Category:

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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Serious fun: what to wear the first day of school

8/15/2014

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A balance between serious & fun is the goal as we prepare for the first day of school. Whether a student or a teacher, you want to look like you mean serious academic business but also that you're planning on having a good time!

It's actually pretty simple to create this impression: just mix one playful element with one serious element.

Here are 3 examples...

1. All black (serious) paired with a fun accessory like a patterned scarf, big earrings, or heels (fun):

Zara Palm Tree Scarf, $2.99

Victoria's Secret The Kate Flare Pant in Stretch Cotton, $29.50

2. A collared shirt (serious) paired with a playful patterned skirt (fun):

Garnet Hill Favorite Casual Cotton Shirt, $68

J. Crew Factory Printed Pencil Skirt, $34.99

J. Crew Factory is offering an extra 25% off to teachers in store through Sunday!

3. Black pants (serious) paired with a printed top (fun):

I hope to wear these pants >>
with the top once they arrive,
as long as they're not too much fun! :-)

Zara Printed Top, $19.99

Boden Bistro Crop Trouser, $26.40

So which outfit do you think I should wear?
What will you be wearing for the first day of school??
Have a great first week back!

More schooly posts...

What I've worn for the first day of school in the past

Back2school tees

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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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Tunics: what to wear in the heat

6/18/2014

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There's a reason why people in the hottest climates around the world--particularly those in India & Africa--wear tunics: they're easy & cool.

Here in the States, tunics have come in & out of favor. A sweeping craze for them about eight summers ago faded; they're just beginning to come back, & I've pulled out all my old ones. You'll find new ones now sometimes listed as "swim cover-ups," & they're often surprisingly affordable.

You might also try visiting an Indian store to find one; many tunics are made in India anyway. A tunic may also be called a kurta or kaftan. Most traditional Indian tunics are longer, more colorful, & more intricately embroidered than the American styles.

Tunics can have a boho feel to them or look more conservative--I like both styles. Wear them fitted, not tent-like :-). I think they're cutest with mid-thigh shorts. I believe tunics are perfectly work-appropriate with white pants or crops. I'm partial to tunics made of cotton with long or 3/4-length sleeves.

Street musician in India By Hmundol (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I've been hunting for tunics to wear to work & for fun with shorts this summer. Here are some of my favorites...

From Calypso St. Barth
Many more tunics from Calypso St. Barth at all prices & styled with white skinnies & shorts here.

Glinda Embroidered Linen Tunic, $29

Calypso St. Barth Cherylin Stripe Hem Tunic, $19

From J. Crew Factory

J. Crew Factory Printed Crinkle Tunic, $29.99 minus 30% (I ordered this one)

J. Crew Factory Tipped V-neck Tunic, $36.99 minus 30%

From Athleta

Athleta Kimssa Tunic, 4 colors, $89

From Piperlime. Many more Piperlime kurtas here.

Piperlime Roberta Roller Rabbit Classic Kurta w/ Border, $39.97

Piperlime Roberta Roller Rabbit Classic Kurta w/ Border, $49.97

From Ebay

Ebay J Crew Liberty of London Amy Hurrel Floral Tunic, Size Medium, $19.99

Ebay J. Crew Crinkle Tunic, no longer available except in xxs, $22 (I bought the other one :-)

Ebay Jcrew 100% silk sandbar boho tunic top coverup paisley small, $49.99

J. Crew Linen Tunic, $28.99 starting bid; buy outright for $37.99

From Old Navy

Old Navy Women's Tunic Cover-Up, $20 minus 20%. If you visit an Old Navy store, you'll see an amazing image on the wall of a girl in this tunic--it's prettier than it looks here.

From Boden

Boden Printed Beach Throw On, 6 colors, $66

Boden Stitch Detail Tunic, $43.50. I'm having a hard time not buying this one. I love the red!

From Tea Collection

Tea Collection Neutral Long Sleeve Dress, $59.95 minus 30% with the code MORE30

If you want to look put together when you're melting down, a tunic might be the answer. Do you agree?

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The sweatshirt=the new silk shirt?

5/27/2014

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"...in today's culture, the sweatshirt has become the new silk blouse."
-- Fashion Designer Juan Carlos Obando

I wish I could say that we could just pull all our sweatshirts out of our drawers (or pick them up off the floor :) & voilà! we'd be styling the new silk shirt. If the sweatshirt is indeed the new go-to top for all our tuxedo pants & work skirts, I'm afraid we'll need a new one that doesn't have stains on it & the name of our alma mater across its chest. I'm not positive our old faithfuls won't work, though--I may have to try it!

The boxy shape of a sweatshirt is another problem. I don't look particularly good in a square shape (who does?).

But I can see the versatility of the sweatshirt look--it mutes & brings down the fanciest of fancy pants--in a good way.

Supposedly, Einstein wore a lot of sweatshirts.
He makes them look smart! :-)

Here are a few sweatshirts you may want to look at if you're considering taking on this trend...

J. Crew Factory Short-sleeve quilted sweatshirt, $29.50

J. Crew Factory Medallion-print Sweatshirt, $24.99

J. Crew Paneled Sweatshirt in Surf Stripe, $78 minus 30%

J. Crew Paneled Sweatshirt in Navy Floral, $78 minus 30%

Anthropologie Starboard Sweatshirt, $49.95

Banana Republic BR Monogram Silk-Back Sweatshirt, $34.99 minus 35%--FRONT

Banana Republic BR Monogram Silk-Back Sweatshirt, $34.99 minus 35%--BACK

Whistles L'Ete Logo Sweatshirt, £60

Piperlime Pam & Gela Hi-Lo Sweatshirt, $165

Baukjen The Asymmetrical Jumper, £79

H&M Sweatshirt with printed design, $9.95

Zara Two-tone Sweatshirt, $49.90

H&M Sweatshirt, $39.95

J. Crew Jacquard Floral Sweatshirt, $34.99 minus 30%

J. Crew Jaspe Tunic, 2 colors, $79.99 minus 30%

Maybe you do already own one like this one?

