Outfits Not Just Clothes

coat/skirt-Jcrew(sort of similar here and here ), blazer-Banana Republic(similar here ), top-Mikkat Market(sort of similar here ), boots-Target, necklace- Le Tote , bracelet/ring- Jewel Mint , sunnies-Ralph Lauren(similar here )   I used leather to switch things up in this fairly standard office outfit. I felt that the skirt and blazer toned down the edge of the leather, while the leather created textural interest in the overall look.  My first instinct was to wear a brown blazer, but this navy one jumped out at me , it brought some freshness to the earthy tones in the rest of the look.  All of that aside, I felt quite fierce at work, which is always a good thing. 

        coat-Zara(sort of similar here ), dress-Gap Outlet(kind of sort of similar here ), tights- Target , boots-DSW(not at all similar, but totally sickening here ), scarf-Old Navy(similar here ), necklace-gifted I used to wear a lot of purple, not so much anymore, but for this outfit I decided to pile it on.  This really started with the idea of comfort, hence the sweater dress(sweater dresses always seem like the ideal comfy clothes you can wear out and about). These boots are so much fun, from there the purple just kept coming. This scarf has been in heavy rotation, last seen here .

This past weekend I had quite an outfit challenge.  It seems that everyone decided that Saturday, February 23rd was THE day to schedule everything! Mr. Keller's brother and sister-in-law were in town so we all met up at their Grandparents' church for the annual ethnic food festival at 5.  Then my good friend's book party started at 6:30, another friend's birthday party started at 9 and we really wanted to check out the Speakeasy at the William Penn with said brother and sister-in-law.  All these events meant I had to put together one outfit that would be appropriate for each occasion, flattering, and in line with my general outfitting aesthetic.  Here were the top three options:  Mixed Patterns Bow-tie Outfit shirt / jacket -Gap, trousers / belt -Jcrew, bowtie- American Apparel , heels- Forver 21 Hello cropped trousers, you know I love 'em! Paired with a teacup pattern blouse and a bow-tie Sparkle Stripes Outfit  top -Jcrew, cropped trouse

blouse- Uniqlo , jeans- Zara , coat-H&M(sort of similar here ), sneakers-Dorothy Perkins(similar here ), scarf-Old Navy(similar here ), bag-Giani Bernini (gifted)(similar here ), sunglasses- Target , jewelry- Jewel Mint and Cookie Lee   Saturday morning was all about getting sh*t done! And this was the outfit where I did just that.  At it's core this look is just jeans and a blouse, but the fact the blouse is silk and I'm rocking wedge sneakers elevates things to outfit level.  Plus which, the coat is so mod chic .

It should come as no surprise that I wear a lot of Jcrew .  Just about every cropped trouser I own hails from the crew(see we're even on a nickname basis, she calls me Big Red and yes I've engendered a clothing retailer and have a make-believe relationship with her). Here's a recent pick of me head to ankles crew: I say ankles because the shoes are Zara , but ever other piece is crew and rarely do a few days in a row go by that I'm not wearing some sort of Jcrew paraphernalia.   Why am I such a brand loyalist?  Well, the clothing is well made, fits me well, and is versatile enough to fit into the various style aesthetics I'm drawn to.   Sure, Jcrew can be pricey, but their sales and Jcrew Factory store fit within my budget.  So as you can imagine when the crew had a collection at fashion week you know I definitely checked it out and made notes for what I hope to purchase later in the year.  Here are my three favorite looks:  all images via Style.c

London Fashion Week is in full swing right now, but I've been taking a look through the collections show last week in NYC.  And here are some thoughts....   Pops of Orange   Altuzarra   Creatures of the Wind   Rag & Bone I love the idea of having a pop of orange (or any bright color) at the collar bringing attention up to the face and giving these somewhat severe looks a bit of whimsy.  This could also work the opposite way, give a flirty outfit some edge. Full Skirts Alexandre Herchovitch Band of Outsiders I think the full skirt/nipped waist will be big this fall.  Raf Simmons revitalized Dior's New Look in such a big way I think we'll start to see the trickle down effect in other collections. Leather 3.1 Phillip Lim Altuzzarra     I've been noticing for awhile now the way designers are reinventing uses for leather, last seen here . The Phillip Lim look is not out-of-the-box in terms of a leather vest, bu