tough to spring

You guys, I'm finding it tough to transition into spring outfits. I'm hanging onto the dark colors and layers and sweaters.

What is the deal?! I LOVE sunshine and warmth and sandals. 

I think it's that I'm more comfortable creating outfits with layers - the layers allow for more visual interest. In the summer, when it's hot, it's a top and a bottom. And typically sandals. That's about it. Most of the time it even feels too hot to wear jewelry, let alone a light jacket or cardigan or scarf. It's not that I don't like summer clothes - please don't misunderstand me.

What I like about layering is that it allows me the opportunity to remix my closet and the items in it - I can create LOTS of outfits using the same piece. In the summer, it feels like I've got a lot more limited options, since I can't really put anything over it, or wear it with tights, or add a scarf, or a vest or jacket on top. It's less pieces to remix and put together. But maybe I should just use this as an opportunity to flex my styling muscles?

Is this making any sense? I'm looking forward to warmer weather, I just always have a tricky time with the transition of the seasons - it takes me a few weeks to wrap my clothing & styling brain around the changing temperatures. Anyone else experience the same thing? Or am I the only goon hanging onto sweaters and scarves?

sweater: thrifted (J. Crew)

pants: Target

scarf: Pendleton

flats: thrifted

monday does it again

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, or a tugboat tooting my own horn, or Kanye singing his own praises, this outfit is another one that just came another in the early morning (yesterday did, as well). This look has a few different elements that, when combined, form a cohesive (and dare I say, classy?) look.

First up is the colorblocking with the navy top half, and the wine-colored pencil skirt. Colorblocking works best when the 2 colors are of the same saturation, or level, of color. So, a deep wine color, and a rich navy blue work here. Or a deep emerald with another equally deep and rich jewel-tones (see some of my past not-so-great colorblocking looks over here...).

Next is the monochromatic layers up top - the navy blue button-up under the navy blue vest.

The third is tying together the boots with the necklace and scarf. Cognac meets brown paisley and brown + gold - not matchy-matchy, yet coordinating and pulled together. And lastly, I wore a necklace under the scarf so that if/when I took off the scarf and vest (which I did), my outfit would still look complete, and not like it was missing some element.

button-up shirt: thrifted (J. Crew)

vest: Old Navy

scarf: gift

necklace: Target

pencil skirt: J. Crew Factory

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

the opposite of snowy

See that snow on the ground? And the accompanying velvet pants, boots, turtleneck, and blanket scarf?

I'm NOT wearing anything like that today.

Instead, I'm wearing a lot less warm clothing, and soaking up as much sunshine as possible with friends while patio drinking and frolicking. We're also resurrecting old phrases and -isms from our youth, in celebration of my birthday nameday yesterday:

"Long hair, don't care."

"Let your freak flag fly."

"Leggooooo."

"YOLO"

turtleneck: GAP

blanket scarf: WalMart

velvet pants: J. Crew Factory

boots: c/o Aéropostale

sassy

Just in case I haven't made it clear before, I love my Frye boots and wearing them with dresses or skirts. Without tights. It feels so sassy and fun. And almost like I'm getting away with something - like cheating winter and its subsequent snow and gross weather.

It DOES help to wear a warm dress when foregoing tights in winter - this sweatshirt dress from J. Crew Factory has a great fleece-y lining, and since it's such a nice basic color, pairs with just about any scarf in my closet.

dress: J. Crew Factory

scarf: gift

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

jacket: c/o Aéropostale

wine colored

I picked up this wine colored pencil skirt on a whim, on sale, at J. Crew Factory on New Year's Day. And I can't believe how much it goes with. Really. It's filling the hole of a black pencil skirt in my closet just perfectly. Hard to believe, I know, but it's true. It's such a nice, rich, merlot/wine/plum color that it adds just a little something extra to anything I wear it with, more so than a black pencil skirt would do, which makes me thankful I picked it up instead of a different color.

