59 Days of Style Day 51-55: Shorts and My New Favorite Business Outfit

With only 4 days left of my challenge I've started to slack off. I am amazed that I've gone this far. Honestly, I sort of thought I would document my outfits for a couple days then stop. What happened is it has become a habit to take pictures of myself everyday.

Monday was warm in SoCal, so shorts were a must. I was inside most of the day, so I added a thin, long-sleeve Gap top. A great way to let my feet breath, and keep them comfortable was to add my new favorite TOMS shoes.

Monday evening I went on a date night with my husband. I swapped out my top for a sweater (Day 12 Day 28) and scarf.

Tuesday I set up for a trade show. It is always a difficult balance between wearing something that you can move in and is work appropriate. This has now become one of my favorite outfits. My stylist, Minh, had the hem let out of these $12 Gap pants. The H&M tank top was about $5 and the Forever 21 striped sweater was $22. I personalized the look with my vintage beads and nude flats.

In my work shirt, ready for the trade show!

Yesterday was my wonderful Mom's birthday :) I ran errands before our family dinner, so I needed a look that would work at a nice restaurant and Target. I wore my favorite sundress (Day 14 Day 26 & Day 41) and black jacket.

On the 5th I will be going to San Pedro in the Caribbean. Why not try out some of my outfits for you guys? This one will probably be good for site seeing and mini-adventures. The shorts are from Old Navy and I do have to tell you, if you are looking for shorts, Old Nave has millions of options.

59 Days of Style Day 48, 49 & 50: One Dress, Five Outfits and Toms Shoes!

My friend told me Saturday that, since I was painting my bathroom and not wearing a cute outfit on Friday, I needed to make up the day with an extra outfit.  I had some time on my hands so I decided to take one “fancy” dress and make 5 different outfits out of it. 

The dress with nude peep-toe heels.

This is the outfit Minh Le put together for me. Love the volume of the sleeves (Day 4 Day 11 Day 33) to balance the skirt. Nude fats; a great way to make this outfit versatile.

Here is a quirky option of adding a mustard jacket (Day 1, Day 13, Day28)to the coral and white dress. The navy scarf brings the outfit together and adds warmth.

Casual look, even beach appropriate, with a denim motorcycle jacket (Day 5, Day 6, Day 19, Day 34) and gladiator sandals.

I would wear this look to work with the Steve Madden cognac boots and black jacket (Day 17).

Adding an antique broach adds polish.

Here is what I ended up wearing. These coral shoes are the shoes I wore at my wedding. The “skirt” and shoes are feminine while the jacket is casual. Perfect for today!

 

Saturday was lunch, shopping and a birthday party.

 

I love wearing this belt around my hips, never thought of this before meeting my stylist. I’m a big fan of Toms shoes. Super comfy and a nice alternative to nude flats, if there can be such a thing. 

Outfit with my Gap shawl collar sweater= slouchy-comfy!

59 Days of Style Day 46 & 47: Remedy for Spring Fashion

Alright now, Mr. Weather, what's going on? Just moving down to Temecula from Ventura I'm not used to all the fluctuations in temperature. Do I wear a sweater or a tank top? Gee whiz! What I've settled on doing is wearing 3/4 sleeves with sandals, like on Monday (Day 44). Now, remember, I cannot wear the same outfit twice, so creativity is key.

Boyfriend slouchy jeans (Day 3 Day 27) are always fun to pair with a feminine top. Love this cardigan (Day 30), which is the perfect spring balance to my MIA gladiator sandals.

I love how the make my legs look longer! Zipper back is my favorite detail.

This Banana Republic 3/4 sleeve top (Day 2) makes this outfit more business appropriate. I'm also happy to say my new haircut looks great curly too! It always makes me nervousness to style my hair different than my hairstylist does when she cuts it.

Peacock Smoky Eye made with one of my favorite Arbonne eyeshadows- Blue Slate- is a great way to feel glamorous when doing the normal work and errands day.











I've almost exhausted my wardrobe! Since I have only 12 more days left, I want you to help me put together an outfit. Simple email, or comment with a list of the items you think would look good together. You can describe the pieces or tell me which day I wore the them on. I'm open to makeup and hair suggestions too!

59 Days of Style Day 44 & 45: Forever 21 and Michael Kors Stripes

Since I'm nearing the end of my 59 day challenge, I am looking for ways to improve my blog and getting ready for my next challenge/ topic. One of the things I have done is added the response buttons. If you would like to leave a reaction to the posts, you can click the buttons at the bottom. Thanks!

