What I've Been Wearing Lately

I didn’t have the time, nor the energy to come up with outfits for a blog post, so I thought I would just share a few of my everyday outfits that I posted on Instagram. I know some of you follow me there, and on Facebook so these might be repeats for you, but to keep it interesting and fun I will be adding a few style tips and commentary on why I chose what I did and my thought process or the inspiration for putting it together. I also thought it would be fun to tell you which pieces are thrifted.

Outfit 1 - Tan Blazer with Striped Tee

Inspiration - Pinterest

Thrifted Pieces - Striped tee, blazer, jeans, belt and shorter necklace

Style Tip - Florals and stripes are an easy and quick way to print mix without getting overwhelmed.

What I like about it - It is casual, but a bit dressier with the blazer and jewelry. It adheres to my fashion style with the combat boots and floral scarf. The layers make it great for these transitional days as winter ends and spring begins.

Outfit 2 - Sunflower Skirt with Pullover Sweater

Inspiration - Style challenge on Instagram for #wearyellowtoendendo22 with @ldywhobrunches and @sarahceeraz

Thrifted Pieces - Sunflower skirt and gray faux suede boots.

Style Tip - Try choosing color combos that aren’t perfectly matched. It might go against your fashion sense, but it is good for your brain to think differently about how colors pair up. You might find color combos you never thought to put together.

What I like about it - I ended up wearing this outfit all day and it was extremely comfortable. It was just the right amount of layering to keep me warm and I didn’t feel overly constricted. I like the boho vibe of it, but it also says classy with the long flower pendant and the chic chenille sweater.

Outfit 3 - Plaid Jacket with Space Tee

Inspiration - My closet and my own creativity.

Thrifted Pieces - Plaid jacket.

Style Tip - Skinny jeans and straight leg jeans are the best for tucking into boots, so don’t get rid of all of your skinnies, no matter what is trending. Skinnies and straight leg pants give you a sleeker fit through the leg, but especially around the knee and top of a taller boot.

What I like about it - This outfit just speaks to my inner lumberjack persona. I love plaids and earth tones like brown and green. I like the contrast of the darker green tee, as opposed to choosing an olive green to match the tones in the jacket. Pairing the jacket with a scarf allowed me to wear the wool without doing all the itching.

Outfit 4 - Casual Blue Sweater and Jeans

Inspiration - My own closet and a desire for comfort. (You would be amazed at what motivates my fashion choices - Ha, ha.)

Thrifted pieces - Light blue sweater and light blue long sleeve tee underneath.

Style Tip - Choose a sweater with texture to minimize noticeable bulges around the middle. The eye is busy trying to follow the texture and pattern, rather than focusing on your bits. (I also size up, but that is a personal choice.)

What I like about it - Casual style is my jam and this is a perfect example of all the things I love: jeans, soft, roomy sweaters, pretty color and fun sneakers.

I hope you enjoyed taking a closer look at my everyday outfits, and hearing about where I draw inspiration from, and how I use my thrifted pieces. I also hope you are enjoying my style tips. Let me know what you think by leaving your thoughts in the comments, or on Facebook. I appreciate all your support.

Fashion Fun: One Blazer Three Ways

Everyone should own at least one or two good blazers. What I consider a good blazer is a piece that fits well, is made well and doesn’t show wear after only a few years. I have my own stockpile of blazers, because they are timeless. I do have wool based blazers that I only wear in the fall, winter and spring because they are the perfect classy layer to keep me warm. I also have a few that serve me well in the warmer months in overly air conditioned restaurants and theaters. Today, I want to show you a thrifted piece that I recently found.

I have been looking for a tan colored blazer for a few months. I didn’t care if it was tan, or beige, or camel, I just wanted something in that color family. I now have two. The one I will show you today being the first one I found. Last week I found a darker one at the dollar thrift store in the town south of us. How could I possibly pass up a beautiful blazer that fit me well and made me look like a girl straight out of Pinterest, for only a dollar? I couldn’t! Ha, ha. Do I need two tan blazers? No, and eventually, I will probably get rid of one, but for now I have two.

Outfit 1 - Casual with Jeans

This piece is a brand called Collections for Le Suit and I got it at Goodwill when my husband took me out for my birthday back in January. Looking at it in these pictures shows me that it is a little big. I lost a few pounds when I was sick and have not gained it back. Not being able to taste anything helps with that. Ha, ha. However, it will be nice to wear with bulkier sweaters and sweatshirts in the cold months.

My Apt. 9 jeans are also thrifted, though from a few years ago. I like the darker wash and bootcut of this pair. I have found most of my favorite jeans at thrift stores. It is a great place to find and try brands you haven’t heard of or can’t afford at regular retail prices. My patterned turtleneck is a thrifted brand called Investments Essentials. The funky pattern is what drew me to it.

To complete the look I added a beaded layered necklace, my Very Peri thrifted Merona bag and my old Sonoma heeled ankle boots from Kohl’s.

Outfit 2 - Workwear with Plaid Trousers

These plaid trousers are another dollar thrift find. I didn’t even try them on, figuring for only a buck, I could just donate them if them didn’t fit. What drew me to them were the light blue stripes. These are Mossimo brand.

I decided to pair them with my light blue Sonoma shirt. I got this from Kohl’s a number of years ago. A good chambray shirt, whether a light wash or a dark wash, is always in style and can be worn with so many things.

I finished off the look with silver accessories, and my blue Converse sneakers.

Outfit 3 - Dressy with a Polka Dot Skirt

I found this fabulous black and white polka dot skirt at the same dollar thrift store where I got the pants. How could I resist this classy, flowy piece, especially when black and white is trending for spring. It is a brand called Urban Coco. It has a white elastic band waist making it very comfortable. It also has a partial lining which hits just above the knees. I hope to see this one get some wear this summer.

White tees are all the rage for pairing with blazers, so I thought why not bring that into play here. My simple white tee is a Time and Tru piece from Walmart. This brand has definitely given Walmart a place in the fashion world, and they seem to be affordable pieces meant for real life wear.

For the rest of my look I kept it simple by adding a thrifted pendant necklace, a blag sparkly clutch and my Clark’s open toed shoeties.

If a girl’s got a twirly skirt, the girl’s got to twirl!

Here are the three looks side by side.

Which outfit do you like the best? Do you have a blazer this color? How do you like to wear it? Leave me some love in the comments. I really appreciate it. I am including a few shopping links for items similar to pieces in these outfits. Feel free to look them over. These are affiliate links, all opinions are my own.

Fashion Fun: Boho Maxi Dress

I do apologize, again, that I am not getting as much content out as I would like, and I am also forgetting to send out a weekly email. Life has been busy and we have been continually bombarded by life bombs including those minor inconveniences like car problems and bigger things like family illnesses and issues. Sometimes we get to a point where we want to give up and just go hide in a nice warm hole, but in the words of Tim Allen of Galaxy Quest fame, “Never give up! Never surrender.”

This week I wanted to share with you three looks revolving around a dress I got as a gift for Christmas. Most of us are aware of the prairie/boho vibe that invaded Target this past year. Long, flowing, tiered maxi and midi dresses hung from every rack. I heard many women complaining that the retailer had lost their mind and that there was no way they were going to keep shopping there. However, I noticed these options are still strong with new colors and prints for spring.

My dress is a solid, rusty color, which will be great for fall, but I tried to think about how I could style this for spring. Let’s take a look.

Outfit 1 - With a Knit Vest

I have long been a fan of gauze. I can remember as I was growing up having a few different tops made out of the light weight, textured fabric. It is the perfect warm weather fabric. This dress is fully lined with a polyester underlay, so actually great for cooler temps. As you can see, the dress has an empire waist and four tiers layering down from the bodice. No worries about pinching or feeling like this piece is too tight. It is like a muumuu, but a little more stylish and classy.

