Give Pants a Chance

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I rarely wear dress pants. The fact of the matter is, they I hate me and I hate them. Try as I might to find a suitable pair that fits and flatters, I always come out worse for wear in the experience and predictably empty-handed. But a basic dress pant is a wardrobe staple, right? I mean, as much as I love the skirt thing, sometimes you just want to put on some damn pants and call it a day, amirite? Happily, though somewhat frustratingly, I was able to find a basic black trouser that fit all my pant requirements: no muffin top (a somewhat higher rise is therefore my preference), no camel toe (DUH), longer length for heels (I'll never wear them with flats), and a leg opening on the wider end of things. Thank you, Lane Bryant, for having this pair not only in my size but also length in store so I could spend about an hour trying to figure out if they were worth it or not try and actually buy (with a coupon, of course.) But seriously, as basic black trousers go, these fit the bill nicely. So much so that I was finally, really, actually, able to give pants a chance...

Bolstered by this success, I decided to try Gap's Perfect Trousers a few weeks ago. They truly might have been "perfect" if not for my current size/weight/shape. Great colors/textures, ideal length, slimmer through the thigh, wide-but-not-excessively-so leg opening. YES! But, no. I couldn't keep the camel toe away long enough to convince me they were a good idea. I even went up a size, but then everything else I loved about the fit went away. And I just don't have the patience for a tailor. I may return to them when I shed a few pounds, but until then, black pants is alls I got. And if I'm being honest, maybe alls I need.

Smocked Waist Blouse In Chevron - TBags Los Angeles (via Gwynnie Bee) /
T3 Classic Trousers - Lane Bryant / Half-cami - Coobie (via HerRoom.com)

But the real victory of this outfit, and probably therefore of the pants, is the top. It just might be the nicest, comfiest, flatteringiest thing in my closet, and I don't even own it. That's right, Gwynnie Bee to the rescue once again for nice things that I could never own even if I wanted to. (Have you tried Gwynnie Bee yet???) I would LOVE to purchase this top - every time I peruse these pictures I sigh happily - but it's well over $100 even discounted though GB, and if I'm being honest with myself, I can only see myself wearing it like this or with my favorite jeans (which I've done a few times now as a great date-night get up - take away the cami and HELLO LOVELY CLEAVAGE!) No, I think I'll just continue to hoard this one a little while longer...

Ah, but the chevrons. And cobalt blue. And silky smooth fabric. And belly coverage. And cleavage (when appropriate)...

Handbag - Furla / Sandals - Nine West / Ring - H&M / Earrings - Lane Bryant (?) / 

And, oh yeah, pants.

Top Marks

It's so lovely to finally be on vacation! One whole glorious week to get a few things done around the apartment and travel to WI to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family. Of course, when I think about the fact that I won't actually be home for the whole week, I start to panic about all the things I want to get done. I guess just a little less mindless lounging should be my goal. =)

Ring - LOFT / Belt - LOFT / Earrings - Lane Bryant Outlet /
Nails - Essie "Recessionista" (via Ulta)

I first wore this outfit a few weeks ago for a low-key Saturday work day, only Instagramming the outfit to earmark it for a second wearing. I simply loved the combination of the leopard print top and the burgundy belt with, shocking as it was, pants!

I'm always an advocate for belting blousy tops, of course, but the proportions of the longer top made the accessory practically a necessity. And a burgundy one was just the thing. It was actually this first combination of burgundy and leopard that planted the obsession for my favorite fall outfit ideas!

Blouse - Lane Bryant / Pants - NY&Co. / Sandals - Nine West

You don't seem many pants on this blog, though, do ya? Once in a while I'm able to style a pair in a way in which they actually look good on me, but usually they just don't work. (And they never photograph well. Cue strategic cropping.) Basically it's just because I've yet to find a pair that actually fits well; it's probably time to dedicate some time to the hunt, eh? Well, until then, a fabulous leopard-print blouse that hits past the hips/crotch area will conceal all the usual misdeeds of an ill-fitting trouser.

Handbag - Tano

A Bright Future

I blame Sal from Already Pretty and one of her Insomniac Sale Picks posts for making me think I needed a bright-colored blazer. And then I blame this pin for showing me an excellent way to wear it. And then I blame Gap for offering 40% of any full-priced item. Clearly, I did not act of my own accord in this situation.

