Anything goes with jeans...
With skirts...
With dresses...
I hear blue is the new neutral this spring.
I think colorful belts in the spring are the equivalent of colorful tights in the fall. Do you want to give them a try?
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I know you don't want to, but let's talk about belts. Many of us gave up belts when our bellies got big or pregnant & never took them up again. And who wants to spend money on some little piece of leather or fabric, an accessory? But if we can find the right outfit that won't make us feel like an elephant, belts can add some spice when used as a contrasting color. With pants & jeans... Anything goes with jeans... With skirts... With dresses... Belting dresses can add life to dresses old & new. I hear blue is the new neutral this spring. I think colorful belts in the spring are the equivalent of colorful tights in the fall. Do you want to give them a try? You may also like...
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A couple weeks ago, I noticed the trend toward a casual knit--even a hoodie--over a dressy skirt. Here's a pairing of the fancy skirt & casual sweater that I saw, a photo in a Garnet Hill catalog. And Monica gave it a try... After I posted the topic in Facebook, my friend Monica looked for a similar combo in her closet. And we read about it... Noah, who has a new Wordpress blog The NoMadden, also directed us to this short article on the topic--Knits & Glitz... "This high-low, casual-fancy pairing is one of our favorite approaches to dressing these days—whether it’s sequins and sweaters or high heels and distressed denim—because it leaves room for endless pairings and makes everything in your closet twice as wearable." Most recent sightings... I found this one via Sole Society, a great online shoe store. It would be hard to wear a pure gold skirt like this without toning it down with a casual sweater & even flats, don't you think? So--will you join our story?--have you tried paring a casual sweater with a fancy skirt? I'd truly love to know. You may also like... Have you used ShopStyle, Flit, or other comparison shopping websites much? I usually just search my favorite stores on my own. I feel like the shopping sites are limited to certain stores--do you think that's true? But sometimes they can help you find the best deals. I recently searched for a suede bootie. I wanted a heel that was not too high & not too low, & I didn't want a western flair. I found the options below (organized from least to most expensive) through ShopStyle, through a google search, & on my own. I've started to believe that it's worth spending a little more on shoes because you wear each pair so many times & often for several years. Any guesses on which bootie I picked? Which one would you pick? Don't forget: If you see a shoe you like in a store or catalog, get its exact name & look it up online. Many manufacturers will carry it, & you may find a lower price. Also, you really should never pay for shipping when it comes to shoes--almost everyone ships them for free. At first it may go against everything in your nature. But one of the best ways to get more of your wardrobe into circulation is to pair opposites--opposite styles, opposite colors, opposite fabrics. Opposite Styles: Dressy & Casual or High/Low You have work/dress clothes, & you have weekend/play clothes--never the two shall meet? But do you have some work/dress clothes that are so dressy they're too much trouble to wear? Or you feel too conservative & dressed up in them? Pull out your t-shirts & jeans. See if you might match some dressier items with them.
Dressy jacket, jeans Suit, camo tee
Dressy skirt & t-shirt Dressy skirt & casual sweater Opposite Colors (maybe not opposite but unexpected): Deep Red + Icy Blue; Deep Purple + Green We're used to pairing black with its polar opposite white. But don't stop there: try other unlikely mates. Deep red & icy blue: Click on the photo above for more examples of cranberries & icy blue paired together. Deep purple & green Opposite Fabrics: Thick & Thin You've been struggling for ages to pair the fabrics just right--a silky blouse with a silky jacquard skirt, for example. This matchmaking is hard work and may result in just one outfit. So why not try a wool sweater with a lace or tulle skirt? A silk blouse with a tweed or corduroy skirt? Who knew they'd get along so well? Wool sweaters, lace & tulle skirts Velvet skirt, summer blouse Tweed skirt; silky, lacy blouse What do you think? Do the combos work? Let's help each other get more of our clothes into action. Please share other styles we might mix, color combinations we should try, fabrics we might pair together. You may also like... "A great lasting wardrobe is not about a certain look, but about dressing as yourself." I'm flattered when a friend says "This looks like you" when we're shopping because it implies that I have a signature style. Whether or not you realize what your signature style is, you probably know your signature colors. It's easy to tell kids' favorite colors because they wear, like, only purple or (in the case of my son) only orange or green (ugh!). I've only just come to realize that my signature colors are red, white, & gray. In fact, I'm having a hard time getting dressed this morning because all my red, white, & gray things are on the bed: I don't why I love these colors (my husband thinks I secretly wish I were a sailor in a foreign navy), but I remember when I first wore those colors together years ago, I felt 100% like me in them. Now I often buy two of the same thing, so I have one for play & one for work. Here are some of the items pictured above with links to the stores if you're interested in any of them:
Of course, new colors are always coming into vogue, people change, and I like lots of other colors & combinations. I'm not always dressed in red, white, and gray, but most days I'm likely wearing one of those colors. They just feel right for me. What are your signature colors? Do you buy multiples when you find things in those colors? "Every girl should have a good pair of leather leggings! Super chic! Makes her stand out!" Do you remember the episode of Friends when Monica and Rachel give Phoebe a pair of leather pants when she's pregnant with twins? Well, you may feel like you need a pair of leather-like leggings almost as much as Phoebe did then. But sometimes you want to look a little tough, a little edgy. If you want to give 'em a try with low commitment, you may want to know the lowest priced options out there. Most of the leggings are not leather but leather-like, cruelty-free. J. Crew shows you some ways to wear your p/leather pants here. Click on "Leather." Warning: wearing leather-like leggings, you might make you feel HOTHOTHOT, & I don't mean because it's still summer.
Two More Pairs
So what's your poison? Real leather or fake? What do black p/leather leggings say to you? You may also like... Sangria is the perfect beverage to drink in the yellow sun. So why not pair up the colors in your wardrobe this summer? I don't own much yellow, but I have a million variations on blush/berry/coral/rosé/sangria. Every store is carrying both colors. The combo seems to me warm, flattering, & fun for summer. I prefer lighter yellows--not too much sun--but plenty of sangria :-) Who's got a great sangria recipe? Will you share it with me? Here's to summer! :-) A few of my favorites in stores... More posts you might like:
More Side-by-side: In past years, we've seen a return to the 70s (bell bottoms and boho--right on!), a return to the 20s (a toast to Gatsby!), and a return to the 60s (hello Madmen). Now, for better or worse, we're seeing a return to the 80s & 90s. What 80s or 90s fashion do you welcome back and which ones should we banish forever? Sweaters with bobbles... Big shirts... High-waisted jeans... Off the shoulder... Overalls... Flirty, high-waisted skirts... Topsiders and Docs... Then & Now Perhaps they never went out of style? You might also like... I've been trolling stylish websites, something I never do--lol--and I've discovered that nerdy (or shall I say "bookish") glasses are not just for nerds anymore. In fact, they're everywhere! Not only that, stores from Urban Outfitters to Anthropologie to the boys' department at Macy's are all selling nerdy reading glasses--dare I say for those who may not need them???
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