Category: Gap

The animals in my closet

9/3/2014

Animal prints are classic & seem to me to convey a little old Hollywood grace & glamour.

Here are the animals in my closet...

I began in 2010 by ordering just a zebra-print belt from Boden >>

I also bought a couple other leopard-print belts at Forever 21 for next to nothing & an animal-print microfiber purse from Amazon.

Boden still carries a similar belt:

Boden Waldour Waist Belt, $38

J. Crew dress, Boden belt

Last year, I found this leopard-print dress at Land's End for under $30. Very easy to wear.

Land's End dress, GAP maternity cardigan

Land's End Women's Petite Sleeveless Pattern Ponté Welt Pocket Dress, $29.99

My youngest son's very favorite item of mine is this leopard-print cardigan because it's so soft. I got at H&M for $5;
I noticed over the weekend they still carry them in store for $14.95.

F21 fake leather skirt, GAP top, H&M cardigan, Boden boots

Over the summer, I came across this animal-print skirt from Banana Republic that I managed to snag for the "kill price" of $9.50.

Photobombed by my son! :-)

J. Crew Factory crewneck sweater, Banana Republic skirt, Madewell necklace, Denver Museum of Nature & Science cuff, Piperlime sandals

Banana Republic Heritage Animal Print Jacquard Cargo Mini, $39.99. (I called the flagship store in S.F. to get the kill price!)

I'd always wanted animal-print shoes with mid-heels, & I finally got some from Sole Society.

Sole Society Isabelle pumps

Sole Society Isabelle, $69.95

These subtly-printed crops go with everything gray does & helped update my pant selection.

Anthropologie sweater, Boden crops

Boden Bistro Crop Trousers, $26.40

My latest acquisition is this leopard-print sweatshirt from H&M.

H&M sweatshirt, GAP shirt, Urban Outfitters jeans

H&M sweatshirt, $9.95

H&M Sweatshirt, $12.95

So what about you? Do you own many animal-print pieces? Did you buy them recently or in the past?

You may also like...

A leopard-print vest I'm eyeing for fall...

Uniqlo Women's Ultra Light Down Printed Vest, $39.90

More animal prints...

& yet more animal prints...

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An arsenal of in-between outfits

7/9/2014

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The parent/teacher conference, the meeting with a consultant, casual Friday, training days--times when you need to look presentable but not too dressed up. These are the occasions that cause me the most trouble figuring out what to wear.

The order of the day is for these events is something like business casual (an oxymoron if ever I've heard one) but perhaps even just a little more relaxed. Men seem to have this category down (albeit a bit boring) with khakis & golf shirts, but women have it a lot harder. Let's see if we can break it down:

Suit? No, too formal.
Dress? Yes, but not too short, not too tight, not too nightclub, not too prissy, not too dressy.
Jeans? Yes, but not too faded nor too tight.
Sleeveless blouses? Sure, but no tank tops, nothing too low cut.
Skirts? Of course! But not too short nor too tight.

I've made it my mission to create an arsenal of easy-reach, easy-match in-between outfits.

Here are some of the key pieces I'm turning to...

White or denim knee-length skirt, crisp shirt.
White & denim go with everything. My first choice: pair it with a long-sleeve oxford tied at the waist. I like that I can roll the sleeves up or down to make the outfit more or less formal.

dELiA's Floral Button-Down Shirt, $29.90

GAP Straight skirt, $49.95 minus 30-40%

GAP Fitted Boyfriend Burnout Dot Shirt, $26.99 minus 30%

J. Crew Factory Pencil Skirt in Denim, $36.99 minus 50%

Trouser jeans.
I'm not sure about jeans or skinny jeans in particular for the workplace--what do you think? But I think they're fine for
in-between days in a slim cut, trouser style, in a dark rinse like these. I like them with a sleeveless white shirt.

GAP Slim Cropped Chambray Pants, $21.99 minus 30%

J. Crew Factory Ruffled Neck Cami, $34.50

A casual, knee-length dress.
I look for a higher neckline like this dress has. This dress has a fun back for after work but looks perfectly appropriate with a cardigan for the workplace.