Bright ponte blazer - Gap / Striped top - Gap /  Black pants - NY&Co. /
Belt - The Limited / Handbag -  Furla (via Filene's Basement)

I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it - hot pink is not in my usual wardrobe vocabulary. And as trendy as neon colors seem to be for spring, I'm not usually one to follow trends just for the sake of following a trend, either. But then I got a ton of compliments on the blazer, and it fits very well and is pretty darn comfortable. (Ponte, duh.) So, crap, now I might have to keep it.

Necklace - Banana Republic (eBayed) / Earrings - The Limited / Ring - H&M

So tell me how else I can wear it, k?

Coral Relief

I honestly don't know how to begin this post with something other than "Holy moly stripes are neat" or "Stripes! Yahoo!" So, there. I think maybe, just maybe, I have enough of them now. No promises, though.

Black cardigan - LOFT / Striped top - Dorothy Perkins / Beige wide-leg pants - NY&Co.

To continue my week of "five easy pieces" I thought I'd go with pants today. I'm not always a lover of pants because I have such a hard time getting a good fit, but once in a while I can at least get them to photograph well. I figured these beige wide-leg basics would be a great pairing with my new charcoal striped goodness from Dorothy Perkins. (And they just launched their new US site, too!) Throw on a cardigan and a colorful belt and I've got a stripetacular version of a pretty classic ensemble.

Have any of you checked out Dorothy Perkins yet? I've heard good things from other bloggers, so I thought I'd give them a try with some casual pieces for my first go-round. (I pretty much entered "stripe" in the search bar and found this top. It's best to just cut to the chase, you know?) Also got the black & white version and a few cozy infinity scarves. (Yes, I have a problem.) I'm excited that they now have a US site, which tempts encourages me to try out a few other items. Any suggestions?

Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement) / Boots - Laundry by Chinese Laundry

Coral belt - Talbots /  Ring - Banana Republic / Earrings - LOFT

On Purpose

Icky, rainy, cold, windy nastiness. Such was today. When I was planning my outfit, I wanted to keep it simple (and covered) by wearing pants, closed-toe heels, and a basic silhouette. No fuss. The weather was fussy enough.

Cream cardigan - LOFT / Lace Applique Tee - LOFT / Black wide-leg pants - NY&Co. / Earrings - The Limited

My color choices started off rather bland - stemming from the black pants, I think. I know black pants are supposed to be a closet staple, but they seem to be my closet black hole. (No pun intended.) I just can't seem to style them in any way that excites me. So I decided to add a gold belt and light caramel (rather than black) shoes and just embrace the cream and black thing I had going on. I guess I could have added more pops of color with a (fuchsia?) handbag or other accessories, but I opted only for my big ol' coral ring (which is getting a rather lot of wear lately) and let it ride. I also just HAD to sport my latest BBOS rental, my gorgeous ostrich Furla (the Amazzone Large Bauletto Shopper Handbag), and I thought its gold, brown and black hues rounded out the palette nicely.

Clarissa Coral Pendant Ring - Ruche / Gold skinny belt - Talbots 

Moral of the story? If you're going to do a colorless netural palette, embrace it fully. Make it purposeful. But I must admit that I'm not sure how else to make this outfit otherwise more colorful. What do you think? How would you style this pleated lace top in a more colorfully diverse ensemble? And how do you wear YOUR black pants?

Heels - RSVP (via Zappos)

Something in the Way She Moves

I kind of love this picture. I'm so talented at moving while the timed shutter is going off.

As you can see, I had to bring the pictures inside for this outfit. It was rainy and cloudy, and even if I wanted to do fun umbrella shots, I don't have any means of protecting my camera as it sits all lonesome-like on the tripod whilst the sky spits upon it. I was glad to try out indoor locations anyway, since another nasty Illinois winter will be here before we know it. And I just canNOT bring myself to brave the elements for outfit shots even in the name of good lighting. While I don't have a cozy fireplace backdrop anymore, I do think I have better lighting in the new place, thanks in part to cool-white florescent light bulbs and an overhead entry light. (Please forgive the crooked shots though - I have some adjustments to make.) I might play around with other locations inside our now tiny living room, but at least I have some options!

Silk Blooms Eternal Top - Anthropologie / Reversible Seamless Tank ( in Sapphire) - Anthropologie /
Pants - New York & Co.

