Actual Amy - Olive Pants, Graphic Tee and Cropped Denim Jacket

Hi everyone. I wanted to get back to doing my monthly Thursday columns. Every Thursday of the month I have a different column or fashion idea I will be talking about. I will show you outfits that revolve around the theme. Today’s column is called Actual Amy. This is the column where I will talk about outfits, I personally like to wear. We all have our own style. For some women it is classic, for others it is bohemian, and still others have a more eclectic style pulling pieces from all sorts of styles and making them their own. Here is a fun article, 33 Types of Fashion Styles…

I would say I am a little bit eclectic in my style. I like numerous styles and putting them together can be fun. I’m a little bit, Tomboy, Bohemian and Grunge. I also veer towards Casual, Military and possibly Garconne, which seems to be a masculine inspired type of fashion. What kind of style do you like? Do you stick to mainly one style, or do you like to blend multiple different styles? Be sure to leave me your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of this post.

These Merona pants were a thrift store find. They are a bit like utility pants with the squared off pockets both on the front and right leg. They are a little tighter than I would like since gaining a few pounds, but I am hanging on to them for the time being.

I like the look of olive with gray, so I chose my thrifted Paris tee. This is a fun graphic and it is so comfortable and cool on these hot summer days.

This distressed, cropped Rue 21 denim jacket is still one of my favorite thrift finds. It just goes with so many outfits. The cropped style has appeal because it doesn’t overwhelm an outfit, like a regular denim jacket might. I have numerous denim jackets and I love them all; just like I love my jeans.

My younger daughter gave me this pretty rose gold locket for Mother’s Day. Rose gold is a lovely hue for jewelry and a change from the typical gold, silver or copper colors. I added this mixed metals bracelet just to jazz things up a bit. I like to wear bracelets when I have a top on with 3/4 length sleeves or shorter.

I found this olive bag when I was digging through some stuff. Once again, I get these thrift finds, I stuff them away and then I forget about them. Ha, ha. Oh, well. It is like discovering something new when they resurface. This is Fossil brand. It is soft and roomy, and can be used as a crossbody bag, so I think this bag and I will be becoming fast friends.

I decided to wear my flat, black gladiator sandals. I like how the black in the tee and the black of the sandals balance the outfit. These are perfect for outfits where you don’t have to spend hours and hours walking, and still want to look summery.

What do you think of this outfit? What style type is your style type? I’d love to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment or two. I try to respond to all of your comments as quickly as possible, but once in a while I get behind and I apologize for that. I always love to hear what you are thinking.

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to look at. I hope you are doing well, staying safe and healthy, but also finding ways to enjoy life. Thanks for following along on the blog. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Summer Outfit - Leopard Print Skirt - Casual

Hi everyone. How are you doing? I just finished reading an article written by a woman whose whole family contracted COVID. They are all struggling through it. Her husband was in the hospital, but now is home. Both of her kids got it, but they are slowly progressing. She has it as well, but is managing at home with oxygen. I also read another article this morning that yesterday was the highest recorded day of new cases in the US since April. It is very disheartening and discouraging, but it is, what it is. Don’t stop taking precautions. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Keep your distance. Okay, enough on that, now time for an outfit.

Tuesday I showed you my thrifted leopard print skirt in a more dressy, work wear friendly style. Today, I am showing off that same skirt, but with a more fun, casual flair.

If you didn’t read the last post, this thrifted skirt is a brand called Who, What, Wear. It is a very light weight material, but it did seem to get full of static when I put it on. I am going to have to see if washing it with fabric softener makes any difference, plus I dried it on the line, since I don’t have a dryer at the moment. As long as the weather is good, I like to hang clothes out in the warmer weather anyway, so I decided I wanted to get the dish washer, which we just replaced last month, paid off, before we purchase a new dryer. The joys of real life. Ha, ha.

I kept the same off white thrifted St. John’s Bay tank top, but swapped out the black polka dot blazer for my thrifted Rue 21 cropped denim jacket. This is one of my favorite thrifted pieces. It is so versatile and I pair it with everything. The fact that it is cropped with 3/4 length sleeves makes it the perfect piece for summer outfits, when you don’t really need a full blown jacket.

I changed my accessories to reflect a more casual vibe. Sometimes it is fun to wear multiple necklaces together, so I wore a gold and cream beaded choker with a longer gold charm pendant necklace.

I chose my thrifted yellow, Elle tote bag because I like the way it went with the skirt and I thought it added another dimension of texture and interest to the outfit.

