My Style: Pre July 4th Look

It is hard to believe the first full day of summer, the longest day of the year is already past and we are heading towards Independence Day, the 250th birthday of our country. When we celebrated the 200th birthday I was 12 years old and I do remember going to the parade and seeing fireworks. It was a big deal. No matter who you are, what you believe or who you voted for, I hope we all can set aside the negativity and simply enjoy the freedom and benefits we have living in the United State of America, and that for just a little while we can concentrate on all that we have to be thankful for.

Today’s outfit revolves around this idea of celebration of the red, white and blue.

I didn’t really want to go full on red, white and blue, so I chose olive green as the back drop for the rest of the outfit. I started with this Love in Faith tee that I purchased a few summers ago. If you have followed me for a while you probably know my love for this online retailer. They do not pay me to endorse their products, I just love their faith-based tees for their fun graphics, their soft material and their decent pricing. Here are a few of this year’s patriotic tees.

I wanted to keep the olive theme going so chose these thrifted Supplies cropped utility pants. With their zippered pockets and fun camo pattern they are a good summer alternative to white. Here are a few possibilities from Torrid, Chicos, and Walmart.

The next thing I chose were my shoes. I got these red, Comfortiva sneakers at a thrift store a couple years ago and I just love them as a fun alternative to white sneakers for summer. I found these for $1. It really does pay to check out second hand stores on the regular. You may not find exactly what you are looking for, but you might just find something you would have never tried otherwise. Here are some possible red options from DSW.

I also chose red jewelry.

At the last minute I decided to add a topper and chose my thrifted Ralph Lauren navy blazer. I might have chosen a lighter weight cardigan, but I was trying to get these pictures taken so I could get this post up for Tuesday. I like the juxtaposition of the classier, structured blazer with the more casual vibe of the tee, pants and sneakers, but I also wonder if the cardigan would have been a better choice. Oh well, live and learn. Here is a pretty one from Land’s End, Chico’s, and Kohl’s.

The last piece I chose was my Charming Charlie tote bag from a number of years ago.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like to dress up for holidays like the 4th of July? What kind of outfit will you be wearing for our country’s 250th birthday? I love to hear you thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

Thank you for all of your support, and have a wonderful week!

Color Play - Finding Inspiration in Wall Art

We don’t just have to go to Pinterest to find inspiration for our outfits, although that is a great source for all sorts of color combinations. All you need to do is type in your color combo and outfits of all sorts will pop up. For example if I type in, “Neon green with brown outfit,” or “Outfits with neon green and brown,” you’ll get a variety. If you want to only search casual outfits, add the word casual to your search.

I am one who likes variety when it comes to where I am getting my color inspiration, so it is a good thing the sources are unlimited. Besides nature, one of my favorite places for inspiration is wall art. From water colors to oils, to photographs to tiles in kitchen back splashes or bathroom trim, I love to create outfits using those colors.

Today’s outfit revolves around two pieces of wall art that were hanging at the house we staying at on our trip to Kentucky. I loved the colors in each. (I had to take the pictures at an angle to cut the glare on the glass that was over the prints.)

As I started looking through my closet I was struck by how many different outfits could be derived from these prints. I may have to revisit these at a future date. Today’s casual outfit pulled out the bold red, dark and medium blue, and the creamy light brown.

Everything in this outfit is second hand, except for the tee shirt. My white v-neck tee is Time and Tru brand from Walmart from a year or two ago. These make great basic tees and are totally affordable. If you click on the Walmart link you’ll see they have two packs of these types of tees in various colors.

I pulled out a pair of straight leg jeans as it was going to be a little cool and rainy on the day I took these pictures. These are Old Navy brand and are called The Sweetheart. As I usually do, I rolled these. Having my ankles showing makes me stay cooler and it just seems more appropriate for the summer weather.

My print jacket is a Christopher and Banks piece. It seems to be a blend of leopard, and floral. I thought the lighter colors would be good for the warmer weather. It is also lighter weight than a denim or utility jacket. Once again, the beauty of thrift shopping is that you can find all your favorite brands at reduced prices and keep them out of the landfill.

Since the jeans incorporated the darker blue of the picture, I added the brighter blue crossbody bag to pull in the pretty blue of the vase in the second print. This is Tignanello brand.

Now let’s talk about the color red. Red provides such a wonderful pop of color in any outfit that is somewhat understated. I think the red flower necklace and the red shoes make this outfit more fun and interesting. I just found these awesome red shoes at my favorite dollar thrift store. They are like brand new and are a brand called Comfortiva.

If you want shoes that are super comfortable, and affordable, check out their website. They have some cute sandals like the Erena, the Parrea, and the Ganata. I’m not getting any compensation to recommend this retailer, I just know my dollar thrifted shoes are super comfy and cute.

So what do you think? Did my outfit look a little like the prints I took inspiration from?

As I said before, I might have to revisit these color inspiring prints for another outfit. Do you ever get your outfit inspiration from paintings, wall tiles or nature? I would love to hear your sources for outfit inspiration, so leave me a comment or two below.

I hope you are having a great week.