February Outfits: Color Combos - Cloudy with a Chance of Red

It’s the last week of February. I am glad that we are getting closer to spring, aren’t you? I am finishing out the month with another outfit that gives a nod to Valentine’s Day colors. Today’s look was actually inspired by an Instagram challenge to use a Pinterest pin for inspiration. You can see that pin here.

I have been wanting to get back to including a few style tips in my fashion posts to give you other ways and ideas to look at your wardrobe and what inspires you to dress the way you do. If you click on over to the pin that inspired today’s look, you will see that my outfit is not an exact copy.

Style Tip: Resources for fashion inspiration are meant to be just that, resources. Do not feel forced to buy more clothes or adopt a style that is not quite you. If it is an outfit you’d like to “copy” shop your closet for similar pieces and then add your own personal touches with shoes, bags, and accessories.

What drew me to this particular pin was the bold combination of red and gray. I love how it looks and thought it would be a perfect look to end the month of February. Plus, it is completely me: casual, cute and comfortable.

The first piece I chose was the gray cardigan. Just so you don’t think these combinations come easily to me, I spent probably an hour and numerous iterations of red sweaters and tops; gray cardigans and blazers, and washes of jeans, before I finally settled on what you see. Ha, ha.

This dark gray, cardigan is Gap brand and was thrifted a number of years ago. This is a v-neck, but a crew neck would work just as well.

Style Tip: Neckline’s are important, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear any neck line you want. Here is a good article comparing v-neck versus crew (round). Because I am more broad shouldered, I typically reach for v-necks in my cardigans, or open fronts. I do have plenty of crew neck sweaters, but more often will choose a v-neck. While the points the author is making refer to a pullover, the same points are true of cardigans. I think it’s up to you what you like to wear, and how one versus the other works for the outfit.

Here are some cute cardigans for spring from maurices, Old Navy, JC Penney, Loft, Land’s End, and Kohl’s.

I tried on many of my red pullover sweaters and soon realized a sweater weight fabric was too bulky to wear under this lighter weight cardigan, so I began looking through my long sleeve tees and turtlenecks and settled on this thrifted J.Jill piece. An extra large, I snatched it up thinking it would look cute over cropped pants in the warmer weather, so for this look it was too big. Instead of doing a front tuck, I opted for a back tuck to make the top look more fitted. This works amazingly well, and no worries how it looks since it is covered by the cardigan.

Style Tip: Not everything has to fit exactly. There are plenty of ways to alter a piece without elaborate sewing skills. Tucking things in, rolling long hems up, using hair bands to gather fabric, and even using brooches and pins can help to make a piece more wearable. A great blogger to follow for more ideas is Jodie from Jodie’s Touch of Style. In my opinion she is one of the queen’s of fashion hacks and ideas for making your clothes work for you, no matter how big or how small.

Here is a page of red and white striped shirts from Amazon.

Style Tip: If you are looking for a particular clothing item from a regular retailer, just type what you are looking for into the search bar at the top of your browser and it will do the searching for you. This is a little easier than going to each retailer and searching through them.

I settled on this thrifted pair of Gap, straight leg jeans. Are you, like me, still trying to figure out what shape of jeans to wear? It seems so many things are in right now, but I have found that a straight leg, not skinny, and a boot cut are both reasonably spot on for anyone to wear. The barrel jean is all the rage right now, but I am not enamored with that shape. I would need to try some on to see if I like it or not. Do any of you have experience with the barrel shaped jeans? Do you like them, and do you have a retailer you recommend?

For my accessories, I went with a thrifted leaf necklace, a few bracelets, my thrifted Converse, a red and black second hand scarf, and a Buffalo print Arizona Jeans tote bag that I got from somewhere, but I can’t remember where. Ha, ha.

What do you think of this outfit? Is this something you would wear? If it is would you choose red or a different color? What color would you choose? I love to hear from you, so be sure to leave a comment if you can.

I’d love for you to also follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest if you aren’t already. Thank you for following along.

Pantone Autumn/Winter 2025 - New York: Primrose Pink, Damson, and Mauve Wine

I am making an attempt to get back on track on my Fashion page, by introducing the Pantone Autumn/Winter 2025 color palettes. I thought if I started a little earlier, you could take the inspiration and actually shop your closets for some of these colors to wear this fall. Starting with the New York palette, I hope to also cover the London Palette next month.

Today’s outfit is a pretty work wear look that uses the palette’s lightest color Primrose Pink, paired with the medium Damson purple and the darker Mauve Wine. I really like how these colors work together, giving a nod to the parting pastels of summer and to the incoming darker hues of fall. You can see the actual colors in one of the Pantone pins on my Pinterest board here.

I got dressed, did my makeup and was all set to take pictures outdoors and then it decided to pour. By the time I took these shots the sun was coming out again, but the grass and trees were soaked, so I decided to stay in doors.

I went through a few color combination iterations before I finally settled on this trio, but I really like how it turned out. Let’s look at all the pieces.