Piperlime Collective Concepts Trim Tape Back Cutout Mini Dress, $44.97

A few more outfits from my arsenal (from previous posts):

Tunic with white pants

J. Crew Factory tunic, New York & Co. pants

Tees with dressy skirts

GAP tee, Talbots skirt

GAP top, H&M skirt

The shoes make a big difference in how dressy the outfit appears. I have a stockpile of mid-heel sandals.

I think the workplace over the warmer months is a more casual place in general--please correct me if I'm wrong.

Do you face this same dilemma? What are some of your go-to in-between outfits?

You may also like...

3 ways to wear your disco
clothes by day

A rant against transitions & in- betweens

Lots of tunics

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Oh peplum, my peplum

5/27/2014

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I had to wait a long time for my peplum to come in. I learned that it's best if peplum fits well, depending how structured the top is.

The peplum problem: seems to me, most peplum must be fitted to look right. When this peplum top from GAP first arrived, it was obvious that it wasn't going to work because it was too big for me. I returned it & had to wait another week or so before a smaller size was available. I still think it's too big, & I'll probably return it.

GAP Eyelet Peplum Top on me

GAP Eyelet Peplum Top, also in navy, $34.99

GAP Eyelet Peplum Top on me

This Garnet Hill peplum top is also too big for me, but since it's not so structured, I can belt it. I love the color with my gray skirt, so I'm hoping it looks ok since it's not available in the next size down. I have a weakness for all-one-color outfits (as you know). I'm hoping to wear this outfit to my son's continuation ceremony.

My top is Garnet Hill sleeveless peplum top in a medium, $38

My skirt is a GAP girls' in size 16 plus, $18.99

How has your peplum worked out? Have you had similar troubles?

More peplum

Attempts at wearing
all one color

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The peplum question

5/12/2014

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I didn't buy peplum when it first came out, did you? One, I couldn't find anything I liked that wasn't too expensive. Two, there was some question--especially for shorter women--if it might (gasp, sigh) make us look fat.

But peplum is popping up again this season, & it seems to have softened its lines & become more wearable, less
airplane-wings-like.

I've ordered a couple of these tops. I'll be reporting back to let you know if they work out!

Fossil Camille Peplum Top, $49.99

GAP Eyelet Peplum Top, $34.99

back view GAP Eyelet Peplum Top, $34.99

Banana Republic Black Peplum Top, $29.99 minus 40%

Banana Republic Denim Peplum Top, $69.50 minus 40%

Love Culture Plus Size Strappy Peplum (also in orange), $27.95

Dillard's Sanctuary Clothing Ponte Peplum Top, $59.40

J. Crew Factory Ponte Peplum Top, $54.50 minus 30%

Nordstrom Lauren Ralph Lauren Peplum Top (Plus Size), $85

Piperlime Wells Grace Ellery Vegan Leather Peplum, $27.97

H&M Off-the-shoulder Top (also in black), $29.95

Fossil top, no longer available dang it!

Garnet Hill Sleeveless Peplum Top, 3 colors, limited sizes, $38

Do you own any peplum? Has it worked out well for you?

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What have you bought for me lately?

4/1/2014

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Do you sometimes recount exactly what you've bought lately to see how much you've spent?
Here are the 8 items I've bought in the past few weeks to help me make the transition to spring. The total cost I paid is around $200 after discounts I took advantage of. (P.S. I bought a lot of other stuff I returned.)

10 Ways I Save $ for Clothes

Gotta Stretch that Dollar Bill

How Much Should You Pay for Shipping?

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Romancing the shopper

3/28/2014

4 Comments

Love at first sight. Lust-worthy. Stalking. The Ex-.

When did the language of love become the language of shopping?

Have you experienced...

Love at first sight?

Love At First Sight Dress
--from Sundance Catalog

It's happened to me many a time. It says "me" all over it, & I must have it.
Like this skirt...

GAP Pintuck Skirt, $34.96

This skirt seems perfect for navigating those tricky in-betweens.
(Thanks to Rachel for referring me to it!)

Infatuation? We see the item, we want it, but what are we willing to put on the line for it? Is it like, not love?