My Mossimo sneakers were also a thrift find. One of the Goodwill stores I go to has multiple new items from Target. They must be items that are discontinued, but they are brand new with the labels still on. How fun is that! These are not sneakers I would wear for a long day on my feet, but I thought they were fun for occasional wear and for the blog.

What do you think of this casual interpretation for this skirt? Do you think it works? Would you wear a skirt in this way. Leave me your thoughts in the comments. I love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

Here are the two outfits side by side. Which one did you like better?

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

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe!

Pantone Spring/Summer - 2020 - Blush Beauty, Bossa Nova and Blanc de Blanc

Today’s two bright colors might seem like an unlikely pairing, but then if you have been following me for a while, you know the crazier the color combo the more I want to try it. In some ways these colors combined almost make the outfit seem monochrome. Blush Beauty is a pinkish orange, so we might say it is like salmon or coral. Bossa Nova is a dark red with a little bit of a brown undertone. I added a Classic color Blanc de Blanc which is white by any other name. I know that there are shades of white, but for all intents and purposes, white is white. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

My paisley short sleeve tunic top is a thrifted Old Navy piece. It has a lace up detail that is just for show, but the print is what drew me to it. I have always like paisley. It just makes me think of the 60’s and 70’s and lots of my Dad’s old ties. Ha. ha. Here is a look at the outfit without the jacket so you get a better view of the top.

My pants are W63 from dressbarn. I’ve styled these on the blog before. You can see them worn with a coral sweater, a multi print jacket, and with a LuLaRoe perfect tee. One thing I noticed as I looked back at these pictures and the one above, these pants are always wrinkled when I wear them. Part of that may be the material as it sticks to my legs, and part of it may be my chunky legs. Ha, ha.

Here you can see the lace up detail on the top and the thrifted distressed Rue 21 cropped jean jacket. This is another piece that has gotten frequent wear on the blog. See it with a floral midi dress and a maxi dress, a high-waisted skirt, dark wash jeans, and with a leopard print skirt.

I thought the white accessories were a good compliment to go with the white in the top. The Jaclyn Smith bag was thrifted and the Keds were a Kohl’s clearance purchase a year or two ago.

What do you think of these colors together or even separately? Do you like Bossa Nova or Blush Beauty better? How are your clothes fitting these days? Ha, ha.

I hope you all are doing well and that you have a great weekend. Thank you all so much for following along and especially for your lovely comments. If there is ever anything you’d like to see or have me talk about on the blog, let me know. I have had someone suggest I do a video on how to tie scarves, so maybe I’ll try something like that in the fall.

I’ve included some shopping links to look over, so if you have the time, check those out. You never know when you might need something new. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Meet Maureen and Mavis

I want to introduce you to two gals who are going to help me out on the blog every once in a while. They used to work retail, but lost their jobs last fall and now they live with us. They were kind of happy their retail positions got canned. Both of them really wanted to become detectives and solve murder mysteries. For the time being they said they would model for me, since they have nothing better to do and there haven’t been any murders in our neighborhood. Although, with a lot more husbands and wives having to spend loads more time together, would it really be a surprise if someone ended up dead? Ha, ha.

Mavis is the taller one. She has a more conservative, classic stye, and is the planner on the team. Maureen likes to mix it up, gets a little edgy with her clothes and loves to play with technology.

Today, our models are showing off a trendy style that is perfect for spring, leopard print and denim. Join me as we get to know the girls and their style a little better.

Mavis

Mavis is wearing a thrifted dark wash denim pencil skirt. This is a brand called No Faze Jeans. I’ve worn this skirt before on the blog and you can see it styled for a casual look and for a date night look. Mavis is dressed for a stop at the coffee shop to do some computer work on a case (or she would be if she had a client and their wasn’t a lockdown). She likes this skirt because it is comfortable to sit in, with a good amount of stretch.

This awesome leopard print bomber jacket was another thrift find. Another Christopher and Banks piece, I like the cognac colored background and the sturdy zippers on the front and pockets. Mavis likes that it looks cool, but still classy.

The brown top is a Faded Glory tee that I have had for a while.

This leopard and gold pendant necklace goes perfectly with the outfit.

Mixing snakeskin print with leopard? Why not! Mavis isn’t afraid to print mix. A private eye needs to have a cute bag to keep their necessities in: lip gloss, tissues, credit cards and a gun, of course. A girl needs to have some protection.