I decided to use this thrifted herringbone blazer for the Damson medium purple color. My photos don’t do the purple color justice, but it is what it is. This is a vintage piece from a U.S. manufacturer called Cape Cod Match Mates. The research I did said these were made in the 1970’s and 80’s. The pieces are easy wear, durable, and a stretchy polyester blend that holds its shape well. It also said they mostly made patterns that were bold and fun. I have one other blazer by them that is a darker blue and red plaid. You can see that on my Instagram page, here.

The Mauve Wine color of my floral blouse is actually under the Classic Colors on the New York palette. I was surprised. Usually, the classics are more neutrals or dark navy blues or black. It was nice to have a different option and this color is one I love for the fall and winter. This piece is a second hand Loft brand. Dark florals are always a winner for fall.

My Primrose Pink pants have made an appearance on the blog before. These Christopher and Banks trousers are a great choice when I want to look a little more dressy. You can see them styled here in a casual Easter outfit,

Since there was a tiny bit of green in my blouse, I reached for this Charming Charlie tote bag that I have had for a few years. I thought it keeps the summer element in the outfit along with the pink pants, after all we have about five more weeks of summer before the actual seasonal change.

I added a sparkly necklace just to add a bit of pizzazz!

These slip on Oxfords are an older second hand find and brand called Enzo-Angiolini. I don’t often wear anything other than casual shoes like sneakers and my Converse since I no longer have an office job, but I do hang on to shoes like these so I have options if I ever need to dress up a bit.

What do you think of these colors? Which of these three do you like the best? I always enjoy getting your feedback so leave me a comment or two.

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to look through. These links are brought to you at no cost. These are affiliate links. If you purchase an item through my link I get a small commission. I appreciate all you support. All opinions are my own.

Have a great week!

Color Play: Red Orange with Shade of Purple and Brown

This week I am showing you an outfit I actually wore all day. This colorful combination was inspired this past week by my husband’s Aunt Lynn who always wears skirts. I have so many fun skirts that I never wear and I thought, well, why not? Last week while she and my mother-in-law were visiting I donned this purple and blue skirt for a trip to our favorite British Tea Garden restaurant a little ways north of us. This week I decided to pull out this fabulous bohoesque piece. Keep reading for all the details.

Lighting makes such a huge difference in picture quality, as my daughter who is a professional photographer will tell you. It also makes a difference what sort of camera you use, time of day and so on. More expensive phones can take great pictures, and my little IPhone SE does okay, but on a bright, sunny day in the shade it just doesn’t capture the true essence of the colors in my outfit. My top definitely leans more towards a red orange, but in these phots it looks more red.

My top is a very recently thrifted Chico’s piece and is a linen blend. I’m not a huge linen fan as I have said before, but I do like the cool factor of linen, and a blend shows a little less wrinkling, but what really sold me on this piece were the sleeves. Aren’t they fun? Three layers of fringe add to the Bohemian vibe of this look.

This thrifted, colorful skirt is Notations brand. I like that it has a bit of a crinkle to it. Does anyone remember the old “broomstick skirts” from back in the 90’s? I had several back in the day, but ended up getting rid of them. They, like many trends come and go, but if you are into Boho or Cottage Core aesthetics in your fashion then you’ll want to keep a few of these long, wrinkly pieces. I have incorporated a couple back into my rotation, thus my desire to show off my skirts here and there.

The skirt has, not only the red orange color, but dark purple, a medium brown, a subtle olive green, and a periwinkle blue. For today’s outfit I wanted to emphasize the purple and brown in part to show off this fabulous glass bead necklace I found at the thrift shop around the corner from my house. They have so many awesome treasures. My grandson, who I have been watching this week said he loved my necklace and that the dark purple beads looked like candy. Ha, ha.

Another second hand find, this Universal Thread cross body bag was exactly what I had been on the hunt for. Obviously, it is more like the old fashion “butt packs” that we used to carry back in the 80’s. What I like about this version is being able to wear it across my chest. It makes it feel more secure and is very easy to access. This is a soft, buttery faux leather and, while small, it holds my wallet, phone, keys and a tube of lip gloss. What more does a girl need?

If I look a bit tired in the above picture it’s because I am exhausted. With my spouse being disabled from his gimpy ankles, having company last week and now watching a very energetic, stubborn, and loud three year old, I am pooped! But God is good and we will persevere, not because of who I am, but because of who He is!

For shoes I went with my older, tan Keds. While they are not as cute as a pair of sandals would be, they are much more practical for chasing a rambunctious toddler.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you have a colorful skirt that you like to pull out in the warmer weather? What colors does your skirt have in it? I love to hear your thoughts and ideas so leave a comment or two.

I’ve included shopping links interspersed throughout the article to give you options if you want to shop. These are affiliate links and are brought to you at no charge. If you purchase through a link I provided I get a small commission. Thank you for all your clicks, likes and comments. I treasure each and every one.

Have a great Tuesday!