Loop Looks

Jacket – J. Crew via ebay (similar for $21 w/code SUNSHINE) | Shirt – Gap (similar for under $10 w/code ONSUMMER) | Skirt – The Limited (similar under $30) | Shoes – 6pm.com (similar under $35) | Chandelier earrings – The Limited (similar under $8)

Total outfit cost = $104

Apologies for the indoor pictures. You can’t even tell that my skirt is navy! But it’s just too cold and windy out today to stand outside. Seriously, I almost got blown over while walking from the train. Ridiculous. I am totally underdressed.

However, I’ve decided I LOVE this outfit. The tweed jacket is black, blue, white, gold, and silver so it goes with SO MUCH. So far I’ve worn it with black jeans and regular blue jeans but pairing it with the skirt makes me love it even more.  Nothing is classier to me than tweed and a pencil skirt. Now, if the weather would just go back to normal so that I’m not freezing to death in this outfit, I’ll wear it all the time.

Tags: gray heels, jacket, navy skirt, tweed

So, I know it’s spring in Chicago and for many of us our thoughts are turning towards sandals and open-toed shoes. But for anyone who is dealing with cooler temperatures this post is for you!

A reader recently contacted me and asked for help with a pair of ankle boots she just bought.

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Here’s what she had to say:

My problem: So the Nine West store here had booties on sale. I loved a pair but as soon as I opened the shoebox at home, I started freaking out. Although I appreciate looking a few inches taller, these booties scare me to death LOL. What kind of outfit can I wear them with?

I bought my first pair of ankle boots in fall 2011.

Admittedly, I didn’t know what to wear with them, either! But it turned out that they are quite a staple in my wardrobe now. So here are my suggestions on how to wear ankle boots.

1. Putting them with black tights or even sheer black textured tights/nylons will help ease you into wearing ankle boots with skirts and dresses.

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2. If you like the look of bare legs with booties, you could wear them with a skirt and no tights.

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3. Wear jeans or pants over the top of the booties.

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4. Tuck skinny jeans into them or roll the bottom of the jeans up so they hit the top of the booties.

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Want more ideas? I have to give a shout-out to Katie from Alaskan Weredork who does the best job I’ve seen of wearing her many pairs of ankle boots with almost any outfit you can imagine.

Do you have ankle boots? How would you wear them?

Don’t forget you can always submit your own questions for You Pick Wednesday!

Tags: black booties, you pick wednesday

Shirt – Express (similar) | Skirt – The Limited (similar) | Necklace – Groopdealz (similar) | Shoes – TJ Maxx (similar) | Bracelet – House of Gemmes (similar)

Total outfit cost = $91

Right now I’m pretty happy with my closet. But even so there are days when I stand there and stare at all the hangers and think, “I wish I had….” Today was one of those days. I perused Pinterest. I flipped through all my hanging items. I stared at my skirts. I touched all my dresses. And I thought about how I wanted to wear something simple but sophisticated. So I’m not sure how I ended up with a red button-up shirt and a black and white houndstooth skirt.

Okay, I suppose the colors are simple. I mean, I did just do an entire post on pairing red with something other than black and white and here I am putting it with black and white. But I think what I really wanted was a nice, comfy dress that needed very little accessorizing but still looked professional. Hmm. Maybe this is something for which I will keep my eye out.

Tags: bubble necklace, houndstooth, pencil skirt, red

Cardigan – Van Heusen (similar) | Shirt – The Limited (similar)| Pants – The Limited (similar) | Shoes – Macy’s (similar) | Bracelet – gift (similar) | Necklace – NY&Co (similar)

Total outfit cost = $132

Good morning! How was your weekend? Mine was super busy. It included, in no particular order: running with Anne, riding my bike, getting a new tattoo, making cookies for a bake sale, re-decorating Kelsey’s kitchen with pictures of Nicholas Cage (don’t ask), having brunch with my parents, and helping Valerie with blog stuff. So, as you can see, I didn’t have a lot of time to think about what to wear for the week.

So, once again, I depended on Two Birds and their Inspiration Monday photos. If only we could all look like Gwen Stefani every day, right?

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I’ve had all of these clothing pieces in my closet for a long time. I keep wavering on whether or not to keep the cardigan and then it keeps staying. The top is starting to feel too short and I may be looking to replace it soon. Funny, isn’t it, how items can feel perfect for years and then one day you put them on and you think, “Eh, this isn’t really what I like any more.”

