Thinking About Fall - Transitional Style - Tank Top

Before I get into the Pantone color series for Autumn/Winter 2021, I wanted to look at a few options for taking your summer pieces into fall. It seems like common sense to add layers as the weather begins to cool, at least for those of us in the northern part of the country. Even in warmer states, and countries, there are always those rainy days, or cooler evenings where having a layer or two makes a person more comfortable. The question I have to ask myself is why bother transitioning? Why not just change out our summer wardrobes for those fall pieces in deep burgundies and rusty oranges?

I think there are several reasons we need to transition from summer into fall. First of all, even those of us who love fall and enjoy the cooler weather, hate to see summer come to an end. The end of summer means shorter days, and the loss of the freedom and fun we associate with summer. Being able to run around without heavy coats, mittens and scarves is something most of us love being able to do. Summer also means vacations and beach days for many. It is hard to say goodbye to these wonderfully long, lazy days.

Another reason is that transitioning our wardrobes to fall slowly, allows us to extend the life of those summer pieces we love. The tank tops, shorts, light weight dresses and kimonos are still usable as the weather cools if we remember how much fun layering can be. I have already seen many bloggers and Instagram gals showing off these types of outfits.

Today’s focus is on tank tops. This could be a simple ribbed tank, or something like this thrifted Christopher & Banks shell, that is more structured and workwear appropriate. Since I am not working, I am showing you a casual look that can easily be taken from summer into fall with three simple changes.

My daughter hired an assistant and has started training her behind the camera. They asked if we could do pictures in the studio, to give her some practice, not only with outfit photos, but with indoor shots. I love outdoor photos because there are so many possibilities, but there is something to be said for studio photos, especially when the weather is hot, humid and buggy! We just used the wall as a backdrop, but it you follow Rebecca Trumbull Photography, you know she has all sorts of backdrop colors for headshots and puppy pictures.

This outfit is easy, peasy. A pair of thrifted Merona boyfriend ankle jeans, a tank top, shoes, bag and a little jewelry. Except for the bag and jewelry, everything in this outfit is thrifted.

I chose this tank top for a few reasons. The first is, I have been trying to use pieces that I haven’t used in a while in my closet. I actually started keeping track of what I have worn. For my hanging pieces, I turn the hangers backwards after I wash and hang them back up. For my tees, I have started turning the ones I used neck line out, rather than fold out. It might seem silly, but it does help to see what I have been wearing and encourages me to choose other pieces.

For this easy summer look, I kept my jewelry light and simple.

I wanted to chose a bag that could make the transition to fall, so this bright yellow tote was perfect.

My sneakers are thrifted Converse. I washed them in the washer, but they need a little TLC to make them look pristine, which I haven’t done yet.

In order to make an outfit like this ready for the cooler weather and changes that fall bring with it, you only need to do three simple things.

1 - Swap out light, breezy jewelry for jewelry that is bold and chunky.

2 - Add a jacket, sweater or other topper.

Utility jackets are often my fall and spring go to’s for light layers. This Sonoma piece with its beautiful embroidered embellishments goes perfectly with the leafy print of the tank. Being that it is tan, rather than a darker olive or brown, also gives me that slow transition into the darker, richer colors of fall.

3 - Swap out sneakers for ankle boots.

These are my Sonoma suede heeled booties. They are a regular part of my fall, winter and spring wardrobe.

Let’s take a look at the outfits side by side.

You can see that in the summer look I rolled the pants up and in the fall look I left them full length. I love ankle pants for this transition time, because they allow me to show off the ankle boots, and they are still not as warm as full length pants.

The other detail I changed was doing the front tuck on the top, to show off the belt and give the outfit a less casual vibe.

How would you transition a tank top into fall? Do you have tank tops that you love to wear all year round? What do you think of this outfits?

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links and are brought to you at no extra cost. If you click on a shopping link, I get a few cents. I appreciate all your clicks and all your comments.

Have a great Wednesday!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone Fall 2018 - Quetzal Green, Crocus Petal and Meerkat

I am on my last Pantone Fall 2018 post. I hope you have enjoyed seeing these colors and the way I have managed to put outfits together using the inspiration from the 2018 Fall palette. As in anything where fashion is concerned we can take it our leave it. Fashion is for you. It is about putting together outfits and colors that you like, make you feel confident and that you will enjoy wearing. In some ways what we wear is like our second skin. It provides a covering for a bodies and how we put that cover together can boost our self-image and help us better manage our wardrobes and our pocket books.

