plain to polished.

merona lace blouse   ·  old navy boyfriend khakis

fioni carissa flats   ·  simonson's jewelry necklace {local}

{ similar blouse / exact pants / similar flats / similar necklace }

sometimes i think outfits like this are just too plain to post.  i mean, it's a top and a pair of pants, did it really require any fashion thought or styling?  do outfits like this have a place in the blogosphere?  well, for me they do.  i try to make simpler outfits interesting by adding necklaces or fun pairs of shoes to complement a top and bottom and i think this is a good example of that.  my friend brynn has a plain to polished series on her blog and i think this would fit right in.  without the coordinating necklace and shoes it would feel pretty plain but with those accessories the outfit feels cohesive and complete (at least in my eyes)!

statement necklace.

j crew factory sweater

old navy polka dot blouse

old navy boyfriend khakis

adrienne vittadini flats

charming charlie necklace

although i quite like the polka-dots peaking out of the top and bottom of my sweater, the highlight of this outfit is definitely the necklace!  i often get asked where i buy my jewelry or where i find inexpensive jewelry and charming charlie is one option.  i received a gift card there for christmas so i instantly signed up for their email list and they have offered a "buy one, get one free" clearance jewelry item at least twice since december.  what a great way to stock up on fashion jewelry!  target is also my go-to store to find inexpensive but decent quality jewelry.  of course, i have a specific price point in mind of what i am willing to spend on necklaces, so i always wait until items go on clearance.

can anyone else share any online retailers or stores you've had success buying inexpensive jewelry from?

get the look:  exact sweater / exact pants / similar polka-dots {see below!} / similar flats / similar necklace

spring's uniform.

merona floral blouse

old navy skinny boyfriend khakis

fioni carissa flats

we had some really warm days a couple weeks back and i wore nothing but outfits like this all week - short sleeved blouses and pants.  i'm so glad i've made an effort at expanding these types of tops in my wardrobe over the past year because they are exactly what i want to wear when it gets warmer outside.  target and j crew factory seem to be the stores where i locate the most short sleeved blouses, and though i've never purchased anything there before, jc penney seems to have a lot of nice options as well.  i'm sure as we transition into spring this outfit formula is all you'll see me wearing, but i would like to try to locate a few different styles of pants - either those that are more casual like these skinny khakis from old navy - or dress pants/ankle pants to make my outfits feel a little fresher.

do you have to mentally shift what you decide to wear based on the weather?

get the look:  similar blouse / exact khakis / similar flats / similar necklace

friday repeat & pantone link-up reminder!

j crew factory cutaway top

old navy skinny boyfriend khakis & cardigan

dexter claire flats

a couple months ago i implemented the hanger switch-a-roo in my closet where you rotate the hanger backwards after you wear something.  i think it has helped me reach for other tops to wear before reaching for something i just wore... but at the same time, there are tops like this in my closet that are fairly new and i've only worn once and i just want to wear it again!  the hanger switch is definitely a good trick and i think i will continue to follow it, but i'm also going to 'allow' myself to wear some newer things to prevent them from becoming too neglected.  do you flip your hangers around in your closet after you've worn something?

get the look:  similar shirt / similar cardigan / exact khakis / exact flats

and just a final reminder that marissa & i are hosting our pantone-inspired fall link-up next week, november 17-21.  feel free to reference the graphic below to plan some outfits if you'd like to join us or snag it to include in your posts if you are scheduling some ahead of time, then come back next week to either of our blogs to link up!  have a great weekend!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate &  stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/Fall2014PantoneInspiredColorChallengeButton.png" alt="literate &  stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

baubles & lace.

 

j crew lace panel tee

old navy skinny boyfriend khakis

mossimo ona flats   ·   target necklace

do you ever put two words together to describe what you are wearing and think, "hey, that would be a good blog title!" ?  "baubles & lace" just sounds like it would be the title of someone's blog (and maybe it is) but nope, it's just what i'm wearing today.  i took a giant leap and instead of buying this shirt in navy & green, i bought the version you see today in black & gray.  i think the former would be much m ore versatile in my wardrobe, but i already have this navy & green blouse, so i made myself purchase the latter.  hopefully i'll find myself wearing it with non-black bottoms.

get the look:  exact shirt / exact khakis / exact flats / similar necklace

throw on blouse.

apt 9 blouse {thrifted}   ·   old navy boyfriend khakis
mossimo ona flats

i'm always on the look out at the goodwill for what i think of as "throw on" blouses. they are colorful or patterned blouses that work well with pants, skirts, casually, or to wear to work.  you pick a color and match a bottom to it, match your shoes to it, whatever - and you're good to go.  one of my favorite blouses of all time is a thrifted a.n.a blouse that fits this description perfectly. i think this one will definitely do as well!  i just have to figure out a way to deal with the longer hem - the messy half-tuck thing here wasn't really working for me, but that problem should be solved if i wear it next time with a skirt!