This knit vest was in a style box I won through an Instagram Style Challenge. I hardly ever win anything, so this was a pleasant surprise and was gifted by Instagrammer Rae, @forensicfahsionnotes . There were lots of other goodies in the box including a dress, scarf and necklace. Most of the pieces were thrifted, which I love. This vest is a heavy weight yarn and the oxford gray will go with so many things.

To complete this look I added some beaded jewelry, my gray combat boots and a Sonoma tote bag that I picked up online at Kohl’s last fall. These are a great addition to your wardrobe. They are light weight, but sturdy; very roomy and will carry everything from your laptop or tablet to a notebook and all your other essentials. Check out all the glorious colors and prints by clicking on the link above.

Style Tip: When wearing a lower cut neckline, fill in the exposed area with several layers of beads.

Outfit 2 - With a Corduroy Jacket

I found this wide wale corduroy jacket while thrifting a few years ago. I have been very close to getting rid of it, because I just don’t wear it, but for some reason I keep hanging on to it. It is as though this jacket wants to be mine. It wants to belong to me, because it knows both it and I have such great potential together. The sleeves are a little short, but I love the off white color, the roomie box cut and the texture.

I thought my fringy boho scarf the perfect complimentary piece. After that it was just a matter of a black bag and white sneakers. Done!

Style Tip: When adding a scarf to an outfit with only one or two colors pick one that also has at least one or two of the same colors.

Outfit 3 - With a pullover sweater.

I was going to try just wearing the dress with a belt, but to me it didn’t look quite right. Part of it might be the need to find the right belt. Instead, I decided to make my maxi dress into a maxi skirt by topping it with this Christopher and Banks pullover sweater. This works wonderfully for the cold weather as it gives you an extra layer and using the belt allows you to cinch in your waist for a more streamlined look. The belt is another thrift find as it the necklace.

I added my suede boots and an older tote bag from many years ago. Once again, I love the pattern and the corduroy texture. Plus, it adds to the boho flare of the entire look.

Style Tip: Trying looking at your maxi dresses as skirts and see what sweaters or tops you have that would go with the bottom.

Here are the three outfits side by side.

Which outfit do you like best? Would you wear a prairie/boho dress like this? What other ways would you wear a dress like this? I’d love to have your feedback, so leave a comment below, or on my Facebook page.

I’m including a few shopping links, just for fun. Feel free to look them over. These are affiliate links, which means I get a few pennies every time you click on a link. I appreciate every click.

Have a great day!

Fashion Fun: Men's Oversized Button Down

When it comes to thrifting for fashion, I like to think outside the box. I always peruse all the sizes, because so often size is relative. What I mean by that is, it is relative to the brand. A size 12 in one brand might fit you perfectly, but a size 12 in another brand, might be too big or too small. I honestly believe sizing is different than it used to be. If you shop vintage clothing, at all, you will see that most of the pieces are relatively small. Women tended towards being smaller in the waist, hips, and shoulders than we are now. Not sure why, but it does seem to be the case.

I have also started looking in the men’s section of thrift stores for fun pieces like tees and printed button downs. I like the roomier cut of a men’s medium or even large shirt and they often have textures, prints and fabrics that are different than those on the women’s racks. Today, I am going to show you three different outfits using three men’s button downs that I purchased while thrifting.

Outfit 1 - Men’s Button Down as a Tunic

When I saw this paisley madness, I knew I had to have it. This is Visconti brand. If you type the name be sure to type in Visconti clothing. and you’ll see they have them at Dillards. They also have their own website, but I am not here to encourage you to buy a new shirt. This to encourage you to look at the men’s racks if you thrift, or even if you shop clearance. I absolutely love the colors in this piece and it is easily worn all year round as a top or as a “shacket”.

I topped this look with a thrifted, black Nadia brand, corduroy vest. I added my Simply Vera, Vera Wang skinny jeans and my black knee high boots. The black embroidery on these jeans are what sold me. The abstract floral print goes with so many other pieces.

I didn’t really need to add any jewelry since the print is so busy, but I thought it would be fun to add this piece that has a variety of colors and textures. It blends in, yet also stands on its own.

Outfit 2 - Men’s Button Down as a Work Wear Top

This shirt is Izod brand. This year’s Pantone Color of the Year is called Very Peri. I think it is a very pretty color reminiscent of the Periwinkle flowers, which can come in blue, purple or white. I thought this checked shirt fit the color well. One thing I have to do with most of the men’s shirts I purchase is roll up the sleeves, but rolling up the width of the cuff is just the right amount, so you can hardly tell.

My denim pencil skirt is also thrifted and Gloria Vanderbilt brand. I like the length of this and if I still had a reason to wear a skirt would definitely be wearing this often. I added the navy hose to cover my veiny legs and thought the black, thrifted Nine West loafers gave it a work wear look. I also added the denim blue cloth belt and the dark purple agate pendant necklace. My thrifted, Merona bag, also brings in that Very Peri vibe.

Outfit 3 - Men’s Button Down as a Shacket

I’ve had this thrifted, Ruff Hewn corduroy button down for a few years now. I love the color and typically think of it as a fall piece. It is soft, warm and roomy, so a perfect piece for wearing over lightweight sweaters, sweatshirts or long sleeve tees.

I wanted this outfit to have more of a spring vibe, so I went with my Sonoma floral joggers, and a thrifted light pink Express short sleeve tee. I opted for metallic accessories including my silver Sketcher sneakers, pewter hand-me-over bag, and my silver and copper necklace.

Here are the three outfits side by side.

I hope you enjoyed this look at how to style a men’s oversized button down. It is fun to explore other options in your fashion wardrobe, and you never know when something you try will become your new favorite style. Which outfit was your favorite? Do you wear men’s clothing? How do you like to style a men’s or women’s oversized shirt? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. I have provided a few shopping links for your enjoyment. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

What's Trending for Spring 2022?

Even though I don’t follow trends closely, I still like to do a post for you about what the fashion gurus are saying is trending for the upcoming season. I typically look at websites known for their fashion panache such as: Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and a variety of others. You certainly can do a search under Spring Trends 2022 and you’ll get a list of websites to visit. Just understand these are fashion websites, not sites for real women like you and I. We can go to these and find inspiration, but don’t buy into the craziness that they often call fashion. It is not only impractical, but often times extremely immodest.

With that being said, there are always a few trends I like, and that I am willing to spend time thinking about how to work them into my daily wardrobe. This spring it was tough. To me it seems that fashion, in keeping with the rest of the world, is just getting crazier and more out there. It is definitely getting further and further away from what I think is appropriate for women to wear. If you have followed me for a while, you know I can be quite earthy and real, but I am also a girl who highly values modesty and self-dignity. I will save my deeper thoughts on the subject for a different day.

Here are a few of the trends I found interesting for Spring/Summer 2022:

Gingham

I love that this simple check pattern is back. It is a wonderful print for spring and summer, reminiscent of picnics and warm days at the beach.

Style Tip:

Add a gingham blouse under a pullover, cardigan or vest for a smaller touch of this pretty print.

Crochet

Crochet is something I look for when I thrift. I personally probably wouldn’t wear a crocheted dress or tank top, but I like the top with the crochet trim. Crochet can be a beautiful addition to an outfit in the form of a sweater, shawl, handbag, or trim on a top, skirt or dress.

Style Tip:

For summer, look for open weave crocheted pieces to keep you from getting too warm. If buying a crocheted handbag, look for ones that are fully lined to keep small things like pens and change from slipping through the weave.

