Pantone Fall 2018 - Red Pear, Nebulas Blue and Sargasso Sea

Last week, I introduced you to this fall’s Pantone color palette. Now that I am just getting started with my series, I noticed their website already has the color palettes up for Spring 2019. I understand that in the fashion and interior design industries they always need to be one step ahead, or all of a sudden things have gone out of trend and disappeared. That reminds me of a verse from the book of Ecclesiastes which was written by King Solomon.

“That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.”

— Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NASB)

Even a man as wise as Solomon, knew there was nothing new under the sun. Look at the movies and books that are currently out. It is pretty much the same story, just written with different characters and a different setting. Heck, how many times have they revisited Spider Man and Predator? Ha, ha. That being said, the color palettes that come out are really nothing new. They call them by different names, make one a little more blue based or yellow based and say they are fresh and new.

However, I do enjoy color and I like to create outfits using color in combinations that may be new or different, at least for me. Following the color palettes that Pantone puts out each season allows me to do just that.

Here are the first of this fall’s palette.

Red Pear and Nebulas Blue are on both the London and New York palettes. Sargasso Sea is one of the classic colors or what I like to refer to as a grounding color. Red Pear borders on a maroon and my pants are really too red, while my version of Nebulas Blue appears spot on. Sargasso Sea is navy by any other name, but even there you can see all the different shades of navy. My Ralph Lauren thrifted blazer is almost too blue, while Sargasso Sea seems to have more gray in it. I think my loafer heels and bag are a little bit closer to the Pantone color.

I added this colorful bandana for a scarf as a way to bring together the red and blue and add a pop of yellow.

The blazer, shoes and bag were all thrifted. The bag is Simply Vera Wang; the blazer is Ralph Lauren and the loafer heels are Relativity. Everything you see in this outfit with the exception of the scarf I have styled on the blog before. It just goes to show that our closets are a great place to look for new color combinations and outfits.

What do you think of these colors? Do you think these colors represent the fall season? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I have received a few messages that people are having problems commenting on my blog posts. If you an issue, please let me know. I contacted the help team for the platform that I use when I had a problem in the past and they said they couldn’t see any problem on their end. If you have an issue, please shoot me an email, so I can see how widespread the problem is.

I’ve included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links, which means I get a few cents if you click on it. All opinions are my own.

Old Becomes New (or Not)

Last month, I introduced this column with a look at a suit wear jacket that I had thrifted a few years ago. It is nothing outstanding and I didn't really like how it looked in my original post. You can see that post here. While I was nearly ready to get rid of the piece then, I had a few people, bloggers and other, comment that they would like to see the piece styled with a shift dress, pencil skirt or skinny jeans. I thought, why not! For today's post, I am styling this long blazer two different ways. The first with a shift dress and the second with a pair of skinny jeans. 

Look 1 - Over a shift dress.

I first introduced you to this navy shift dress March of last year in my Piece Perfect column. You can see that post here. A shift dress is a, streamlined dress that can be dressed up or down and accessorized in a variety of ways because of its simplicity. 

I have had it with trying to take pictures in the frozen tundra! Ha, ha. I know, I am a wimp. In my defense it was about 37 degrees. What kept me inside, however, was the wind chill. Hello, spring! I also have to make a comment about my hair. It is not looking its best and that may have to do with not having a trim since before Christmas. It gets pretty frizzy on the ends. I need to schedule an appointment soon! Okay, I am done complaining!

In the first post I did on this long blazer, I mentioned that it is a brand called Braeten. My shift dress is Land's End. This dress is made out of a heavy Ponte knit, which gives it some structure and hides things like panty lines and bulges quite well. Land's End has a similar one here.  

To bring a little spring color to the outfit, I added the green chiffon scarf and my bright green Imoshion satchel. This was thrifted bag, but I learned when I looked it up that this is a vegan bag retailer, that has become quite popular in Hollywood. Here are a few cute options from other vegan retailers here, here and here. 

Here is the dress without the jacket and me with more silly faces. I look like I am falling asleep. Ha, ha. 

I decided on navy hose, and navy heels. I think it gives me a more trim, elongated look. 

Look 2 - Over skinny jeans

This second look features a pair of Apt. 9 skinny jeans. For this look I decided to wear a bright yellow top to create a different look. The top really pops under the more sedate blazer. 

The yellow sweater is an old brand called East 5th. When I pulled the top out, I also thought of my Relic clutch, which led to grabbing a necklace with purple beads and a silver chain. The clutch also made me think of my brown Life Stride ankle boots. See how one piece leads to another and another? I love when that happens!

Here is a picture of the outfit without the jacket. 

Here are the three outfits side by side. 