maroon plaid.

banana republic blouse {via thredup*}

old navy boyfriend khakis

merona flats & cardigan

i remember seeing valerie from the style files wear this blouse not too long ago and i was really attracted to the great colors, style, and print.  when i saw it on thredup recently, i just had to add it to my cart.  i think it will be a great top to layer with or wear on its own year round. i wish i was more comfortable with my upper arms and could wear it sans cardigan, especially since the temperature in the building where i work fluctuates so much from wing to wing, but i thought it looked okay with the color cardigan i layered with and i was pretty comfortable all day despite how warm it's getting where i live.

do you ever see clothes on other bloggers and immediately envision those same items in your closet?  it's rare that i see something on someone else i feel i HAVE to have, but i'm definitely glad i stumbled upon this blouse on thredup!

get the look: similar blouse / similar cardigan / exact khakis / similar flats

*if you place an order at thredup via my referral link we both get $10!

spring pantone challenge (paloma)

old navy embellished sweater   ·   old navy button-down {via thredup*}

old navy skinny boyfriend khakis   ·   merona bella flats

thanks to everyone who joined the start of the link-up yesterday for the spring pantone-inspired color challenge marissa & i are co-hosting!  i loved seeing how everyone interpreted radiant orchid from purple to pink.  today's color, paloma, is a little more straightforward--gray.  this is the third time marissa and i have been doing this color challenge, and with each new group of colors pantone releases i become more interested in the meaning behind the names they chose. 

i mean, remember turbulence from last fall?  we all had fun interpreting that one, and i'll admit that i needed to google the word "paloma" to learn it's spanish for "dove."  doves are typically gray, so pantone's color name makes sense to me.  i also learned that paloma is the name of a cocktail that mixes tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice.  i thought it would have been pretty clever to wear a light orange or lime green skirt, but i don't own skirts in any of those colors so i opted for a peach button-down.  from there i was halfway toward replicating kate's look featuring this same sweater, so i added black skinnies and fun coral flats.

did you put this much thought into putting together your paloma-gray look today?!  :)  link up with me below!

get the look:  similar sweater / similar button-down / exact pants / exact flats

<div align="center">
<a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate & stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/SpringPantone-InspiredColorChallengeButton3.png" alt="literate & stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

never been worn before: eyelet blouse.

 

 j crew eyelet blouse {thrifted}   ·   old navy blazer {thrifted}

old navy boyfriend khakis   ·   mossimo ona flats

for day two of my "never been worn before" theme week i'm featuring this j crew eyelet blouse that i thrifted at the goodwill in august of 2013 for $6.99.  "why on earth would someone have donated this?!" i asked myself as i adjusted my goodwill goggles and dropped it in my basket before another customer could fight me for it.  it wasn't until i got it home, washed it, and looked it over did i see the snag in the eyelet around the far left side of my torso (kind of in the middle of the close-up shot).  yeah, that's why it was donated.  into the mending box it went thinking i could do some sewing handiwork to reattach the torn part to the blouse.  well, 8 months flew by and i forgot about it until recently.  i decided that with a blazer layered over it, the tear is shielded and not noticeable.  i will probably still seek my mom's assistance to do some stitching repairs, but until then i'm trying not to hang my head too low in shame that so much time passed before i even tried to wear this blouse.  because isn't it just lovely?! 

get the look:  current factory blouse / similar blazer / exact pants / exact flats / similar necklace

a walking advertisement.

old navy polka dot chambray {thrifted}   ·   old navy embellished sweater

old navy boyfriend skinny khakis   ·   mossimo ona flats

well, today i'm clearly a walking advertisement for old navy!  it's no surprise--it's definitely my favorite store as of late.  the chambray was a thrifted find that i think looks pretty fun paired with this sweater that i loved wearing for the first time a couple weeks ago here (also see it on kate here).  i just couldn't wait that long before wearing it again!

i picked up these khakis in january before i was offered my current job thinking i needed more casual pants and jeans to wear during my unemployment.  well, i wasn't out of work for long and i've resumed dressing mostly in skirts during the work week, but i decided there's no reason these pants need to go unworn.  i was going to wear them this friday but then i thought... why?  black khakis are perfectly acceptable for the workplace (really, anything seems to go where i work) so instead of waiting until the end of the week to wear this ensemble, i broke it out on a monday!

these pants really are a great alternative to classic dress slacks as the black fabric gives the impression that they're "dressier" than they really are (they're khaki, after all) but based on the top/shoes they're paired with, i think they'll still work for weekend wear.  in case you're wondering, i'm about 5'5" and i bought these pants in tall so i could have the option of wearing them as normal length pants as i did today or rolled up as the model on the website shows (link below).

are there certain items in your closet that you've convinced yourself aren't appropriate for work but really could be?

get the look:  similar button-down (here's another) / exact sweater / exact khakis (on sale for $19!) / exact flats