Category: Target

Black and White

Maybe it’s all of the snow outside, maybe it’s just the simplicity – black and white has been a weekly staple for me this last month. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some brights. But as I’ve said before, neutrals are always a comforting change and lately I’ve been gravitating towards the bold but easy black and white. Here’s a few of my recent black and white outfit faves – from work to date night!

First up…work looks! I picked this Merona blazer up for a mere $11 at my local Target after seeing it on the masses on Instagram. It’s still available online for $24 but it might be worth a look at your local Target’s clearance rack…$10.98 in store! This is the second Merona blazer I’ve purchased this year and I am loving it! For some reason, I had the worst time pairing this one…it’s actually ivory, not white with black dots/trip. This outfit started as a black cashmere turtleneck and my Banana Republic slim cropped Martins for an exceptionally cold and early morning.  I’ll be honest, I originally wanted to wear a black turtleneck and pants because I had to be to work so early…but I just couldn’t do it. Somehow I worked in this blazer and J.Crew inspired necklace I picked up from Groopdealz. The bracelet is the real deal J.Crew crystal rosette bracelet. And well, another excuse to wear the bow heels, why not?

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I am in love with this necklace. At first I thought it was too big but…then I asked myself why I would ever think such a thing.

20140122_064040(0)Necklace: Ameera Noor via Groopdealz / Blazer: Target / Turtleneck: Ann Taylor

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And another work outfit…trying to rock these awesome Banana Republic Sloan pants again…which I paired with a J.Crew Blythe blouse and J.Crew leather pocket sweater.

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Jewels are J.Crew…quickly becoming one of my favorite necklace stacks. These J.Crew Pearls are a staple in my wardrobe!

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And the bracelets…J.Crew crystal triangle bracelet, Kate Spade bangle, J.Crew Factory link bracelet.

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And can’t forget the shoes…my J.Crew Factory steal…these J.Crew Retail Martinas hiding as Factory Sylvia Patent Leather Wedges for $32

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And finally…an outfit for a night out! No full shot because I was taking pictures in the evening…loving these triangle pairs! Blouse is the J.Crew Lace-trim swiss-dot top, a surprise love for me! My only complaint about this top is that it buttons up the back…and the buttons are a little flimsy. I wore this outfit when I was out with some friends last week and a random lady walked up to me to tell me half my blouse was undone. Oops. Might have to look at stitching this shut.

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So there you have it…no color but some great basics. What do you think? Fine as is, or do I need a pop of color? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

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Buttoned Up – Fab Style

Fall is officially here…I didn’t need a calendar to start dictating my wardrobe as it’s been cool here for a few weeks, but now there’s no stopping the sweaters and tights and boots and all of the fun fashion associated with fall. Blame my Catholic school upbringing, but I associate my J.Crew plaid cafe capris with fall, and was excited to pull them out for the first time this season. I went on another double bling binge this morning…Tilda + Crystal floral statement necklace. AND my new 3.1 Philip Lim for Target tote. I’ll be honest, I caved to all of the online and Instagram hype with this…but I’m glad I did. My store didn’t sell out immediately so when I made my Sunday Target run, I figured bags left on the shelf meant I needed to have one (oh, the justifications…) But, like I said, I’m glad I caved. The color is a nice grey/taupe neutral and the shape is not something I already own. I think it’s a nice alternative to the much more expensive Pashli tote that is not in my bag budget at the moment.

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This outfit made me feel buttoned up and put together – but still with some of my sparkly element. A smart blazer always pulls an outfit together in my opinion. And in this case, the bag really pulled this outfit together as well! I’m glad I came back for a second round of pictures after work that included the bag. And even after 9 years of plaid jumpers and skirts…I still rock the plaid now and then 🙂 So how about you – are you ready for fall? What are some of the items you’re excited about pulling out? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

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When in Doubt…

Dress up! I’ve always been one of those girls where I do much better dressing up than dressing down. Perhaps it was spending 12 years in Catholic school in a skirt and dress shoes, or perhaps it’s just me.  I had one of those nights Friday night where my closet looked like it threw up on my bed in hopes of trying to find an outfit just to wear out for a casual dinner. I ended up in a dress. I must have had some carryover on Saturday when trying to decide on an outfit for my nephew’s 5th birthday party (complete with reptiles). I tried to keep the dress a bit more casual with some basic sandals but I needed to kick it up somehow so went for the Fan Fringe necklace and a hot pink belt.

