Outfit Inspiration - Chambray Shirt with White Pants

I can't think of a an outfit that more epitomizes summer than a chambray shirt with white pants. The combination of blue and white just seems to say picnics, sunshine and longer hours of daylight. Adding a summer hat, bag and a pair of comfy sneakers and you have the outfit in today's post. The inspiration for this outfit came from an old advertisement for Chico's. Their adds always seem to have the prettiest outfit combinations; a great marketing idea, of course. They want you to buy their products and they do have wonderful clothing. However, if you are like me, then you like to find pieces in your own closet to make use of the clothing I already have and occasionally add a piece or two from thrift stores and regular retailers. While my pieces are not exact duplicates of the original add, they do mimic the outfit well. 

I didn't realize until after I took these photos that I should have smoothed the top out in the front by pulling it down. Ha, ha. The joys of being in a hurry when you are taking photos. 

Both of these pieces are from Christopher and Banks and I bought them in the store. You've seen these white ankle pants on the blog before. You can see those posts here, here, here and here. For this post I rolled the pants up to create more of a cropped pant look, which is what the original outfit had. 

I've styled this light chambray popover top on the blog before as well. You can see that post here. You can see in the next three photos more details on the shirt, including the hi-low hem, front pocket, three button closure, v-neck, no collar and roll tab sleeves. 

This is such an easy outfit to put together. I kept it completely casual and didn't even add any jewelry, although you could easily throw on some pretty colored bangles or bead to add a pop of color. You could also wear sandals or flip flops and carry a bright colored bag to add color in a different way. 

I've had my cream macrame bag for years and it is a cute little number for shopping when I want to carry something light and less bulky. I've also had these white Keds for years as well and they are starting to show some wear. 

What kind of outfit do you envision when you think of summer? I love to hear your feedback. I appreciate those of you who subscribe to my blog. If you like my blog, share it with your friends and family. 

Have a great day.

Marvelous Maxis - A+ A-lines

This is the final installment in my Marvelous Maxis series. An A-line skirt is basically a skirt that is narrow at the waist then subtly flares out toward the bottom, thus the "A" look. I have always been a fan of the A-line skirt because it is figure flattering, but still allows for room through the hips and thighs. It is also a great skirt to wear if you want some flare, but don't want a lot of excess material. 

Today's skirt is from Dressbarn. If you are not familiar with Dressbarn they are a women's clothing retailer selling sizes 4-24. I hadn't been in a Dressbarn in ages, but then visited one with my girlfriend while I was back in NY a few months ago. I was glad I did. They have a fun and whimsical style with a variety of prints, colors and cuts in pants, skirts, dresses and tops. They also sell accessories like shoes, bags and jewelry. It took everything in my power to not spend more than I did! 

Look 1 - Casual

I fell in love with the print on this skirt, knowing that I will be able to use it for spring, summer and fall. The skirt is a somewhat sheer material, but is fully lined so you don't have to worry about finding a slip to wear underneath. 

The lining has knee high slits on both sides, making it easy to walk and sit without feeling bound in. Here is a pretty fuschia floral print. 

I paired the skirt with a simple embellished orange tank top. This is a St. John's Bay brand which is found at JC Penney. My tank was thrifted. I tucked the top in, to keep a more figure flattering silhouette. Notice after I tucked it in, I pulled it out a touch, to allow the material to bag out to camouflage my bulges. We have to have a trick or two to hide our baggage!

Since the tank has all this bling, I decided to not wear a necklace. For accessories I just wore a multi-strand beaded bracelet, carried a small macrame bag and wore my lace up sandals. I bought these sandals at Meijer. Meijer is a grocery and clothing retailer here in the midwest. I was surprised to find out that their Massini clothing line is now backed by Stacy London of What Not to Wear fame. Meijer is trying to create a style for every body. 

Look 2 - Dressy

For a more dressy look, I swapped the casual tank for my glitzy taupe short sleeved pullover blouse. This piece was thrifted and is The Limited brand. The Limited is no longer available as they closed their stores back in January. You can see how I styled this blouse in last fall's Pantone series here. 

