Outfits Not Just Clothes

blazer-J.Crew Factory(similar here ), pants-Dorothy Perkins(sort of similar here ), shirt/shoes-Zara(similar here and more shoes here ), necklace- Le Tote , bracelet- Mikkat Market , rings- Jewel Mint I have some sad new.... Mikkat Market a site from which I've gotten some amazing and unique garments and accessories has "temporarily" closed. I really hope it IS only temporarily because their pieces, like the bracelet above, have always been great elements to my personal outfitting. Let's keep our fingers crossed.  Now, on to the outfit! These pants are tricky at best. I've worn them with a "matching" tweed blazer here , and as part of a designer-inspired look here . For this go round I wanted to keep it simple with a white shirt and navy blazer, a combo that can work with a variety of bottoms. I countered that simplicity with statement accessories so as not to look like I just put on a crazy pair of pants, bu

shirt-Ines de la Fressange for Uniqlo (similar here ), pants-Gap(sort of similar here ), necklace- Lucky Feather (gifted), bracelet- Jewel Mint , ring- Cookie Lee , sunnnies-Ralph Lauren(similar here ), loafers-DSW(similar here ) If you were to describe this outfit without the images it may seem a bit over the top. Striped pants and a patchwork shirt with multi-colored dots and geometric prints together sounds almost clownish in the wrong hues. The subtle white and shades of blue and tan in this look though make it appear almost serene. In keeping with that feeling I went with this delicate necklace, which was a gift from my dear friend Kat who lives in Denver and just had a baby and I cannot wait to see her in December when we're going out for Christmas(sorry I'm excited). Overall I was going for easy and breezy with this look and I love how menswear it feels even thought this shirt boasts somewhat dainty patterns. 

blazer- Olive & Oak via Jupe Boutique , pants- Gap , tee- Old Navy , heels- Shoe Mint , necklace-Gifted, cuff- Martin & Osa I love the chic simplicity going on in this outfit. It's all about the colors and cuts of the separate garments playing off each other. Olive and navy are a more sophisticated take on the blue n' green color combo I've sported in the past , while the angled silhouette of this blazer gives some shape and volume to counter the fitted cropped trousers. I went with dark brown/wood-like accessories to give it an earthy edge. This all sounds very technical and strategic, but really I just wanted to wear this blazer with something crisp and the look evolved from that. Also, I'm loving these pics, right?! It's always a added perk when the background and lighting come together to highlight the outfit. 

Now that I'm back to shopping I've started making some strategic purchases for my fall look.  Gap These are going to be a staple this autumn for my casual uniform. I was really inspired by the Burberry Men's spring 2014 collection, which I highlighted in this post .  So keep an eye out for dark on the bottom, bright on the top outfit posts in the coming months.  For office wear I'll be rocking these plaid beauties... Uniqlo ...with suiting basics like this functional and fashionable blazer. Gap I haven't quite decided on my standard cocktail/dressy look for this fall, but as soon as I do you'll be the first to know blog readers! What's on your Fall shopping list? 

One of the major trends for this summer was/are crop tops. And I've read at least a dozen articles about how to pull one off.  For instance,  here  from Lucky Magazine and another one here from Refinery29 . Not really feeling all that excited about this trend I pretty much steered clear, until I decided to give it a go all DIY style.  Okay, I have tank blouse underneath a button-up shirt.  Undoing buttons...  ...rolling up sleeves... ....tying up the front ends..... ....adjust and... Voila! My take on a the crop top.  button-up- Style Mint , tank-Olive & Oak(similar here ) via Le Tote , jeans-Asos(similar here ), loafers-DSW(similar here )  This was a fun casual weekend look. A bit more interesting then just standard jeans and tee.  I don't see the crop top going anywhere soon, so I'm sure this summer trend will find it's way into fall. So you may just see this DIY technique again with more autumnal