Ladylike CosmoPrep

I wanted something at-home glam if such a thing exists. I made a tasty cod soup and entertained DD during the process.

I have had all of these pieces for a while. I have never worn them together and I am pleased with the clean lines and pop of this outfit. I of course had to do my hair and makeup for the occasion ;-)

Today's outfit was inspired by this pin. I have used this pin to spawn many similar outfits but this is the closets I've come to a copy cat.

I thought of this combination because I wanted to feature my new sweater -- a Talbot's piece I picked up on Sunday. The sweater is mixed media and features woven material paired with a thick jersey material (sweatshirt). It's open front and has a wonderful cut and drape (...reminds me of something Deborah might wear). I love it because it is both structured and fluid, casual and polished, cozy yet stylish. When I saw it I knew it had to come home with me because of its built-in versatility.

Do any of you have a piece you feel is as versatile? If so what is it? Also can something be versatile because you like wearing it and as a result you work it into as many outfits as you can get away with?

I found this dress while shopping on Sunday. I picked up some fabulous pieces that I will be featuring in the weeks to come. I liked this dress on sight. I loved this dress once I tried it on. (Who doesn't love a dress that immediately makes you look 10 lbs slimmer?). I usually have issues with not enough room on top and too loose on the bottom. Which is why I usually avoid dresses. This time I won -- perfect fit (top & bottom) with great styling. This dress is from the Talbot's outlet (petites) and is a ponte knit.

I have always wanted an hourglass figure. (Me and millions of other women!) This is what I do when I want to pretend that my bottom half is equal to the top.
Notice how the line of demarcation is where this trumpet skirt begins to flare out.
This is the first time I've worn these two pieces together. I enjoyed wearing it for Valentine's Day. I'll have to do it again.

So, I really wanted to wear something in the vein of picture #2. I really loved the colors and the balance of pattern and color blocking. I couldn't just wear the same thing simply because I did not want to wear a skirt and tights today. I thought I would challenge myself to come up with something that felt similar but was different. #1 is the result. What do you think?

I got the idea for this outfit as I was drifting off to sleep. I love dark red, burgundy and berry tones. I thought this skirt and jacket combo would work well together. The jacket is my lady like version of edge in faux leather and the skirt is a faux wrap tweed. This is the first time I've worn this combination though I've had these pieces for a while. Are the proportions OK?

I have a short waist so I am always a little self-conscious when I actually show the line of demarcation between my top and a bottom that lands at my natural waist.

This was my Sunday brunch outfit. I think it's a nice play on classics. This sweater fits more snugly that it used to so I thought it would look best under a jacket and paired with some wide-legged bottoms. The proportions work out better for my body type. I have not worn this pair of khakis in quite some time but because they are shorter (meaning regular length) than most of my other khakis as a result they work better with flats. I also loved how the over-sized navy and cream houndstooth print played with black and tan. I think it's a pretty nifty outfit for Sunday brunch.

I'm wearing:
Tan Talbot's flannel blazer
Navy and cream GAP sweater
Black BR khakis
Silver Vera Wang python print ballet flats
new favorite "pearl" earrings from Target

Happy Monday!

I have not posted in a good long while because of a few things. I need a new camera, my current one does not work as well as it should. I'm trying to figure out my new body, conduct a job search, and adapt to my new role as Mommy (Whew! I'm tired!)

Today in celebration of acquiring new bras I thought I'd drag out my clothes to see what fits and what will need to go. I had not planned on wearing brown but I was so enamored with this skirt I just could not resist. It might be a little over the top for some, but considering I am truly dressing for pure enjoyment I thought why not mix a boldly printed full skirt with ruffles and add a statement necklace to boot?

Stylistically I can't tell you where I am. I can definitely tell you that I am in transition. I still love structure, I love ladylike details, and color for sure. My style goal is met daily if I get dressed :-) . DD doesn't care what I wear so long as she has a peek-a-boo partner-- it's hard to maintain a rotation of outfits when getting dressed on a daily basis is optional.

Honestly I haven't prioritized getting dressed because I know there are somethings that aren't going to fit. I also know that I'm going to have to learn new proportions and techniques to dress my body. I am not quite ready to admit that some of the changes to my body are permanent and as a result some things are not going to fit in the same way they did before. As a result those things will have to be purged from my closet (I'm sad about that). How is it that we get so attached to outfit combinations or pieces in our closets? Do any of you get a little sentimental when it's time to purge your closet?

Anyway all of these pieces are at least 3 years old. The only thing new here are the accessories and my slightly different hairdo.