Everything White

Once again, white is trending for the warmer weather. Wearing all white is where it’s at, but of course, don’t let that stop you from just wearing a little white here or there. I really liked this idea for the creamy winter whites, so now I need to try it with the brighter whites for spring and summer.

Style Tip

Not everyone likes to wear white near their face, so try adding a printed scarf or a bright pink or red lipstick for a colorful touch.

Black and White

There is just something so classic and chic about the combination of black and white. You all know I am a color girl, but I really like this trend and there are lots of cute styles out there. I already have numerous black and white striped sweaters and tees and I am sure a few other things as well.

Style Tip:

Be sure to shop your closet for trends. It is most likely these have been around before. Otherwise, build the trend yourself by combining black and white pieces. Wear a black skirt with a white tee, or a black cardigan with white pants.

Metallics

I love things that bling, so metallics are always on my radar. This is the type of thing you can do a little or a lot of and it still looks fabulous. Type metallic tops, shoes, bags, jackets and so on in your search bar and you will get all sorts of pieces. Metallics are a great way to take an outfit from okay to spectacular, just by adding a simple bag, pair of shoes or a top.

Style Tip:

Wear a gold or silver metallic blouse with black or navy pieces and you’ll easily get an outfit that can take you from the office to a night out.

Colorful Bags

Who doesn’t love a bright colorful bag for the warmer weather? Purses are one thing I have too many of, so I will be digging through my pile to find my brightest ones for this spring/summer season.

Style Tip:

Try styling a neutral outfit of tans, creams or blush with a bright bag and jewelry. You will look beautiful and confident with just a pop of color.

There are many other spring trends and I will be talking about a few of the others over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to shop the samples I gave. I try to include pieces that I think are fun and interesting as well as try to keep the price points below $100. These are affiliate links, which means every time you click I get a few pennies. I appreciate each and every click. All opinions are my own.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Outfits with Sweaters

Hey everyone! I am trying to bring you content at least once a week, but time got away from me this past weekend and I wasn’t able to get pictures taken. I thought, instead, I would show you some of the the outfits I have been posting on Instagram. I know, not all of you have an Instagram account, and maybe not a Facebook account either, so you wouldn’t be getting that content.

Anyway, I recently styled four different sweaters and thought I would show you those outfits. I love my sweaters in the winter time. Anything to add extra layers on these frigid days is exactly what I want and need. We live in a drafty old house and over the years we have added insulation, new windows and things like that, but it is still a drafty, old, house. Ha, ha.

All of these outfits were made using a few of my longer cardigans. I love a long cardigan in the winter in our house, because my legs often feel cold, even with the extra bits on my thighs! Having a longer, cozy cardi makes me feel like I am wearing a blanket around my body.

After each outfit explanation you will see a new feature called a Style Tip. Be sure to check those out for easy ways to update your looks.

Outfit 1 - Mint Green Bubble Cardigan

This is a Christopher and Banks piece I bought a few years ago. The bubble texture is soft and cozy. For this outfit I decided to pair the sweater with a pale, lavender long sleeve top and a printed scarf which also had navy accents in addition to the mint and purple. That is why I chose my navy, SO ankle boots and a few navy bracelets. Here is a similar pair of boots at Kohl’s. My jeans are from Maurices. Click on the link to a similar pair.

Style Tip:

Trying pairing pastels with other pastels, then throw in a bit of a primary color like red, bright yellow or dark blue for an interesting contrast.

Outfit 2 - Leopard Print Cardigan

I found this great piece while thrifting and I grabbed it. I had been on the hunt for a longer, heavier, leopard print cardigan and this one was perfect. This cardigan, like the last one is an open front piece, with no zippers, buttons or snaps. I have grown to really like these types of cardi’s because they provide warmth, but still allow you to show off the top underneath, as well as any accessories like scarves or jewelry.

For this outfit, I chose my rusty brown, thrifted turtleneck, which happens to be Chico’s brand and is very soft. My jeans are my trusty old Rock & Republic brand from Kohl’s. My boots are clearance Sonoma brand, also from Kohl’s a few seasons ago. Here is a different gray pair, a brown pair, and a black pair.

Style Tip:

Adding a belt to a longer cardigan can give you an entirely new look, accenting your waist and making the outfit more streamlined.

Outfit 3 - Camouflage Waffle Weave Cardigan

This purple camo piece I found recently at my local Meijer. Not only was it on clearance, it was an additional 50% off. Yay! Being that is was such a different piece with the color and the texture, I grabbed it. I had just been thinking I want to add a few other purple pieces to my closet and this was perfect. In addition, it is a medium weight so I will be able to wear it for three seasons instead of just one. You can try finding a long light weight cardi here on Amazon.

This look was very casual, with a thrifted light weight pullover sweater, thrifted jeans and my sherpa lined ankle boots. Another clearance Sonoma pair. I wore this to go meet friends at a nearby BBQ place.

Style Tip:

Add layers of fun jewelry to a casual look to take it up a notch, making it social engagement ready.

Outfit 4 - Bright Blue Bubble Sweater

Apparently, bubble sweaters were a thing, but now they are not. I think I got the mint one, and this bright blue one the same year. This one I found at a local shop last year when my girls took me birthday shopping. My sparkly, red, long sleeve tee is a recent online purchase from Kohl’s. Tee’s are definitely a staple in my closet: short sleeves for spring and summer, and long sleeves for fall and winter.

The jeans are a stretchier version of my other Rock & Republic jeans. The boots are a hand me over from my oldest. Since her pregnancy her feet got a tad bigger. These are tight on me too and I almost wonder if they were mislabeled. I wear them around the house and places where I don’t have to walk a lot. Do you wear shoes at home? Many days I wear my slippers, but I will also get fully dressed, just to feel like I am not frittering away time. Since I am currently working from home with my little freelance jobs, it makes me feel like I am accomplishing something if I get dressed. Ha, ha.

Style Tip:

Color block an outfit by adding two, three or more different solid colors, then add a fun printed scarf for warmth and interest. Don’t forget to accent your scarf with a pretty pin/brooch.

I hope you enjoyed this post. These are a few of my every day outfits. I love to get dressed and to add interest and color to my outfits, even if I am just staying at home. I provided a few shopping links within the article that you can check out. Some of these are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great evening.

Updating Your Wardrobe: Part 2 - Old Becoming New

I thought I would take another week to look at ways we can update our wardrobe using older style pieces by showing you my own rendering of a couple of outfits with a recent thrift purchase I made. This two piece set is from Blair. I don’t know about you, but I have often felt that mail order retailers like Blair are old school and really gear their products to women, who like the simplicity of shopping via mail and buying products that are easily mix and match and easy to take care of. Don’t get me wrong, they do have many lovely pieces, like this Fair Isle sweater, this spring jacket, and these cute Skechers sneakers.

What I am going to attempt to show you is how you can use this two piece set three different ways for looks that are up to date and appropriate for work, date night or church.

I think the pattern and the colors of this set are lovely. It can be worn all year round, but will be especially pretty in the spring and the fall. The under piece is short sleeve and the over piece is sheer.

Look 1 - Casual

The first way I wanted to style it was casual, since that is pretty much all I wear right now. I decided to wear both pieces together, and added a heavier sweater coat that I recently thrifted as a warm layering piece. I love the winter white of this sweater and the textured waffle weave. It has two silver clasps in the front, but I wore it open so the two piece set could be shown off. I added my old olive combat boots, an olive belt and a dark olive bag. I did the front tuck to show off the belt. This is a great casual look and I would definitely wear it for a date night with my hubby.

Look 2 - Church

Obviously, this look doesn’t just have to be for church. You could also wear it to work or on a fun day out with your girlfriends. In this look I got rid of the sheer overlay piece and used a Kohl’s moto jacket I purchased last year. The jacket is rather heavy, so would definitely be better as an outerwear piece rather than just a layering piece. Often, I will use jackets as layering pieces in the winter, but this one will be better as a spring or fall jacket when the temps are cool, but not freezing.

