Day 4 :: of leopard and grey piping

One of my fashion mantras is this: The cuter the outfit, the less I want to be here.

It stands to reason - when work is getting me down and when the mere thought of going makes me want to curl into the fetal position and and sing Cyndi Lauper songs in my head, then my only saving grace is a cute outfit.  Knowing I have prepped a faboo ensemble the night before affords me the strength and intestinal fortitude to get out of bed and face the day.

Today should've been a no-brainer.  Had a tough week.  Did not want to go in.  At all.  Could've used a fierce outfit to give me a boost.  But because it's Friday, I opted for casual over killer so I perused my "Casual Friday" Pinterest board and did a happy jig because...

I had the exact blazer from the inspiration pic.

How often does that happen?

Not only that, but I also had identical items for all the other elements.  Bootcut jeans?  Check.  White button-down?  Check.  Leopard flats?  Check.  I even owned a similar necklace.  This was serendipity, my friends.  How could I resist?

If I were to do this outfit over, though, I'd try to wear a lower rise bootcut.  These are my mommy Levi's and the rise is so high that semi-tucking and belting just wasn't an option today.

:: Just the facts, ma'am ::

Shirt - L.L. Bean

Jacket - Mossimo for Target

Jeans - Levi's

Flats - Old Navy

Necklace - F21

Day 3 :: of pink and white and defying propriety

inspiration photos from myshowroomblog.com and Pinterest

I needed to look professional today for a bear of an IEP meeting, but I refused to completely abandon personal style in deference to propriety.  My quiet defiance translates, then, as a blast of color coupled with a deliberate use of winter white.

I knew I wanted to showcase pink and white.  I knew I wanted to be brave unorthodox and do white on bottom.  So this was a case of backwards planning: I actually had an idea for an outfit and I just needed to find photos to back up my idea.  The two I found utilized florals and stripes and, although it may seem counterproductive, the patterns actually helped ground the outfit and toned down the sharp color contrast.

This gave me the opportunity to finally use a top I'd purchased from Forever 21 at the beginning of the season but had previously been at a loss on how to implement.  (By the way, "season" to me begins in September and ends in June - traditional academic year.)  I think the pink on the design plays nicely with the pink of the blazer, don't you think?

I also like how the belt goes - if not matches - the top as well.  It's a deep navy, not purple, and was another closet orphan until today.  (My de-orphaning the belt is thanks in part to my new belt rack which allows me to organize my accessories and see what I own.  Yay me with the accessories!)

I'm also loving my new pants, which I got yesterday in the mail from Kohl's and which prompted my brain fart in the first place.  (I know, I know.  I'm not supposed to shop anymore, but this purchase was made before my vow so I think I'm excused.)

:: Just the facts, ma'am ::

Shirt - F21

Blazer - eBay

Jeans - Lauren Conrad for Kohl's

Pumps - Ross

Scarf - Old Navy

Belt - TJMaxx

Day 2 :: of stripes and surplus

inspiration photo from gochicorgohome.com via Pinterest

I really love the look of a good surplus jacket - it feels tough yet approachable all at the same time.  Maybe it's the shape more than the color?  Regardless, I find that I have a lot of pins with surplus jackets playing a starring role.  I chose this one because I wanted warm toes. (You'll see what I mean in paragraph 4.)

The top was easy to dupe because I went stripe happy last summer.  The only difficulty was deciding whether I wanted to dupe the look or the drape.  I chose drape because I have poochy belly right now, so not my sweater (which had the exact same stripe width as the inspiration photo) but my H&M shirt instead.

The scarf was more complicated.  In the inspiration photo, not only is the scarf a different color, it's also a different shape.  Thanks, Del, for opening my eyes to this.  I'd texted Kid Sis #1 to ask how the gal had styled the scarf and she told me it was a square folded into a triangle and tied in back.  Well, sucks to be me coz I don't own square scarves - only oblong and rectangular ones.  So not only did I struggle with color and pattern, I also had to wrestle with shape.  I think my version works overall.

And now the toes.  Oh, the toes!  You'd think this would be a no-brainer in So. Cal. but we've hit a cold spell and I wanted leg warmth as well as toe warmth.  Plus, I found that - gasp! - in the plethora of shoe boxes I own, not a one of them contained a cognac lace-up half bootie!  

But did I go online and shop, my friends?  NO!  (Insert encouraging cheer here.)  I went with what I had on hand and ended up not only with warmth and comfort but with a new way to style this closet orphan.

What do you think?  Thumbs up or down?

P.S.  KS#1 (also known as Del) was helping me out with this blog last night and she suggested I do more with my hair than a simple pony.  I thought it was all about the clothes and my hair really is super long and sometimes gets in the way of the overall look, but in this instance, I think she's right.  I do look friendlier with my hair down, eh?  So yes or no with the hair?  Or do you think it really all depends on the outfit?  As Heidi Klum likes to say - it's also about the styling.  Right?

:: Just the facts, ma'am ::

Shirt - H&M

Jacket - F21

Jeans - F21

Boots - Ross

Scarf - Old Navy

Day 1 :: of cardigans and glen plaid pants

inspiration photo from Polyvore c/o Pinterest

I had the pants and the shirt almost exactly but the olive green cardi stumped me.  I toyed with using a print or a pop of color cardi to substitute but eventually settled for a monochromatic look with my crested cardi from F21.  To break things up, I accessorized with my new fave scarf, purchased from eBay.

A close up of the pant (Mossimo from Target several seasons ago) so you all can see the glen plaid glory:

There were shoes in the inspiration photo as well but it was too cold for pumps so I chose to ignore footwear as statement and opted for warmth and comfort instead.  This is the shoe I wore (it's so old that I can't even link it; the brand is Unlisted):

My BFF asked why I didn't tuck in the shirt and button up the cardi; she reminded me that I'd once mentioned not doing either made for a sloppy look.  I told her I just wasn't feeling it - maybe I should've gone pop of color or print cardi after all - so I must have subconsciously been after the sloppy casual vibe.  But just for kicks and since it was the end of the day anyhow, I consented to tweaking the look.

Which do you prefer?  Tucked or untucked?  Did you like the monochromatic or should I have gone with a different cardi?

:: Just the facts, ma'am ::

Cardigan - F21

Shirt - F21

Pants - Mossimo at Target

Infinity scarf - eBay

Booties - Unlisted