Black ruffle top: thrifted. Sweater: Express. Necklace: Ann Taylor. Jeans: NY&Co. Shoes: Stuart Weitzman.
It’s a new day and I’m kicking up my heels – and who wouldn’t kick up patent red Stuart Weitzman peep toes? They’re meant for kicking!
Fancy shoes call for a little bling (even if I’m in jeans again today…), so I added my favorite chunky necklace of the moment and added it to my layered detailed tops.
Scarf: Gifted. Blue pinstripe top: Express. Vest: Thrifted. Jeans: Gap. Shoes: BCBG. Bracelet: Forever XXI.
This weekend had a perfect crisp chill in the air. A vest and scarf were enough to keep me warm!
I often like to bring in color with shoes, but since I brought in some fun orange and yellow with my other accessories - I kept my shoes neutral (they still had a fun stripe though!).
I’ve never been one to wear outfits the same way time and time again. I like to switch things up, even if it’s basic changes like switching color combos.
I find it’s pretty easy to add variety if you just add one different item, accessory, or color to your outfit each time you wear it.
This look for instance was changed simply by adding tights and a different color jacked. All the basics remained the same.
As for the clothes – I wanted to wear something that was special, but not too dressy or “notice me”. I love this silk dress and it feels like a nightgown, so all I had to do was add a few accessories to finish the look and I was ready to go.
Ruffle Dress: WD NY. Cropped Sweater: Old Navy. Shoes: MIA girl. Belt: Love Couture. Bracelets: Charming Charlie.
I continue my “detail love” as normal. At first glance this look may be just a dress and a sweater, but at second glance you hopefully notice the colorful blue, silver, and green bracelets, the contrast of the gray belt against the black ruffles, and the snakeskin “web” detailing of the shoes.
I adore these shoes. I think they’re really fun for work because the heel is not too high / skinny, yet they have such fun detail and uniqueness to them.
As luck would have it, I got caught in the rain for a short while - thus, my shoes were caught in the rain - but thankfully they remained unharmed and will live to be worn another day (many days!).
Dress: Susana Moraco. Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft. Shoes: BCBG.
After much drama of shoe matching and dress fitting / not fitting (I had to lay off the pastries for a week!), I finally got to wear my weekend-wedding dress. The wedding venue was lovely, the bride gorgeous, the company fabulous, and the man dashing. What more could a girl ask for?
The rest of my weekend was spent shopping with my mom, organizing my closet (fall cleaning!), and cooking. Seriously, I’ve often thought my calling is to be a personal shopper. If my man turns into a sugar daddy some day and I no longer have to work – then I’ll definitely have to make it happen :) either that or I would just stay home, cook and eat all day long watching Frasier, Grey’s Anatomy, and FoodNetwork…
Anywhoo… my mom is a great candidate for trying out my personal shopping skills because I know what her style and lifestyle is, and she trusts me enough to try on everything I pick for her. Overall – we made out like bandits! Tons of great sales were going on and it was definitely wardrobe makeover time.
Although the majority of shopping was for my mom, I did find a few items myself including these fabulous Guess heels. Aren’t they gorgeous?! I’m in love.
The shopping time inspired me to do some fall cleaning of my closet, so I did my normal semi-annual clean out and ended up with several piles – one clothing pile to give to friends, one for goodwill, one for plato’s closet consignment, and one for alterations. In addition, I labeled all my shoe boxes with shoe pics so it’s super easy to find what I’m looking for at any time. How scary is it that I find this activity so much fun?!?
Polka Dot Ruffle Blouse & Cardigan: NY & Co. Skirt: Mossimo. Heels: BCBG. Purse: Gucci.
There are moments when I get bored looking at my sage green photo backdrop, however I don’t have a handy photo taker with me throughout the day and the only time I have to take a fashion shot is 2 minutes before I run out the door to work in the morning, so green backdrop it is.
Sometimes I’ll take a photo by my fireplace or on my porch, but the outfits don’t always display quite as well. Today I did step outside my box and actually tried out my bright bathroom for my photo of the day! Okay, so the color is a bit overwhelming… but maybe a nice change from the normal sage? Hopefully, it can remind you to have a bright and happy day!
Pink, orange, polka dots, stripes, ruffles, buckles… if you only read this description, it might seem that there’s to be a lot going on in this outfit, but together it’s definitely not that much. Adding a solid tone sweater / cardigan / or jacket of any kind can really tone down a look that might have otherwise been a little busy. If you’re more of a busy-lovin’ gal – by all means, leave the sweater off!
