COC week 3

 Monday, September 20
I've never worn these items in combination before, but I really liked how they looked together. I usually wear this skirt with a brown top, and the monochromatic schemes feels kind of bland. This top, from New York & Co is a zip front, which I love, since most button-ups that fit my waist gape at the bust. The fit is so nice, and I don't have to wear a tank underneath! Woo hoo! I can't remember where I got the skirt, I've had it for so long. Don't know if you can tell, but the fabric is eyelet.
(note: if you click on the pictures, it will zoom the images if you want to take a closer look).

Shoes are from Target, necklace (worn in week 1) is Decree.





Tuesday, September 21st


Babydoll top is from H&M, black pants are from White House/Black Market. I like this top, but the babydoll trend is going by the wayside (although I did just get this top in May), so I'll probably hang on to this one for future seasons.  It also kind of makes me look like I'm trying to hide a baby bump, and as generous as it is in the belly area (great for "fat" days) it would make a cute early maternity top.











 Wednesday, September 22

Yes, this is what I wore to work this day. We were having a tailgate party to benefit United Way, so I got to wear my beloved Dallas Clark jersey with jeans. I only had one Ravens fan call me a heathen, and everyone else assumed the blue and white was for the Cowboys. Ick!!

Thursday, September 23

This is probably my favorite real work outfit of the week. I felt very pulled together and I think the jacket flatters me. One of my co-workers has this exact same jacket (the perils of working for a retailer and getting most of your wardrobe from said retailer). Therefore, the jacket is from JCP (Alyx brand), the cami underneath is also JCP (Worthington) and the pants are about 9,000 years old. Can't have too many black pants, can ya? Oh, and the headband is from NY&Co. I love it :)

Friday, September 24

Nothing too fancy here... casual friday! Graphic tee from Banana Republic, jeans are from The Limited. My hair is looking kind of sloppy because this pic was taking at about 10 pm... hence the tired face. :)

COC Week 2

Here are my outfits for Closet Overhaul Challenge, Wk 2:

Monday, Sept 13th
Hmm.. I don't like how this top photographed. There's a lot of ruching around the mid-section which just accentuates (rather than disguise) my rolls. Will have to keep this in mind. I got both the top and pants at JCP, the top is by a.n.a, beaded in a sort of abstract animal stripe and has flutter sleeves. I love the olive green. The pants are pretty basic gray pants by Worthington. You can't see the shoes, but it was a pair of black peep-toe pumps with gold studs.

Tuesday, Sept. 14th
(Ignoring the fact that my collar is jacked up and the hubs didn't tell me) This is one of my favorite jackets that I wear a lot. It's a short sleeve double breasted jacket in a sort of military style. I usually wear it buttoned up. This is Worthington from... you guessed it... JCP. The slub cowl-neck top underneath is from H&M and the pants are from NY&Co. eons ago. The pants are pinstripe with a silver metallic stripe in them.

Wednesday, Sept. 15th

I got this button-up top at The Limited. I love how it fits and wish they still carried it in other colors, but I can't find it any more. :( The white skirt (gasp! White after Labor Day? Yes, peeps) is from Target and the FABULOUS snakeskin strappy shoes are a recent purchase from justfab.com. I'm going to review this site in a future entry. I just wish you could see the shoes better in this shot!











Thursday, Sept. 16th

Finally busted out some flats... 3 days in a row of heels and my feet were ready to give out on me! Shoes are from Target, top is from Banana Republic, capris are from White House Black Market. Necklace I've had forever and bracelets (stack of silver bangles) are Decree (JCP).












Friday, Sept. 17th
TGIF! I work in a pretty business casual environment, so if you wear too dressy of an outfit (like something resembling a suit), people think you are interviewing for a job. :) I have tons of suits from my previous job, which required a suit every day.  So, I decided to wear this blazer with jeans to keep it more casual. The jacket is from Deb (I think), and I bought it in college to interview in. It ties in the front with a pink ribbon, rather than buttoning. I really like the fit and fabric of this jacket- very comfortable! The graphic tee underneath the jacket is from Old Navy, and the jeans are Calvin Klein. My floral flats from H&M make me feel so dainty!

