Loop Looks

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!

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As I mentioned on Friday, I’m in Phoenix this week for a conference for work. I’m both attending and presenting at the conference and let’s just say I’m mostly excited to go somewhere WARM and SUNNY! Chicago weather is really getting me down. It snowed on Saturday, people. Snowed. Anyway, Phoenix’s 80 degree weather will be a treat but packing for it was a bit challenging.

Sunday

For my travel day I decided on a striped tank top under a sheer white three-quarter length sleeve top with jeans, my black blazer, and my leopard flats. I plan to wear the blazer throughout the week and this way it doesn’t get all wrinkled in my suitcase. Plus, you should really wear your bulkiest item when traveling and in this case that’s my blazer. When I get to Phoenix I can ditch the blazer and the sheer top if necessary and revel in the fact that it’s warm enough to wear a tank top!

Monday

For Tuesday I’m busting out my green cropped pants, a simple striped t-shirt, the black blazer again, and the leopard flats. This is my day to attend conference sessions and the dress code at this conference ranges from jeans to suits so I figured I could get away with some fun colors and pattern mixing.  The blazer is because I’m sure the conference rooms will be freezing but the short sleeves are for outside.

Tuesday

Tuesday we give our presentation so I dressed it up with my black and white polka dot sheath dress and my black blazer and open-toed black patent heels. And some jewelry, of course.

Tuesday Night

Tuesday night is the customer/attendee appreciation party which I’ve been told is a pretty crazy event. This year it’s at a Western-themed locale so I decided to bust out the gingham and pair it with white jeans and a white tank top. And nude heels because I don’t own cowboy boots.

Wednesday

On Wednesday we fly back to Chicago.  And since it will probably be in the 40s when we land, I’m adding a scarf to my black, white and leopard outfit.  Plus, this is classy enough for a casual conference attendee look if I choose to attend any last day sessions.

Other items I packed but didn’t photograph? A black cardigan, white shorts, a swimsuit and a swimsuit cover-up, one running outfit, running shoes, some other jewelry,  and, of course, pajamas and underwear. Basically, everything except the dress can be mixed and matched with the other items I brought, too, so if I need to make a quick switcheroo for any reason, it should be simple enough.

And if it wasn’t for that pesky liquids restriction I could have gotten away with just a carry-on! Sadly, I couldn’t find a hair mousse I liked that came in a FAA-approved size.

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Dress – Stitch Fix (similar)| Camisole – The Limited (similar) | Necklace – JF&A Show (similar) | Belt – The Limited (similar) Booties – Old Navy via Threadflip (similar)| Tights – Target (similar)

Welcome to another Monday morning! How was your weekend? Did you have Friday off or was it just like any other week? I ran 22 miles (yay marathon training), hung out with friends, and tried my hand at making a glass paperweight.

And now it’s Monday and back to work. I’m glad I have Two Birds and their Inspiration Monday series to help me pick out something to wear. I admit, when I first saw this photo I thought, “Yeah, right.”  Turns out, though, it was just the thing I needed to remind me to wear this dress.

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However, I still can’t love the look of booties with bare legs on myself. So I have to give you the photo of what I prefer.

Which look do you prefer?  Heels or booties?

Also, I want to give you a head’s up on a fun series I’ll be doing next week with Jen from Librarian for Life and Style.

We’re going to be sharing our own takes on outfits inspired by one another! This should be a great way to see how you too could use someone else’s style to remix your wardrobe!  Be sure to follow both of us so you can see all the outfits.

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Dress – Nordstrom Rack (similar) | Cardigan – The Limited (similar) | Booties – Liz Claiborne via DSW (similar)

Today’s 5 Days, 5 Ways challenge is…dresses! Although, as it turns out, I don’t think I’ve worn the same dress five times in five different ways. Although, I’ve worn a lot of my dresses two or three different ways. So, I thought I’d give you a taste of how I transform summer dresses into cooler weather dresses in today’s post.

Today’s outfit was inspired by this pin which I saved when I saw it and immediately realized, hey, I have a dress that color and a cardigan that color! Why did I never think to put the two of them together?

Wearing a summer dress in the winter is actually pretty easy.  Wear a shirt underneath, wear a cardigan or sweater over, or throw on a blazer. Add tights and boots or closed toe shoes and you’re done!  Double the wardrobe, half the cost.

Want to see more ways I’ve worn dresses? I’ve tried to tag all of them here.

Also linking with Texas Lovebirds, Frills for Thrills and Vodka Infused Lemonade

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Turtleneck – The Limited (similar) | Lace dress as a skirt – Marshall’s (similar) | Boots – Cole Haan (similar) | Belt – Target | Necklace – Groopdealz (similar) | Earrings – Bauble Bar (similar)

Last week I wore this lace dress as a skirt for the first time and wasn’t too sure how I felt about that outfit. But I didn’t give up!  No! Lace is very on-trend right now (I even saw an adorable eyelet lace dress at Old Navy yesterday) and I really wanted this sleeveless dress to work for colder weather. So, taking your advice from last week to add some black on top to balance out the black on bottom and using this and this as inspiration, I topped my lace dress with my black turtleneck, my leopard belt, and my black mini-bubble necklace.

