wardrobe wednesday

Wardrobe Wednesday | Ooooooh Orange!

When it comes to buying clothes, I'm pretty much like a magpie. If it's bright, sparkly, or colorful, I bring it home with me, without first trying to determine if I may own something that will work with it.  Which means I have a lot of one-trick ponies in my closet: items that I loved in the store, but don't play well with the rest of my clothes. Take this cute little corduroy J.Crew skirt:

I was blinded by my desire for the bright, festive color and didn't really stop to think what I'd pair it with. Well, I kinda figured it would go with my trusty denim shirt (something that I rely on heavily to pair with any colored bottoms) but that was the only obvious mate. Which means that after its initial wearing (paired with the infamous denim shirt) this lovely skirt didn't see much action.

Now that fall is creeping in and this orange skirt is back in season, I'm determined to get some much-needed wearings out of it. So I challenged myself to style it three ways, with pieces already hanging in my closet, and beyond the plain ol' denim shirt.

Here's the three outfits that resulted:

Miss Top Gun long sleeve tee; J. Crew Chambray Shirt; Frye Campus boots, Target bracelet, Wenger watch

This long sleeve tee is one of my faves! It's comfy and casual, but the appliqued patches and embroidery keep it from being boring. I layered it over a lightweight chambray shirt and pulled on my Frye boots to finish this look.

Old Navy jean jacket; Target tee, Missoni for Target scarf; vintage belt + buckle; Frye Veronica boots

I know I cheated a bit here and topped the skirt with denim, but this crisp windy day called for it. (Which is also why the photos are taken with the lovely garage wall as a backdrop - it was too windy outside for my phone to take photos and not blow over!) The chevron scarf from last season matched perfectly with the skirt and the distressed belt and boots keep things interesting.

Target shirt, belt, watch & earrings; Modcloth tights; Nine West shoes, TJ Maxx purse (similar; similar)

I wasn't sure about this combination at first - the busy floral of the shirt seemed to compete with the bright hue of the skirt. So I tried to tone things down with a grey tight, dark shoe and simple accesories and hair. I ended up loving this outfit the best, even if it's a tad on the dressy side.

The best thing about this outfit challenge? It pushed me to go beyond my "comfort pieces" (i.e., the denim shirt!) and mix and match a bit more than normal. And I discovered some new options for a much-loved skirt, which can only make me love it more!

Wardrobe Wednesday | Gingham Love

I've always been a sucker for J. Crew, probably because in my heart, I'm a total prep. All through junior high, I rocked the popped-collar Izod shirts (hot pink & kelly green, baby!) and Sperry topsiders and never really got over the fad. Today my closet is stocked with a good amount of conservative basics - from button-down shirts to crewneck sweaters - but I like to mix them in with other colorful, more trendy pieces so they're not too stuffy, lest I get mistaken for the absent-minded professor that wandered off campus.

J Crew shirt (similar, similar); Target tank; Joe's Jeans; Forever 21 necklace (similar, similar) Crown Vintage shoes (similar; simliar); Victorinox watch

This gingham shirt is a prepster wardrobe staple - I know because I'm reaching for it constantly. The navy & white combo is a perfect neutral to layer under brighter colors: bright yellow, green or orange - they all work! Here I rolled up the sleeves and left it untucked for an easy, casual look. Layered over a comfy tank and paired with a pair of boyfriend jeans, I feel put together without trying too hard.

To add some fun texture and color, I added a chunky teal bead necklace and some red mary janes. Though we're still experiencing a pretty warm fall, this look would also work with a colored pea coat or blazer thrown over it if the weather were chillier.

Side note: you know what someone needs to invent? A self-timer camera app that also tells you when you're somewhat centered in the frame.

And speaking of centered - what pieces does your wardrobe revolve around?

Wardrobe Wednesday | Happy Yellow

Fall in Colorado always presents certain wardrobe challenges. One day it's a chilly 45˚and you're donning a sweater and boots, the next it's 85˚and you look like a total moron, sweating profusely under your wool blazer and scarf.

Which is why I tend to procrastinate in putting away my summery tops for the season. Quite often during this bipolar autumn weather, they are perfect under a cardi (which can be ditched when the temps warm up).  This week I pulled out a favorite colorful top to pair with jeans and a bright sweater:

Anthropologie blouse; Old Navy cardigan (similar), Paige Denim cropped jeans, Target belt; Target shoes (similar, similar), Fossil watch.

The 3/4 length sleeves on this cardigan make it an ideal transition piece for fall. And how can you not be happy wearing this shade of yellow?

And if the day gets too warm, you can remove the sweater and practice your dreamy gazing-off-into-the-distance pose.

Ah summer, we shall miss ye!

And a little disclaimer about the heels - while I ADORE sky-high pumps, its always a challenge to find ones that are both cute and comfy. These fit the cute bill, and I can tolerate them for running a few errands or a quick meeting with a client, but if I'm at home working, these babies are kicked off under my desk.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

 

 

Wardrobe Wednesday Debut

OK. I'll go ahead and admit it: My name is Lisa and I just might be addicted to fashion. The proof? I religiously watch What Not To Wear (and any other fashion-related show, especially if it's on Bravo), devour each issue of InStyle and have countless fashion blogs bookmarked as daily reads. And, according to my husband, I currently own enough clothing to open my own Shop At Target (and it would totally cater to tall girls who can never find shirts or pants long enough to fit their awkwardly gangly limbs).

The biggest problem with this addiction of mine is that while I LOVE to shop for the various lovelies that make up a stylish wardrobe, I'm not so good about wearing them once they've come to live in my closet. It's like I have fashion ADD and can only focus on what I DON'T have (and where I must go to get it!) And - quite honestly - it's often just easier to stay in my workout clothes all day -  a look (and smell) my family is less than appreciative of.

But the thing is, my closet is full of cute, casual, completely wearable items. I just haven't made the effort to pull them together into functional outfits. And that's where Wardrobe Wednesday comes in. In attempt to make myself accountable to my closet, I'm going feature one outfit here weekly. And since I'm currently on a self-imposed clothing spending freeze through the end of year, the outfits will be composed of pieces I already own. (You can't see it, but Mike is doing a happy dance right now.)

So to kick things off, here's the inaugural outfit of Wardrobe Wednesday!

It features my latest obsession of colored jeans and takes me back to 1990, when Oma bought me what I regarded as THE COOLEST PAIR OF RED JEANS EVER for my birthday. Some 22 years later, red jeans are back in style and while I don't have that original pair - nor would they fit - I did find a suitable replacement at Target.

Paired with a classic denim shirt and my yellow bubble necklace, this outfit is bright and happy and most of all - comfortable. (Something that I was NOT while posing for these photos. I have a whole new appreciation for fashion bloggers who can appear natural and relaxed. On a side note, I now have countless shots of myself in which I appear to be (a) having a seizure, (b) on the verge of peeing my pants or (c) in some contorted, pigeon-toed pose that Tyra would have a field day dissecting.)

Yes, I have fallen victim to the bubble necklace trend. I know they are everywhere, but I simply couldn't resist this sunshiney piece. (Plus it was at the J Crew Factory Store for a fraction of the original price!)  I love how the yellow pops off the denim and makes the outfit look fresh and modern.

T H E  P I E C E S :

Seven Denim Shirt; Mossimo Premium Denim Jeans (Target);  J Crew Factory Store necklace (similar); Dansko sandals, Target belt (similar), Wenger watch

And for the record, both my kids and my husband noticed (and complimented) my outfit today. It may have just been that the combination of bright red jeans and blinding yellow necklace were impossible to ignore, but, hey - I'll take what I can get!