Outfits Not Just Clothes

            Bubbles!!!!         blazer-Jcrew Factory(similar here ), pants /shirt/tie-Gap(similar shirt here  and tie here ) , heels-Nine West(similar here ) I've done this shirt and tie combo before here .  Even wore a green bottom, but this time instead of a cropped trouser I've opted for a flared-leg full pant. And with my trusty blue blazer I was feeling quite dapper.  Well the wrinkles were a bit of a downer. I iron these pants EVERY time I wear them and w/in 15 minutes of sitting they are a mess! Oh well, I guess that's the risk of twill cotton. Happy Halloween!

              dress- Le Tote , blazer- Jcrew Factory , necklace-Bauble Bar(sort of, kind of similar here ), scarf-Gap(sort of similar here ), tights- Target , heels-Piperlime(similar here )  The color combination of the dress dictated the rest of the outfit. When you have bold color-blocking in one garment you can either go with that it, or stay out of its way. By that I mean keep the color-combos going or keep it neutral.  Since, going tightless was not an option I went with navy and a neutralish shoe that has a pink tone. Same for the necklace, blazer, and scarf, I just kept up that navy and pink pairing. A note on tights.  I am NOT a fan of pantyhose, I prefer tights, usually in neural colors like black, navy, brown, and grey. But it's always a good idea to have a few statement tights, like red or polka-dots.  Thank you, that is all.

      Okay, the blouse is unbuttoned maybe a bit too low, BUT what's the point of wearing a beautiful pendant if it's covered up by the shirt.             coat-Joe Fresh(similar here ), shirt- Uniqlo , skirt- Le Tote , ring- Jewel Mint , necklace-Gifted, shoes- Nine West You may recall my original Joe Fresh post here . Well now the coat I picked up in July is finally seeing action! And it works surprisingly well as a topper to this office outfit.  The coat is a bit more casual, but the black and white pattern is quite chic and plays off the mixed prints in the skirt. I'm also pleased with the color combos of this look.  Last month I sported a similar, black, grey, minty green outfit here .  For this go I went a bit darker in the "green" and added more white.  Gosh, I sound like I panted the fabric for the garments... "Added more white" I'm no Bob Ross , I'm just a humble outfitter.

I'm at the lovely age now where I still have to deal with breakouts and start thinking about anti-aging--FUN!  I've found that daily exfoliation, the occasional skin treatment, and the right foundation are my best allies, that I have so far found, in these battles of beauty. You may have seen ads for the Clarisonic facial brush, which at $125 is a bit steep. I've picked up a more reasonable version from Olay Available here     I use this facial brush daily, usually in the evenings once I'm home for the night. Every other night I do an at-home glycolic acid peel from the Dr. Wexler brand at Bath and Body Works .   Available here     This peel helps reduce skin discolorations and uneven skin tone, and contributes to overall skin clarity. Which I have found to be effective in warding off breakouts and keeping my skin fresh.  Occasionally I'll go for a treatment like microdermabrasion and/or facials depending on what dea...

Sweater Weather by bernadetteulsamer featuring a stripe sweater What a chilly week! It is definitely sweater weather my friends.  Some favorite sweater trends above--stripes, creatures, and cardigans! And of course when autumn is in full swing its time to pack up the message tees and bust out the wordy sweatshirts, because it is so true once the days get short and the wind starts to blow I'd much rather be sleeping...

Zara(similar here ) H&M (similar here ) Gap (similar here )   Jcrew (similar here ) Mikkat Market (similar here ) So yesterday was shoe highlights here . Today, a few of my favorite coats and jackets. The weather has definitely turned so I'm starting to think about effective layers.  The trick with this time of year is to not reach for the winter coat.  It'll have a heavy enough rotation once January, February, and March hit. Try to utilize jackets, blazer, sweaters, and of course trenches.  By doing so you won't get tired of your heavy coat midway through winter.  Man, it is chilly out today, bundle up!

Forever 21 (similar here ) Dorothy Perkins (similar here ) Nine West (similar here ) Forever 21 (similar here ) Prabal Gurung for Target (available here ) Zara (similar here ) Jcrew Factory (similar here ) Isabel Toledo for Payless (similar here ) Target (similar here ) Bass (similar here )   Shoe Mint     Just some shoe highlights for your enjoyment. Shoes so often can make or break an outfit, while being one of the most functionally items of apparel. For me, deciding on the shoe can dictate the rest of the look, particularly in terms of hem length, color, and walkability. It was a very rainy morning here in Pittsburgh so for today I went with some boring old flat, black knee-boots. But the sun is starting to peek through the mid-morning loll so hopefully brighter shoes will come into play later this week.