Peachy Keen

Sunnies & Tank: Charlotte Russe, Sweater: Shalom Shuk, Bag: Goodwill, Jeans & Platform Peeptoes: UO, Gifted Bracelet & NecklaceThere’s an inherent confidence that comes with a wearing a great fitting pair of jeans. The second you slide them over your hips and button them up you can feel the swagger in your step. Paired with a peachy knit and simple tank I let my inner 70’s siren soar in these flares and damn did it feel good.

what pieces give you swagger and make you soar?

Jeans, Unicorns, and my new Love of Stripes

Sunglasses: Dollar Store, Blazer (from suit set): Talbots (via Goodwill) Beaded Necklace: DIY, Tee & Jeans: H&M,Watch: Yard Sale in Maine Belt & Rose Necklace: Forever 21, Heels: Nine West via TJ MaxxI don’t know what’s more elusive, unicorns or the perfect pair of jeans.

I have a love hate relationship with these pants. I love the wash and rise but the length is where I struggle. They’re too long to wear with flats but too short to wear with most of my heels. Luckily I managed to dig out these tortoise shell kitten heels (one of the first pairs of heels that I ever purchased!) and they were the perfect height. The elongated pointy toe barely peaks out from under the dark denim and I like how the tortoise shell looked paired with my striped tee.

I’m not sure what prompted my new love of stripes (see here, here, & here) but I’ve had a lot of fun mixing them into my wardrobe. I found stripes to be easy to mix and match with other patterns especially florals and brights. In this case I loved how my striped tee popped when paired with the bright green blazer. It added the perfect punch of color and the cut of the jacket worked with the rise of the jeans to create a flattering silhouette.

Do you struggle when it comes to styling a certain style/pair of jeans? What patterns/prints have you been mixing into your spring wardrobe?

Leaves and Lockets

Sunglasses, Blouse, & Locket: Downtown Threads,* Jeans: H&M, Sandals: TargetAfter spending years avoiding pinks, reds and oranges I had a fashion breakthrough and this funky leaf print tank was the piece to bring me around. While the top is very orange the print is the focal point so the bright orange becomes almost secondary (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself). Add a black blazer and cream scarf over this look and you’re ready for a day at the office or toss on a moto jacket, an arm full of bangles and nude heels for a night out.

Whether you’re trying out a new silhouette or giving warm colors a second chance stepping outside of your fashion comfort zone can be intimidating but if you write things (trends, colors, silhouettes) off entirely before experimenting with them you may miss out on a fashion breakthrough of your own. I spent years convinced that wearing any shade of orange would make me look like a giant ginger pumpkin and here I am loving my bold new orange blouse.

What trends/color/silhouettes do you steer clear of? Have you had a fashion breakthrough?

*full disclosure: while I receive items from Downtown Threads all ideas, content, and opinions expressed are my own.

A Cold & Cropped Casual Friday

Blazer: Vintage via my Mom, Cropped Sweater Top: Old Navy, High-Waisted Jeans: H&M, Oxford Booties & Owl Ring: Forever 21, Two Finger Bar Ring: Downtown ThreadsIt was in the teens when I snapped these photos so please excuse the overly red nose, stiff posing and rushed feel of these images. I was cold and it was windy.

Had I not been concerned about hypothermia I would have loved to show you how this top is perfectly cropped in the front and slightly longer in the back, making it the perfect subtle mullet shirt, but like I said I was cold and it was windy so the blazer stayed on.

While my office has a pretty laid back dress code I thought a cropped top might be pushing it so I paired the subtle mullet shirt with high-waisted flares. While covering my midsection was my biggest concern I also wanted to balance out the boxy shape of the top with a more form fitting pant/bottom. I was concerned that the flares would mess with the proportions but I think they actually gave it a great 70’s feel.

What pieces do you use to balance out boxy tops? How have you styled crop tops in the past?

A Black Out with Blue Jeans

Knit Hat: UO, Blazer: Goodwill (boy’s), Mockneck top: Shop in Georgia, Keys & Necklace: Florence, Italy, Bangles & Rings: Gifted & Thrifted, Jeans: H&M, Booties: Old NavyI’ve been wearing a lot of black lately (see here, here). Not because I want to look thinner (though after all the Christmas cookies it’s a definite plus) I’ve simply found darker monochromatic looks easier to put together when I’m feeling uninspired by the rest of my wardrobe. The simplicity and streamlined silhouette of an all black look offers the perfect “blank canvas” for accessorizing, allowing you to really play up your statement pieces.

