Sept 15, Black Joggers

When I think of wearing joggers, I immediately think of a very casual outfit, but today I am showing a way to actually dress your joggers up a bit- and perhaps wear them to work, church, or even out to dinner.

I started with this gorgeous wine colored polyester blouse from Nordstrom (similar). Growing up in the 70’s, when I hear ‘polyester’ I think of the Brady Bunch- but honestly, it’s come a long way since then. It’s a great (and more affordable) alternative to silk, plus it washes easily. Tip of the day, don’t be afraid of polyester!

Here is how I improved the before look. I tucked in the blouse, added a cool necklace, rolled the hem of my joggers and swapped out the boots for these cute peep toe booties. Now have a cute outfit that is super comfy while also being stylish.

*full disclosure I’m not actually wearing this today, but I totally would! Instead I’m heading to yoga 🙂

August 3, Blue and White Again

Another day, another blue and white outfit. Today I’m showing a very simple, basic look of blue jeans and a white blouse. But in the photo on the left my proportions are off.

The wide leg jeans and the boxy blouse don’t work well together. When you have big on top, you need to go skinny on bottom. So the skinny jeans on the right are an improvement. I also wanted to keep this outfit super simple with neutral shoes. But I don’t love the loafers on the left, they seem old and tired. I think the cute tie up shoes on the right are much better, don’t you?

And check out the details on this blouse- I love the pattern, and the detail on the shoulder are so cool.

Blouse- Madewell

Jeans- Lucky Brand

Shoes- Paul Green

August 1, Ruffle Detail

Sometimes it’s the littlest details that make an outfit. Something as simple as a interesting hemline, a cool neckline, a different sleeve, or even a ruffle is all you need to make your outfit interesting and unique.

For example, I went to dinner with a dear friend last night and I wanted to wear white jeans and a blue blouse. You know blue and white are one of my favorite color combos. I could have chosen my chambray shirt- which I love by the way (just not the way it’s styled here!), but instead I decided to go with this cute blouse with the ruffle detail.

There is a lot of things I love about this blouse. First off, it’s is a lot lighter weight than the chambray shirt, making it more appropriate for summer. Secondly, it has a cute hemline- where it’s short in front and then dips down in the back to cover my bootie. I also love the subtle stripes which is more fun than a solid print. And finally, as mentioned before, it has this unique ruffle that is built into the dropped shoulder and stretches down the sleeves. All of these small details make this blouse special.

To complete the look, I replaced the full length white jeans with my cropped ones, just that little peek of ankle makes all the difference in the world. I then swapped out the Birkenstocks for my cute white slides from Target. These shoes are one of my favorite purchases this summer, and they were only $13! I love them so much I bought them in both black and white!

Blouse – Anthroplogie

Jeans- Gap

Shoes- Target

July 18, Concert in the Park

One of the things I love about the community I live in is they do outdoor concerts in the park during the summer. It’s a fun, free event that is perfect for all ages. When my kids were little, I used to take them every week. But, tonight it’s a girls night out!

It’s going to be about 60 degrees this evening, so I want jeans to stay warm. We are meeting at my friend’s house and walking to the park, so I need comfy shoes. However, the outfit on the left looks really awkward and weird. The length of the jeans is off- and the shoes are awful. The casual, faded, distressed jeans on the right are a much better option. As for my blouse, by unbuttoning an extra button, rolling the sleeves and loosely tucking it in- I have created a much more casual, and in my opinion, cuter outfit.

Jeans- Target

Blouse- Nordstrom Rack

Shoes- Dr. Scholls, TJ Maxx

June 10, Blue and White

As you know, blue and white are one of my favorite color combos! It’s just so classic, so crisp and so easy! Today I chose my cropped white jeans and a simple blue button down blouse from Loft.

I love this blouse because it is rayon, which means it hangs really well. I hate things that cling to my tummy (my problem area), so a blouse like this is perfect because it looks nice- and is slimming at the same time! Looking at the photos, I like it better with the cropped jeans and the cuter sandals, and I suggest tucking it in and adding a fun leopard belt to really elevate the look.

It looks black in the photos, but it is actually a deep navy blue.