Fear of commitment? We don't like to commit. Nordstrom is on to this with its constant appeal:

"Go for it! We offer free shipping and free returns!" --Nordstrom

The hardest of all to commit to is the Final Sale item. No way to back out now. You'll have to just make do if it doesn't work out. Maybe you'll grow to love each other.

Falling in love?
We fall in love with our clothes. Is this ok?

I'm in love. This little suit made me look ten
pounds lighter." --quote from the Lands' End catalog

"I love it so much I bought it in five colors."
--quote from the Lands' End catalog

--from
Old Navy

"Current leopard loves"
--from The Online Stylist

The Slowdance Dress
--from Madewell

Guy: "I call them shoes."
Eep: "I LOVE them!! Where are my feet?"
--from The Croods

Boyfriend watch
--from Fossil

Is the subtext here that you might not need a boyfriend if you own this watch?
Or just that you might want to steal his style?

--from White House
Black Market

"Another look at my Barbie shoes...just because I love them so much!"
--from The Fashionista Next Door

The honeymoon period? One reason reviews are often not terribly trustworthy is because at first we overlook any flaws in our newly acquired prize. Months later we may realize its shortcomings.

The ex-? Ex-boyfriend jeans, ex-boyfriend shirts...something to remember them by...

Favorite Ex-Boyfriend Jeans
--from Garnet Hill

The Ex-Boyfriend Shirt
--from Madewell

I'm as guilty as anyone of using superlatives & lovelife talk to describe how I feel about clothes, & I'm sure I won't stop. But...

Is shopping like love? like dating? Should we be using the language of love to describe things we wear?

On a somewhat related note...

What to wear
when you've been
dumped

4 Comments

How many ways can you button a cardigan?

3/19/2014

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Boden Cocktail Cardigan, $74

I've been a little bored with cardigans lately, which recently inspired me to try buttoning them down my back. That went ok, not perfect.

So what can we do to mix up the cardigan rut? Well, how do you usually wear your cardigans that have buttons? Do you wear them open most of the time?

I typically button a few buttons in the middle.

But I think it's time I tried buttoning them all the way up & wearing
them as tops.

I'm also drawn to the classic look of buttoning the top button--this one takes a bit of guts, though, because we want to avoid looking like our grandmas.

One more option is to button most of the buttons at the top & leave a couple open at the bottom (my favorite choice at the moment).

Here are some examples of each option...

Buttoning the top button or two
There's something a little retro & nostalgic about buttoning the top button. Is it too conservative?

Anthropologie Danika Cardigan, $128

I've noticed it's mostly British sites that model the cardigan buttoned at the top.

Boden Beaded Stripe Cardigan, $44.40 to $59.20

Boden Broderie Cardigan, $110.40

Boden Fair Isle Cardigan, $39.20 to $49

Buttoned all the way & worn as a top

Anthropologie Lace-ruled Cardigan

Anthropologie Chiffon-Fringe Cardigan, $98

Joe Fresh Crew Neck Cardigan, $17.99

Victoria's Secret The Sexy Cardi, $19.99

Buttoning a couple buttons in the middle
Up until this very moment, I thought buttoning a button or two in the middle looked carefree & light. But looking at these models below now, it seems very conservative to me--maybe even more so than buttoning the top button!

Boden Pretty Piped Cardigan, $68

Land's End Women's Regular Long Sleeve Fine Gauge Supima Lurex Cardigan, $54.99

LOFT Cotton Modal V-neck Cardigan, $49.50

Wrap London Sian Cardi, $59

Mix it up a bit...
I love this option below...

& this light little cropped sweater--

Anthropologie Shirley Midi Cardigan, $128

Boden Favourite Cropped Cardigan, $58

Garnet Hill Cashmere Peplum Cardigan, $68

Boden Crew Neck Cashmere Cardigan, $84

But I still love cardigans buttoned down the back...

Anthropologie Dotlace Pullover, $49.95

You may also like...

Dressing all in one color
& other ways to mix up
what you already own

Two great deals on long, open cardis:

Love Culture Knit Rib Flyaway Cardigan, $14.95

Target Merona Women's Bellona Open Layering Cardigan, $11.98

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Two trends walk into a bar

2/17/2014

2 Comments

Two trends are hitting the stores: the side-stripe pant & the high-ankle cuff sandal.