The skirt is another thrift find. I like the buckskin look of this piece, and thought it could be styled with lots of other colors. The skirt actually could be hemmed up, if you prefer at the knee or above the knee. With these tall brown boots, which were a hand me over from my older daughter, I almost think having the skirt above the knee would look a little better. I added a gray thrifted bag as a point of contrast.

Look 3 - Work

For this last look, I got rid of the short sleeved under piece and donned the long sleeved over piece. I do have a cami on, so I could have worn it like that, but I wanted to add another layer for the cold and more texture. I switched to corduroy winter white pants, heeled suede ankle boots and added another layering piece that could be removed if I got too warm. The office I used to work in was cold in the winter months, so layering was essential. The dark olive jacket is thrifted and is probably a dress. The vest was a Christmas gift two years ago. I went for my dark brown, thrifted corduroy bag as a final touch.

There are so many options when it comes to your clothing. Your closet is a space with unlimited possibilities. Don’t worry about what the media says about what women should or shouldn’t wear at this or that age. Wear what you like, just figure out how to wear it to make yourself feel your best and most confident.

Thanks to everyone who follows along with my blog. I really appreciate it. I hope to bring you more fun content in the weeks and months ahead. If you like to read my Faith posts, be sure to check back Thursday for a new post on what I am learning about the word rejoice! Until then, I hope you are having a great week.

I am including a few shopping links for you to peruse. These are affiliate links, which means I earn a few cents every time you click on a link. I don’t receive compensation for what I do on the blog. I do it for myself, because it stretches my creative boundaries, and I do it for you, because I want to encourage and inspire you.

Updating Your Wardrobe

The thought that we have to buy new things to update our wardrobes is a misconception. There is nothing wrong with buying a few new things, or purchasing an item in a current color or trend to give our closets a bit of a refresh. However, I believe it is possible to take those older pieces in our closets that we might see as outdated and no longer wearable and turn them into something modern and up to date.

I had a friend contact me over the weekend who told me she was going through her closet getting rid of things that were either worn, no longer fit or that she thought were outdated. She had several pieces she didn’t want to let go of. Before she threw them in the box to donate she sent me a message along with a few pictures. She had a few pieces that were quality brands such as Evan Picone and Pendleton and wondered if there was any way to still make use of them.

Absolutely! (Peggy gave me permission to use the pictures she sent.)

Outdated Suits

While women still do wear suits, especially at a corporate level, there is less of a need when you hit retirement. True, vintage is becoming a big deal among thrifty fashionistas, as seen on blogs or Instagram, but not everyone is a fashion blogger. Most women just want to look nice and not like they just walked off the set of an old time movie (whether it be 1880’s or 1980’s). Most of us want to look like we care and that we put thought and effort into our outfits.

One of the things I love about fashion in today’s world is that anything goes. With so much emphasis on inclusion and being who you want to be and wearing what you want to wear, no matter your age, you can wear whatever you please, just please wear something as opposed to nothing! Ha, ha.

Here are some of the tips I gave Peggy for bringing those pieces up to date.

1 - Wear the blazers with other pieces. Jeans, dress pants, denim skirts, faux leather pencil skirts, or even a tiered maxi skirt can take both blazers from oh so 80’s up to 2022. The gray blazer would look stunning with a burgundy pencil skirt and heels, or try wearing it over a black velvet dress. The plaid blazer would look awesome with jeans and ankle boots, or with a pair of cream colored corduroys. I love things to match, but not too much.

2 - Use the skirts as springboards for updated winter outfits by adding chunky sweaters, and tall knee boots. Another option is to top the skirts with slim fitting cardigans and tees. A white tee, with some chunky jewelry and a navy blazer would make a whole new look for that gray skirt. Top the plaid skirt with a black tee, cream jean jacket and white sneakers for a great work wear option. You’ll be warm, comfortable and stylish.

Outdated Dresses

I had to wonder if a dress could really be outdated, but alas some of the add ons, embellishments and collars do make a dress look less than modern. Again, let me reiterate, big collars, shoulder pads and anything retro or vintage is all the rage for many younger people today. The trick is figuring out how we, as older women, can make it work.

This dress of Peggy’s is a beautiful color, so I can understand why she would not want to part with it. Part of the dated look of it has to do with the overlay piece at the top. If you are a skilled seamstress you could remove the overlay completely if the under part is made of the same material. A seamstress could also figure out how to attach the piece at the bottom and sides so that it looks like the dress was made that way.

If you are not skilled in the area of sewing, then there are other ways to make this pretty dress still wearable. Perhaps the easiest thing to do is add a jean jacket and a pair of trainers or low platform tennis shoes. You could also add a fringy earthy colored jacket and a pair of cowboy boots. This way the pretty embellishment is still visible.

On another occasion you might want to cover the embellishment, so throw on a sweatshirt or sweater. A printed pullover or graphic sweatshirt would cover the less modern top, but still give a shout out to the beautiful color of the skirt.

While hem lines do change according to the fashion world, I don’t really listen. I don’t wear mini skirts. They are just not my jam. I like skirts that hit at the knee or below, either in a tea length (also known as a midi) or a maxi which hits at the ankle. I say this, only to reassure you to not worry about the length of your skirt if you have older pieces.

Coats

I don’t think coats can ever be outdated. Sure the coats from the 1980’s and early 90’s had bigger shoulder pads, but shoulder pads are back. The other thing that I have noticed is the call for our clothing to be in pristine condition just isn’t a thing any more. We wear jeans with holes in them, why worry if our coat or shoes are showing a little wear. Again, this is your wardrobe, you make the decisions.

I think this coat of Peggy’s is perfectly lovely and I adore the creamy, winter white color. If you feel like a coat is no longer serviceable as a nice dress coat, think about wearing it with jeans to run to the store or sweats if you’re picking up coffee at the drive through. No one is going to notice if your coat is looking a little worn, especially if the rest of you is polished and put together.

I wanted to show you my own example with a blazer that I found thrifting a number of years ago. This Pendleton blazer is probably from the 1990’s or early 2000’s which isn’t that long ago. It seemed like the type of jacket that would have gone with a pencil skirt in the same color, probably sold as a suit. I have had it for a long time and don’t wear it very often, not because I don’t like it, but because being at home I typically reach for my flannel and my sweaters more often than a blazer. What I am showing you in this picture is how I took a professional looking piece and turned it into a casual date night look.

Sorry my pictures are so grainy.

The gist of this post is that your clothes can be more than what they were made for. Pieces have so much more versatility if you are just willing and able to think outside the box.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Next Tuesday I want to show you another older piece and how I made it work for me in a fun, updated way. Be sure to check out my Faith Page on Thursday for a new post. I hope you are having a great week.

What is Going on with the Blog?

Hello everyone! It has been a very long few months and I feel that I owe all of you an explanation. From the middle of spring I started experiencing cold like symptoms that at the time I attributed to allergies. I went along, taking my antihistamines every day and using the ones with decongestants when I needed as I began to have congestion and a cough. I muddled through May and June, but by mid July I began to think I had a sinus infection as I was not showing any signs of improvement.

Over the course of the next four and a half months I would have numerous conversations via my online medical app with my primary care doctor. I would also end up in the urgent care on two different occasions, and have two ER visits. I would end up sleeping (and I use that word lightly, because I hardly slept) on the couch since my cough was so incessant I could not lay down. I had three rounds of different antibiotics, two orally and one delivered via my neti pot. I had three rounds of oral steroids, the last which titrated down over the course of a month. I also ended up on two different inhalers and two psych meds to trick my brain into thinking I didn’t have to cough.