Still, for a sleepy Monday morning an easy all black outfit with a few interesting accessories was simple to pull together. I used to love wearing all black and now it’s not really my style, either. But for the sake of not having to think, I’ll just go with Gwen.

Tags: black, leopard heels, mint

Cardigan – Target (similar) | Shirt – Gap (similar) | Skirt – The Limited (similar) | Shoes – Bandolino (similar) | Necklace – The Limited (similar)

Total outfit cost = $146

Yes, it’s Friday and yes, I could be wearing jeans. But I’m not. Instead I decided to break out my sequined pencil skirt. Why? Well, I have a luncheon to attend at the Chicago Cultural Center for my job’s Distinguished Service Awards. At first I was super excited thinking that I’m getting some kind of awesome recognition. Turns out it’s just because I’ve been at my job 5 years. Still, it’s an excuse to wear something a little out of the box, don’t you think?

Plus, this afternoon Kim and I are going to trapeze class together! It will be her first time and I’m so excited to share my new-found trapeze love with a friend. That calls for a celebration in my book!

Pairing the fancy sequined skirt with a neutral colored cardigan and nude heels helps keep it from being too bling-y or overwhelming. Just like the last time I wore it, I wanted it to be part of the outfit, not an in-your-face statement piece.

Linking up with AJ for Friday Favorites since if you click the link in the post you can see another way I’ve worn this skirt!

Tags: cardigan, nude shoes, oatmeal cardigan, pink, sequins, skirt

Blazer – Macy’s (similar) | Shirt – Old Navy (similar) | Pants – Gap (similar) | Heels – Macy’s (similar)

Total outfit cost = $98

Today is the Third Thursday link-up at Work Clothes, I Suppose and I had grand plans of recreating an outfit that Bri herself had inspired me to wear. However, I totally failed and recreated the wrong red pants outfit! Instead, I put together an outfit similar to one I saw last fall on Lily Says Go.  Either way, it’s red pants and a camel blazer with leopard shoes. I just wore chambray instead of my gold polka dot top. And now I have that outfit to look forward to!

Anyway, today’s Third Thursday theme is “Work Wear”. Considering I wear what I think of as “work wear” every day, this isn’t a stretch. But I think the fact that I paired two pieces that could be considered slightly casual (cropped pants, chambray-ish shirt) but added heels and a blazer that my outfit is work appropriate without being traditional.

I mean, I own several suits (and have even worn them on the blog on occasion) but I think that’s an easy cop-out! One of my goals for this blog is to help women dress for work without feeling constrained by traditional work outfits! So, wear those red pants, add those leopard heels, wear something other than black! You can do it, I promise.

Also linking up with Mix & Match Fashion.

Tags: camel blazer, chambray shirt, leopard heels, red pants

For this week’s You Pick Wednesday a reader asked on Facebook for ideas on how to wear her new printed pants. This particular pair from Old Navy are adorable and can be paired so many different ways. Below you’ll find four different outfits, at least one of which you’re sure to love!

1. Pair them with a sold colored top. Chambray is a sure thing for a casual look but if you’re looking to be a bit more dressy just add a solid colored shirt. For these pants I would go with pink, emerald, red, or another shade of blue. Throw on a necklace that sits right under the shirt collar and pops against the shirt color and you’ve added some visual interest to your blouse without going too crazy. Sandals make it casual but if you add a pair of heels or wedges you’ve got a more office-appropriate look.

Shirt | Pants | Shoes | Necklace

Outfit total = $100

2.  Another color that goes well with navy or blue is yellow. Old Navy has these AMAZING boucle jackets in multiple colors. The blue one would also go nicely with these pants but for more visual interest the yellow is a great complimentary and spring-y color. Add a tie-neck blouse instead of a necklace and some nude wedges and you have the perfect spring outfit for the office. Not a fan of the boucle jacket? Try a yellow cardigan instead!

Jacket | Shirt | Pants | Shoes | Earrings

Outfit total = $154

3. We all know I love pairing stripes with polka dots and it’s honestly one of the easiest ways to dip your toe into pattern mixing. In this case the shirt has blue stripes in it which play off the different blues in the pants. Wearing the bright cardigan over the top only gives you a strip of stripes (say that 5 times fast) so your eye isn’t overwhelmed by the two patterns. This outfit would be perfect for a casual Friday or a weekend out and about.

