Outfit Inspiration: Navy and Green Color Combo

Right now Pinterest seems to be the source of inspiration for many of my recent blog posts. I do use the occasional Instagram challenge to also find inspiration, and there are lots of places, people and things to inspire our clothing combinations. However, as you know, convenience often weighs heavily when life is busy or we are feeling tired. This is the pin that inspired today’s look.

Unlike the Pinterest pin, I used a vest, rather than a jacket, and there are other differences in accessories, and so on, but as I have said before, the point is to be inspired. I think something an fellow Instagram user posted makes sense. We want to be inspired, not influenced. Inspiration allows us to shop our own closets and put together similar looks without necessarily having to copy the look. Being influenced might include the pull to purchase pieces we don’t need or won’t actually wear.

This Christopher & Banks vest is from a couple years ago. It is a great piece and the quilting definitely gives it a warm, cozy feel. I like that it is a bit longer than many of my other quilted vests, and that it has buttons instead of a zipper. I rarely wear any of my vests closed, but it is nice to have different options.

Style Tip: Before you purchase vests or jackets think about collars. Ask yourself if you prefer the collar to lay flat or stand up, or be able to do both. Think about what you will be wearing it for and how you will be styling it with your other clothing. For today’s outfit, the stand up collar works great, but those are not my first choice. I typically like a collar to lay flat, or be something similar to a shawl type collar, or in the cold weather a turtleneck will do.

This minty green sweater is a thrifted Sonoma piece. The color and the texture were different than the other pullovers I have, so I snatched this one up. I added the reddish pendant necklace and bracelet, along with my bag as an after thought, but I think the darker reds help define the outfit as a fall look.

Style Tip: When it comes to transitional outfits, you may find yourself reaching for the same pieces which brings the option of pairing them together again. With a few easy adjustments you can make a fall outfit work for spring, or a spring outfit work for fall. To make this outfit passable for spring I would choose lighter colored accessories, possibly in a pastel pink.

These thrifted Sonoma utility pants look brown in this picture, but they are an olive drab. I thought they worked well for this overall casual outfit.

I played around with a few different scarves, one of which was a dark blue with pink and burgundy tones. I thought of pairing burgundy pants with the vest and sweater, but then decided I wasn’t quite ready for the darker colors. Thus when I saw this scarf and liked how it went with the other pieces I opted for burgundy accessories to still bring in the darker tone of fall, and I thought the burgundy went well with the pinks in the scarf.

My bag is The Sak brand and it was given to me by my thrifting bestie.

My ankle boots were purchased at Kohls and are SO brand. I have had them for several years.

Style Tip: Should you match your shoes to your pants, your top or not at all? I think variety is the spice of life, as they say, so why not do all three. Today, I matched my shoes to my vest. Other days I might wear shoes that look more like my pants to create that longer, leaner line from hip to toe. Still on other days, I might wear a basic brown, or black boot, or I might just wear sneakers and they don’t have to match at all. Your outfit, your way, so however you want to do it is fine. The point is to be comfortable, pulled together and confident in what you are wearing.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and that it inspired you to build an outfit that combines colors, textures and accessories to make you feel good when you are in it.

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Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Outfit Inspiration: Fall Look Inspired by Pinterest

As I finished up the Pantone Autumn/Winter 2024 NY Palette last Tuesday, I thought about where I wanted to go from there. Should I follow that up with the Autumn/Winter 2024 London Palette, or do I just let that go and do posts that are fall oriented, but of my own making? For today I chose to create my own outfit with just a little inspiration from Pinterest.

As you will see, I drew inspiration from the pin in the black pants and chambray top, but I opted to use a different color for the cardi, boots and bag, and I added a scarf.

Style Tip: Use things like Pinterest, art, magazines, and other inspiring ideas as a jumping off point. If you want to copy the style or the colors exactly that’s great, but leave room for you own interpretations. Not every style is for every woman, and not every woman wears every color, and so on. Inspiration is to be just that, something from which you get ideas and direction on where you want your style to go.

I started with my long sleeve chambray shirt. This Sonoma button down has been a work horse for years every since I purchased it at Kohl’s. I just love the embroidery on this piece.

Style Tip: Chambray comes in various washes, just like any denim, so don’t be afraid to experiment with various shades to see what works best for you and for the outfit you are trying to put together. I liked the contrast of the black with this lighter shade.

These black, cropped, raw hem jeans were a thrift find. They are very stretchy and have a higher waist, so are great if I want a smoother look under a top or sweater.