The turning point came when I woke up one morning mid October, and took my blood oxygen level (which I had been doing since my daughter gave me a pulse ox meter). A good reading will be in the mid to upper 90’s. Mine was 85. I had been losing my appetite over the last month or so, and that morning I started vomiting. I called my husband on the home phone from my spot on the couch and said, “I think it is time. I need to go to the hospital.” Over the course of those months, I had gotten tested for Covid two different times. I had no fever, ever, but the cough was so bad, I would have been negligent if I didn’t get checked. The test came back negative both times.

We got to the ER at about 7AM and the place was almost deserted; a God thing, since hospital ER’s have been full and overflowing with 7 to 10 hour waits to be seen. As soon as I told them I couldn’t breath, they got me right into a room and did an EKG to make sure I wasn’t having a heart attack. I was attached to oxygen and they started organizing testing and plans for care.

I ended up being admitted to a program with that hospital, called Acute Care at Home. Basically, you go home but the hospital provides all the equipment to monitor your care via on line applications and Blue Tooth connections. I also came home on oxygen, so I had to take an ambulance ride to get home. I never realized how bumpy they are. I stayed admitted to that program for five days. Over the course of that time I was in regular contact with nurses and two different doctors, one who was the hospitalist with the program, and another who was a general practitioner who helped with the in home acute care program. Both of them were completely attentive and proactive about restoring my health. In fact, the hospitalist pulled some strings to get me in with a pulmonologist right away.

The end result of this intensive care was that I started to improve. A week later I was able to sleep in my own bed. My cough was minor and I only needed oxygen for about four days. The combination of care and medication brought me back to a level of health where I could sleep, eat and interact with my family. It was a long four months. I am still struggling with sinus issues, including the loss of smell and taste. I have better days and worse days depending on the weather and the allergens around. I am using a neti pot, a sinus steroid nose spray and an inhaler for the asthma like symptoms. But, I am much improved and feel like life is back to being more normal.

I have been struggling to get back to the blog, but it seems my creative mind has suffered as well. I am sure there are connections to long term illness, depression and seasonal affective disorder that are coming into play. I have been regularly posting on Instagram, so for those of you who have an account you can follow me there. I do hope to get this blog up and running again and plan on working back to at least two posts a week about mid January.

For those of you who are new to my blog, I apologize for not showing up sooner. For those who have been regular subscribers, I want to thank you for continuing to support me. I hope to start giving all of you content on fashion and faith that will not only inspire you, but encourage you. Encouragement is my main goal. We all need to be encouraged!

Thanks again for following along and for all your support and prayers. Look for new content coming soon!

Hugs!

Stylin’ Granny Mama

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2021 - London Palette: Green Bee, Downtown Brown, and Olive Branch

Hi everyone! November is zooming along and I am still trying to get back into some sort of rhythm, not only here on the blog, but in life. Anyone who suffers from a long term illness can relate to what I am talking about. Not being able to sleep for such a long period of time and still dealing with unresolved symptoms make it hard to get back to what I would say is a normal routine. However, I know there are people who are struggling with much worse situations and I am thankful that I am able to do as much as I can. In fact, this past weekend, we were able to travel to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday with her, so that was good.

Unfortunately, there has also been other difficult things along the way. My son-in-law lost his grandfather this past week and I know that has been a great loss for the whole family. He was a dear man, a wonderful painter and loved his family, so he will be missed. As many of you can relate, it seems as we get older, we see loss happening around us at a more frequent pace. This too is part of life, and for me knowing God is holding me and my loved ones during these times, makes it a little less painful.

Now on to another outfit. As I said last week, while I am wildly behind, I decided to go ahead and show you these Pantone London Palette outfits as possible sources of inspiration for Thanksgiving Day wear. Many of you will be celebrating with friends or family and it is a good reason, to get out of those sweat pants and dress up a little bit, if just for your own mental well being.

You can’t go wrong with a pair of trousers, a pretty top and a fun scarf and bag. Obviously, you can pick your colors, but I chose to combine these earthy tones for a look that is a mix of military meets, moto chic.

My Downtown Brown moto jacket is a thrifted piece that I have styled on the blog before. It is a brand called Celebrity Works. I do like this medium milk chocolate brown. Browns can be tricky to wear, especially when they contain a little too much gray or a little more red, or well, you get the idea. A true brown is hard to find, but I think this brown hits the mark, so thank you Pantone for that one.

You’ve seen my Olive Branch pants numerous times on the blog as well. As I look at them in these pictures, I am thinking I might need to find a replacement pair. These are starting to look worn and really don’t look very flattering. Of course that may have had something to do with my chubby thighs. Ha, ha. These were Gloria Vanderbilt brand and I probably got them at Kohl’s.

For the Green Bee color I chose a thrifted Studio Works popover top that I did the front tuck on, which gave it the blouson effect. I also added the Green Bee paisley print scarf. The thought to add the Dana Buchman floral bag was a last minute addition, but I like how it pulled everything together. A fun floral bag is a great addition to your wardrobe, especially when it can serve multiple season duty. This one works just as well in spring, summer and fall.

I chose my trusty Olive Branch SO ankle boots for my shoes. My ankle boots definitely get used in these cooler fall temps.

What do you think of these colors? Would you wear an outfit like this to your Thanksgiving celebration? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments below.

I am including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links and are brought to you at no extra cost. If you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through one of my links I get a few more pennies. I appreciate every penny! All opinions are my own. Please note, I am not familiar with all of the retailers I list in my links, so be sure to read and understand their return policies in case something doesn’t fit or isn’t to your liking.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Until next time, have a great day.

Photo credit Jessica Trumbull with Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2021 - New York Palette: Adobe, Rhodonite and Olive Branch

Due to my illness, I have neglected this little blog for a few weeks. While we are still trying to get all symptoms under control and actually find diagnoses for said symptoms, I hope to be able to get back to some semblance of regular posting, so please bear with me. To all of you who have been so supportive and loving on Facebook and Instagram, thank you. Your kind words, thoughts and prayers have been so appreciated.

The last two colors on the New York Palette for the Pantone Autumn/Winter series are my favorites. Adobe is certainly what I expect on a fall color palette and Rhodonite is a completely different blue, that I think works fabulously for the fall season. Once again, I am using Olive Branch as my classic color. As I have mentioned before, olive works well with so many other colors, and makes the transition from one season to another, smooth and seamless.

These thrifted Michael Kors jeans might be just a smidge lighter than Adobe, but I think they work quite well. I know the world is saying skinny jeans are not in right now, but I like my skinnies and I will continue to wear them. Sure I will wear other silhouettes as well, but I especially favor skinnies in the cool weather to wear with boots.

The dark blue tunic top, is an older Christopher and Banks piece. After I put the outfit together, I realized the tunic is less like the Rhodonite color, while the bluish purple in the print of the jacket is a closer fit.

My jacket is a thrifted Christopher and Banks piece. It fits similarly to a jean jacket and the print is perfect for bringing on all the fall feels.

My thrifted olive bag is Fossil brand. This is a great piece if you want something you can throw all sorts of things into. Ha, ha. A hobo bag is a good choice for travel, as it easily fits into many different spaces and yet has plenty of room for all the goodies.

You can see in the previous two pictures, I kept my jewelry simple by adding a few olive bracelets and a string of olive beads.

