Swooning over Wu

I am seriously lusting. Full disclosure, I’ll be gushing over the next few paragraphs. Because I am swooning over the Jason Wu for Target collection.

If you know me, you probably know how much I love Target. And some of my favorite clothes have been from both their standard and designer collections. But something about this collection really makes me want to go Black Friday, Totally Crazy, Wake Up at 5:00 a.m. to Get in Line, I WILL Fight You for that Navy Dress and Max Out My Credit Card Buying EVERYTHING (shhh, don’t tell Mint.com) Completely Obsessed.

Via New York Magazine: http://bit.ly/ydygJx

Mr. Wu is the latest of a number of designers who have created a line in the cheap-chic realm. Sometimes my take is these collections can feel a bit forced and fussy, like it’s more important to have something that’s distinctively from a designer, rather than just wearing clothes that reflect what you like.

But his pieces are gorgeous and filled with bright colors, creative shapes and pretty embellishments. He famously dressed Michelle Obama for the president’s inauguration. Stunning, right?

I’ve enjoyed Target designer collections before (Issac Mizrahi, please come back!), and I have a hunch this will be among my favorites.

What I think I love its balanced approach to femininity and maturity. The pieces have just lovely details – stripes! floral! pleats! Yet remain polished and put-together.

This Skirt! This Shirt! This Bag! I Love! Via New York Magazine http://bit.ly/x46LSn

Sparkly and Detailed

Yesterday’s purple-ish, sparkle-y necklace with some interesting little details on each bead. I wore it with a pink top and grey skirt – a pretty color scheme I like.

Wearing a necklace every day may be the first New Year’s Resolution I’ve ever kept this long : )

Hope you enjoy your day! Can you believe it’s only Wednesday? I cannot.

Dressing Up Jeans

I’ve worked in more casual offices the past few years where many of my colleagues wear jeans. Since I generally like to wear skirts and dresses, I sometimes struggled with how to dress up my jeans so I still feel pretty and polished without feeling shlumpy. Because after a few days of tights and skirts, it can be really tempting to go the all out comfy route and just do jeans and a t-shirt.

But I’ve discovered that I can, sort of. I feel like I’m getting the knack of dressing up jeans more and more. Without being fussy and still feeling comfortable, here are the main things I’ve tried to do when wearing jeans to the office:

1. Add casual jackets. I’ve re-purposed suit jackets in the past, but I’ve also picked up a few more casual separates too. Jeans and a t-shirt are pretty much ok with this added piece that adds some flair and polish.

2. Wear nice shoes! I like to wear nice shoes regardless just because it’s fun for me. But I definitely try to up the polished/statement shoe factor when it comes to wearing jeans. I like how my riding boots, for example, aren’t over-the-top fancy, but still become an understated focal point.

3. Throw on a necklace. Especially a bigger, statement necklace that can break up a simple t-shirt or sweater. In fact, I almost have an easier time wearing necklaces with my more basic shirts than I do some of my dressier shirts. I think it brings some visual interest and draws in a statement piece that isn’t necessarily an article of clothing but pulls an outfit together nonetheless. Plus, for me, it fulfills my New Year’s Resolution.

4. Add layers. This kind of goes back to number one. Sometimes I try to add a collared blouse under a cardigan or v-neck sweater to create more texture.

So overall, this has become a bit of my template when I wear jeans. The plain crew neck sweater seemed a lot more fun with a long multi-strand necklace, and I think the jacket added another layer of visual interest – and is great when the office can be either super hot or super cold! Of course, when the weather gets warmer, I’ll be making some tweaks.

How do you dress up jeans for the office or going out? In what ways do you make your jeans feel like part of a more deliberate outfit?

Just the Basics

I’m proud of this outfit. Not in a I-picked-it-out-myself kind of way, but in an I-found-pieces-that-fit-well kind of way.

I feel like I’ve always struggled to find those “basic” pieces just about every magazine recommends – things like well-fitting jeans, a crisp white shirt and easily-wearable jacket. It’s all about fit and that makes it hard – not to mention frustrating – to shop for. Jeans especially drive me crazy and shopping for them has been known to produce tears and massive bouts of insecurity. Followed by massive amounts of wine, of course : )

But I feel like I’ve been much more critical of fit and lately have only purchased things that fit well or can be easily tailored. (Plus side: I get to fill my closet with things I love – yay!). So even though I had to wait patiently to find some of these basics, I think it was well worth the wait.

Coincidentally, this white shirt isn’t necessarily my standard collar button down. It has a little ruffly detail at the collar that I liked, and I think creates some texture/layering interest with the pink-ish necklace I chose for today. I love that it’s still a pretty traditional piece, but made more modern with a small tweak.