Cardigan | Tank | Pants | Shoes | Necklace

Outfit total = $106

4. But if you really want to go crazy with the pattern mixing, I’m loving this floral blazer from Forever 21. It has two different shades of blues, yellows, and reds all of which go great with the blues in the pants. And because the pattern of the pants is tiny the bold floral pattern doesn’t compete with it the same way a smaller floral print might. The striped heels balance out the bold pattern on the top by bookending the pants with more pattern.  But if that feels like too much to you, nude heels or flats are a perfectly acceptable option. This outfit is bound to get you compliments in the office! Not feeling the floral blazer? A solid colored one in any of the colors in this floral one would also pair just as nicely with the pants.

Blazer | Shirt | Pants | Shoes | Earrings

Outfit total = $174

So, thoughts on printed pants? Would you wear them? Which of the above outfits is your favorite?

And don’t forget, I’m here every Wednesday answering YOUR questions! You tell me what you want to see or know about and I’ll make it happen.

Tags: printed pants, you pick wednesday

Jacket – Gap (similar)| Shirt – The Limited via Poshmark  (similar) | Pants – LOFT (similar) | Shoes – Sole Society (similar)

Actually, I have no idea if blue is the color of hope or not. All I know is that I hope that today it actually gets as warm in Chicago as they claim that it will or I will be wearing my denim jacket all day even if I don’t want to. Why is that? Because ever since I bought this tie-neck top I have been wanting to pair it with these pants. I’ve been waiting patiently but now I’m tired of waiting. I’m wearing it!

Yes, it’s sleeveless. So the temps better reach the 80s like Tom Skilling says it’s going to! Or more parts of me than just my clothing will be blue!

Do you get impatient to wear new items?

Tags: blue pants, denim jacket, nude shoes

Cardigan – The Limited (similar) | Dress – Marshall’s (similar & 20% off w/code DPFWE) | Belt – Target | Earrings – Stella & Dot via Poshmark | Shoes – Bandolino (similar) | Necklace – Overstock.com (similar)

Welcome one and all to another Monday morning! Are you looking forward to this week? How about this post? Today I’m going to share with you one of my favorite ways to this lace dress that I’ve come up with yet.

But first we have to talk about the fact that the weather in Chicago is really schizophrenic right now. Hence the fact that I’m back to wearing a coat. At least it’s my spring coat.

Which is from the Gap Outlet YEARS ago, in case you were wondering.

Anyway, I’ve worn my lace dress quite a few other times on the blog and even winterized it twice before (here and here…and for some reason we tend to end up in front of this red door when taking pictures of me in this dress). I didn’t LOVE those two iterations, though, but today’s I like.

Inspired by today’s photo at Two Birds I decided to put my navy cardigan over the lace dress so that I could stay warm without wearing my denim jacket all day.

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And because nothing classes up an outfit like leopard and pearls, I added them both. Overall, I like that the navy cardigan gives the illusion of slimming down the sides of the outfit and also gives it kind of a colorblock effect.

This inspiration photo, though, has me thinking about more casual ways to wear this lace dress this summer. Now, if I only I had places or reasons to wear casual dresses I’d be all set!

Tags: cardigan, dress, lace dress, leopard print, navy, nude shoes

Jacket – Forever 21 (similar) | Shirt – Old Navy (similar) | Jeans – The Limited (similar) | Sandals – Unisa via 6pm.com (similar) | Necklace – The Limited (similar)

Would you believe I haven’t worked a Friday in two weeks? No wonder I was struggling with someone to wear when I was picking out my outfit for this week’s Casual Friday. Take two Fridays off and you can’t remember how to dress yourself. Thank goodness I could resort to my Friday uniform of a striped shirt, jeans, and a jacket.  Keeping everything in a neutral color pattern sure helps as well.

I also apparently forget to check the weather. When I put this outfit together and took pictures my brain was still stuck on the nice warm weather Chicago had this weekend and earlier this week. Hence the sandals and the photo sans jacket.

Hahaha, that’s funny. Today I will not be removing my jacket and I’ll be swapping out my sandals for my nude heels. Even though this outfit is inspired by Stripes and Sequins she is apparently more hardcore than me to be wearing sandals when it’s still a tad bit chilly. Also, I totally could have swapped my current purse for my previous red one and included that bit of color. But I’m lazy and hate swapping purses. Just when I remember where I put everything in my current purse, why would I switch to another one and have to relearn where things are??

Am I the only one who prefers to wear closed toe shoes until it gets warmer? Do you have more than one purse?

Tags: black skinny jeans, boucle jacket, stripes