Style Tip: Be aware that most black jeans will look “weathered” after a number of washings, but here is an article on how to keep them looking top notch. In addition, if you want to keep a black pant truly black, and don’t want to re-dye them, look for a trouser with fabrics like polyester, rayon or viscose. These fabrics hold their color better than cotton or cotton blends.

My olive duster has also been one that gets regular wear in the cooler weather. This is another Sonoma piece from Kohl’s. The weight of this piece is perfect for these transitional temperatures, and it has pockets!

As I said previously I opted for all olive colored accessories: SO Ankle boots, thrifted hobo bag, and thrifted camo scarf. However, you could easily take this outfit formal and change up the color and style of sweater, boots and bag and have a completely different look.

Unfortunately, it has been too warm here in the midwest to wear an outfit like this. I did wear the pants, boots and button down the rest of the day, but it was too warm for a scarf and sweater. Okay summer, you can go now! Ha, ha.

Would you wear an outfit like this? What is the weather like where you are?

I hope you enjoyed this outfit. How would you style an outfit like this? Would use olive, tan, gray or some other color to top black pants and a chambray shirt? As always, I love to hear your thoughts.

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Outfit Inspiration - Pinterest Summer Look

When looking for outfit inspiration I used to look at catalogues and adds that I would get from various retailers like Christopher and Banks, Kohl’s, JC Penney, and others that would send flyers with outfit possibilities to get you to go purchase various pieces from their stores. It seems these days there are fewer and fewer who do the paper adds, choosing to stick to online marketing with only occasional pushes via snail mail.

I have also used fashion magazines like In Style, Vogue, Elle and others to get inspiration, but lately I can’t even bring myself to look at those magazines due to the political and social agendas so many of them have. I’m all for human rights and treating one another fairly and with kindness, but I get frustrated when various entities try to shove it down my throat, when all I want to do is put an outfit together. The same is true of retail stores, but my purpose in this blog is not to create hate and controversy. My desire is to encourage and inspire.

That being said, I now frequently turn to art, as you saw at the end of June when I styled an outfit around the colors in two paintings. I am also trying to remember to look at my Pinterest Boards, after all, I pin those outfits, recipes, home decor and so on for a purpose. They are suppose to inspire me to try new things and give you styles that are fun and easily duplicated.

Today’s outfit is an easy style that can be replicated with any a-line skirt, tank top or tee, and accessories. You can make it completely your own, by using a different print and color skirt, adding black or other colored accessories instead of brown, and by switching in a graphic tee for the solid colored tank top. This outfit was inspired by this pin.

This thrifted skirt has been in my closet for a number of years and it is starting to show some wear. I don’t wear skirts that often, but this one is a piece I often reach for in the warmer weather. It is a brand called Outback Red. So, I did a little poking around on the internet and discovered that this brand used to be sold by The Limited. Do you remember that store? I do. It was very popular in the 80’s, thus the style of this skirt. Since the 80’s were over forty years ago, can we now say that item made in that decade are vintage? Ha, ha.

My white tank top is also a thrift find, along with the layered bead necklace, and belt. The skirt has no belt loops, but I think the belt adds a touch of polish to the outfit. What do you think?

Style Tip - Adding a belt to skirt or dress can add interest to your outfit and give the appearance of a narrower waistline.

I found two of these tank tops at different times thrifting. This one is a creamy white, while the other has a taupe vibe to it. They both have a banded bottom, which is nice if you wear it out with jeans in that it doesn’t show off the love handles like some ribbed tank tops do. For this outfit I tucked it in. In fact the necklace would go well with either of the tank tops I am talking about.

You have seen my bag on the blog before. This one I got a Walmart a few years ago when patchwork was the rage. I think it is a very classy looking, structured piece, and the low key tans and browns go with many outfits.

Style Tip - While bright colored handbags are fun to use (I have a number), bags in classic colors like neutrals, black or navy add a touch of class to any look.

I wanted a similar look to the pinned outfit, so I knew I wanted to wear sandals. I got these gladiator sandals last year, and when I want something different from my usual sneakers these fit the bill. They are easy to get on and off, with a zipper on the back of the heel. They are airy, comfortable and you don’t have to worry about them falling off. They also cover most of the varicose veins on my feet.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you use Pinterest for outfit inspiration? Where do you get your outfit inspiration from? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or you can also leave me a comment on Facebook.

(Pardon my arm flab! Ha, ha.)

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