Yesterday I had a casual work lunch. The weather is still wavering between cold and warm so a sweater and sandals it is! (Don't mind my dachshunds in the photos, they just get excited when I get ready to leave)

I love this stripped Forever 21 top ((Day 10 Day 23) with a cropped cardigan (Day 22). The stripped sleeve peeking out of the cardigan keeps this look fresh. This Gap corduroy pencil skirt (Day 7) is a great basic. My favorite part of this outfit has to be my vintage jade beads my husband gave me. If you are curious why there is an extra thick white stripe at the bottom of my shirt, it is just my white tank top showing up. The top is a little thin and too short for me to wear with this skirt- the white tank is key!

I'm working from home today and going to my friend's pilates class tonight. Not in the mood to get all dressed up just to change, I put on this cute, gold-stripped Michael Kors top over my yoga pants and tank top. It's a bit chilly today so I added my sheepskin boots (sadly, not real Uggs) and the hat my Grandma knitted me. (She has started selling them, so let me know if you want one)
Close up of the hat:

If you are like me, you don't like a bunch of makeup on while working out. What I like to do is put on a little concealer (Arbonne makes the creamiest, full-coverage concealer that doesn't dry chalky) with a a bit of mineral powder foundation and mascara. I feel fresh but not over done.

59 Days of Style Day 42 & 43: New Hair Cut!

I love a new look. An important part of staying young and current is to change your look often. Yes, there are specific shapes and cuts that look good on each person but there is a lot of room for change, especially where the hair is concerned :) Here are pictures of me getting my hair done by Minh Le at The Style Lounge in Carlsbad.

Step 1. Get the color on!

Adding in some copper tones.

It may look scary, but it's the truth! I definitely get my eyebrows tinted.

Minh cutting my husband's hair while my color sets.

Tada!

Love my new asymmetrical look and bright color!

Yesterday's outfit- white cardigan (Day 26 Day 39), black twill pants (Day 30 Day 41) I wore the day before under my dress and a pink tank!

Today was a home day, I decided not to take a photo since I finally took a day off. Jeans and a T-shirt with no makeup. Love today's break from taking a photo but excited to come up with something fun to wear tomorrow!

59 Days of Style Day 39, 40 & 41: Personalizing Outfits

It is unbelievable that today is day 41 of my 59 day journey to 1. not buy any new clothes 2. not wear the same outfit twice. At this point, I assumed it would become more difficult for me to reach in my closet and pull out something new. Being bored and discouraged were part of the way I used to get dressed. Having Minh Le work with me to do a complete wardrobe overhaul changed the way I see my closet and myself. Today I saw Minh for the first time since the endeavor, about 6 weeks ago. When I saw her new asymmetrical hair do, I knew I wanted one too. After getting my hair done I realized that that is exactly what she does- inspires you with her style then helps you translate it into a personal look. If anyone is interested in a free consultation with her, give her a call 760-672-1215 (she told me I could post her phone number), she is wonderful to work with. I encourage anyone who has been inspired by my blog to take the next step and call Minh. Alright, now on with the outfits!

 My Mom bought this white cardigan (Day 26) at T.J. Max forever ago. I keep almost getting rid of it, who knows why, but it keeps popping its way into my outfits! This is my alternative to jeans and a T-shirt; jeans, a tank top and a crop cardigan.

Adding unique, vintage jewelry to a casual outfit is my way to personalize my look. Here are a pair of turquoise earrings my Grandma tossed my way in one of her famous "things I don't want anymore" bags.

When I was looking for these earrings, I came across this ring my Grandma had also given me. It is a hand-made brass whale ring. I don't know what it is about animal rings, but they make me happy!

Not sure this outfit was the best idea. I love the flower print silk top by sanctuary but it was battling it out with my skirt and not staying long. Not wanting to try another outfit by the end of the day, I put my chain cardigan (Day 9, Day 14 Day 15) over.

Today!

Going to see Minh, I wanted to wear something cute. Visiting Carlsbad from Temecula, I wanted to have layer options. Here I have on my black twill pants from Ann Taylor (Day 30), sundress from Anthropologie (Day 14 Day 26) and Forever 21 cardigan (Day 20 Day 38) with my wonderful Steve Madden nude flats. Side note, the nude flats were the first item that Minh had me buy. I was skeptical to have such a simple shoe but they are so wonderful!

