Dressy Casual

With the holiday season right around the corner, I thought we might take a bit and talk dress codes for those shin-digs that will soon be filling up your social calendars. For most of us, there will be some sort of holiday party at work, and then, if you are on Santa's Nice List, also some sort of social gathering with friends. Whether it's a cookie or ornament exchange, a Secret Santa/White Elephant party (my least favorite one, ugh) or a holiday dinner, a girl's gotta look her best while still giving off that holiday cheer vibe! 

Source: stylemepretty.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Last year, I selected some work-appropriate holiday party attire to share with you, but today, I want to focus instead around the whole "dressy casual" phrase. What can that phrase really mean for a real girl with a real budget and a (maybe a little boring, last-season) real wardrobe to choose from? 

First, when I hear the phrase "dressy casual," I immediately think of the age-old classic of dark jeans and a sparkly top. Seriously, it might be the safest go-to that anyone can choose, and you likely already own at least half of the outfit! When paired with a pair of heels, you can go from work during the day directly to the party at night with this look.

I love this sparkly tank option from the Simply Vera line at Kohl's. It's a steal at only $33, and would look fantastic with your favorite pair of dark rinse skinny jeans. Add some blingy earrings and a chunky black bracelet to complete the look.

And look, they even have a holiday ruby-colored version, too! I love that the belt on both of these adds emphasis to your middle, but the flowy structure keeps things safe just in case you eat one too many cookies at the swap :)

I also love the combination of unexpected textures and materials to step things up for a dressy casual event. This combo of chambray plus glitz equals a South Beach holiday party gold mine, if you ask me. Just swap out that lavender scarf for a black one and add some black heels, and you are set for the evening.

Source: wendyslookbook.com via Megan on Pinterest

In the same vein, a basic gray tee can be glammed up with the addition of a sparkly skirt:

Source: glamorouschiclife.tumblr.com via Katherine on Pinterest

I also LOVE this look of a chunky cableknit worn over some sparkle on the bottom! This just screams "winter lodge semiformal" to me, ha!

Source: capecodcollegiate.tumblr.com via Katherine on Pinterest

No sparkly clothes in your closet? I also love stepping up an otherwise pretty casual outfit for a dressier holiday event by adding in some special accessories. An oversized clutch with some shine can do the trick ...

Source: hautemamasfaves.tumblr.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Source: brunchatsaks.blogspot.com via Anne on Pinterest

Or some blingy, oversized costume (or real!) jewelry, of course. Add these to an all-black outfit and your "dressy casual" look for the night is complete.

Source: ssasychic.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Source: instyle.com via Loloma on Pinterest

I hope this helps you look at your own wardrobe with some renewed interest this holiday season! I'd love to feature your dressy casual "looks" as you create them, so snap a shot and send it my way -- I might just feature you right here on the blog! :)

Feeling Blue

Some mornings, my closet full of clothes might as well be empty. There is such a vast amount of clothes stuffed in there that I don't even look twice at anymore. I have been trying to do the "one in - one out" rule whenever I purchase new things (new shoes don't count, right? RIGHT?) as well as pick out some random, less-worn items to work in with my daily outfits, but I can tell that at the end of this season, I need to do a deeper purge. Some of the items just aren't going to make the cut.

Ultimately, I've really noticed that I wear a lot of black, and a lot of the clothes in there are from my lighter, brighter days (when were those again?). I work in PR, so it all works out well, because bright, fun colors are not something you see a lot of in this industry. Everyone seems to be about the subdued edginess, wearing brights only as accessories to play up black tanks, pants and dresses.

Sometimes, though, my mind and body screams out for some COLOR. And right now, that color is ROYAL BLUE.

Rockin' the royal blue and some bright green to complement it at a black tie wedding!

LOVED this dress. May bust it out for my 10-year reunion this weekend :)

I am loving me some royal blue. Something about wearing it makes my inner mind happy. Maybe it's because it brings out the blue in my own eyes? I love it, also though, because this particular shade of royal blue works not just for girls, but also for guys AND for home decor. Witness ...

Source: anthropologie.eu via Katherine on Pinterest

I love this royal blue bedding. It makes such a statement while still giving off the vibe of relaxation, perfect for sleeping.

Source: google.com via Katherine on Pinterest

How about this royal blue tie? The blue against a white shirt would make for some serious color-pop. Just stray from orange shirts. That is total U of F colors. Unless you went to U of F. In which case, sorry. (ha! J/K)

Source: etsy.com via Katherine on Pinterest

     Source: onekingslane.com via Katherine on Pinterest

These royal blue pillows would jazz up any neutral color couch.

Source: hgtv.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Short on storage space? This gorgeous armoire would store your things while making your bedroom or another room stand out from all the rest. I love the mirrors!

Source: austinreed.co.uk via Katherine on Pinterest

This jacket screams DERBY to me. Imagine it with a bow tie! While the major horse racing season is over for this year, this dark royal blue piece for the guys would still be a great accent to light-colored chino pants for a casual yet trendy look.