J. Crew Factory Heathered Sweatshirt, $26.50

I bought this sweatshirt in the winter from Banana Republic. It has only worked out so-so. I love the beading on the collar, but the rest of the sweatshirt has a slight sparkle (you can't see it in the photos). I think it'd be easier to match with things if it didn't have the sparkle--it's sometimes just enough extra to categorize an outfit as "too much going on."

Will you be making like Einstein & getting yourself a sweatshirt? What do you think of this trend?

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The trip not taken

5/17/2014

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These are the clothes I didn't pack for the short trip I didn't take...

The color palette I'd planned for was neutrals, pink, & gray. I figured that way everything would match everything else.

These colors seem lovely for spring. Here are a bunch more examples of them paired together...

a couple sold-out favorites...

Nordstrom Rack ASTR Sequin Pencil Skirt, no longer available

Fossil Edie Shift Dress, no longer available in these colors

pink, white, khaki...

J. Crew Vintage Cotton V-neck Tee, $29.50 minus 25% with the code PACKME

with a touch of blue...

J. Crew Linen Baseball Tee, $39.50 minus 25% with the code PACKME

J. Crew Factory Outfit Obsession #5

H&M Floral Dress, $24.95

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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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Layer me up, Scotty

4/5/2014

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My clothing adventure this past weekend was to try to layer a button-down under a shift dress. It was inspired by this outfit from J. Crew Factory >>

I imagined it might be really awkward, tight, smashed in, & "little girlish" to layer a shirt under a close-fitting dress, but I thought I'd try it anyway. I'm glad I did.

Below are my two best results...

J. Crew Factory Outfit Obsession #2: Shimmer Dot Shift, $70.50 & Classic Button-Down in Printed Cotton, $39.50

Honestly, my shift dress below is about as old as Star Trek, Season 1 (well, not quite that old). I try to wear it every now & then, but now I'm like, yes!, finally a way that feels right. My shirt is from Abercrombie & Fitch here.

This dress is also almost as old as Mr. Spock (& you've seen it before). It's a little close-fitting by the neck to layer the chambray button-down underneath, but I'll still try to wear it like this. I think I need to role up the sleeves.

It took about four tries to find the right button-downs to go under each shift.

Two more images from the stores...

From Joules

From Piperlime

So, who's with me? Who's willing to try wearing this layered style to work this week??

More clothing adventures...

All for one:
attempts at wearing all one color
--with links
to more experiments

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Who's wearing the pants?

4/4/2014

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...the printed pants, that is.

A year or so ago, printed pants--in everything from polka dot to brocade--hit the scene hard. Now I find they're on sale!

Is it because they aren't as popular as they used to be? Or are you wearing them regularly & ready to bring back out your cropped ones for spring?

Printed pants can take you to work, out for lunch, to an afternoon gathering, or out for the night because of their playful styles & dressy fabrics. They're easy to match with (black, white, cream). The only tricky part, I think, can be the shoes.

Are you the one wearing the pants?

In jacquard, brocade, sateen, & medallion prints

H&M Jacquard-weave Pants, $49.95

J. Crew Campbell Capri in Lattice Medallion, $69.99 minus 30%

Talbots Signature Dot Jacquard Ankle Pants, $29.99

Boden Bistro Pant, $52.80-$74.80

J. Crew Factory Skimmer Pant in Metallic Brocade, $64.50

Boden Bistro Crop Trousers, $27.60

Boden Wow Bistro Crop, $27.60

In blues

New York & Co 7th Avenue Pant Cuffed Crop Sateen Print, $25

J. Crew Factory Skimmer Pant, $39.50

Boden Bistro Crop, $17.60

Boden Bistro Pant, $70.40

J. Crew Minnie Pant in Foulard, $79.50

J. Crew Campbell Capri in Abstract Wave, $69.99

In animal print

Zara Printed Trousers, $59.90

Talbots Signature Animal-Print Ankle Pants, $23.99

Ann Taylor Maven Leopard Ankle Pants, $89.99 minus 40%

H&M Pants Loose fit, $17.95

In black & white

Garnet Hill Jacquard Capri Pants, $68

New York & Co. Crosby Street Slim Leg Pant, $21.18

H&M Slacks, $20

Ann Taylor Windowpane Slim Ankle Pants, $79.99 minus 40%

LOFT Floral Print Stretch Cotton Pants in Marisa Fit, $49.50

Banana Republic Hampton-Fit Geo Print Crop, $69.99 minus 40% with code BRSPRING40

In florals & nature patterns

Garnet Hill Santeen Capri Pants, $78

Boden Bistro Crop Trousers, $17.60

Zara Floral Printed Trousers, $59.90

Zara 5 Pocket Printed Trousers, $49.90

Zara Floral Printed Trousers, $59.90

Zara Printed Trousers, $59.90

In artistic designs

Zara Printed Trousers with Side Zip, $79.90

Zara Cut Work Trousers, $99.90

New York & Co. 7th Avenue Ankle Pant, $24.97

Boden Bistro Crop Trousers, $117.30

Boden Bistro Crop, $17.60

J. Crew Collection Cafe Capri in Iced Lilac Paisley, $129.99 minus 30%

Zara Palm Tree Print Sarong Trousers, $59.90

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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.)