Mavis always goes for a more conservative shoe. She likes shoes that look cute, but also offer support and stay on the foot. You never know when you might need to run after a criminal. These thrifted Natural Soul by Naturalizer heels are perfect.

Maureen

Maureen loves to stand out and be noticed. She loves clothes that are more flirty and feminine, but also has no problem wearing motorcycle boots and leather jackets. Today’s look revolves around a light weight, silky leopard print dress, a brand called Forever (possibly from Forever 21) and also a thrift store find. the dress is perfect for warmer weather as it is light weight and sleeveless.

You’ve see this thrifted Rue 21 distressed denim jacket on the blog before. It is one of my favorite denim jackets and offers a shorter cut, than most. The fact that this jacket has 3/4 length sleeves and subtle distressing means it is versatile for casual and dressed up occasions. You can see how I styled it with a LuLaRoe dress, a midi dress and a maxi dress, a leopard print skirt, a sweater tunic and a high waisted skirt. Maureen loves her denim, especially with a dress.

Maureen and Mavis are both modest girls by choice, so Maureen wanted a tank top under the lower cut v-neck of the dress. This one is thrifted and St John’s Bay. I like the little sparkle detail along the scoop.

Maureen, like Mavis loves jewelry, but hers will typically carry an air of hippy vibes and boho. I found this beaded choker while thrifting.

Maureen loves a bag that she can throw her lunch in if she wants and just like Mavis, she usually carries a piece, although her’s is a bit bigger than her friend’s. This thrifted, slouchy, hobo bag is American Eagle brand and has two handles, so you can either use it as a cross body bag, or a shoulder bag.

These thrifted Falls Creek combat boots are definitely showing their wear, but I thought they would look cute with this dress. Maureen thought so too. You can see how I styled these boots with pink jeggings, skinny jeans, and a printed a-line skirt.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Mavis and Maureen. They will be around again in the future and maybe they will have some adventures to share. Until then, have a great weekend. Stay safe and keep looking up.

I’ve included a few shopping links for leopard print jackets and dresses. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Outfit Inspiration - LuLaRoe

Last August I was introduced to LuLaRoe by a friend of my daughters, who was a styling consultant with the retailer at the time. I purchased a few other pieces from her since then, and while she has moved on from the business to finish her nursing degree, I think the idea of a small business selling modest clothing for women and girls is a great idea. You can see my original post here, as well as this other post on a different piece, here. 

One of the other pieces I purchased was a dress. I was a bit hesitant to try the Julia dress (each style has its own name), because it has a more fitted silhouette. However, I'm trying to get outside my box (see my Thursday Outside the Box column) and be open to other styles and pieces that I haven't tried before. 

This lovely number has a blue colored background with aqua and white diamond shapes as well as white dots in the foreground. At first I wasn't sure how to style this, but once I pulled it on and felt how comfortable it was, I knew I wanted to evoke a casual, date night look. 

The LuLaRoe website describes the Julia in this way:

“The Julia dress is a form fitting, knee- length, knit dress with mid-length sleeves and a high neckline. Its simple silhouette makes the Julia dress a great canvas for layering and accessorizing. This dress is a staple for every season’s wardrobe. It is feminine, flattering, and you may not ever want to take it off.”

I think this perfectly defines this dress. I love the longer sleeves and it is so comfortable, I almost feel guilty wearing it, but not that guilty! Ha, ha.

I am wearing an extra large, because I prefer to not have a body con fit. You can see from the two photos below, the material, which is a mid-weight knit skims my hips, but clings in the right places. 

I went for my cropped slightly distressed denim jacket to wear as a topper. I think the jacket adds an extra dimension of interest and texture to the look and makes the outfit seem slightly edgier. 

Once again I reached for my textured blue clutch, which I felt paired well with the blue in the dress and the denim jacket. 

For jewelry I added a light yellow pendant necklace and a darker yellow bangle. 

While I could have went for a wedge sandal or a heel, I decided to keep the look casual with my blue SO flats. 

i was pleased with how this outfit turned out and I am excited to try a few other combinations with this dress. I think a chambray shirt tied at the front would look cute too or a cropped sweater or tee. I think there are many possibilities. 

Do you like this look? What do you think of this dress? Do you like to wear more form fitting dresses or do you like silhouettes that are more swingy and flowing? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

I hope you all have a great weekend! 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane, and Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. 

A Fun Casual Valentine's Look

I am going to take a break from my series on Working Undercover, to post a couple of Valentine's looks this week and next. After that I am going to start the Pantone Spring 2018 series. Don't worry, I will get back to more posts on hiding our "flaws" at a later date.  