I have found, in the fashion realm, just like in cooking, having a source of inspiration really helps. Whether you follow a recipe or cook from memories of you and your mom or grandmother working together to make wonderful creations in the kitchen, you use that inspiration to put food on your table. In the same way inspiration for fashion can come from magazines, bloggers, color palettes or even things out in nature. That is the reason I always like to use the Pantone color palettes as a spring board for creating fun and interesting outfits.

These last two colors, Quetzal Green and Crocus Petal, I decided to pair, once again, with Meerkat. Crocus Petal is a lighter, more spring like color found on the London palette. I feel that pairing it with Quetzal Green and Meerkat was the perfect way to keep the light color grounded and more fall like.

This top is a Kohl’s clearance find and is Dana Buchman brand. It is a button up with 3/4 length sleeves and a longer silhouette. It has some stretch and is more fitted. I opted to wear this bead and metal statement necklace, which incorporates the Crocus Petal color as well. I wore a simple gold cuff on my arm.

I found the open weave sweater thrifting, I love the variations in the knit. I am not a yarn girl, though I would love to be. I think this is crocheted, but it might be knit. Can any of you readers tell? Whatever it is I love the different stitch sizes and open versus more closed aspect to the piece. Here we are talking about texture again and how essential is is to making an outfit more interesting.

I thought these two colors when great with the browns, black and cream of my leopard print pencil skirt. This skirt is another JC Penney find and is Worthington brand.

The boots, Aerosoles and bag, both thrifted were the perfect accessories to pair with this outfit. I think black would have worked well or even a cream colored boot, which are trending right now, but I love the luxe feel of the Meerkat color.

Next week I’ll have a recap of all the Pantone Fall 2018 colors. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series and that it provided you with some inspiration for trying new color combinations. Always shop your closet before going out to purchase what is currently trending. You might already have a leopard print top or the perfect color piece that matches with one of the Pantone seasonal colors.

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

Have a great day.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone Fall 2017 - The New York Palette - Grenadine and Butterum

I want to continue my look at the Pantone 2017 Fall color palette this week, but now we are venturing into the New York colors. Whereas for the London palette, I paired the two colors together that were directly parallel to one another, for the New York palette I decided to pick the color pairings that appealed to me. 

Grenadine is named after the bright red syrup that is used to make drinks. It traditionally is derived from the pomegranate. Obviously, when the Pantone gurus chose to name this color they hit the mark with this bright red. Butterum has many similarities to the London color Toast. I felt that these two colors made a fun pairing and enjoyed putting this outfit together.

My top is a simple button up cardigan that I have had for some time. It is Merona which is a Target brand. Here is a similar one from Macy's.  Instead of a necklace I added a silky fringe scarf.

My pants edge more towards a cognac color than the Butterum, but you get the idea. I purchased these pants recently from Meijer and they are a brand called Stitch Star.  I love that they have patches. It creates additional texture and interest to the outfit. Here is a blue jean pair from Kohls.

I kept my accessories minimal. My boots, which are Aerosoles, are a close enough match to the pants that it gives me that longer line. Matching your pants with your shoes can elongate your legs making you look leaner, and taller. 

Here is a similar color boot from Aerosole. Here is a fun pair from DSW. There are so many fun ankle boots out right now in every color and heel height.

My only other accessory is my snakeskin clutch. I thought this connected with the outfit well because of the color combination. I like this clutch because it has a short chain, so I can also put it over my shoulder if I need both hands free. 

Here are a few other fun bags. 

What do you think of this color combination? Red is trending this fall and whether it be Grenadine or Flame Scarlet or something in between, you will be stylin' if you are the lady in red. 

I've listed a few shopping options below. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Thinking Fall with a Cable Knit Sweater Vest

This week I am featuring a beautiful blogger from down south. Tania Stephens was born in Tennessee and currently lives with her hubby in Southwest Virginia. Tania is a fireball. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She works at a lumber yard, is an active member in her women's club, has deep faith, and has an enormous following for her blog, 50 is Not Old, which she started in 2015. It is easy to see why Tania is so popular. She is a real, actual woman and she tells the best stories. She has a classic style and loves jewelry and handbags! Who doesn't? Ha, ha. You can read more about Tania on her About page. 

The look I was inspired by just shouted fall to me. As the weather starts to get chilly we can break out our cozy sweaters and reach for our jackets. This post was from September 26, 2016 and is titled, Cable Knit Sweater Vest. You can see Tania's original post by clicking on the link or by clicking on the picture. 