You’ve seen numerous pairs of SO ankle boots on the blog, because I have them in SO many different colors. Ha, ha. See what I did there? These are great little ankle boots for fall and work with jeans, trousers, skirts and even dresses. Apparently, the affiliate program I work with is no longer using Kohl’s as one of their retailers, so here are links to the Kohl’s website for a few different styles of ankle boots. Here is the Averyy, the Chantilly, and the Barb 2. These are not an expensive boot, and that is one of the reasons I like them. They also still look pretty good after a number of seasons, but then, I don’t wear the same pair every day. I am not getting any sort of compensation to recommend these boots, I just really like them.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like this outfit? Let me know your thoughts by leaving me some love in the comments.

I’m including a few shopping links, although it was very hard to find this color in the pants. Anyway, these are affiliate links, brought to you at no extra cost. If you purchase something through one of my links, I get a few cents. You are not charged any extra to make a purchase through my blog.

Photo credit Jessica Trumbull with Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2021 - New York Palette: Pale Rosette, Root Beer and Olive Branch

I want to start off with an apology for my lack of consistency with the blog lately. It has been a rough couple of months and I just haven’t had the motivation to post as regularly. It seems every time I want to make more of an effort at getting more disciplined or being more consistent, I get blindsided by something. At the beginning of the summer it was a broken wrist. Mid summer, I came down with this stuff, that still has me coughing. I just have no idea if I will ever be back to “normal”, whatever that was.

There have been some good bits along the way as well. Early summer we were able to take my in-laws on a nice trip up through the Upper Peninsula, down through Michigan and back to our place where they enjoyed visiting family for a few days. I also got to see my mom, two different weeks and spend time with her. That also afforded me the opportunity to see my best girlfriend, and do some thrifting. On September 19th, our second grandson arrived. He is a doll and I am enjoying opportunities here and there to see him, even if I do have to wear a mask. He’s been born into a world of half blue faces, but that is okay, if we can give him a healthier start. He, my daughter and son-in-law are doing well.

Today’s outfit revolve around three colors on the Pantone New York Palette that I thought combined well into a work wear ready fall outfit.

I am still trying to get used to seeing pastels during the fall season. This year, they were quite popular and besides this pale pink, also included a pretty lavender. I guess, we like what we like right, so pastels for me might be more of a spring and summer color scheme, while rusts, browns and burgundies are the colors I reach for in the fall. While we still live in a free country, you are in control of what colors you wear when. Ha, ha.

The Pale Rosette, 3/4 length tee is a thrifted piece, and a brand called Suzanne Betro. It is actually a longer tunic, but I just tucked it in for this outfit. I love the detailing at the bodice.

You’ve seen my Olive Branch utility vest on the blog before when I did my series on olive pieces. This vest isn’t quite the right shade. Who would have thought there are so many shades of olive? Another clearance find from Kohl’s, I don’t have a ton of Mudd pieces as it typically has more of a junior’s fit, but the few that I have, I really like.

You’ve also seen these brown trousers when I talked about wide leg pants back in the spring. I am not a big fan. I have enough bulk on my bottom. However, I will hang on to this pair, as I like the color, and occasionally it is nice to have a different option when it comes to pants. These were thrifted and are St. John’s Bay brand.

I added the multi-print scarf to add an extra dimension of color and interest to the outfit. I like how it ties the whole look together.

You can also see the fun necklace I scored while thrifting at the local shop around the corner. I have found some great jewelry there. I goes perfectly with the pants.

Even though this little thrifted, Rosetti bag screams summer, I thought it was a great way to keep this outfit looking modern and updated, yet still in tune with the fall vibes.

My SO snakeskin print boots were a clearance purchase from Kohl’s last season. I haven’t really had the opportunity to wear them very much, so hopefully this season they will be out and about.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like them combined? Do you like them each separately?

I’d love to hear your thought, so leave me some love in the comments.

As I usually do, I am adding a few shopping links in things similar to these colors. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Thanks for following along on the blog. I hope you are having a great week.

Photo credit Jessica Trumbull with Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2021 - New York Palette: Mykonos Blue, Spring Lake and Coconut Cream

It seems that every Pantone color palette that comes through the Institute has at least one, if not two blues on it. Blue is a color that everyone can wear, whether you wear dark classic navy, casual comfortable chambray or tropical hues that take you to the beaches of the Caribbean. I have a lot of blue in my closet, but then, I have a lot of every color in my closet. Ha, ha. Blue is great for pairing with many other colors. I pair denim with every color and denim definitely falls in the range of blues. Today’s blues are wearable and most likely already in your wardrobe.

My colors did not really line up with these blues. Oh well, that is part of the challenge of doing this series. I don’t always get the match spot on, but that is okay. The point is to take things you already have and do something similar. It doesn’t matter if your blues are a perfect match or not. All of these pieces were things I already had.

When I picked out these pieces I really thought the pants and the vest would have matched better to Spring Lake, but now looking at the picture the pants seem to match better with the Mykonos Blue. The vest, which does seem to lean a little bit toward a gray undertone, was too dark to match the Spring Lake color. However, the patches on the pants seem to lean a little more in that direction.

The vest is a thrifted Relativity piece. I have styled this on the blog before. You can see it worn with a graphic tee. The jeans which I have styled on the blog before are thrifted and a brand called Est. 1946 Denim. You can see how I wore them with a graphic tee and cozy sweater here. Looking at the above picture, I should have rolled up the cuffs on the jeans.

When you have an asymmetrical vest with fringe, you just have to twirl!

My yellow mini floral print button down is a thrifted Old Navy piece. I decided to leave it completely untucked to add to the ultra casual vibe of this outfit.

I was trying to go for the Coconut Cream idea in my accessories, but again, things didn’t match up exactly. My bag was a hand-me-over from my daughter. This Miche brand bag actually has interchangeable outer shells, so for this look I used the cream colored one.

My sneakers are thrifted Mossimo.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like to wear blue? What color blue is your favorite?

Thanks for following along with the blog. I appreciate all of your clicks, likes and comments.

I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great day.

Photo credit Jessica Trumbull with Rebecca Trumbull.

Thinking About Fall - Transitional Style - Lightweight Skirt

When we start thinking about fall, we are probably starting to yearn for our cozy sweaters, scarves and boots. As the weather begins its journey through the waning days of summer we know the days will still be plenty warm, but the evenings might start cooling off, especially after the sun goes down. That is a good time to think about layers. Why not pull out a few of your medium weight sweaters and a couple pairs of ankle boots and start using them, even though the start of fall on the calendar is not for another month?

Today’s outfit revolves around a light weight skirt that I picked up just a few weeks ago at Kohl’s on the clearance rack. It is obviously from this past spring, perhaps even related to Easter style, so I thought this would be a good piece to take from warm summer day, to cool weather appropriate with just a few simple changes.

For a cute, breezy, summer look I thought this Chaps plaid skirt would pair well with a fun graphic tee. You have see this thrifted No Boundaries tee on the blog before. You can see it styled with a denim pencil skirt, and a fringe vest. Isn’t it funny that I did the front knot with the fringe vest as well? The shirt is a little over sized and very stretchy, so knotting it is easy. The skirt is not lined, but I wasn’t going anywhere and it is not sheer, so unless I had on a pair of dark panties, there was no show through worries.

I wanted to highlight the pink and the white letters in the tee, so chose pink and pearl accessories.

I thought the Steve Madden white tennis shoes a good choice to keep the look fun and casual.

To make the transition to cooler weather, I once again reached for the color brown. I love brown in the fall. My husband likes the color brown on me, so I have been trying to incorporated it into a year round color, but it is often hard to find. For this look, instead of a jacket I chose my cozy, thrifted Old Navy cardigan.

Once again, I chose a more chunky necklace with shades of brown, gold, and coppery bronze. I really wasn’t sure how I felt about this look, but now that I see it, I like it. Brown and pink are always a winning combo and the contrast of the gray tee gives it interest and keeps it from being overly two-toned.