This top was yet another sale find at Anthropologie. I just love stalking the online sale section, especially since new markdowns happen every Tuesday. (That's an insider's tip thanks to Effortless Anthropologie.) As we all probably do, I definitely consider more items when they are on sale than I would otherwise - items I wouldn't even give a first look when full price. And hey, free shipping sure helps too! It's a very blousy top with no waist definition (and I had to size down as a result), but I really like the pattern and can see lots of layering options for future wearings. I'm a fan of the mandarin collar, too. Though I've done a pretty basic styling here with beige pants and a blue tank (SOME kind of cami underneath is a must), I'd love to wear it with an olive jacket and jeans or tucked in with a navy pinstripe pencil skirt.

Skinny belt - The Limited

I think I could go without a belt for certain outfits - maybe with skinny jeans and heels - but I felt I needed one for this occasion, going with a textured skinny belt in a neutral but not matching color. To further take the outfit out of its simple color palette, I chose these fabulous fuchsia peep-toes (with an orange platform to boot!) for a needed pop of color. The cloudy day required it, too. =)

Fuchsia peep-toes - "Chaney" by Nine West

Pile It On

I actually had a hard time with the Yellow Everybody Everywear challenge today. It seems I only have yellow sweaters or yellow tees. Nothing in between. I had one outfit all picked out - lots of color and interesting textures with an teal embellished tank, yellow sweater and white bermuda shorts. Well, I'm glad I tried it on last night because, thanks to the too-long tank, the too-short sweater, and the winged pockets of the shorts, the proportions were terribly off. Plus, I knew the sweater was going to be a bad idea with the hot and humid weather we're having. So I ditched it all and went back to the drawing board, looking to my casual yellow tees to help round out this challenge instead.

Yellow tee - Gap / Navy trouser pants - LOFT / Yellow belt - The Limited / Camel peep-toes  - Banana Republic

I figured I couldn't go wrong with a yellow boat neck tee, but I wanted to dress it up, so I pulled these navy trouser pants. First pants all summer, I should mention. Still not terribly interesting, even though the proportions were much better (and a much more "professional" outfit than I've donned all summer), but what's a girl to do? Pile on all the yellow accessories I could stomach? Yep! Hey, we're celebrating yellow today. The varying shades of yellow in the accessories keep them one degree from overkill... Maybe?  =)

Earrings - The Limited / Necklace - Urban Outfitters / Yellow topaz ring - Banana Republic (eBayed)

Green Machine

Cardigan - LOFT / Green top - Maurices / Pants - NY&Co. / Belt - Limited / Shoes - Banana Republic

You've seen a variation of this outfit before. This one is perhaps more "office-appropriate" but lovingly screams (eh?) spring/summer in all its greentacular glory. (Though perhaps not as much as this outfit!) To add a bit more visual interest and subtle pattern mixing, I paired this skinny grey belt in an animal print.

I plan to remix this outfit (yet again) with grey bermuada shorts instead of the pants. It will make for a great casual work number that is still office appropriate but suitable for warmer temperatures. I'll hang on to the sweater, but only as a cold-office topper, and belt over the top itself rather than the sweater.

Earrings - Ten Thousand Villages / Ring - Kohl's (gifted)

And hey, be sure to enter my LucieLu Instant Sleeves Giveaway!

Score!

Draw the Line Cowlneck - Anthropologie (Tracy Reese) / Brown wide-leg pants - New York & Co.

Finds like these are why I love Anthropologie so much, and especially their sale items. This airy kimono sweater, by Tracy Reese, was one of those I eyed in one of their catalogue pics, but for $200+, it was only something I admired from afar. But then it magically appeared in a first cut (I believe?) for under $70??? This was happening.

Reversible Seamless Tank in Pearl - Anthropologie

This amazing cut-out on the back, not to mention its very wide waist band and potential for off-the shoulder styling, are just a few of the reasons why I love this sweater to so much. (And, hey look, a picture of the back of my updo!) It's a very thin weave, so I'll be able to wear it for a few seasons. Certainly, its color palate reads late summer or fall, but I think a lighter-colored bottom will definitely help change it up. But really, I rarely care about such things - I wore this in late spring!

Handbag - Tano "Minilisa" in Blue Marine / Camel peep-toes - Banana Republic

Earrings & ring - Banana Republic

Date Night

Tonight was date night! In the 6+ years of our relationship, the word "date" has rarely been uttered between us. So last night when Bob suggested it, my heart about melted and I instantly said yes! We haven't really gotten to spend much time together lately - what with his interview in New York last weekend and my consecutive long event nights - so this was really just a chance to spend some time together that didn't involve the couch, TV and our laptops. After a grueling day of work, a light dinner of supremely delicious food and wine, good conversation, and puppy dog looks made a sweetly wonderful way to end the day.

