20 Days of Christmas - Plaid Pants

Every now and then I have to get outside my comfort box. I have never really liked wearing things that draw attention to my lower half. Especially tight fitting, brightly colored pieces. I prefer a-line dresses to body con styles. If you don’t know, body con is more of a form fitting dress. I prefer dark wash jeans to lighter washes and feel most comfortable in jeans rather than leggings. I don’t wear leggings as pants, or if I do, I have my bum covered. Anyway, when I saw these crazy, red, plaid pants at Target on the clearance rack, I immediately thought of my Christmas challenge.

Those of you who regularly follow me, know I have been doing a monthly column called Outside the Box. These have been posts that I have done to try to challenge myself to get out of my typical fashion mentality. Let’s face it, we all like to be comfortable. Some women are comfortable in heels and dresses. While I can do that, it is not what I turn to when I want to feel secure. My go to, as you know are jeans and cozy sweaters or flannel shirts. But I also know that part of getting older is the urge to get stuck in a rut and not be willing to learn or try new things, thus the idea of getting outside the box.

These plaid pants do not have any green in them, so they will be easily styled with other colors, but I thought they were perfect when paired with a newer Croft & Barrow v-neck cable knit sweater and a thrifted blazer.

This blazer is actually meant to have a double breasted look, but I am too big to button it in that manner. However, when I saw it, it was the buttons on each side that made me want to buy it, that and the color. I think wearing it open, using the buttons for a decoration, works just as well. Since it is more of a forest green, I felt that it keeps the outfit from being too over the top with color.

I decided on silver for my accessories and was excited to remember this large silver pendant necklace that closely resembles a snowflake. That and my SO silver flats and a small silver clutch complete the ensemble.

I think this outfit is festive and fun and would work well for a Christmas office party, or a lunch date with your girlfriends. Would you wear a pair of pants like this? How do you like to dress up for a Christmas party?

I’ve included a few shopping links for more fun plaid prints. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Spring Transition - Layering with a Vest

There are other ways to keep warm in the spring, besides adding jackets, although with our crazy weather, a light weight jacket is a perfect option. This week, however, I wanted to include a vest in the spring transition mix. Wearing a vest is a great way to add a layer, not only for warmth, but to add interest to an outfit. 

There are all sorts of vest options, ranging from heavy weight knits to lighter chiffon styles, as well as those that are more structured. Vests range in size from short to long, streamline to those with extra material made to cascade down the front. For today's post I am using a longer knit vest.

This long, brown knit vest is a piece I picked up at a thrift store. It is a brand called Fever. It has a belt, so can be belted for a different look. I usually wear it open, although, I think it would have worked just as well for this outfit if it had been closed and belted. I keep the belt attached and have one side tied to the belt loop to keep it from slipping out. Doing this keeps the belt with the vest and gives me the option of tying it, should I desire. 

These plaid ankle pants I have styled on the blog before. You can see that post here. I am a firm believer that as many pieces as possible, in my closet, should be able to be worn over and over as different outfits. Obviously a pair of pants is still a pair of pants, but one time it can be styled with a long knit vest and the next time with a chambray shirt. One time it can be worn with boots and the next time with sandals. Try to look at those pieces in your wardrobe as the beautifully versatile things they are, and start imagining all the many ways you can change them up to style whole new outfits. 

The royal blue, short sleeve embellished sweater is a favorite from Christopher and Banks. I like that I don't have to worry about jewelry, although in this case, I did add a simple bead on a leather strap. The bead has brown, gold, navy and bright blue flecks and really pulls the whole outfit together. 

I decided on my ivory Simply Vera Wang cross body bag for my purse choice. It is quality leather and simple enough to go with any outfit. For my shoes I went with my newer Sonoma perforated peep toe heeled sandals. 

Here is another shot of the whole outfit.

This is a great outfit for work, or even for a lunch date with the hubby or friends. What do you think of this outfit? Do you own a pair of plaid pants and you have been wondering how to wear them? Do you like to wear vests? I'd love to hear from you. I always appreciate the input and I always respond to your wonderful comments. I learn a lot from you all so keep up the feedback.

I've included a few shopping links below. Please feel free to click around and see what options are out there. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog. 

Have a great day. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.