Source: google.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Look, even the Queen knows her stuff!

Source: megbsmiles.tumblr.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Two last ones for the gals -- I want this bikini now! Those frills are to die.

Source: ginger-snapped.tumblr.com via Katherine on Pinterest

And a statement blue bag? Never goes out of style, even if this trend goes to the wayside.

What color are you loving right now? 

Tie Me Up

Even though I love accessories, there are some that are perplexing to me. Chunky bracelets are one category. I physically can not type while wearing them, so most days I wear to them to/from my desk, taking them off as soon as I sit down. Need a new Diet Coke? Put them back on. Time for a meeting? Gather up the bracelets and stack them back onto my wrists. It seems silly, but it's functional while still being fashionable, so I don't really care.

The scarf is another one of those things. I have collected a few pretty ones in the recent years that are meant to be worn year-round and indoors (as opposed to their cold weather sisters), but I always seem to be fiddling with them slash half-choking myself when I wear them. Some of my friends throw scarves on effortlessly. And I could never figure it out.

Thankfully, Pinterest has helped me.

Source: scarves.net via Katherine on Pinterest

I think I shared this site a while ago, but as most things are on Pinterest, I kind of forgot about it until I sat here on the second straight scarf day, annoyed with the thing I had decided to have hanging around my neck. I did a quick Pinterest search and voila, I found a solution.

It adds a different look to this scarf, which I have previously worn just wrapped around my neck a few times, sometimes tight, sometimes loose:

Today, I tried the "fancy braid" and really like it!

Fellow scarf love-haters, I urge you to try out one of these new "looks" for yours and add a new dimension to that outfit!

OOTD Shots

As always, even though it is itching into the 90's outside, the indoors at the office remain breezy and cool. Layers are still key, even in the spring and summertime!

Here was what I wore yesterday. I threw this together at a very early morning hour before heading to the dentist, and in retrospect, was really happy with how it looked! First, the whole shot. I will admit the colors here are not that great to distinguish it ... but imagine the texture combo of the hearty jeans and jacket with the silky shell layered underneath ...

Jeggings/skinny jeans: Target

Gray military jacket: LOFT (one of my all-time fav buys!)

Purple silk shell: LOFT

Heeled gold and brown sandals: Nine West

 I combined an assortment of jewelry today. The beaded bracelet (LOFT) tied into the shirt, but then the snake chain necklace (H&M) tied into the gold-accented sandals. Together, it all worked.

 

Ssss! This necklace has been fun to add to my outfits. It was only about $10 at H&M this spring.

Oh and um, not the same outfit, obvs. But I got a new hat at the beach last weekend, and took a picture while there to capture the newly-reappeared freckles and the Folly Beach hat! :)

OOTD: Some Springy Ideas

The weather has flipped from random freezes to all-out 70 and even 80+ degrees here this week! Spring is certainly here in A-town alright, even if the calendars says it still has some more winter planned for us.

As I plan to swap out my clothes for the lighter fabrics and colors of spring and summer, I am still working with what I have currently stocking my closet and drawers. A shopaholic and fashionista-wannabe at heart, I like to pick up a few new items each season to refresh my wardrobe. But it's even better when I got those items at the end-of-season sales last year, so they are brand new to wear this year at a fraction of the cost! I can't wait to "discover" the new pieces that I stowed away last Fall for now :)

I have two fashion ideas to share with you today, my (lady) friends. The best thing is that only TWO of these items are new to my wardrobe. The rest are pieces that I am repurposing in new ways. It's one of my favorite kinds of shopping: shopping your own closet!

First: There is no reason jean-on-jean can't work.

Wearing: Vintage H&M top, Target jeggings, vintage BCBG heels

When you pair dark jeans (here, mine are actually jeggings) with a light chambray top, the effect is less 90's punk rock hangover and more fashionably on target for 2012. Break up the colors with a pair of shiny or colored heels. Jean is a neutral, after all!

Second: Polka Dots and Bright Colors, oh my!

Wearing: H&M skirt, Target tank, LOFT sweater, Nine West heels, JCrew belt

Polka dots (and their sister-in-law, stripes) are all over the fashion map this spring. I had fun putting together this outfit of seemingly various colors and patterns, and voila, the polka dots actually become a base for the other colors to blend with. Layers are a must for us office-workers at this time of year, so I am getting some extra wear out of a cold-weather cardigan over a springtime tank. Tie things together with a neutral belt and heels, and your look will look bona fide JCrew-inspired.

I hope this inspires you to shop your own closet as you layer up (and then down!) for this springy weather!