What do you think? Should I keep this piece or get rid of it? What would you do? I really like the look with the skinny jeans. I think the darker color and the bright sweater make the outfit so much more interesting and appealing. The long blazer by itself is rather bland, but pairing it with other bolder colors can make the piece a perfect jacket for transitioning into spring. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on whether you think I should keep this piece or not. Let me know in the comments sections below. You opinions and comments really help my blog to grow. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane, and Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. Linking up with Jodie in the Ageless Style lInkup

Beautiful Blogger Bests - A Casual Valentine's Look

Just because Valentine's Day is over, doesn't mean we need to pack away all our reds and pinks, velvet and lace! After all, romance is not just a day, it is a choice we make to bring love and passion not only to our relationships with our significant others, but to the way we dress. Back in January I came across a post by a blogger I had more recently started following, Tif of Bright on a Budget. Tif is a beautiful brunette with a big smile and a love for fashion. If you check out Tif's blog you can read on her About page that she is a lawyer, mom of a toddler and a wife. She loves to play with style and creates her looks with affordable flare. 

The post that I found inspiration on was Casual & Cozy Valentine's Day Outfit. Be sure to click on the link to see the original blog post and the outfit that I derived my outfit idea from. 

I love this clean, simple, casual look. The red flannel shirt and the white sweater pull in the Valentine's look without being overly frilly or feminine. However, the skinny jeans and the heels keep it from being too masculine. This is a look you could recreate any time with any colors. It's just that simple.

In Tif's original post she styles her outfit with a red and black checked top, a fuzzy white sweater, skinny jeans, a cute black bag and the cutest heels that match her shirt. Since I didn't have the matching heels and I only had a red and navy plaid shirt I decided to keep my purse and shoes blue. 

Still working on my focus, so I apologize for the fuzzy photo. You've seen these shoes numerous times on my blog. They are comfy and even though they aren't real dressy they still elevate the look of this outfit as opposed to wearing sneakers.

This bag that I got from my younger daughter for Christmas is a lovely mix of clutch and cross body. The handle is adjustable to make it shorter or longer, or it can be removed completely to use as a clutch. I love the texturing on this bag. 

Tif is wearing turquoise jewelry with her outfit and I absolutely love the look. The light blue really pops against the dramatic red background. For my outfit I wore my turquoise and gold pendant necklace, adding a turquoise and silver bracelet with a gold bracelet to bring all the pieces together. 

I hope you enjoyed my version of Tif's outfit from Bright on A Budget. Be sure to stop by her blog and give her some love.

I hope you have a great weekend. Spring isn't here yet, but it is on the way, so hang in there! 

This post contains affiliate links to give you shopping options. While your clicks might generate a few cents for me, all opinions are my own. Thanks for all your support. 

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with JoLynne Shane in the Fashion Friday Link Up and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. 

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Monochrome with Print and Texture

This week on my Beautiful Blogger Best column, I am featuring the lovely Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy. Liz is a firey red head who is not afraid to wear any color and has a knack for styling outfits that are feminine, flirty and fabulous. 

Today I am referencing Liz's post Outfit Formula: Monochrome, Texture, and Print. To check out her original post just click on the link. The neat thing is, Liz was taking something she learned from another blogger Janeane of Designing from My Closet. I featured Janeane in my original Beautiful Blogger Bests column on styling an outfit around a bag. See that post here. 

In her post Liz styles an outfit using the colors black and white. If you follow Liz you know this is not her norm. She loves pastels and lace, colors and frills, but she wanted to challenge herself to step outside her norm. The challenge for me was to put an outfit together that had two basic colors, a print and some texture. This is what I came up with.

This photo was taken on one of the last really hot afternoons we had before it started to cool down and become more fall like. Thus, I look a tad wilty. The skirt is thrifted and the top is actually a tunic that I recently acquired from Charming Charlie's end of the season sale. I put the tunic on and then layered the skirt over top.

The eyelet jacket and the bag with it's gold rivets and extra buckles add great elements of texture to this otherwise monochrome outfit. I did cheat by adding the red beads, but I love the contrast of the red against the white and blue. The large beads also add additional texture to the look.

These are my navy loafer heels. Funny thing, I really didn't know what this type of shoe was called. That just shows I am still a newbie to the fashion world, so I thought, "Well they look a bit like a loafer, but with a heel." I typed in loafer heels and up they popped. Isn't the internet amazing? Ha, ha. This is a great shoe to wear with a skirt for a more casual look or with pants for a more dressed up look. Funny how that works!

Are you seeing spots? I'm thinking this would have looked better with a belt of some sort. What do you think?

So there you have it. I am so thankful to all the beautiful bloggers that I follow. Liz has been a great inspiration to me, not only with her knowledge of fashion, but with her kind and attentive comments on my fashion posts. Be sure to click on her link and give her some love. 

Check back next week for more fashion fun! Have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping Options (I chose black for the color):

Polka Dot Dress - Kohl's - $69.99

Black Eyelet Jacket - Jacket Society - $155.00

or

Bomber Eyelet Jacket - Macy's - $55.99

Black Loafer Heels - Belk - $89.00

Black Tote - JC Penney - $85.00