Outfits Not Just Clothes

So ModCloth is having a HUGE sale here ! And I took advantage of some major deals to score a few items .   Evening Equinox Dress I'm loving the shoulder detail on this dress and will mostly likely wear a wide belt with it.       Candy Cane Do Attitude Top   I'm such a sucker for an embellished collar on a button down shirt. And even though this lends itself to more of a holiday vibe, I'm kind of digging it for a Valentine's day shout out.       Urbanite to Remember Dress   The reviews on this item were mixed, but I ordered regardless becuase I'm thinking of wearing this more like a long vest or sleeveless jacket.  I can totally see this over a pair of black skinny pants and a shirt like this:     Cool in Cobalt Top   In the alternate views you can see that he sleelves also have elbow patches, which are such a fun detail.   So, if you...

So I've signed up for Le Tote , which offers "unlimited boutique style apparel and accessories." For $49 a month you receive: and-- You send them back whenever in a pre-labeled box and then you get another "tote" of new items. I'm currently awaiting the arrival of my first tote, which the tracking status lists as having left the sort facility at Warrendale, so I'm thinking it'll be here either tomorrow or Wednesday.  I am a bit concerned about how their stylists will create a personalized "look" for me... Let's face it I'm kind of particular and even though I took their style quiz I didn't get a "result" i.e. their assessment of my kind of style. We shall see. I just hope they don't include earrings as I don't have pierced earrings, which I did specify in my quiz.  If there ARE earrings in the tote then suspicions will be raised... I'll keep you posted.  And now here's a video: ...

Okay it's cold... I'm taking this coat off really quick to show you blouse details. You're welcome. The belt provides a solid band of black to break up the patterns and it cinches in the waist, which is always a good idea. Okay... I need my coat back. coat/bag-Zara(similar here and here ), blouse- ModCloth , skirt-Urban Outfitters(sort of similar here ), belt-Gap outlet(similar here ), gloves- Brain Atwood for Target/Neiman Marcus , boots-DSW(similar here ), necklace-Banana Republic(similar here ), the cold breeze-God I've been thinking about pairing this blouse and skirt for a while now and I love how the colors play off each other, while the patterns are working such different vibes. The top is a total holler back to vintage Versace, don't you think? image via Kit Walker  The skirt is a tartan/plaid dream, you may recall my fondness for plaid here . Together...

  Bit of an action shot for you . jacket/ skirt -Mikkat Market(similar here ), tshirt- Style Mint , shirt-Gap(similar here ), boots-Steve Madden(similar here ), scarf/sunnies-Ralph Lauren(similar here and here ), bag-Longchamp(thrifted) here on ebay   This past weekend was unseasonably warm so I forewent my overcoat and just layered this military jacket over my chambray shirt and a tee. This leatherette skirt is a recent purchase and it adds a bit of  va-va-voominess to the ruggednesss of the jacket and boots.  On this day we went to look at cars and I wanted to have a few posh accessories like this Ralph Lauren scarf and Longchamp bag. That's right dealers Mr. Keller and I "ain't playing!"   Sidenote: wearing a skirt to test drive cars will let you know if you're able to get in and out of potential new cars like a lady, i.e. room to swing your feet in and out while keeping your knees together....

Not mine of course! No, the birth of Venus in the background, CULTURE! The ultimate mullet tuck. This blouse naturally has a draped hem(shorter in the front than the back) so  I tucked the front in and let the back loose. How can you not, look at the pattern, the length, the pleating it begs to be free.  More great details in front of the blouse as well. This necklace is quite delicate and has great sentimental value as I wore it in my brother's wedding.  blouse-Anthropologie(more options here ), trousers-Diane von Furstenberg(more pants here ), necklace-gifted, heels- Forever 21       There's not much in the way of accessories for this look. Just a beautiful blouse and drapey trousers. When you have statement/high-quality pieces sometimes adding jewelry, or a blazer, or a big bag just gets in the way of the outfit.   

blazer-Urban Outfitters(similar here ), blouse-BCBG outlet(more blouses here ), skirt-Jcrew Factory(similar here ), tights /gloves-Target(a cool pair here ), heels- Forever 21 , bag-H&M(more bags here ), ring/bracelet- Jewel Mint Once again I'm rocking the color block last seen here and  here . You may think I bought the skirt, tights, and heels all at the same time/place.  Ditto for this blouse and blazer.  In truth these items were purchased over the course of year from various stores.  Now this is partially just luck, in terms of everything matching so well, but there is intent going on.  When shopping either online or in store I like to keep a mental list of what's in my wardrobe, what I've been wearing a lot of or not wearing that often when considering buying an item.  That way I can get a sense of whether it'll work with pieces I already own and how it will fit in...

Lucky Magazine's January Issue had a great profile on layering techniques.  I've been a Lucky subscriber for... well since it began! And I love that I can take ready inspiration from its pages in each issue.  Case in point layering in 4 steps:   You may not be able to read the text in the picture of the spread, but step 1 is an over-sized Oxford and printed skinny pants.    From my closet I pulled this striped button-down and ombre cropped trousers. Step 2: An embellished crewneck and bright pumps. Red heels, that I've had forever and wear all the time with a recent buy from Jcrew--a sparkle T-shirt. Here's a close up of each: Step 3:  Shrunken blazer and a neck scarf: I've gone with a knit blazer from the Gap, the lining of which echos the color of the pants and the neon trim gives the look a bit of pop. Instead of a neck scarf I added a statement necklace, as well as stacked rings and several bracelets....