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This is the J.Crew Factory lace Cora dress in which is their version of the retail Lucille Dress from last year. I’ve seen mixed reviews on this dress but I had good luck with this lace version. I did not have good luck with the Factory cotton sateen version, but I already have the Lucille from last year so it was probably just as well.  The dress definitely looks better with a belt, it loses a bit of it’s shape without it.  I’ve already worn it to work with flats and a cardigan so I think it will be a solid summer staple and it’s on the short list to bring on vacation as well. The lace on the dress is subtle so doesn’t read overly dressy in my opinion. So there you have it, another weekend outfit. How about you…do you prefer to dress up or down? Would love to hear your comments and thanks for visiting!

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To Belt or not to Belt

Ever since I paired my new J.Crew Martina Suede Wedges with a purple blouse in last week’s review, I’ve been wanting to wear this combination. Originally I thought I would pair my royal purple Factory Blythe blouse with my blue/orange J.Crew Factory paisley pencil skirt; but after further thought I kind of wanted to break up the colors a bit so opted for my J.Crew Ponte Peplum top.  And then added my J.Crew-inspired fan fringe necklace (via Groopdealz) to tie all of the colors in nicely. Once I had the outfit on and was taking pics, I found the ivory peplum just got lost with the skirt and my waist also went poof with the whole look. Not quite the fab I was going for this morning.

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What a difference a belt makes, right?? I certainly didn’t dislike this top before, and I wear it a decent amount with pants, but wow, I think I’ll take the belt in the future. The cardigan is J.Crew Factory’s version of the Jackie cardigan – the Clare Cardigan in Byzantine Blue. The perfect match to this paisley skirt! Oh, and these Martina wedges – if I wasn’t in love before, now I’m smitten after a full work day of walking around and they barely felt like I had heels on. I need a neutral color in these soon. Or more outfits that incorporate these orange beauties.

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Closeup of the skirt and necklace…gorgeous, right?

So what do you think – the belt makes a difference right? Amazing sometimes how adding just a few key clothing items can completely change an outfit. It’s all in the details! Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

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More Stripes for Saturday

While continuing to lament the demise of the Crewlet Striped linen-cotton sundress, I re-discovered this skirt in my closet on Saturday. I purchased it several months ago in an attempt to replace the derby dress hole in my closet. The navy and red stripes were similar to the dress and while not as easy as tossing on a dress, it seemed like a comfortable skirt.  I tried it on (it fit!) and stuck it away in my closet.  Now that it’s warm enough to wear the skirt, I forgot just how much I like it and how well it fits. It’s longer than the sundress and I can pair it with a tank, tee or blouse depending on how dressy I want to be. I decided to go the casual route for running Saturday errands and ignore the fact that the stripes on this skirt are navy and went for my Kate Spade graphic tee and Target thong sandals. Wearing this skirt made my decision final to return the dress and not fight with the fact that it doesn’t fit me.  It was hot and sticky out so with my hair up in a top-knot and some over-sized cat-eye sunglasses I felt pulled together to run errands in the heat.

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Skirt | J.Crew (old), T-Shirt | Kate Spade (old), Sandals | Target Jewelry | Tiffany’s

 Speaking of stripes, my fashion goal this week is to not wear any stripes! I’m glad to have this skirt in my rotation though, it is very comfortable and I wish J.Crew had made it in a solid color or two as I’m going to have to get creative to make up multiple outfits with these stripes.  So, what do you think? Is the skirt a good replacement for the failed derby dress? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

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