Skirt: Forever XXI. Blazer: H&M. Beaded Blouse: Macy’s. Shoes: Jessica Simpson. Purse: Vintage.
I’m not a huge fan of tone on tone, but I do like different shades of the same color together. This light purple top is a little pale for my coloring, so bringing in a deeper purple shade in the blazer brings not only definition to the outfit, but makes it a more flattering color combo for me overall.
I adore this animal print top, but find it often works better layered under another top or dress to give it a bit more shape.
Purple and red accents brought some “pop!” to the otherwise neutral ensemble.
Animal print is still hot in my book. It’s also still showing up on everything from purses, shoes, computer carrying cases, and of course – fashionistas everywhere!
Silk tie top: Forever XXI. Layer pencil skirt: INC. Shoes: Steven.
Last week at work we had our leadership team in town (= all day meetings). I choose to go with something sleek and sophisticated, with just a little spice but still very professional. It worked well for the day and the dinner to follow except that the meeting room we were in was quite cold, so halfway through the day I had to cover up with a jacket. I hated to break up the ensemble, but let’s face it - sometimes you’ve got to be practical.
Vest: Express. Brown Wrap: Sunny Leigh. Shoes: Nine West. Necklace: Macy’s.
Most people in my office wear jeans on Fridays, and I sometimes do too – but not today! I felt like being a little more dressy as I was meeting one of my girlfriends for dinner / happy hour after work. My feet were a little tired at the end of the day, but it was worth it!
This is the first time I paired this ruffle top with a vest, and I think I dig it. I wouldn’t suggest it for a more top heavy or broad shouldered woman, but for someone who’s a bit smaller on top, it brought nice attention upward and didn’t feel too busy. A colorful necklace (and shoes!) completed the look.
Lace Detail Top: Chadwicks. Belt: Beatnix. Lace Detail Skirt: The LImited. Shoes: Steve Madden. Bracelets: can’t remember…
I love my mornings. People may think I’m odd, but I get up about 1 1/2 hrs before I actually have to leave for work every day. Yep, that makes for a pretty early wake up call (particularly since my commute is close to an hour!), but it’s worth it.
I make coffee and eat a nice breakfast, take a long shower or bath, watch a little TV, pick out my outfit, pack my lunch and workout clothes for the day, and finally take a quick blog pic before heading out the door.
*****
On to the clothes --
I like to mix more classic softer pieces with bolder modern accent items - so the belt, bracelets, and shoes helped give this girly look just a hint of drama.
My only issue with the outfit originally was the fit of the skirt. I’ve lost a couple pounds of late and have found a few of my skirts too big around the waist. The best option is, of course, to have them taken in – but until I get to my seamstress, I’m using this handy trick: a belt!
I just tucked the excess skirt fabric under the belt and cinched myself right up! It isn’t something I’d recommend on a regular basis, but in a pinch it definitely works.
Photos by Neysa Ruhl. Location: Lofts@4120
Dress: Fredricks of Hollywood. Shoes: Steve Madden. Necklace: Macys.
Cincy Chic is an online lifestyle magazine for women in the Greater Cincinnati area that shares information on topics such as fashion, health, beauty, social and career.
And… (drum roll!) Cincy Chic recently did an article featuring several local blogs in which I had the pleasure of being one of them. Check out the article!
Anyone who has read this blog for more than 2 minutes will know that I love shoes. I’m a shoe lover of all shapes and sizes, colors and fabrics – yes, you could pretty much say I’m a shoe slut.
For all my love of shoes, I have quite a few that don’t get regular wear. It’s not because I don’t adore them, but I just figure they’re a bit impractical or just too sexy for everyday wear.
That said, when did pretty shoes become unprofessional work wear? At the end of the day my body is covered and I’m still wearing professional attire, so why should a fabulous high heel shoe be deemed inappropriate?
What do you think? Vote and let me know if you think a few of my shoes should come out of hiding!
Qupid Red Ruffle Heels: YES OR NO
Steve Madden Luxe Purple Snakeskin Heels: YES OR NO
Steve Madden w/ Flower Bud T-Straps: YES OR NO
Black Leather BCBG Heels: YES OR NO
Jessica Simpson Cutout Heels: YES OR NO
Aldo Clear Heel Wedges: YES OR NO
Steve Madden Sky High Suede Blue Pumps: YES OR NO
Studded Marc Fisher Pumps: YES OR NO