Jeans- Gap

Blouse- Loft, old, but here is a similar look, and another one here

Shoes- TJ Max (link is to a similar pair on Amazon)

Belt- Target

May 15, Black and White Blouse

Today I have chosen my faded, distressed jeans and a cute black and white blouse. Originally I thought about wearing my flannel, but realized that it is too wintery for a spring day.

So I opted for this cute, lightweight black and white blouse instead. This blouse has cute details, I love the stripes, the collar & neckline. To style it, I rolled the sleeves, did the half tuck, added a belt and replaced the orthopedic shoes, which look so awful I can’t even believe I once wore those in real life! UGH! What was I thinking? These cute black loafers are a huge improvement. One thing I’ve really learned is that shoe choice really makes a difference in an outfit. And, truthfully, my feet hurt most of the time, so comfort is essential. These cute Vince loafers are comfy and stylish!

Jeans- Joes

Blouse- OC Style

Shoes- Vince, Nordstrom Rack

Jan 23, Black and White

Black and white is such a classic and easy go to for any outfit.

 

In the photos above you can see I have chosen black jeans, a black and white blouse and black boots. Here’s the difference: in the after picture I chose a little more fitted blouse- and I did the famous half tuck, defining my waist. I added a belt, rolled up my sleeves and added a necklace.

One thing I love about this blouse is it has really cute detail along the shoulders (see the picture below, it’s too hard to tell above). I also rolled up the hem of my jeans revealing my ankles- and switched out my boots for a lower profile bootie. This really changes the look. To be honest, I don’t hate the before picture- I actually think this blouse is cute,  but I wanted to give you a contrast so you can see the difference. Plus, plaid is really on trend right now!

*I apologize for the grainy photo above, for some reason the bigger the photo, the more grainy it gets. I have no idea how to correct that (or how to resize the photo). I am definitely in need of advice, if you have a suggestion- please send it my way! Thank you! 🙂

Jeans- Gap

Blouse- local boutique

Boots- Nordstrom Rack

Belt- Nordstrom Rack

Necklace- Gift

Jan 7th, Doing the Polka!

 Another lame title by me- but surely by now you’ve come to expect a lame title, right?

I’m actually showing what I wore on Saturday, since today I have to go to Physical Therapy for a little sciatic nerve problem I’m suffering from. So, if you see me out and about today in sweats, you’ll know why!

On Saturday I went to my daughter’s indoor soccer game- so technically, this is a soccer mom outfit!

I wore my dark skinny jeans, a cute polka dot blouse and a bright pink (or is this purple?) cardigan. I liked the bright cardigan over the neutral blouse- it’s a good contrast, and so much better than the outfit on the right (do you notice that you can see right through this blouse? Yikes! Hello belly button!  I need to add a tank underneath!).

I decided that since the blouse has so much going on (between the polka dots and the ties) that I should skip a necklace. What do you think? Should I have added a necklace?

Jeans: Anthropologie (James jeans) old, Blouse: Target, Cardigan: Target, Flats: Cole Haan

If you haven’t already, please hop over to Facebook and ‘like’ me! It’s an ego thing… silly, I know!

Nov 16th, Polka Dots!

I bought this cute polka dot blouse at Target a while ago- and haven’t had the chance to wear it yet.

Has anyone else noticed that I have found some really cute things at Target lately! Gotta love Target!

Polka dots are really trendy right now- and I will say that personally, I only like them in small doses! On younger (or perhaps hipper) women- they can look lovely- but on the other hand- you DO NOT want to look like Minnie Mouse!

However, a nice, subtle polka dot can be a great addition to your wardrobe.  I’m wearing black work pants today- this is a very typical working mom staple. I prefer the pants on the left (even in the winter) than the long, baggy version on the right. Yes, my ankles look a little cold- but I’ll survive (as long as I am inside most of the day).

I also think by tucking the blouse in I look more polished- and the pink belt is a fun way to add a little color into the look.

Pants: Nordstom (Vince Camuto), Shoes: Macy’s, Blouse: Target, Belt: Target

November 1st, Month in Review

Well, it’s the start of a new month- which means I show all my outfits from last month and you all can comment and let me know which is your favorite!

Hope you had a great Halloween!