wardrobe wednesday

Floral Score

I'm a self-proclaimed bargain hunter and finding the perfect piece for a crazy low price is a better high than that much-awaited 5 o'clock glass of wine (hello, rosé!) TJ Maxx recently opened a store near our house and I've been stopping by regularly to scope out potential deals. My most recent find was this adorable floral sweater for much less than a typical bottle of wine - six whole dollars!

 

Romeo + Juliet Sweater (similar for $10!) | BP Moto Leggings (ebay; similar) | white layering tank | Frye Campus Boots

 

 

Since I love mixing florals with military-inspired pieces, I took styling inspiration from my Camo + Corsages post, and paired the bold floral sweater with a favorite pair of olive green leggings. If you want to move beyond basic black, this neutral green goes with so much and also happens to look great with spring florals! The sweater isn't quite long enough to wear comfortably with leggings (in other words, my butt was showing!!) so a basic white layering tank gives a little more length to save the day.

 

Also saving the day? The fact that I have more than enough money left over to get a bottle of wine for tonight. Now that's what I call a win!

 

 

 

1 Blazer, 8 Outfits

I'm a big believer in blazers (say that 3x fast!) because they can take my typical Mom uniform of jeans + tee to the next level without much fuss. Throw it on and you immediately look more polished, even if you haven't washed your hair in two days. Not that I'd know anything about that.

And while a solid black or navy jacket is a wardrobe staple, a plaid jacket can be just as versatile - and let's face it - more fun! I grabbed this J. Crew Schoolboy last fall during a fabulous sale, and it's proven to play nicely with so many other components in my closet that I just had to give it it's own blog post!

 

J. Crew Schoolboy Patterned Blazer (ebay | Poshmark) | J. Crew Striped Tee | Pilcro "Stet" Skinny Jean (Poshmark) | Frye Boots 
Steve Madden Clutch | Madewell Cap (similar) | Gap Leopard Skinny Belt | Perry Street "Monica" Necklace

 

When you're picking out that perfect plaid, it helps to consider what other colors/patterns you wear often. I have a lot of navy stripes and dots in my closet already, as well as some red, so I knew those would work perfectly with the colors of this blazer. Here I paired it with a red stripe (though navy, orange, burgundy or mustard would have worked too!) Don't worry about matching colors exactly. The beauty of plaid is that the colors blend together to make a whole, so you can get away with varying shades and still look coordinated.

 

This red stripe combo is one of my faves, but I've styled this jacket with so many more of my closet basics. I just looked for tops with similar colors as the jacket - blues, reds, oranges. Remember, the colors don't need to match, they just need to go. And when choosing a patterned top, I tried to make sure it was either smaller (like the coral/navy dot) or larger (like the wide navy stripe) than the pattern of the jacket so they wouldn't compete. 

 

And these eight outfits are really just the beginning. I also want to wear this over a basic denim shirt and jeans - the perfect pop of pattern for a Canadian Tuxedo! And maybe with a beige linen tee and statement pendant necklace? (See, all this outfit planning is why I never have time to wash my hair!) From polka dots to florals, chambray to lace, there's really lots of options to explore. Which one is your favorite? 

Camo + Corsages

I've been living in my camouflage skinnies since fall and have been looking for new ways to style these closet basics. And while camo and floral might not be the most obvious combination, I also like pineapple my pizza and maple syrup on my scrambled eggs. In other words, odd pairings can sometimes be delicious! 

Umgee Floral Embroidery Sweater (ebay|Poshmark) | Old Navy Camo Rock Star Jeans | Coconuts by Matisse "Butch" bootie

 

 

I've always been in the camp that camouflage is a neutral, so they work great with other neutrals (hello denim shirt!) as well as more colorful options. And I love the way a good dose of flowers nicely balances the more masculine military vibe of the jeans. Because what girl doesn't want flowers every now & then?? (Hint, hint Mike!)

 

 

I wasn't totally sold on these red booties at first. I had originally put on a pair of blush pink kitten heels - but then I realized that heels + January in Colorado make for some very frozen toes. So the boots made the final cut. And a few coats of bright pink lipstick helped hide my blue lips :)

 

 

This sweater is oversized  (perfect for cozy winter days!) so don't size up - I'm wearing a M.  And here are a few other options that I'm loving that would all be a crowning corsage for camouflage!

 

1// Surrounded By Flowers Sweater ($69.00)
2// Floral Embroidered Longline Cardigan ($32.90)
3// Cliché Embroidered Pullover ($49.99)
4// Guess Floral Sweater ($89.00)
5// Cloud Chaser Mock Turtleneck ($19.99)

 

Here's hoping your day is filled with flowers (or at least a peanut-butter-banana-bacon sandwich!)