Closet Overhaul Challenge

I've done several "closet purges" in my time, yet I still find that I only wear about 20% of the contents of my closet. Typically this is my newest 20% of my wardrobe. "New" things always make me feel confident, while older things make me feel worn and perhaps insecure. I wouldn't be surprised if many of you feel the same way, or find yourself wearing the same 10-15 outfits again and again. With this in mind, I decided to put my wardrobe to the test with my Closet Overhaul Challenge. This is how it will work:

I will wear a different item every day (weekends excluded), and wear through everything in my closet with no repeats, chronicling the process here (naturally!). I am going to make serious assessments about each piece, and when I find things that I truly will not wear (or confirm after giving it another shot whether or not I want to wear it), I will get rid of them.  When I get all the way through my wardrobe, I'll post an update of what I didn't wear and why. Obviously, I will skip over things that are special occasion, out of season or not work appropriate.

My first goal is to see how long I can go without repeats; this will really prove how many clothes I have, which I can keep in mind every time I think "I have nothing to wear!" My second goal is to do a more accurate purge. Every time I purge my closet, I inevitably keep things that I swear I will wear again, but when I stand in front of my closet every morning, I pass by these items over and over. Some things I don't think look good or fit right, but may keep them for sentimental reasons.

The only exceptions to my "no repeats" rule is if I need to re-wear something as a layering piece. For example, I have several camis that I wear layered under other shirts. I also have a lot of tops that are meant to go underneath a jacket/cardigan that would be inappropriate to wear by themselves. In order to wear these pieces, I may need to repeat a jacket or cardigan (seeing as I only have 1 black cardigan). I will also keep a list of things I "need" as completer pieces.

So with no further ado, I bring you my outfits from week 1 of the challenge.

Tuesday, September 7
(forgive the picture, I took this and Wednesday's pictures today, so I have no make-up on, ha!)
I got this dress almost 2 years ago from Banana Republic. These patterned tights are one of my favorite pair; I've included a side shot so you can see the "stripe" detail on the outside leg. I've had the booties a couple years as well. In retrospect (interesting how differently we see things when we take pictures of them!), I think the booties are a little heavy for the silk dress, so next time I'll wear pumps.

Wednesday, Sept 8th
I went for the military look this day, with a new gray turtleneck top and long necklace I had just bought on Monday. The necklace is Decree (JCP), the top is MNG by Mango (JCP's newest brand, straight out of Europe). The jacket I've had for 7 years; it's a Liz Claiborne jacket I got while I was an intern there in 2003. The pants I got forever ago; they fit well in the waist, but they're really baggy in the legs. It's great if you're going for the wide-leg look, but honestly mine could use some hemming.











Thursday, Sept 9th

This day I wore a cute brown lace top with flutter sleeves that I got sometime pre-pregnancy at a mall boutique. The khakis have been around forever and I think fit fairly well. The necklace is new (Decree from JCP) and the headband (probably hard to see the detail, but it's ivory with a small bow) is from New York & Company. (By the way, I most likely won't remember where and when I got everything, but I'll try my best!). I was pretty happy with my outfit today. :)











Friday, Sept. 10th.

Happy Jeans Friday! On this day, I wore a new MNG by Mango shirt-dress in military green with a pair of a.n.a jeggings (jean leggings, as if that weren't obvious, ha ha). I just have a simple gray layering tank underneath. My shoes are Nicole by Nicole Miller, which makes everything except my tank top from JCP. Are you sensing a theme here? Ha! The only thing I would've added to this outfit is a skinny belt. I believe this "shirt" is actually a dress, but I wore it more as a tunic. It's long enough that I could get away with it as a dress, but would wear it with tights if I did.

*Love is in the air* or maybe that's just fall?