The side-stripe or piped pant

Ann Taylor Petite Side Striped Straight Leg Pants, $79.99 minus 50%

J. Crew Piped Andie Chino, $78

The Limited Exact Stretch Side Inset Pants, $49.99, also in red, $69.95

GAP True straight piped pants, $59.95 minus 35%, also in black

The high-ankle cuff sandal

Piperlime Chinese Laundry Time Flies, $89

Sundance Catalog Skye Belt Sandals, $228, from Frye, also in black & camel

Piperlime Chinese Laundry Cosmos, $89

6 p.m.com Steve Madden Figo, $54.99

LOFT Alissa Colorblocked Ankle Strap Heels $89.50 minus 50%, also in animal-print

Victoria's Secret Cut-out Sandal, $78

Who's buying?

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Colorful skinny belts

2/13/2014

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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...

Red & pink belts contrast nicely with navy

Banana Republic Heritage Velvet Skinny Ankle Zip Pant, $69.99; patent skinny belt, $34.50

Banana Republic Floral Ikat Print Skinny Ankle Jean, $89.50; patent skinny belt, $34.50

Banana Republic chinos & patent skinny belt in turquoise, $34.50

An otherwise bland outfit gets refreshed with a strip of bold spring color

Boden Skinny Ankle Skimmer Jeans, $23.40 to $46.80; yellow Skinny Belt, $19

Pink, gray, & yellow seems such a pretty combination to me.

Red, yellow, & off-white works well too.

Skinny Ankle Cord, $29.99; yellow belt

Anything goes with jeans...

GAP 1969 stripe-hem always skinny skimmer jeans, $48.96; Colorblock belt, $24.95

Garnet Hill Red Engine Cayenne Skinny Jeans, $59 - $124; pink belt

Land's End Long Sleeve Print Fine Gauge Supima Cardigan, $40-89; Perforated Diamond Belt $29

Land's End Women's Pin Straight Colored Jeans, $59; Perforated Diamond Belt in light meadow mist, $29

The bright belt becomes the centerpiece. Just add a basic white shirt.

With skirts...

Boden Italian Lace Jacquard Skirt, $82.80 to $110.40; Super Skinny shocking pink belt, $20.40

Belted over a pullover, the bright pink belt makes a playful statement when contrasted with dressy neutrals.
Do you like the look?

You don't have to have belt-loops to add a belt to your outfit.

Garnet Hill Lace Pencil Skirt in jade, $44; pink belt

Boden Zoe Top, $27.20; robin's egg blue belt

I have such a weakness for turquoise & burgundy.

With dresses...

Belting dresses can add life to dresses old & new.

Boden Laura Dress, $59.20 to $74.00; yellow skinny belt, $19

Garnet Hill Ponte Knit Dress, $29; Anna Leather Braided Belt, $54

I hear blue is the new neutral this spring.

Land's End Sleeveless Ponté Sheath Dress with Pockets, $69; Patent Leather Bow Belt, $29

One of my favorites of the belts pictured above--GAP's Colorblock belt:

GAP Colorblock belt, $24.95

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...

Shortening & belting old dresses

Delayed gratification

You'll get used to it

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Back to the ole burgundy & blue

1/21/2014

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I've been obsessed with burgundy with blue for some time (see post here) & have been amazed how many new outfits I've come up with thanks to this surprising color combination.

3 from Boden

Here are my latest outfits assembled with this color combo...

New Abercrombie & Fitch striped oxford, H&M skirt, GAP maternity cardigan, cabernet tights

Just a minor variation--a decade-old blue-gray shirt from Target with the same H&M skirt, cabernet tights

Very cheap J. C.. Penny Joe Fresh skirt (around $2.97 in store), old wine/aubergine-colored GAP cardigan, new sleeveless thin white shirt from Abercrombie & Fitch to wear underneath, navy tights

Super old Boden merino sweater, same thin sleeveless Abercrombie shirt, old Banana Republic cord skirt, heather brown tights

After I told my 8-year old son/photographer about the color scheme, he picked out this outfit for me.
At first I thought I was just humoring him putting it on, but then I realized I really liked it!

Never underestimate the power of children to mix up your wardrobe in new, fun ways.