How do you find find basics for your wardrobe? Do you find it challenging to find some wardrobe staples like jeans and jackets? What tactics do you find successful when you’re shopping for pieces that need a good fit?

Truth

Sometimes, at the end of a particularly difficult day, you just have to take stock in the fact you wore a sparkly necklace.

Summer Skirt Into Fall

I love a good rain storm.

It’s been very nice in SF, so I can’t complain. But I was still excited when some rain showers rolled through. There’s something about variety in weather and knowing when you’re in an office all day, you’re not missing a day filled with sunshine. And it’s just nice to snuggle up inside and listen to rain fall against the window pane.

In preparation for rain and dampness, I had my riding boots spruced up by a local cobbler my boss recommended. With new soles and a fresh polish to keep my boots holding up and looking pretty, I’m ready to strut around town in my new, comfy practical shoes. And being all happy with my new boots inspired me to bring a favorite summer skirt into the fall.

Apologies for the darkness in the pics. In between getting home later and the earlier sunsets, I'm still getting into the grove of photographing my outfits.

I thought the combo of riding boots (for me at least, what says fall more than bringing out a favorite pair of boots?) and a twirly, girly skirt could go together pretty well. I chose a regular t-shirt on top, but tried to keep the look more “cooler temps are coming” by including a thicker jacket.

I wore the scarf intermittently throughout the day. I’ve found scarves are incredibly handy for the changing temps in the city. Plus, I think the rich purple color fit into the color palette well too. I was happy to see it all come together in a new combination, especially since now I have some ideas for how to keep wearing one of my favorite pieces.

Have you transitioned anything in your wardrobe across seasons? How did you find new ways to make it work?

Last Day as a Brown Line Girl Outfit

I’m writing this post over two weeks since I wore this outfit. But it was a pretty important day to me so I’ve deemed it still relevant, even if it’s more from a personal perspective.

You see, this was the outfit I wore on my last day heading downtown to my office in Chicago. It’s nothing totally remarkable, but I do like the simple feminine cut, ruffle detail and airy chiffon of this particular pale pink dress. To make it more polished for work, I added the jacket from an old suit and rolled up the sleeves. I purchased the dress online and it didn’t fit perfectly, so the belt gave it a better sense of shape and structure.

The brick street column sign? A love letter (picture?) to my street, Rockwell.

Searching for a Navy Blue Blazer

My outfit today is the reason I started my wardrobe project. I had been searching high and low for a navy blazer.

I was even thisclose to buying a really cute version from J.Crew after adding it to my list. You know, the one you keep of the things you say you need but mostly want, which then justifies purchasing them when someone, perhaps your husband, questions why you bought something you’ve been wanting for a while. If it’s on your list that makes it ok.

Anyway, this morning I was visualizing an outfit and thinking, “If I just had that navy jacket….” And then my thoughts progressed to what I could use based on what I already had, given that’s what I’m trying to do through my wardrobe project. And suddenly, a light bulb went off.

Blue and Purple Color Combo

Lately I’ve loved pairing navy blue with purple. I think it’s a visually interesting color combination and it’s felt more fresh than pairing purple with black.

This long necklace is basically lots of dangly things in various shades of purple. Really technical there, right? I should probably figure out a better vocabulary for jewelry and such.

I paired a turquoise top with a navy skirt, since they were all in the blue family and then choose this purple necklace as my pop of color. It was a little chilly this morning, so I opted for my light brown jacket to bring a little bit of structure to the outfit.

What color combinations are you enjoying lately?

Influence Dress

Named Influence Dress because it’s one of the items I was looking at when I decided to name my blog. It turns out, I have any number of things that are pink with a ruffle. Not that anyone would know, because I haven’t been wearing them until recently.

It’s been a busy week and I got home late on Tuesday. But this dress felt essential for me to document. I lazily took a photo in my full length mirror. I felt tired and it looked like it was going to pour buckets of rain from the sky. After my morning washout a few weeks back, it just didn’t seem worth the risk.

Plus, I had a new recipe and fancy new ingredient I wanted to try out. Stormy weeknights are perfect for baking…unless the power goes out, which actually crossed my mind (Backup Plan: Wine). But since I was fortunate to have power I worked quickly to whip up a sweet treat AND had a glass of wine. Stay tuned….

Also of note – one of my Facebook friends linked to this blog post about picking your battles yesterday morning and I cannot. stop. laughing. Maybe it’s just a weird sense of humor, but it’s rare that anything written makes me literally laugh out loud.