I love fall. LOVE it. I love the "newness" of back-to-school (even though I'm neither in school nor have a family member in school), the way everyone seems to fall back into a routine (har har, no pun intended). I also love football season and the approaching holidays. But perhaps most of all, I love fall clothes. Spring and summer clothes are kind of boring to me... tees, tanks, shorts, flip-flops, la-de-da. Fall clothes feel cozy, rich and luxurious, outfits feel much more pulled together and the colors make me feel warm and fuzzy.

Based on what I've seen in the market, here's your easy-to-apply trends for the fall 2010 season.

Military
Oh, Military Trend, how you never seem to go away. It seems this trend keeps resurfacing year after year, and I suspect as long as our country remains at war, this tribute to our armed forces will continue. Luckily, I love this trend. It's beautiful and versatile, and super stylish.
Pieces to look for: cargo pants, aviator boots, anything olive or in the brown family, structured jackets with pockets and heavy hardware.
Make it unique: pair a structured piece with something super feminine (like a floral blouse under a form-fitting trench, or a ruffled tee with cargo pants).

Charcoal
Hurray! One of my favorite colors! This color is never really "out" of style, as it's a neutral that should be a constant in one's wardrobe. However, this fall it moves into a more dominant color. Since it goes with everything, it shouldn't be hard to incorporate into your wardrobe. It is, as they say, "the new black."
Pieces to look for: Any accessory (bags, jewelry), a statement jacket (either a blazer or heavier weight coat), boots.
Make it unique: wear it with jewel tones, or surprise people by wearing it with another common neutral, such as brown. Contrary to popular belief, you can wear neutrals together.



Plaid
If you've been to any store in the mall lately, you've probably seen the over-abundance of plaid styles. Pieces to look for: Button-ups, pullovers, tunics, loose and belted, vests... you'll see it in just about every body.
Make it unique: Plaid's a tricky one to pull off, especially if you want to wear it in a professional work environment. Plaid reads very casual, so to dress it up, wear it under a jacket (a military style or charcoal one, perhaps??) or wear a more fitted style with a pair of tailored pants (straight leg or skinny).


Feminine
This is another style that is continuing from the past few seasons. It was big this spring, and continues in a fall color palette this season.
Pieces to look for: The feminine trend is marked by ruffles, embellishments (such as studs or sequins) or floral patterns.
Make it unique: Since you don't want to go overboard with the feminine trend, pair it with simple, structured pieces such as a military jacket (look at that, all the trends working together so nicely!), a straight leg pant (one with a subtle pinstripe or plaid would be beautiful) or a simple cardigan.


Pencil Skirts (subset of feminine)
Tying into the feminine trend, pencil skirts are big for fall. It's a false assumption that only thin people can wear a trim-fitting skirt. It's actually quite slimming no matter your size.
Pieces to look for: Keep it simple with a neutral solid or a very subtle pattern. Some pencil skirts come with built-in belts... or add one of your own!
Make it unique: Wear it with a pair of opaque, jewel-toned or patterned tights and a pair of booties.


Cardigans (another subset of feminine)
I'm seeing these a lot, and they are not your grandma's sweater! Cardigans also work in the spring and during the transition between seasons. It's a pretty basic staple that you probably already have in your closet and can find new ways to wear it!
Pieces to look for: Since you may already have a basic button-front style, add to your collection with a floral print, short or 3/4 sleeves, open front or wrap style.
Make it unique: Wear it on top of a spring or summer dress to "autumnize" it. Wear it unbuttoned (if it's a buttoning style) with a skinny belt on top. Pair with a pencil skirt and some chunky accessories, like a wrist cuff or a statement necklace.


Animal/Skins
Animal is yet another trend that continues from previous years. What makes it a bit different this season is the addition of skins: alligator, snake and other reptiles.
Pieces to look for: "minor" items, such as accessories (perhaps a wallet or small clutch), shoes or a layering tank/tee. This is not something you want to deck out in head-to-toe!
Make it unique: You don't need to do much to make this unique as it's already pretty special on its own. My main advice is to make this an accent, rather than the central part of your outfit. Take things up a notch with a snakeskin shoe or alligator print tee under a blazer.

Happy fall, and happy shopping!!