I went with my taller Sonoma suede boots, because I liked the more slouchy look with this casual outfit. They give it a bit more of a boho vibe. Most of the boots I own, that I have bought new I got at Kohl’s. I like both So and Sonoma brand. They fit my feet well and allow room for socks or tights. They are ultra casual, but still make an outfit look polished and complete. I’ll provide a few shopping links at the end if you are thinking about a new pair for fall.

My bronze cross body bag is another staple in my closet. I bring this one out every fall.

Here are the two looks side by side.

Do you have a summer skirt that you would like to wear longer? What can you add to make that skirt still useable in the cooler weather? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

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

Have a great Tuesday!

Oh, Olive! Utility Vest - Casual

Another olive work horse in my closet is this utility vest. I have a number of vests. My fuzzy and quilted ones are great for fall and winter, while a vest like this, that is lighter weight, is perfect for spring, summer and into fall. I have been focusing on these olive pieces as the perfect neutral add on for a variety of outfits. I have been styling both casual and workwear looks, so that you have more to think about.

This olive, Mudd brand, vest was a clearance find a few seasons back from Kohl’s. I was paying attention when olive was becoming popular as the new neutral, so I snatched this up. That, and I love vests. They are a great way to add warmth, interest and texture to an outfit. I made my outfit extra colorful, but you could easily tone a look like this down by going for monochrome layers topped by the vest. A black maxi dress, a tan tee and capris or a navy top and denim skirt would look fabulous topped by an olive vest like this. Let me know if you would like to see me style a few monochrome looks with this vest or the jacket from last week.

Fall Trend Alert - Florals

Florals are still in. Harper’s Bazaar listed florals in Finding Patterns on their fall list, and WhoWhatWear called theirs Charming Chinz. However, you label it, it seems that florals are holding their own as a print that is here to stay.

My Bandolino floral jeans are thrifted. They definitely brighten up any summer outfit. I love the floral print and the raw hem on the bottom. It also helps that they have some stretch and are very comfy.

My textured tee is a thrifted Simply Vera, Vera Wang. I love the textured floral print and thought the color and print went perfectly with my pants. You can also see here, I added the long bead and fringe pendant necklace and a few freshwater pearl bracelets in similar colors for an added party vibe. I did the front tuck with the tee and added a gold belt.

Wearing my olive Sperry’s again. These have become a favorite in my summer show wardrobe. I grabbed these instead of the white Steve Madden’s, because I like how the olive on top and on the bottom made the whole look more unified. You could wear any color with this outfit, like my blue Converse or my tan Keds.

Fall Trend Alert - Blush

Bright colors are definitely in for fall, but so are pastels. It seems any more that you really can wear whatever you want and at least a few things in your closet will be on trend.

I didn’t plan it this way, but it seems, most of my outfit has some sort of floral theme. It’s funny when it works out that way. This pretty blush bag was a gift from my younger daughter. Both my girls give me wonderful presents and they are very good at knowing my tastes.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like the combination of olive with blue? Do you like florals and will you be wearing them this fall? I’d love to hear you thoughts. I’m sorry that I have gotten a little bit behind in responding to your comments, but I promise, I will respond. I appreciate your input.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great day!

Oh, Olive! Utility Jacket - Workwear Look

Depending on where you work, you might be able to be in your sweats or pj’s. So many people have been working at home through the Covid pandemic, that people have gotten rid of many of their business style pieces since they really have no need for them. However, many places have opened back up and have called people back into the office. When I was working as an assistant manager at a university bookstore, I could wear my jeans to work, and very often did, but I could also wear skirts or dresses if I chose to do that. Usually, when we talk about workwear style, we are talking about a business or business casual type of outfit consisting of blouses, nice pants, blazers and other similar pieces. We do have a more casual type of style that has moved into the work place in many business realms, allowing their employees to have more flexibility and comfort. I would say today’s look tends towards business casual due to the utility jacket and the tennis shoes, and I would have been perfectly comfortable wearing this to my previous job.

As I told you in Tuesday’s post, I am featuring the olive utility jacket as my olive piece. This is St. John’s Bay brand from JCPenney. This jacket is roomy, so I can wear multiple layers underneath if I want to use it in the cooler weather. Right now, it is a great piece for overly air conditioned restaurants, retail spaces and business offices. This piece also has adjustable tabs at the sides to make it more fitted, as well as a double front closure which includes a full zipper and buttons.

Fall Trend Alert - Lavender

Certain colors are always trending for each of the major seasons and fall is no exception. Surprisingly, rather than the typical fall hues of orange, brown or yellow, we are seeing pastels like lavender and blush. I’ll cover blush next week, but for today lavender is my color of choice. My thrifted eyelet top is Old Navy brand. I love this light weight piece.

You’ve seen my polka dot skirt on the blog before. Amazingly with my weight gain and redistribution (aka spare tires), I can still get it on. Ha ha. This older thrifted piece is a brand called Outback Red. It is a great piece for any warmer weather season, spring, summer or fall. Not a full length maxi skirt, it is more of a tea length. Another plus, it has pockets.

I kept my accessories pretty low key, except my layered necklace is fairly blingy. I added a few bracelets, my white cross body bag again and my Steve Madden sneakers that I got recently at DSW.

Do you like this outfit? What would you wear to the office? Let me know what you think.

I hope you enjoyed this look. I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great rest of your week!

Oh, Olive! Utility Jacket - Casual

I am back from visiting my mom and ready to get back to posting here on the blog. I wasn’t feeling well, the first couple of days after I got home, but I think most of it was fatigue and allergies. They seem to be beating on everyone this year. While I was at my mom’s I didn’t have internet, but I was able to get some photos taken and was pretty pleased with the result. I hope you will be as well.

I am continuing my look at a few of my different olive pieces and how they can be used with just about any outfit and any color. I do like to think outside the box, at least my box, so I hope you will find some of these outfits inspirational for your own wardrobes. The week before last I showed you a casual and a workwear look using an olive pair of pants. Today and Thursday, I want to take a look at ways to style an olive utility jacket. You can see how I styled this same jacket on the blog before with a striped tee and distressed jeans, another striped tee, and a polka dot chambray top.

Another thing, I decided to add to this little series, is to give you a few peaks at what is trending for fall. I’ll point it out as we go along. Let’s take a look at the olive utility jacket.

I have had this olive utility piece for a number of years now. St. John’s Bay brand, I got it at JCPenney. Since then I have accumulated a few other utility jackets in other colors. I like that they are so versatile. In fact, I may have to do a post on that at a future date. Most of my pieces, including this one are lighter weight, so a great topper for spring, summer and fall. While they do tend towards more casual, I will show you on Thursday how to make one look appropriate for work.

What makes a piece utility? I think it has to do with the pockets and the details like drawstrings, snaps and metal zippers. Next week I will be showing you an olive utility vest.

Fall Trend Alert - Denim on Denim

Once again, it seems denim with denim is trending for fall. While I wouldn’t wear this regularly, it does have a casual appeal. Monochrome is always a good way to get a longer, sleeker line. Most of what I saw on the runway were pieces of the same wash. See this post on Fall 2021 trends from Marie Claire. However, there is a sense of personal creativity in putting together pieces with different washes, as I did in this outfit.

My chambray top is a thrift find from earlier in the summer. It is a brand called Cremieux. Apparently, Daniel Cremieux started a men’s clothing line in Saint Tropez, on the French Riviera in the mid 70’s. It looks like he designed women’s clothing for a time as well. Both lines were sold at Dillards, but the women’s line is no longer available in the US. The fun things you find when you thrift.

You’ve seen my thrifted, distressed Simply Vera, Vera Wang jeans plenty of times on the blog. They are getting rattier looking as time goes along, but I guess that is the point. Ha, ha. If the holes get to big for my comfort zone, I may make a few patches, which actually could be fun.

