Shopping Our Closets - Light Weight Joggers and a Button Down Shirt

This week I want to share with you two pieces I think are essential to a warmer weather wardrobe: light weight joggers and a button down shirt. These two are practical and versatile and able to be used for so many outfits. For today’s post I combined these pieces to make a comfortable ensemble easily worn to a summer graduation party, a casual night out, or a trip to the zoo with the kids or grandkids.

I was never a jogger sort of gal. Jeans have always been my go to, and occasionally dress pants for work when I had an office job. Joggers were for exercise, not daily wear. However, I came across a floral Sonoma pair at Kohl’s a couple of years ago and thought I would give them a try, since I loved the floral pattern. You can see those styled here. Now I have this purple pair, and a blue pair. In addition I have added a few pairs that I thrifted.

Those of us who have very bad varicose veins do not really like to show our legs off on a regular basis, but we also like to be cool in the hot weather, so a light weight, comfy pant like these joggers is the perfect compromise. They are completely versatile as well, so you can make them super casual, or add a silky top and heels for a more dressed up vibe.

Style Tip: Never say never when it comes to clothing. Trying new styles and pieces is exactly how you grow your wardrobe and how you really hone in on your exact style. Style, just like many things in life, is a trial and error type of thing. Try something and if you don’t like it, move on to the next thing.

I went for a purple with purple combo in this outfit, but I wouldn’t call it monochrome, because the purples are quite different. My tee seems to lean in the blue direction, although if you saw it by itself you would definitely say it is purple. I love graphic tees, and this thrifted Misslook piece is spot on my style. You can also see my purple hued bracelets that I added for jewelry interest.

Style Tip: If you like to wear tee shirts think outside the box as to how you style them. A nice, crisp white tee is just as much a work wear piece as a nice, crisp button down. Add a neck scarf or some layered necklaces, top it with a structured blazer and you’ll look ready to take on the world. On the other side, tees, especially graphic ones with words or designs, can be uniquely yours and tell a lot about your personality and what you value.

Once again, I am using a classic button down as a shacket. This thrifted yellow piece is White Stag. I have hung onto a few more structured, solid colored button downs as layering pieces that can be used all year round.

I chose this bright yellow bag as I thought it drew out the bright yellow in the center of the daisy on my shirt and compliments the pale yellow button down. This was a thrift find and is a brand called Bueno.

I got these pale yellow Universal Thread sneakers at Target on clearance a few seasons ago.

What do you think of this look? Do you wear button down’s as light weight layering pieces? Do you like to wear tee shirts? How do you like to style them? I always love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to leave a comment or two.

As usual I ‘m including a few shopping links for you to peruse. Please feel free to use these links as inspiration for your own wardrobe. I only make money on these links if you use the link to purchase something. These are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

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Pantone - Spring/Summer - 2021 - NY Palette - Amethyst Orchid, Green Ash and Inkwell

Today’s combination of Pantone colors from the New York palette is a study in contrasts. The dark, moody blue of Inkwell, which mimics a night sky is a type of color disparity when side by side with the pale pastel of Green Ash. When I pair colors I often go for bold with bold, or light with light, but I wanted to experiment by creating an outfit with an eye catching difference in color. The addition of Amethyst Orchid gives the perfect compliment of medium purple color.

Let me start the outfit details by talking about this recently thrifted tee. I love the bold flower on the front and purple has long been a favorite color of mine, so I was glad it was on the palette. This tee is St. John’s Bay brand. The darker inner petals are actually separate pieces of material, which gives the tee added dimension.

To go along with the Amethyst Orchid color in the tee, I also added this recently thrifted scarf. I love the large gingham pattern. It was the perfect accompaniment to the whole look. Another interesting feature of this scarf is the ruching of elastic throughout its length adding texture.

These thrifted, Inkwell pants are a brand called Hydrant. A dark pant like this is great for making our lower halves look longer and slimmer. I really like these, but they are a lint magnate. Wearing them with a fuzzy sweater like this is probably not the best idea. Ha, ha. You can also see I added a wider, olive belt since belts are trending and did my usual front tuck.

My fuzzy Green Ash sweater might be a little light, but it is pretty close to the Pantone color. This was a Christopher and Banks purchase last year. Before I bought this piece I had very little of this color in my wardrobe. I have picked up a few things since then. It is a pretty pastel color to wear, especially in the spring and summer. I really like how well it goes with the Amethyst Orchid color.

I decided to go with white for my shoes and bag. White is definitely a go to in the warmer months. My white Keds will be on repeat. My white shoulder bag is a new thrift find. I have been searching for a different white bag and this one has plenty of room and can also be worn as a cross body bag. This is a brand called Bueno.

What do you think of these colors? Would you wear a light pastel with a dark color like navy or black? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.

I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo and graphic Rebecca Trumbull.