we used to carry back in the 80’s. What I like about this version is being able to wear it across my chest. It makes it feel more secure and is very easy to access. This is a soft, buttery faux leather and, while small, it holds my wallet, phone, keys and a tube of lip gloss. What more does a girl need?

If I look a bit tired in the above picture it’s because I am exhausted. With my spouse being disabled from his gimpy ankles, having company last week and now watching a very energetic, stubborn, and loud three year old, I am pooped! But God is good and we will persevere, not because of who I am, but because of who He is!

For shoes I went with my older, tan Keds. While they are not as cute as a pair of sandals would be, they are much more practical for chasing a rambunctious toddler.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you have a colorful skirt that you like to pull out in the warmer weather? What colors does your skirt have in it? I love to hear your thoughts and ideas so leave a comment or two.

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Have a great Tuesday!

My Style: Denim Jacket Outfit for Spring - Two Ways

There is nothing that says warmer weather like a denim jacket. These warm weather pieces are the perfect weight when you just need a little something for the air conditioning or for a cooler evening outdoor event. Fortunately, there is no reason to wait until it is warmer. We can start wearing our beloved jean jackets during these transitional weather times as the temps fluctuate from 70’s one day to 40’s the next. “Oh my sinuses!!”

Style Tip: When styling a jean jacket for the cooler and unpredictable spring weather just look at them as you would a button down cardigan, a utility jacket or your favorite blazer. A denim jacket in any wash will make an outfit interesting, youthful and provide an extra layer when the weather isn’t quite ready to stay put.

I thought it would be fun, and beneficial to show you how to style a jean jacket two ways. The first will be for a dressed up look suitable for lunch with friends, a night out with your significant other, or even for the office or church. The second will be more casual for a day of chasing the grandkids, or getting the groceries.

Look 1 - White Button Down

I did some research this past week on styling white button down shirts. It seems these pieces that once were reserved for the work place or maybe church are now chic and elegant with any type of outfit. Listen to this YouTube Video which gave me some great ideas for styling a collared white button down. The thought to use it for this blog post on styling a denim jacket for spring seemed like the perfect way to introduce this idea.

This thrifted Christopher and Banks piece is actually an XL. Typically, the idea behind a classic white button down is that it be a bit more structured, but the fix for a bigger, boxier piece like this is to merely tuck it in.

Style Tip: Choose the white that works for you. I am not as much into stark white, and lean more towards an ivory, pearl or very light cream. Find what works best for your complexion.

I’ve had this basic denim jacket for a number of years. It is Massini brand and I bought it at our local Meijer. I have numerous jean jackets. Here is one in a military style, a cropped one, one with floral applique, a medium brown, a white one, and a yellow one with 3/4 length sleeves. I do have a couple more, but I haven’t taken outfit photos with them yet. I know! How many denim jackets does a girl need? A basic one is really all that your wardrobe requires, but you know me and my clothes horse issues. Ha. ha.

These hand-me-over slim cut pants are Chico’s brand. A few years ago my best friend was cleaning out her closet and let me go through the bags. That is always fun to do!

For my shoes, I grabbed these thrifted, Merona, wedge ankle boots. I thrifted them last year and hadn’t really had the opportunity to wear them. When I put them one, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfy they are. I definitely need to think of some more ways to style these.

My tote bag was from Charming Charlie’s back when we still had a store at our mall. I love this room piece and with the two tone color and gold rivets feel like it is great for dressing up.

Gold tones seemed the perfect accompaniment for this outfit. Layering necklaces is still a think so feel free to layer it on.

Look 2 - White Tee

The beauty of this type of outfit is that it is easy to swap out just a few pieces to make the outfit completely different for the changing aspects of your life. Swap out the dressier button down for a white tee. I chose a long sleeve, graphic tee.

I got this cute “love yourself” tee with the appliqued daisy before I started my #75hardstylechallenge . This is a brand called Ultra Flirt and I bought it at the thrift shop around the corner when they were having a 50% off sale which they do at the end of each month. You can also see, I swapped out my narrow metallic belt for this wider olive one, which also makes the outfit more casual. This shirt is a cropped piece, so could also be worn out with not belt.

I chose white my white Steve Madden sneakers from DSW. These are starting to show some wear, but I will clean them up with a bit of dish soap, baking soda and a toothbrush and they will get me through one more summer.

Since brown bags are trending, I thought I would pull out this thrifted Rafe for Target bag. I definitely want to use this for the summer. It is quite roomy and seems very durable and it has a pretty printed cloth liner.

Here are the two outfits side by side. What do you think? Do you have a denim jacket in your closet? Will you be taking it out for spring? Would you style it the same way as you would a blazer or cardigan to get more wear out of these fun warm weather pieces?

I hope you enjoyed this post. I’m providing a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.