And based on yesterday's outfit (here), I guess you could say that I like this color combination of wine/merlot/plum/berry with black. And, you wouldn't be incorrect with that statement.

shirt: Charlotte Russe

skirt: J. Crew Factory

polka dot tights: Target

booties: Old Navy

faux leather jacket: Target

kindergarten and a sweater a day in January + sweater #3

 

After examining these pictures, I’ve come to the conclusion that I look a little bit like a kindergarten teacher in this outfit. Not knocking kindergarten teachers – they do an important job. It’s just that I am NOT a kindergarten teacher. Or educator of any sort. That being said, I really like this printed scarf paired with this polka-dot cardigan. Call me crazy? Or Mrs. Frazzle…

And also...I'm starting the year off with a style challenge. I don't have a fancy name for it (yet), and I have yet to hear of someone else trying it (but if I'm mistaken, please let me know!). My plan is to wear one of my sweaters each and every day during the month of January. According to my count, I've got about 26.

My interpretation of a sweater is pretty loose (i.e. it's a knit cotton, but it's a cardigan, so it's a sweater, and I'm also including a few nicer sweatshirt-y types in the mix), but, 26 gives me a few "off" weekend days where I won't migrate out of sweats, and a few days that I'll be skiing in long underwear and snow pants, so even if I do discover a few more that I've overlooked (because they're in the wash or hiding somewhere...), I can easily add them to my count and not have to double up one day.

There's a few reasons I'd like to do this, but look for those in a few days, as well as my official sweater tally, and maybe some rules guidelines.

If you're interested in joining, let me know and I can figure out a link-up deal type thing-ey, or just post your outfit(s) in the comments, too. Would love to see what you come up with! Is the number of sweaters I own excessive? Just right? *gulp* Too little?

Hope your 2015 is still off to a great start!

shirt: J. Crew Factory

cardigan: J. Crew Factory

scarf: gift (Old Navy)

jeans: c/o Aéropostale

flats: Kohl's

black, purple & gray

  

Again with the dark colors. It's just so easy to wear darks in the winter. Especially gray - one of my favorites. I added some color and texture with my tights, and a bit more with my necklace and boots. I tend to like to wear basic pieces, and then throw in a little something different - like purple patterned tights, or a bright necklace, or...both?

Merry Christmas Eve eve!

sweater: thrifted (J. Crew)

necklace: Kohl's

skirt: from a friend

tights: I don't remember...

boots: The Frye Company via Nordstrom

still classic

One of my best friends gave me this cardigan over the summer. I was so excited to have a classic argyle cardigan, but I wasn't sure what to wear with it. I was a little stumped, until I decided to think beyond solid black, white or gray. Somehow this striped button-up got put next to the argyle, and a slightly print-mixed outfit was born.

The shirt and the cardigan are both classic pieces on their own, and paired together, they're still classic, but a bit more modern, and slightly cheeky. And instead of defaulting to skinny jeans, I chose mint jeans to brighten this up a bit. And my new black boots were a no-brainer.

shirt: GAP

cardigan: from a friend (J. Crew)

mint jeans: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

boots: c/o Aéropostale

shifting

The entire day I wore this, I kept getting told that I looked 

“Bright! And spring-ey!”

which is normally a look I very much enjoy. But lately I find myself more drawn to neutrals and clothes that aren’t quite as “loud.” Not that I think my love for neon will ever go away, but I recently went through my closet (again), and comparing what I got rid of (lots of brights) to what is remaining in my closet (neutrals and solids), is almost comical. However, a friend of mine is very into brights lately, so she benefitted from my purge. What’s funny is that we used to be on opposite ends of that spectrum – me into brights and prints, and her more into neutrals and solids. And now, we’ve done a complete 180. However, both of these items made the cut, so, I’m not completely on the dark side. 

Yet…

blouse: J. Crew Factory

mint skinnies: Lauren Conrad via Kohl’s

sandals: Target