Here are a few tips to playing around with monochromatic looks this winter:

• You don’t have to wear black if you’re worried about looking washed out in all black opt for navy blue, forest green, deep reds, rich browns or charcoal gray instead.
• Monochromatic looks don’t have to be boring play around with materials and textures as you would with colors. Try pairing black cigarette pants with a black silk blouse and black faux fur vest.
• Play up the accessories a monochromatic look is essentially a blank canvas, set the tone of the outfit by selecting bold accessories. This is the perfect time to try out that studded collar, heelless shoe or bib necklace that you’ve been trying to style all year.
• Make a statement with your outwear keeping the rest of your look simple is the perfect excuse to get a little wild with your outerwear. Brightly colored peacoats, fun faux fur jackets and patterned wraps are perfect when paired with sleek monochromatic looks this season.

Have you played around with monochromatic looks?

My Catamount Coat

Jacket: Clothes Exchange, Vest: Battery Street Jeans, Jeans: H&M, Necklace: Thrifted, Button up: LL Bean, Rabbit Ring: Downtown Threads, Stackable Rings: H&M, Booties: Forever 21, Bag: ALDO w/ thrifted scarf

This past weekend D (a University of Vermont Alum) took me to the UVM Men’s basketball home opener.  On our way through campus he snapped these pictures of me in front of UVM’s Royall Tyler Theater. We had a lot of fun and the best part is that the Catamount’s won the game with a buzzer beater! My alma mater (Champlain College) didn’t have an athletics program but we did have one a kick-ass mascot, Chauncy the Beaver.

I picked up this coat at the Burlington Clothes Exchange and I’ve been wearing it a lot this fall. I usually stay away from red but I loved the bell sleeves and black rose buttons so much that I took a chance on it. I kept the rest of the look casual with dark high waisted jeans and a simple white button up. I’m  in love with the silver hare ring that I found at Downtown Threads a few weeks ago. It adds the perfect amount of whimsy to this otherwise conservative casual look.

What pieces do you use to make an outfit your own?

About these pants…

Sunnies: Downtown Threads, Blazer: Saver’s, Tank & Necklace Target,  Blouse: From my mom, Jeans: H&M, Heels: Steve Madden (via T.J Maxx)I spent months searching for the perfect pair of dark wash, high-waisted flares and while D and I were in Montreal I found these at H&M. I thought they were the perfect pair of flares for me… but now that I have them I’m not so sure. They’re trickier to style than I thought and I’m not quite sure they’re flattering.

While I’m undecided about the silhouette the pants are cutting, I’m a big fan of the layers on top. I’ve been playing around with layering shirts and blazers with different lengths a lot since the temps started cooling off.  I liked how the teal blouse from my mom looked cuffed over the little boy’s blazer I scored for a dollar at Saver’s.

What layers and silhouettes are you playing around with this fall? 

Wore Out’s Look of the Week

I started the week with fireworks, then took a trip to the farmer’s market; midweek I mixed sparkles and yesterday was all about reliving trends.

I am so excited to announce that Wore Out’s Look of the Week is…

AJ from My African Closet!This is one chic chick!

Take a super stylish Brit, add a dash of Fourth of July Americana, a bit of European street style and you’ve got Wore Out’s look of the week! I recently found AJ’s blog and was blown away by her fearless use of colors and patterns and always chic style.

I NEED a pair of pants like this ASAP!

These pants are what dreams are made of. I love how effortlessly sophisticated they look when dressed down. For a chic about town look follow AJ’s lead and pair high-waisted pants with a white tee, statement jewelry and a fun printed bag.

I love the streamlined silhouette that these pants create, they’re a piece you keep in your closet year round. I would love, love, love a pair of pants like this, they would be so fun  to style!

Make sure to stop by My African Closet and see what new pieces AJ’s styling and don’t miss out on her amazing giveaway, there’s only 2 days left to enter!

How would you style these plaid pants? What are you doing this weekend?