Outfit Inspiration: July 4th Holiday

Today’s outfit was inspired by the July 4th holiday. The idea to dress in red, white, and blue for patriotic holidays has been around for a while and is no doubt inspired by the colors of our nation’s flag. The great thing about this color combination is you can go as full on to the true colors as you want, or you can move into different shades and still get a patriotic feel.

For this outfit, I started with a thrifted, gingham, asymmetrical hem skirt. This is a fun piece with it’s unique hem and side button up detail. There was no label in this piece, so not clue where it came from originally.

The color is not a true, bright red, but rather more of a maroon or cranberry.

Since the skirt was red and white, I could have done blue as a top, but I decided to go with a Time & Tru white basic tee from Walmart, and my Christopher and Banks denim vest. Nothing says 4th of July like denim. Here’s a few denim vests from Target.

To keep the look fresh I chose a thrifted, white shoulder bag, that I also use as a cross body bag. This is a brand called Bueno. You can find numerous Bueno bags on ThredUp and Etsy. JC Penny sells a brand called Bueno of California, but I couldn’t find any info on whether these were the same company or not.

I added a few cute pieces of jewelry in red tones to pull in a little extra of the bright color.

I pulled out an old pair of Ked’s sneakers, as they were white and blue. I wish I could wear sandals more, but my veins make me self conscious, so I do wear compression knee highs almost all the time. However, for all of you who still have those beautiful legs, or for those who don’t care, wear the sandals!!

So what are you going to wear for the 4th of July? What do you think of this outfit? Is your Independence Day outfit going to include denim? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Happy 4th of July!

Shopping Our Closets: Spring Trends Edition

Today’s post revolves around several Spring 2024 fashion trends. While I don’t follow every trend that comes along, I like to be aware of what is happening from season to season. Frankly, most things have already been done, and just keep coming back into the trend rotation. Certain colors and prints, fabrics and styles come around again and again. For instance, leopard print is once again in; not that it really went out. I always hang on to a few leopard print pieces. That choice is less about what is trendy and more about what I like.

I’m not even going to give you links to forecasted spring trends because they are all so different. One says high waisted pants are out, another says they are in. The same thing for corduroys, and other styles. As I always say, wear the things that make you happy and feel good about how you look and who you are. You don’t need a high priced fashion entity to tell you what to wear. That being said, in today’s post I will share a few of the trends I like.

Prep School

Academic blazers, button down shirts and polos are all part of this preppy aesthetic. You can’t go wrong with a thrifted Ralph Lauren blazer. This is my second Ralph Lauren blazer. You can see my navy blue one here and here.

Style Tip: Second hand stores, and retailers like Poshmark, Ebay and ThredUp are great places to find cast off high end brand names.

Color Combos

This dark gray and brown pairing was another item on the trends list for this year. It seems there are few color combinations that seem a little different, but you know I love a color combo challenge, so this was perfect. Dark gray and chocolate brown would not be my first go to color combo, but I like it.

Cherry Red

Red is in and it speaks volumes, adding a pop of color to any outfit dressy or casual, and there are so many ways to make a statement with red. Try a red top, a red skirt, a red jacket or coat, a red scarf, a red bag, red shoes, or keep it simple with bright red lipstick.

Wide Legs

The wide leg look is sticking around, and you can wear it in any fabric or texture. Dress up in a wide leg trouser for work or a night out, or dress casual with a variety of wide leg jeans.

Metallics and Flats

Metallic fabric is shimmering on the run ways, but that doesn’t mean we have to go all out. Just a little dab of metals is all you need to take an outfit up a notch. I added mine in the form of my gold clutch and my silver SO flats. Flats are also on trend this spring, so take those ballet flats from the back of your closet and let them shine.

I added a few silver necklaces for a layered jewelry look, along with a few silver bangles.

Before going out shopping for new trends, be sure to take a look in your closet. Without a doubt, you have one or two pieces that are back in the trend revolving door. Out of the trends I listed above a nice structured blazer, and metallic shoes or a bag are great pieces to hang on to. They are easily styled with dressy or casual outfits, and are perfect for parties, special events and work.

I hope you enjoyed today’s outfit, and that it will inspire you to check out the spring 2024 trends on the web. You might find you have some of the ones I mentioned or others already in your wardrobe.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great day!

Seeing Red - Red with Tan - Velvet Jacket

(For those of you who entered the Bloggiversary Givaway, be sure to read to the bottom to see who won.)

As I was preparing for this series, I knew there were certain pieces I wanted to feature. Today’s red velvet jacket is one of those. This thrifted Briggs NY blazer is such a fun and unique piece. I originally got it as a holiday blazer when I was doing my 20 Days of Christmas series back in 2018. You can see the post featuring that Christmas outfit here. I wanted to be able to style this jacket in another way and what better than to wear it for the month of February. Whether you celebrate Valentines Day or are wearing red for Heart Disease awareness month, a red jacket, or blazer is a great way to do it.