 

59 Days of Style Day 37 & 38: Coral and Cowboy Boots

We've all heard that we need to buy quality clothes, that is partly what this blog is about- enjoying the clothes I do have and not over-stuffing my closet. (Can't believe I only have 21 days left on my journey!) Yesterday and today, I pulled older items out of my closet that have been highlighted in spring 2011 fashion.

Coral:

You can't look through a fashion magazine without them telling you that coral is the color of the season. I thought about this then realized the top I bought last spring is coral! Of course, I thought it was orange when I bought it before I was informed by the fashion world that it is, in fact, coral. If you are going to wear coral, keep the rest of the outfit simple. I wore dark Calvin Klein skinny jeans and black Jessica Simpson ballerina flats.

Keep the makeup simple too. I used pretty brown shimmery shades by Arbonne on my eyes, black liner with brown shadow over to make the look softer.













 Western Wear:

Western wear is a strong spin off the 70's vibe a lot of collections have for spring 2011, this is why it is important to have one pair of cowboy boots you love, like I illustrated on my Cowboy Boots for All post. Western boots are a great punch for this Forever 21 cardigan (Day 20) and my favorite skinny jeans (Day 13, Day 18 and  Day 23 Day 28).

I'm in love with these boots from Tener's

Tener's Link

Tener's Link

It is important to buy quality pieces that fit you nicely and give you good feelings, then take the clothes you have and look for current fads among them. Alright, you can buy a couple fad pieces but just don't go overboard ;)

59 Days of Style Day 35 & 36: Inspired by Peter Pan

Today I made up my mind to wear these tights, they were purchased 3 or 4 years ago at Target and the $3.48 clearance tag was still on the packaging. Yes, they remind me a bit of Peter Pan, however, neon tights are the thing this spring. An old habit I had was to wear as many colors as I felt like, believing as long as they go together, I was doing a good thing. Not so, my friend. There is a place for fun patters and colors but not on an everyday basis and not with electric tights like these. A great way to think of using color is base and accents. I chose a Ann Taylor denim pencil skirt and black cowl neck top to keep things simple. Since the tights are the focus, I did not want to cover them up with boots so I chose my Steve Madden nude flats, a great way to style nude flats.

Can't stand only having one color in an outfit? I love adding a touch of color to my nails, this coral shade by OPI is one of my favorites. I also chose one bold, unique accessory- a zebra print flower cuff from Minh Le's line.

Saturday I had a home day, here is my casual outfit. How do I always seem to wear things together from the same place? The jeans and sweater are both from Gap. the scarf was a gift from my husband's grandma. Got to love cashmere!

59 Days of Style Day 34: Putting Together an Outfit

On my way to a birthday party that may be outdoors, may be in, and may include bowling. Layering is a must in these situations, so I though I would run through how I put my outfit together.

Step One: Base

Often people look at an outfit and don't realize there are foundational pieces playing the supporting role. Here I am with my stretchy black, $7 tank from Target, the black leggings from Guess pulled over knee-high striped thick socks. Always put your socks on before your leggings. These are a great pair because they are thick and comfortable and keep me warm. Who wants to highlight lumps and bumps? I don't! Having tight fitting clothes with some stretch in them help smooth out the surface for the other clothes to be able to glide over.

Step Two: Makeup & Hair

I love red lipstick! When I do my makeup, I always start with the area that I'm highlighting. Here I started with my lips then did the rest of my face to compliment my lips. Always stick to one focus area. Heavy eyes, cheeks and lips will make you look dated and overdone. My red lipstick trick is using a lip-liner and lip stain. Put it on, then dab it off with a tissue, then repeat. This will help set the stain so your color will last. I also recommend checking with a friend or a makeup professional to make sure the red you chose goes well with your natural coloring.

Step Three: Fun Top

Having a short-waist and inverted triangle body shape, it is crucial for me to wear long tops. This top is a fun, thick-knit with sequins across the shoulders. I would be comfortable in this if I were to get too hot bowling and still feel like I was in a party outfit. To elongate my legs, I added my black boots.

Step Four: Pulling it Together with a Jacket

Adding a jacket gives a bit more style and warmth to the outfit. I'm a big fan of my Ann Taylor denim motorcycle jacket (Day 5, Day 6, Day 19), the detail around the waist leads to a clean silhouette.

Step Five: Scarf!

On my way out the door, I grabbed this black scarf to accessorize and add a bit more warmth to my outfit. Minh Le, my stylist, encourages the use of scarves and I agree! Before my wardrobe overhaul I rarely ever wore scarves, now they often find their way into my outfits.

Have fun putting outfits together. Always remember to build a foundation for each outfit.

Peace, love and joy
Erin