I decided to add this floral mini print scarf just for a little extra color. I don’t use my scarves much in the heat of the summer. I sweat just sitting still on these humid days. Last night, I was working on this post and I was dripping with sweat. Of course we hadn’t turned our air conditioners on. Sometimes, we have to choose between a little bit of inconvenience and being able to pay the electric bill. My husband always runs colder, so he’s not as hot unless he is doing yard work or something. Today is supposed to be even warmer. I think the air will be on later, so this woman doesn’t get too cranky. Ha, ha.

If you follow my Instagram account, you may have seen that I rearranged my scarves. Just like with all of my clothes, I have way more than I need, but I am trying to make everything more accessible and visible, so it is easier to sort through and find. Do you have a special way of arranging your scarves?

My blue Converse are making another appearance. While I still think this brand of sneaker makes me look even more like I have ski feet, I am trying to embrace those long skinny things on the ends of my legs.

The last accessory I have is my white cross body bag. This was another thrift find. I like that it is a little bit larger than many cross body bags, so I can actually fit everything in it, without having to squeeze it in. I am not sure what the brand is, but it was still very clean and unworn, so I snatched it up.

Do you own an olive utility jacket? How do you like to wear it? I love hearing from you, so be sure to leave me some love in the comments. I hope your summer is going swimmingly well!

I’m including a few shopping links for denim pieces and utility jackets. I hope you’ll look those over. Every time you click on a link, I get a few cents and I appreciate it. All opinions are my own.

Have a great Tuesday!

Oh, Olive! Workwear Look

Tuesday I showed you a casual look with olive pants and today I am showing you a workwear look that might be doable for the office. We are looking at the color olive as a neutral. I know many of us have olive in our wardrobes and are becoming more aware of what a great color it is. Tuesday, I showed you how well it goes with orange and white. Check out today’s outfit, which combines dark florals and black for a sassy look.

I found this fabulous dark floral Time and Tru dress while thrifting on one of our trips. I had started really looking over the dress racks at thrift stores recently after seeing Instagram gal, jbowenandcompany using a button up dress like a kimono. It makes a piece like this so much more versatile. When I decided to do this series on olive pieces, I knew this dress as a duster would be a perfect topper for a fun workwear look.

Once again, my olive Gloria Vanderbilt skinny pants are the focal piece. This time I paired them with another neutral, black. My black v-neck polo is a sleeveless piece that I found thrifting a few weeks ago. Black and olive has always been a classic combination. Throwing the dark floral piece over the top really makes the outfit pop.

You’ve seen these Clark peep toe shoeties on the blog before. They are great shoes, I just really have no place to wear them right now. I know many bloggers and Instagram babes who post outfits they are actually wearing, but some of us have a more laid back approach. I would wear these and this whole outfit if I had an office job, but right now I don’t. Still, it is fun to have choices, and to be able to show you all a few of my fun wardrobe pieces, even if I don’t wear them as often.

I thought adding the light blue bag would pull out the light blue in the duster and with the dark florals it still gives the outfit a summer feel. You could have done the same thing with the light pink, yellow, or white. For the same reason I went with the light blue pendant. Just that little extra pop of color adds more interest to the outfit.

What do you think of this outfit? Have you ever worn a button up dress as a duster or kimono? It is a great way to extend the use of your dresses. If you are like me, you don’t have too many excuses to wear a dress. I know some ladies wear them all the time, and if my legs were less blemished by veins, I probably would too, but using a dress in this way still gives me an excuse to get more dressed up.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I am going to include a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend. I will not be posting next week once again, as I am going to spend the week with my mom while my brother and his family are out of town. I’ll be back the following week. Until then, take care.

Pantone - Spring/Summer - 2021 - Both Palettes with all the Outfits.

I always think it is fun to do a post featuring all the outfits from my Pantone color series. I really spread these out this year due to scheduling issues, so that’s even more of a reason to look back at all of the outfits. I will also let you know, which ones were my faves.

New York Palette

Illuminating, Rust and Ultimate Gray

Amethyst Orchid, Green Ash and Inkwell

Raspberry Sorbet, Mint and Willow

Burnt Coral, Marigold and Desert Mist

French Blue, Cerulean and Butter Cream

I would have to say, from the New York Palette, my favorite combination is the Amethyst Orchid, Ash Green and Inkwell. I love the contrast of the dark navy blue and the pastel colors. It just makes the outfit pop. I also love the light green with the light purple. It is a very pretty combo for spring and summer. In addition, I really liked the casual vibe of the French Blue, Cerulean and Butter Cream combo. both of these are outfits I would wear. What were your favorite colors? What is your favorite outfit from this series?

London Palette

Illuminating, Marigold and Ultimate Gray

Pirouette, Indigo Bunting and Polar Night

Purple Rose, Lava Falls and Baby’s Breath

Pickled Pepper, Orange Ochre and Sphagnum

Beach Glass, Blue Atoll, and Macchiato

I really liked this palette over all, because I love all of the colors. My favorite combination was the outfit that I got the most positive feedback on, Beach Glass, Blue Atoll and Macchiato. There is just something so summery and uplifting about these tropical blues and warm brown. I also liked the challenge of combining Purple Rose and Lava Falls. I would have never thought to pair this medium purple with a bold red, but I think it worked. What were your favorite colors from this palette? What is your favorite outfit?

I’d love to hear back from you. Your comments help me to know if the content I am putting out is pertinent to your life. I hope that my outfits and posts are inspiring you to shop your own closet and to think outside the box when it comes to the clothing pieces you wear and how you put them together.

Have a wonderful day!

Pantone - Spring/Summer - 2021 - London Palette - Beach Glass, Blue Atoll and Macchiato

We’ve reached the end of the Pantone - London Palette series with these last three colors which make me think of tropical seas and sandy beaches. Like Tuesday’s post, where I combined two different greens from the palette, today’s post combines two summery blues for a light, airy, warm weather look.

I started figuring this outfit out with my light blue, thrifted Sonoma crop pants. Though they are a bit lighter than the Beach Glass color, I think they still work. I pull these out every spring and summer as a light weight alternative to denim.

My multi-print top is another thrift store find. I just loved the soft colors and print on this popover blouse. It has no tag in it, so I have no idea what the brand was. The print has the light Beach Glass blue, as well as the darker Macchiato.. You’ll see a close up in the next photo.

For the darker Blue Atoll color I decided to add a few pieces of jewelry. I had some long, opera length beads and decided to do some layering with the necklaces. I also added a beaded bracelet, that appears to better match the Beach Glass color.

For the Macchiato color, I played around with several pieces, but everything seemed too yellow. This longer sweater was a recent purchase from Cracker Barrel. While they are a restaurant, they also have what they call an Old Country Store. The store is filled with all sorts of items from old fashioned candy, beautiful home decor, quilts, jewelry, cards, music and clothing. If you click on the link, it will take you to the sweater and it is on sale. Whoo, hoo. If you like it snatch it up. Here are a few photos to show you the details of this pretty piece and the movement. It is a light weight material, so it will be great for spring, summer and fall.

My bag is Madden brand; a clearance find from Kohl’s. My perforated peep toe shoes are Sonoma brand and another Kohl’s purchase from a few years ago.

What do you think of these three colors? I really like how this outfit turned out and think the color combination is great for summer. Do you have these colors in your closet?

I’m including a few other shopping links for you to look over. The Cracker Barrel sweater link is not part of the affiliate program, but I wanted to offer it to you, in case you really like the sweater. The rest of the shopping links are through the affiliate program. Every time you click on a link I get a few pennies, and I appreciate every click.

Have a great weekend!

Graphic and photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.