Today's outfit revolves around a summer dress by Vera Wang. I got this fun watercolor print from Kohl's a few summer's ago and thought my Florida trip in December would be the perfect place to wear it. Unfortunately, the temps were not conducive to wearing it as a dress, so I chose to style it as a longer tunic over a pair of skinny jeans.  Take a look. 

I added a light pink tee to wear underneath for extra warmth. It was the perfect combination and went with the light pink in the dress. In addition I threw on the SO flats. I am not as much a sandal type of girl due to my vein issues (yes varicose veins can cover the feet too). So I like to wear ballet flats or sneakers in the warmer months. 

I have been intrigued by Vera Wang's Simply Vera, line of clothing at Kohl's since I first became acquainted with it a number of years ago. I love that she chooses patterns and colors that are out of the ordinary. I am not a big fan of everything she puts out on the run way, but she does have many cute pieces that are available to the average shopper. Many of her pieces have unique and interesting details. The prices aren't too bad and even better when you can score something off the clearance rack. 

I added the distressed cropped jean jacket as another layer. I kid you not, it was only about 50 degrees. so I not only added the cropped jean jacket, but before we left to go play mini golf, I also added a wind breaker. Ha. ha. 

Here are a few silly pictures of me being cold. 

In addition to the jean jacket I decided to wear the dress over my Rock and Republic jeans. 

I think this outfit would work well for a casual Valentine's date. The dress is flirty and feminine, but I made it my own, by adding the edginess of denim. I also wore minimal jewelry to let the dress take center stage. 

What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear something like this? Do you like Vera Wang's line of fashion? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. 

I hope you enjoyed today's post. Check back on Thursday for the start of a new monthly column. I think you will enjoy it. 

Below are a few links to a few other Vera Wang pieces. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through a link in my post, I might get a little commission. As usual all opinions are my own. 

Have a great day!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Friday linking up with Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane. 

Piece Perfect - The Cropped Denim Jacket

I don't know about you, but I am thankful, January is over. It means we are a little bit closer to spring and the days are starting to get just a smidge longer! Yay! When thinking spring I start to think about outfits that can transition me out of winter. I still want to layer pieces because it is still very cold, but I want to get away from some of my heavier sweaters, jackets and boots and start thinking about lighter layers and brighter colors. 

Today's Piece Perfect post centers around a cropped denim jacket. 

I have worn this jacket in a number of posts and I will be including pics from each of those. I found this cute jacket at a thrift store, but they are very popular right now and you can find them just about any where. This particular jacket is a medium wash, has a good amount of stretch and has just a little bit of distressing. 

It has taken me a little while to warm up to the idea of clothing with rips in them, but when I found this jacket I knew it was perfect for me. The distressing is minimal and the "wounds" are showing threads, not skin. That is just my personal preference and has nothing to do with whether the clothing is appropriate or not.

For this post, I styled the denim jacket with my leopard print skirt, a gold button up blouse, black hose and black boots. I kept the accessories minimal with my gold woven clutch and my chunky pendant necklace. 

Now that I am looking at this picture, I am wondering if a black turtleneck would have been better. what do you think? I think the necklace would have popped more and black would have hidden my bulges. Ha, ha.

A medium or dark wash denim jacket is quite versatile. You can style it casually or dress it up. Here are a few of the other outfits I styled this jacket with in the past. 

Click here to see this post. 

See the full post for the above two looks here.

As you can see I styled this jacket in a number of different ways. Which one is your favorite? Here are all four looks side by side. 

Each piece that I have selected over the last few months in these Piece Perfect posts is meant to serve as a source of inspiration. The reason I like the cropped denim jacket as opposed to a normal length denim jacket is that it gives the wearer a plethora of ways to style it. If you prefer a light wash or a darker wash you can still style it in many unique and fun ways. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Tell me in the comments section which outfit you liked the best, or tell me how you like to wear a denim jacket. I appreciate all of your comments. I currently don't have a way of letting you know that I responded to your comments, but I do try to respond to everyone, just check back on the original post to see my reply. 

Be sure to check back next Tuesday for the start of my Romance is in the Air series. I'll be styling lace and velvet and other pretty things. Have a great weekend.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping Options:

Cropped Denim Jackets

Macy's - $49.99 (on sale now)

JC Penney - $34.99 (on sale now)

Forever 21 - $29.90

Color Crash Course - Brown and Navy

It's time for another Color Crash Course column. You have seen me style denim with denim, orange with red, Halloween colors including black, orange and purple, red and burgundy and the Christmas colors of red, green and gold. This month's color combo is not as bold as some of the other choices, but it is what I would call comfortable.

