Outfits Not Just Clothes

These photorealistic bird pendant is years old, but still eye-catching and outfit-worthy.  cardi-Zara(a coat version here ), shirt- Skies are Blue via Le Tote , trousers- Uniqlo , flats- Dr. Scholls , necklace-Forever 21(more options here ) You my recall this shirt from this post last year where it is was part of fellow-blogger inspired outfit. That ensemble had a bit more edge with leather trousers and stacked, strappy heels. Here, with these checkered pull-on pants and loose cardi it's rocking a more casual vibe. In the past I've been more of a fan of plaid bottoms ( here , here , and here ), but regardless of top or bottom longtime readers know that I'm a lover of plaid, almost as much as I am stripes. So, it's always fun to find new ways to style plaid tops, which STILL get a bad wrap for being only for flannel shirts. In my mind, plaid can be quite chic. What say you? Is plaid for fashion or just function? 

shirt-Gap(more options here ), dress-Uniqlo(similar here ), necklace-Anthropologie(similarish here ), watch-Micheal Kors(similar here ), loafers- Sole Society Loving the Mod vibe of this shift-dress as jumper, and the semi-twee print of teacups on this shirt. I seem to be in the habit of wearing/posting this shirt about once a year , and to keep on schedule I've layered it under this "working-horse" of a dress that has seen me through a lot of body transitions: from pre-pregnancy, into my third trimester, and now post-baby. You can't beat a navy shift with pockets!  And now for an ACTION SHOT!

No, this post is not about fruit, but the online retailer Mango  which I've been browsing for almost a year. Last week I finally took the shopping plunge and scored some pieces from their current sale ! Trousers These jacquard suit trousers are going to be great this fall/winter. When shopping sales you have to think beyond the current season. The best deals are for off-season pieces. So while, this textured pair of pants would be disgusting during these hot and humid days, come holiday time they'll be chic and seasonally on the mark!  Gilet This men's style knit wear is the perfect " third piece " for the rule of three outfitting strategy . And, unlike the pants above it can be worn regardless of the season. Well, most of the time... a long, sweater-vest for the height of summer is probably not a good idea.  BUT, for adding some structure and polish to a basic dress, or pants-and-shirt ensemble it's perfect for 10 out of 12 months! Long B

 blazer- J.Crew , dress- LuLaRoe , necklace- Le Tote , heels-Banana Republic(similar here ) So yeah, this is a VERY bright and bold print! I haven't been doing bright colors here as of late, so this ensemble is a tad outside my outfitting wheelhouse, and it's refreshing, is it not? I wasn't 100% on this shoe choice, though. I think I should have kept the color going with more vibrant pumps, but it's not like I can't have an outfit do-over. Maybe later on this summer I'll give this dress a whirl with some purple and orange ankle straps, stay tuned! 

shirt- Le Tote , culottes- Everlane , shoes- Old Navy , rings/necklace-Thrifted/Vintage/Gifted This is the fourth time featuring these culottes from Everlane , and as I predicted in their first post they have become a staple in my spring/summer office wardrobe. AND I keep finding myself paring them with tops from Le Tote , seen here and here . The jewelry is all a hodge-podge of thrifted, gifted, and vintage. I basically just grabbed some random gold pieces and "threw" them on, which gives this fairly straight-forward a bit of eccentric character. 

cardi- Coin 1804 via Le Tote , dress-Madewell(similar here ), watch- Wenger , flats- Dr. Scholls Have I gone on a stripes overload...? No! This is a stripe crescendo, with each line building up to a symphony of outfitting glory! Okay, yeah that's a bit much for a knit dress and long, lightweight cardi. But, come on, these pieces are crazy-dynamic together, right?! Plus, this is a great example of how you can take two patterned garments and wear them together without looking like an insane person. The colors are all of the same palette and both have horizontal stripes, pairing lines going in opposite directions could induce seizures, or at least eye twitches. Stay out there!