never been worn before: striped dress.

gap sateen fit & flare dress   ·   j crew cardigan {thrifted}
in pink necklace   ·   merona bella flats

i feel like i am cheating a little bit with today's "never been worn before" look featuring this striped dress i just bought, but it still fits the criteria of my theme week, right?  this bold striped dress is a bit out of my comfort zone and i knew i may need to push myself to wear it right away.  i don't think a lot of people i encounter day-to-day "get" pattern mixing, so instead of replicating the look i made when i tried the dress on after receiving it in the mail here that i really liked i accented with solid colors instead.  it's hard to tell, but the stripes are navy and i'm wearing navy tights and shoes.  i think the stripes are dark enough that they could pass for black too though.

alice runs one of my favorite blogs, happiness at mid-life, and she also bought this dress and is wearing it today.  i love seeing how she styled it for her climate (california) versus how i did in mine (minnesota) where i'm still layering like a madwoman and preparing for a foot or two of snow tonight.  i think our two looks show how versatile this dress can be year-round or in any climate!

get the look:  exact dress / similar cardigan / similar button-down / similar belt / exact necklace / exact flats

may 3rd {poppy red}

merona ponte pocket dress {thrited target stock}

isaac mizrahi for target blazer {thrifted}

worthington ankle booties

well... we've reached friday, the final day of the pantone-inspired spring color challenge marissa and i have been hosting all week.  first of all, thank you so much for your interest and participation in our first ever challenge and link up.  it's been really fun interacting with everyone who has commented and linked up at our respective blogs throughout the week.  this may sound corny, so prepare yourself, but i feel like i connected with many of you and found many new blogs to follow -- i hope you can all say the same!

today's color is poppy red, and as evidenced above i'm being a bit liberal with my interpretation of the color.  there are really only two colors that are not prominent in my closet--yellow & red.  with my hair color (i don't even know what color to call my hair) i never thought i could wear, much less looked good, in yellow or red.  the same could be said for orange, but for some reason it's been creeping into my wardrobe lately, and at least it's on the continuum toward red.  maybe one day i'll get all the way there.

be sure to head over to the modern austen and share your link.  thanks again to everyone for joining us this week!  we'll both be putting together a recap post of some of our favorite looks you all have shared this week, so if you want to link up be sure to do so before the linky tools close (you have a couple more days!).

january 9th {accessorized}

old navy sweater   ·   dexter kylie wedges {other colors}
merona doubleweave skirt {thrifted target stock}   ·   inpink necklace

often times when i assess the outfits those around me are wearing {come on, you know you do it too} the one thing i often see missing is an accessory.  a great necklace, belt, or scarf does so much to turn a standard outfit into one that's memorable.  when i look back through my weeks in review what stands out to me is that there is always one dominant accessory that i think ties my outfits together.  what i'm wearing today would have been pretty boring on its own - tan skirt, purple sweater, who cares - but the bold, chunky necklace in similar colors and a simple skinny belt makes it cohesive and interesting.  the shoe color choice is also a little unexpected but works with the other brownish/goldish tones coming from the necklace.  i spend very, very little money on accessories - they almost all come from goodwill, forever 21, the clearance racks at target and kohl's, and giveaways/gift cards {like this necklace} - but i've found that they have the biggest impact on my outfits.  of course this is all my own bias so you're welcome to challenge me, but i see an immediate difference when i look at this outfit with accessories and without:

let's chat! / i'm curious, do you see it too?  how much importance do you place on accessories?

friday (fall)

gap plaid ruffle placket shirt {thrifted}   old navy perfect khaki pencil skirt

xhiliration rosette flats {thrifted target stock}   f21 gold belt {thrifted nwt}

this shirt screams "FALL" to me and when i picked it up, i first imagined pairing it with a cardigan the color of my flats, brown tights, and camel colored boots... and some sort of bottom, don't worry!  but i had to let it make an appearance before the temps dip down.  i have a lot of luck finding button-downs from the gap at the goodwill, and i especially like ones like this with a fun print and some unique detailing, like the ruffle and plaid.  it is so easy to throw on and look put together and doesn't require much thought on a friday morning.

happy weekend!

thursday (extinct)

thrifted merona blouse   old navy capris

thrifted f21 belt   thrifted old navy bauble flats   dress barn earrings

the only comment i have to share today is that i swear after i do my next load of dark laundry i am putting these capri pants in my goodwill bag.  you can hold me to it.  it's good when you recognize that something just isn't working for you and the only way to make the item extinct is just to get rid of it for good.... right?