embracing a neutral.

ab studio dress   ·  old navy open-front cardigan

fergalicious 'irene' heels   ·  target belt

{ similar dress / exact cardigan / similar heels / similar belt }

i purchased this cardigan in a recent old navy order because it will complete a look i want to put together for an upcoming trip.  i almost never purchase an entirely new outfit for an event (unless i need a dress to wear to a wedding but those events are rare), but even if i had this cardigan is already proving its place in my closet!

i went through a phase years ago where i got rid of my "neutral" cardigans because i didn't want to blend in with so many working women i interacted with who typically wore neutral colors like black head to toe.  i still feel like all-black outfits are a default i want to avoid but i am working gray and tan back into my closet and in doing so have realized that they definitely have a place there.  this cardigan is nice and lightweight and i love the openness that gives it a different look.  and i'm realizing how many items i have that this tan cardigan matches with like the top i wore a couple friday's ago and today's dress!

dress week: day 2

ab studio chiffon dress   ·  old navy blazer {via thredup*}

adrienne vittadini flats   ·   onecklace monogram necklace (c/o)

so, this is by no means a styling "a-ha!"or anything, but sometimes i like to rotate my belts around so the buckle doesn't show in the front.  the belt still defines my waist but in a more streamlined way.  if you're wearing a blazer or cardigan, no one would ever see the buckle in the back and think you have forgotten how to wear a belt!  even though this isn't really considered a faux pas anymore either, sometimes i also like to do this if the metal color of the belt buckle doesn't match whatever jewelry i'm wearing (like today's silver necklace).

i really like this dress because it has sleeves (why are dresses with sleeves kind of hard to find?) but feels even more put together with this little blazer, which is also needed in my freezing office.  are you joining andi and i for dress week this week?  if so, add your link below!

get the look:  similar dress / similar blazer / similar flats / similar belt / exact necklace

*now until july 6th, receive $15 to spend at thredup when you sign up through my referral link and i'll get $15 when you place your first order!

An InLinkz Link-up

boot copier.

ab studio chiffon dress   ·   j crew riviera jacket

inpink necklace    ·   mossimo kiriana booties

it's true, one look at me and you know it -- i'm a boot copier.  i've loved seeing these boots on my blogger friends whitney, brynn, and alice (any others??) so when i casually strolled down the clearance shoe aisle at target this week and saw them for $24 minus a $5 fashion boots target coupon i had, i snatched them up.  i'm not sure if they make my legs look stumpy or not, maybe a skirt/dress with a higher hemline would help my legs look longer, but i think they're a fun alternative to the ankle booties i usually wear this time of the year that have a skinnier heel.

what are your favorite types of boots to wear in the winter?  surprisingly, i haven't dug any of my tall boots out yet...

get the look:  exact dress / similar jacket / exact booties

koi.

​talbots blazer {thread-upped}
ab studio chiffon dress   ·   lela rose for payless heels

welcome to day 3 of the patnone-inspired fall color challenge marissa & i have been hosting this week!  today through friday we'll add our links here at my blog.  check out day 1 and day 2 at marissa's blog - the link ups for both are still open if you are a little behind but still want to participate!

today's color is koi, a subdued orange.  although i love the two orange dresses (1 & 2) i own and have a couple blouses that are orange, i was most looking forward to wearing this talbots blazer i received in a recent threadup order (click here to join through my referral link and receive $10 off your first purchase!).  i placed the order before marissa & i had finalized our plans for this challenge, so i was pleasantly surprised when it arrived last week and i realized it was a perfect koi orange!  what wasn't so great was the sizing - bigger, boxier, and longer than i prefer my blazers to be.  i'm pretty stubborn about returning items i purchase online unless i can do so in a B&M store, so i decided just to keep it even though i'm not satisfied with the fit.

while i continue to ponder the fate of this koi-colored blazer, link up below and show me how you're wearing this shade of orange this fall.  and feel free to leave me a comment with any advice!

get the look:  similar blazer / similar belt / exact dress / similar heels

<div align="center">
<a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate & stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/Pantone-InspiredFallColorChallenge2.png" alt="literate & stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up