Let me share a style secret with you. I typically don’t button or zip my sweaters or blazers. If I am using a piece as outerwear, then I do want to be able to zip or button it. More often though, I add a jacket or sweater as a layering piece for warmth, but leave it open, so the under layer, whether it be a graphic tee, button up or a textured sweater like the one in this outfit, can be seen. That also allows any necklaces or scarves to be an added focal point in the outfit. This blazer is too tight, but it fits well through the shoulders and back so I bought it, knowing this is exactly how I would wear it. The fashion gurus might say I am committing a crime worthy of jail, but I don’t care. After all, part of the reason many of us blog about fashion is to remind people to wear what makes you feel good and is completely you.

Just like the red and black of last week’s post, red and tan also make a wonderful statement. My tan Sonoma sweater is older than the hills. I don’t wear it too often, but it goes with so many things and was the perfect topper for this recently thrifted Worthington skirt. I like that the sweater is an open weave, so I can layer any cardi under it and you’ll be able to see the color. For this outfit I just did white, but it would have worked well with black or red too.

I fell in love with this skirt when I saw it. I have way too many skirts and don’t wear them very often at all, but I like having them, if just for the sake of showing you outfits on the blog. Plus, I like to have choices. My problem is, I have too many choices. Ha, ha. Anyway, the skirt is easy on and easy off with an elastic waist. It is a medium weight swingy knit. I wasn’t sure about the pattern at first, and even when I put it on and looked in the mirror I wasn’t sure if it would make me look too wide on the bottom, but I think the diagonal pattern works well for both narrow and fat bottomed girls. ( Do you hear Freddy Mercury singing, “Fat bottomed girls make the rockin’ world go round”?)

I found this fun necklace on clearance at Meijer. The pretty leaf is what sold me.

I also chose my bracelet with the gray stone and my silver clutch.

The same suede Aerosoles that I wore in last week’s post are making another appearance. I opted for the black hose for two reasons. With the black shoes, they make my legs look longer and thinner. In addition, the fact that it is still winter and they were a heavier weight seemed like a good choice.

What do you think of this outfit? Do wear printed skirts or do you choose to wear only solids on your bottom half? Do you like your sweaters and jackets to be worn closed or open? I’d love to hear your thoughts

For those of you who entered my Bloggiversary giveaway, thank you so much for participating. I didn’t get nearly the response I did last year, so I’m not sure if people are just too busy, or if a Target gift card isn’t that big of a draw. Ha, ha. Anyway, for those who took the time and my one new person who subscribed, thank you, thank you, thank you. You all are truly the reason I keep doing this. I also want to say thanks for your kind remarks. You all made my day and my week.

The winner of the $30 Target gift card is Karen Anderson. Congratulations, Karen!

Thanks again, everyone who supports the blog. Have a great Tuesday.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’m including a few shopping links for red blazers and jackets, just in case you find your closet lacking. Have fun shopping. These are affiliate links, all opinions are my own.

Denim Daze 2.0 - Ruffled Chambray Top - Dressy

Before I start today’s post I wanted to let everyone know that my interview with ShopNational is finally on their blog, ifthemuumuufits. Be sure to check that out and thanks again to ShopNational for the opportunity to work with them. You can see the original post here.

I intentionally chose this outfit for today, because it is red, white and blue. Happy 4th of July everyone. I hope that your day will be a good one, whether relaxing at home, because you have a day off from work or spending the day with friends and family celebrating. Our day will be pretty low key. Our kids are busy with their own thing. We used to regularly go see the fireworks, but sometimes we just want to stay home and watch a movie. That’s what we did last night. We watched the first Indiana Jones movie, which is one of our favorites.

Today’s post revolves around the short sleeve chambray top featured on Tuesday, but today will be a dressed up version.

Looking at this picture, I realized how white I am. Ha, ha. I don’t intentionally tan, like I used to when I was a young person, but it would be nice to have a little color. I was using a Mary Kay product for a little while and it was giving me a bit of a glow, but it is a lot of work to keep it up. You have to use the product every day for a week or so and then I am assuming every other day or so to keep it up. I just don’t have the time or discipline. Just like so many things in my life. For real!

Once again, the top is a Liz Claiborne find from JC Penney. This skirt was a recent purchase from Christopher and Banks. I absolutely fell in love with it. To give you a little background, I was watching a show on Netflix called the Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Set in the late 1920’s in Melbourne, Australia. It is fun, sassy, sexy and definitely eye candy for the fashion conscious. This skirt would have been a little casual for Miss Fisher, but it could have fit right in. I love the vertical stripes, which help to elongate my legs and the button details on the side.

I decided to tuck the shirt in all the way around, and you can’t even tell because the skirt is thick enough where the color doesn’t show through. I don’t think I would wear back, navy or red underwear, though, just in case.

I added red accessories, to make this outfit a winning patriotic statement.

Believe it or not, this pair of pretty red wedges are Keds. I have had these for a while and when I got on their site, it doesn’t look like they offer anything with a wedge heel any more. I found a few others that are similar and will include those at the end under shopping links.

I hope you enjoyed this outfit and that you will have a wonderful Independence Day here in the good old USA!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

I’ve included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.