I love simplicity and that is what this outfit says to me. What is more comfortable and simplistic than a pair of jeans, long sleeve button up and a cozy vest? Add a great pair of boots, a colorful bag and some fun jewelry and you are ready to go. I love how Tania's vest, boots and jewelry all tended toward a more neutral color against the dark wash of her jeans. Her white blouse and bright blue bag make the outfit shine. 

Here is my version.

You can see here my sweater vest is orange, so I have a bit more color. I also tucked my jeans into my boots, where as Tania rolled hers up. A different style of boot calls for a little different handling of the individual pieces. 

Since I wore orange, I decided to accessorize with orange jewelry too. This is the only white button up I own and while I like the casual style of the blue chambray stripe, I think I need a plain white one. I probably should have tucked it in as well. I was feeling rather sloppy! Ha, ha.

Here you can get a better look at my boots and my green thrifted bag. I thought green would be the perfect pop of color against the dark wash jeans and the orange sweater and accessories. 

As always, I am thankful for the many other bloggers that continue to inspire and motivate me dress in a style that is all my own, but that can learn from others. Be sure to stop by Tania's blog and give her some love.

Have a great weekend. If you follow my faith blog, be sure to check back tomorrow for my Mulling it Over post on Ephesians 6:16. 

I appreciate each one of you and all the support you give me. If you have a chance leave me a comment. I'd love to hear from you. 

Photo credit (mine) Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

 Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, 

Pantone Spring 2017 - Flame

If you follow the Pantone colors, you know that they come up with a palette every spring and fall that contains ten colors. This palette becomes the basis for what fashion designers and architectural designers use as their color schemes for clothing, accessories, paint colors and home goods, such as furniture, bedding and pillows.

Today's earthy hue is called Flame. This bold, deep orange is evocative of sunny days sipping iced tea and warm evenings sitting around a campfire toasting marshmallows. It also shouts of day lilies and fuzzy peaches warmed by the mid day sun.

Earlier in the year, Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy and I, did a collaboration sneak peek of the Spring Pantone colors. To see my post click here. For one of my outfits I styled the same pair of pants that I used in last week's post and called it Flame. Just for fun I want you to see the difference in these two oranges.

When we initially did our sneak peek back in February, I thought these orange pants were pretty close to the actual Pantone color. Turns out I was wrong! See, I do mess up! Ha, ha. It's all good. I am still learning about color. Perhaps that is the reason I enjoy doing this series on the Pantone colors. The first orange really is more of a pumpkin color and has yellow undertones. Flame has more red undertones. So we could say, orange is orange is orange, but in reality, it isn't. 

The reason, I am spending a bit of time on this idea of color, is that I often hear people say, "I can't wear that color. It just washes me out." In reality, I think we can wear every color out there. You just have to know which version of the color is flattering for you. I probably would not wear the pumpkin orange near my face, but Flame, I can. However, I can wear the pumpkin orange as pants and it is no problem.

On to my outfit. This Flame utility jacket I purchased at Nordstrom Rack with the gift cards I received from winning a drawing on Jodie's Touch of Style.  I fell in love not only with the style, but with the color. 

I wore my dark wash skinny jeans, although I think any wash denim would look good with this orange. This orange would also look great with brown, khaki, olive and white. I rolled the jeans for a fun look and the lighter colored cuff adds some interesting texture. 

Since stripes are in I decided to wear my navy and white Loft tee. I found this at a thrift store. It is a nice weight and has an elastic bottom. I love that it is a tee, but hides my flaws. The best kind!

You can also see I kept the jewelry simple. Gold seemed to be a nice contrast, but I think silver would have worked as well. 

My navy blue bag, another thrift store find, is a Vera Wang. I love the dual tone and texturing on the bag, and, of course, the roominess. 

This was meant to be a transitional outfit, taking me from winter to spring. In Northwest Ohio, for me it is still pants weather, so I will be wearing this again. I went with a pair of ankle boots, but it could be just as cute with a pair of fun canvas sneakers or cute flip flops. 

What do you think of this orange? Do you think you like the pumpkin orange of my pants or this Flame color better? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

I hope you are enjoying this series on the Pantone Spring 2017 colors. I love to read your comments. Right now if you make a comment you won't know if I respond, but I always respond to your input. Just check back on the original post a day or so later and you will be able to see that. I am so thankful for your support.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I get a small trickle of income if you click on a shopping link. If you buy something through my post I get a small commission. That means a lot to me. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Here are some possible "orange" options.

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Nicki of Sweet Parrish Place, Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Sara and Hannah of The Perfect Storm. Friday linking up with JoLynne Shane in the Fashion Friday link up and Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style.