Vlog: Accessories 101

Back again with a vlog to end the day! Ladies, get ready, I am going to talk ACCESSORIES for ya :) Enjoy!! XOXOX

Slim Fitting

As a follow-up to yesterday's post about taking advantage of storage space, let me dive back into the closet. At the end of last year, I received a box of slim-fitting hangers from my parents for my walk-in closet. They, of all people, know that I own a lot of clothes and have limited space in which to store them! So these black velvet-covered hangers have been a perfect upgrade, giving the closet a whole new feel. What I didn't realize, though, was how much of a space-impact they'd actually make! Take a look at the before ...

And the after! (Apologies for the slightly blurry BB picture!)

I discarded and donated a handful of items while I went through to swap out the hangers, but otherwise, this is literally the same bunch of clothes, just with tons more space! Now what should I do with that extra space ... purchase more clothes? ;) Or perhaps create even more storage using a hanging basket organizer?

This assortment of hangers at TJ Maxx is very similar to the Costco set I received, and these are totally affordable at only $10 for a group of 10! They have all sorts of colors and styles, so no matter your personal tastes (or those of your S.O.), you are bound to find ones that work for you.

How else do you keep your clothes and closet organized?

OOTD: Sailing Away

Today, I feel like it's time for an Outfit of the Day (OOTD) post. 

Why? Because it was dark and gloomy and rainy and stormy all day. And oddly enough, 70-something degrees, making it very humid for November. And despite all that grossness, I still attempted to put on a nice outfit, do something with my hair (bangs up and hair wavy = quick bedhead turnaround!) and say HI to the day ahead, instead of crawling back under the covers much like I really wanted to do.

And you know what? I felt pretty good all day as a result. It's amazing what "putting on your face" in the morning can do for a person. The best part? No one I ran into today would have been able to tell that I was up until 12:30AM reading the (entire) second Hunger Games book, plus then up until 2AM jacked on Excedrin Migraine (resulting from said rain/atmosphere craziness).

Gosh, I sound pretty lame. Pretend I was having a glass of wine with that book or something, will you? :)

So here you go! Tar-jay jeggings (which I like to wear rolled at the bottom, making them look even less legging), orange driving mocs from Land's End, striped sailor shirt from H&M and a "found" orange necklace given away by a gal pal. What do you think?

Do you put any extra effort into your outfit on gross days like we had here today? Does it help you get through the day?

Sweater Sweetness

I am so beyond ready for the colder weather to arrive. These early-AM chilly temps are right up my alley. And then, like clockwork, it's still heating up to a ridiculous level for what is now "Fall." At least, I guess, I do not live in SoCal, Florida or South Texas where they don't even get to experience those slight hints of the season change!

Here's hoping it snows again either in GA or
in NYC during our annual holiday visit :)

I'm not letting the warm weather distract me from preparing for the colder stuff to come, though. Before we know it, Fall and then Winter will be here to stay. Today, despite this 85 degree day we have going on, I picked up my new snow boots that arrived off of back order sale at REI! 

They are Sorels and they are amazing. I want to wear them with leggings and a snow jacket ASAP. The best thing about these boots are that they are timeless. Even if we don't get another ice storm for a few years, these will still be in style and will look great no many how many wears later. I can't really say the same thing for those boots that are all white and puffy with fur :)

The "mantle" is ready for Fall with the lantern display, and I have my Pumpkin Pie Yankee candle burning a few times a week. The crock-pot is back in consistent rotation for our dinners, and all that is left is to do a final wardrobe-swap for the long-sleeves, tights and sweaters.

At the end of each season, I make it a point to purge items from my drawers and closet as I swap out the seasonal boxes of clothes. Ready to go to Goodwill this time are a few over-worn summer work blouses and a skirt that just does not do it for me anymore. My rule of thumb is that if I haven't worn it all that season, and don't see myself wearing it again next season, in the donation bag it goes! That gives me that much more room for new clothes, I figure :) More to come on that soon - I have a closet clothes makeover coming later this week!

There are a few sweaters that I just can not bring myself to donate each year as I trade out clothes, though. This one was a favorite buy from GAP circa 2005, but the boxy shape and heavy weight make it pretty impractical for Atlanta weather. I haven't worn it in a few years, but I absolutely love the colors and softness of the cotton.

This one was a gift many, many years ago - it's a high-quality Charter Club sweater and used to look adorable over a collared button-up. Over 10 years later, though, the shape does not really flatter my body anymore.

I have kept these two sweaters, along with a few others, each season, and they take up precious room in my out-of-season clothes bins. I know that I could donate them, but I still have an emotional connection to them both, and want to figure out a way to keep them around without having to wear them. Perhaps as a sweater pillow?

Source and Tutorial

Love the toggles on this one, how fabulous.

Or maybe a coffee cozy that you can re-use over and over again!

Seen on Elements of Style. Purchase via Etsy.

How about some cozy cable mittens? These would be cute using that striped sweater ...

Source and Tutorial

The latest option I stumbled past were these adorable sweater vase covers!

My crafting side is itching to make one or two of these out of my much-loved knits. What would you do with your extra woolen wear?