For this outfit I wore my brown mid-calf boots with navy blue jeggings. I chose a vertical striped sweater tunic as my top. For added warmth and interest I topped the sweater with my cropped denim jacket...sneak peek...this jacket will be featured on my Piece Perfect column next week. To add a little print mixing I threw on a fun blue and brown infinity scarf.

I got this blue bag from my younger daughter for Christmas. I just love the color and the texture. It has an edgy vibe, and can be used with the strap or as a clutch.

Here you can see more of the fun texture of the sweater. 

For a pop of bling I put on my gold pendant necklace. 

Just a closer look at the boots. 

A view from the back. There was a time, I would have never had my top hanging out below my jacket, or sweater, or vest, or whatever, but now I love to do this. It adds an element of interest to the outfit and allows you to show off a piece even if there is something over the top. This is especially fun if you have something like this with a unique texture or print. It also allows you to show off the color.

I hope you enjoyed this Color Crash Course today. Would you combine brown and navy? How would you wear it? I'd love to see your comments below. If my post inspired you to put together an outfit post a picture of it on my FB page in the comments section. I'd love to see them.

Have a great weekend. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping Options:

Navy jeggings - Old Navy - $25.00

Brown tunic sweater - Venus - $26.00 (Not familiar with this brand, but this has some great detailing)

Cropped denim jacket - Macy's - $69.00

Mid-calf boots - Walmart - $43.99

Blue clutch - Charming Charlie - $16.99

Denim Daze - the Denim Jacket

This is the last post in my Denim Daze series. If you haven't seen the rest of the series click on these links to see the Chambray Shirt, Bermuda Shorts, Knee Length Skirt and Flares. 

This final installment features a denim jacket. I have always owned a denim jacket for as long as I can remember, but I always had the kind that you just wore as a jacket, not one that I would say was stylish or girly. Over the years the look of the denim jacket hasn't changed much, but now it can come with embellishments, lining, dark wash, light wash, stiff or stretchy. I've seen denim blazers and denim dusters.

I found this jacket at a thrift store (where else) and fell in love with it. It is a crop jacket, meaning it is not as long as a regular denim jacket and it has a bit of stretch to it. I love the dark wash and the little bit of distressing here and there. It has 3/4 length sleeves which makes it a perfect jacket for summer or even the transitional days into fall. I even love that the collar is a little bit askew. It's quirky, just like me! 

This print dress is somewhat retro, maybe channeling the 80's, but I like its midi length, the colors and the fit. It is comfy and I can see wearing it in the fall like a jumper with a dark turtleneck and tall boots. I'm carrying a bright green and gold bag for some contrast with the monochromatic look of the outfit.

And of course I have to have some fun accessories. The fringe navy necklace is a fun piece I found earlier this summer. The beaded bracelets I've had for a while. And don't forget the comfy Keds!

To dress up the look, I changed into a long, light green maxi dress. 

This is one of those dresses I absolutely loved when I tried it on at Kohl's last summer, so I bought it. I have yet to actually wear it!!! One area I need to work on is getting out of my routine. I always say that I can't dress up unless I have a reason to, but I need to change my thinking to any reason is a reason to get dressed up. I doubt you'll see me wearing this to the grocery store, but maybe date night with the hubby? Could happen!

I wore a embroidered belt, instead of the simple green tie that came with the dress. The belt has just a little bit of pale purple, so I wore the necklace you see along with a silver and gold bracelet. I carried the sparkly pewter clutch that I have used in other posts.

I decided on the brown sandals to go with the brown belt, even though you couldn't really see my feet. 

Here are the two looks side by side.

Hope you all enjoyed the Denim Daze series. Be sure to check out Thursday's Piece Perfect post. Next Tuesday, I'll be starting a series on Pantone's Fall 2016 color choices. Thanks for stopping by.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Allison of Sydney Fashion Hunter. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots.

Shopping a similar look:

Cropped Denim Jacket - Kohl's - $32.99

Printed Midi Dress - Kohl's - $79.99

Maxi Dress - Macy's - $59.00

Navy Keds - Macy's - $40.00

Sandals - DSW - $59.95

Bags - Clutch - $31.50, Hobo - $38.50

Tassel Necklace - Loft - $24.99