Floral top - Joni Arnold (The Limited) / Grey wide-leg pants - New York & Co. / Grey wide belt - Banana Republic

So going into today, I wanted to wear something that I could wear the whole day - that could function for both work and date. (Tricky, I know.) But it was also going to be a bear of day (and truly was), so I also wanted to be sure it was something I didn't have to spend too much time thinking about, either. Cue this fitted short sleeve top with pretty rose applique. It's one of those tops that I don't seem to wear very often, but I'm always so happy when I do. I typically wear it this way, too - grey pants, belt and pops of color (colors of each vary). Not terribly creative, perhaps, but effective...

Handbag - Gustto / Yellow peep toes - Nine West (eBayed)

Not gonna lie, though. As fabulous looking as they are, these shoes might be most uncomfortable pairs of shoes I own. EVER. And that's saying something...

Earrings - ? / Ring - TJ Maxx

For my next wearing? I might wear the top with a full goldenrod skirt and a belted jacket, a la this ensemble.

Spring in Your Step

This week has already proven itself to be a killer, and it's only just begun. Oh how I long for the peace and quiet of spring break again...

I sure did jinx myself by waxing all poetic about the warmer weather last week, even going so far as taking down the window wrap; naturally, flurries and overcast skies have been with us for a few days now, and my pictures have gone back inside. I took advantage of the cooler temps to don this recent acquisition from Anthropologie, the Neo-Refinement Pullover (sold out online). 

Neo-Refinement Pullover - Anthropologie / Grey wide-leg pants - NY & Co.

It's a funny little top: if you lay it out flat, it's basically the shape of square, with the neck hole at the top of one side, and the arms forming the edges of the two adjacent sides. I really don't know how better to describe it, actually, so I shall humble myself by sharing my MS Paint skillz.

Amazing, right? When words fail, draw. I'm think I'm channeling in my inner Kendi.

Anyhoo, the result is this wonderfully drapey and asymmetrical garment that is uniquely flattering and just a smidge sexy (thanks to the hint of the shoulder it allows). I almost didn't buy it because I wasn't sure how much wear I'd get out of it as we (slowly) make our way into spring, but I'm glad I did. It's wool, yes, but  it's on the lighter side, and its elbow length sleeves will translate well for slightly warmer temps. Folks have suggested wearing it with lighter colored bottoms to balance out its fall-like hue. White ankle pants and some killer wedges come to mind...

Handbag - Tano "Minilisa" in Blue Marine / Yellow open-toed croc-embossed pumps - Nine West (eBayed)

Today, though, was a grey-pant day, but one with sunny yellow peep-toes peeping out. I like the perhaps unexpected combination of maroon and yellow, of course (an initial inclination was a pair of navy blue pumps), but it also serves as a much-needed reminder that spring really is on its way.

Close-up courtesy of a previous outfit

Earrings - The Limited / Ring - Banana Republic (eBayed)

Not Without a Fight

Whoa. Longest day ever. I think I jinxed it yesterday when I was all too eagerly celebrating being so close to break. Not without a fight, apparently. In fact, I'm still at work as I write this (at 10:30pm). My brain is fried from working on the staff schedule all day, not to mention the somewhat stressful performances we had this evening, so I figured some mindless blogging would help me push through a little longer. (Bob is also working the performances tonight; he's not yet done and he's my ride home...) And at this rate, I wouldn't have been likely to get in a post tonight otherwise!

Military jacket - LOFT / Sweater - Lane Bryant / Pants - New York & Co. / Cut-out wedges - LOFT

I was looking through the past month of my outfits last night and I was struck by how bloody often I wore a pencil skirt - like every other day! There's no shame in the fact that I love wearing them and how I look in them, of course, but I figured I could break out of that routine just a bit. As a result, I decided to go a little bit more casual tonight than I might have otherwise.

Handbag - Tano "Minilisa" in Blue Marine / Belt - The Limited

Mainly inspired by the combination of olive and burgundy again, I put together one of my (three, believe it or not) military jackets with this ruffly-topped sweater, one I think I'd worn only once quite some time ago. It was good to find a new way to wear the top, and I especially like how the ruffles at the collar create such great texture at the neckline. I only wish I had a fun animal print belt in a more substantial width than the one I wore, and I think my hemline could be just a wee shorter (or my shoes taller).

Ring - Banana Republic (eBayed) / Earrings - New York & Co.

Oh well. At this point, I hardly care what I put on my body; just get me to the end of this week! Shoot, just let me go to bed, for that matter...