I also added a gold clutch and gold Covington wedge sandals, Sears carries Covington brand shoes. I also added a fun pendant necklace. 

Here are the two looks side by side.

I hope you enjoyed this series on maxi skirts. These skirts are a great option when you want to have your legs covered, but don't want to wear pant or hose. Do you have maxi skirts in your closet? How do you like to wear them? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Have a great week! 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a shopping link below, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through my site, I get a small commission. All opinions are my own. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Shelbee in the Spread the Kindness link up and Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. 

Awesome Accessories - Summer Bags

Summer is a wonderful time, fashion wise. We can get rid of all the layers and start wearing clothing that is light weight, sheer and fun. Everything from our shoes and jewelry to our skirts, jeans and tops take on a more flirty and free vibe. We love to go outside without socks or boots and without jackets or sweaters. In addition to our clothes, our accessories take on a more summery feel, with woven bags, open toed shoes and jewelry in a rainbow of colors. 

For today's post, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the fun summer trends for bags. 

Perforations

These perforated bags are so fun. Who would have thought adding a few strategically placed holes would make a bag look so chic and different. The three bags above are all reasonably priced. You can click on the picture to find out more about each bag. 

This was my perforated bag purchase. I found this at a thrift store. 

Macrame Bags

Macrame bags have been pulled out every summer for many years. I think they are fun bags that add an element of texture to any of your outfits.. Here are some fun choices. I love the tasseled tote from Kohl's and the denim and leather mix from DSW. 

These are my oldies, but goodies. They are each made of different yarn. The cream one is more of a rope material and the drawstring has a more nylon type material. 

Straw Bags 

Straw bags are back! This is a blast from the past, but with new style and flair. Here are a few to whet your appetite. Isn't that tote with the pom, poms too cute? The floral one is from JC Penney and very reasonable. Just click on the picture for more info.

I tend to look for trending items at thrift stores first, because that is where I like to shop. I never know when a trend comes along, if I will really like it or not. I never thought much of straw bags, so this is the one I picked up. However, after seeing some of the other ones out there, I think I may have to change my mind. 

The reason, I'm showing you the second picture is for the lining. You might want to consider this when purchasing a straw bag. If you are just using it to carry towels and sunscreen to the beach an unlined bag would be fine. However, if you are going to use it as a regular purse, you might want to consider a lined bag, so all those little things we tend to throw in our bags, like pens, pins and so on, won't work their way through the weaving of the straw. 

Colorful Tote Bags

Tote bags seem to make more of an appearance in the summer than in the winter. I think that may be due to their versatility. A tote bag can carry sunscreen, a book, sunglasses, and a light weight sweater along with the usual wallet, and keys. You can also use a tote bag to carry a smaller purse along with a few of the aforementioned items if you are going on a quick day trip or short weekend get away.

There are tons of adorable tote bags out there and you will find them at almost any store. The black floral version below is from Target and the multi colored woven one is from Bauble Bar. 

Here are a couple of my fun tote bags. The green one, I bought myself for Mother's Day from Charming Charlie and the multi print bag is a Vera Bradley, that a friend got on clearance and gave to me for my birthday!

Unique Clutches

A clutch is always a great go to, if you are going out and don't want to be encumbered with a large bag. If all you want to carry is a small id holder, for your credit card and id, your phone and your keys, a clutch is the perfect choice. Why not make it a unique clutch that will tell everyone you are on top of your fashion game. Here are some fun ones to think about. 

These are just a few of the many, many cute versions around. Check at your favorite retailers. You'll probably find just what you are looking for to upgrade the outfit you are wearing to that wedding, graduation party or back yard picnic. 

This is the cute one I found while thrifting when the hubs and I got away for a few days last month. I was surprised when I grabbed it knowing I wanted it, that it turned out to be a Relic brand. 

I hope you enjoyed this peek at summer bags. There are so many fun options out there. I hope you have been inspired to find that perfect summer bag. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What is your favorite summer bag? Do you use the same one all summer, or do you switch it up from one event to the next? 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on an item link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through my blog, I get a little commission. All opinions expressed are my own. I really appreciate your support. 

Have a great weekend. 

Linking up with JoLynne Shane in the Fashion Friday link up.