Yes,  I know, it’s technically spring.  But the weather in Chicago didn’t get the memo and it’s still freaking cold here.  So a turtleneck is totally appropriate.

Although, to be honest, I’m not actually at work today!  But if I was, this is what I’d be wearing.  So what am I doing instead? I’m on my way to Cleveland, Ohio to visit my best friend from college! I’m sure much hijinks will ensue.  Well, at least as many hijinks as you can get up to when you’re in your mid-30s and one of you has a kid.

No, I don’t know who Joe is.

Linking up with Marionberry Style| Texas Lovebirds | Work Clothes, I Suppose | Mix & Match Fashion

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Dress 1 | Dress 2 | Dress 3 | Dress 4

Mica recently contacted me with a question.  See, she’s getting married in a few months but doesn’t want a big, fancy, traditional wedding dress.  In fact, she wants something she can wear to multiple events, wedding related or not.  The lucky couple is not only having a small main ceremony but then they are planning a cross-country road trip to celebrate with as many friends and family in as many locations as possible.

Mica also wanted to make sure she didn’t break the bank on a dress since they’ll need that money for their road trip! So, she asked me for some suggestions on places to find dresses that fit the bill.

Earrings (L) | Sandals | Earrings (R) | Jacket | Shoes

My first stop is always The Limited just because it’s my favorite store.  This lace yoke dress with a bit of an a-line skirt would be perfect because it’s not so over-the-top fancy that it can’t be dressed down. And it’s under $100.

Other retailers such as Banana Republic and J. Crew also carry nice dresses but they tend to be more expensive.  The Limited has good prices and GREAT sales. However, if you find a dress at a store that you love but it’s out of your price range, check ebay! I once fell in love with a beautiful dress at J. Crew but it was way too expensive. And by the time it had dropped in price they were sold out of my size. So I wrote down the dress name and searched for it on ebay. A trip to the tailor and significantly fewer dollars later I had the perfect dress.

Necklace | Sandals | Cardigan | Belt | Shoes

Other good options are department stores.  Yes, they can be overwhelming but they do have the best selection of different items. Which is why I prefer to order items online and then return them at the store! So much easier than trying to find an item in the store if the sales clerks aren’t helpful.  Nordstrom seems to have the best balance of price to customer service level, but Macy’s has the best sales. Which is why the rest of the dresses here are from Macy’s. However, if you have a Nordstrom near you then why not check it out?

In the mean time, the dress above is great because it’s cotton, has a small tonal print that makes it a bit more fun, and has the belt that can swapped out to be dressy or casual.

Earrings | Shoes | Blazer | Bag | Sandals

A sheath dress would be perfect because in this white cotton eyelet fabric it looks great alone or under a blazer, jacket or cardigan. It could even be transitioned to wear in an office with the blazer and the nude peep toe wedges.  Many people don’t think they can pull off a sheath dress but it can be done and most women actually look great in them. And if it’s too big in the bust when it fits you in the hips, consider how much you paid for it.  Did you save enough that it would be worth it to get the top tailored?

Necklace | Sandals (L) | Earrings | Bag | Sandals (R)

Finally, this cotton eyelet trimmed dress might be my favorite of the four I’m highlighting.  Why? Because it just seems like the perfect, light, airy dress to wear when you’re getting married in a park. The wide waistband will work on just about anyone, the v-neck is flattering, you can probably wear a regular bra with it (hooray!) and looking at it just makes me happy!  Plus, I could easily see it with a cardigan or the denim jacket above to make it even more casual. And, like the others, it’s under $100.

Other great places to look for a dress?  Well, if you don’t mind a bit of a hunt, I’ve found amazing dresses at TJ Maxx, Marshall’s and Burlington Coat Factory (yes, they are more than great coats).  However, there’s no guarantee they’ll have anything so you have to be willing to leave empty handed. Some people also swear by thrift or consignment shops for exactly this sort of situation but I’ve never been thrift-lucky.

However, since I know what size I wear in a few brands, I can use apps and websites such as Poshmark or Threadflip to search for items in my size and preferred brand and get good deals that way. Or, I can use my little online shopping secret: Shopstyle!

So, Mica, I hope you find the prefect dress for your needs!  Congrats on your upcoming wedding and be sure to send me some pictures!

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Jacket – Old Navy via Threadflip (similar) | Dress – Marshall’s (similar) | Tights- Banana Republic (similar) | Booties – Liz Claiborne via DSW (similar) | Necklace – Jeans & A Cute Top Shop (similar) | Earrings – The Limited

Today’s Inspiration Monday photo just screams spring.  A lace dress, a colorful blazer and adorable strappy shoes? Spring. Sadly, it’s still too chilly here for bare legs and strappy shoes so I did my best to winterize my lace dress with some additional inspiration from Katie.

Original

Still, there’s something about this outfit I’m not loving.  Maybe I should have worn the jacket open and belted the dress underneath? Maybe I just like the look of a lace dress with black tights better on other people?  Thoughts?

Would you wear either of these outfits?

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Coat – Calvin Klein (similar) | Shirt – Gap (similar) | Dress – The Limited (similar) | Boots – Cole Haan (similar) | Necklace – Gordman’s (similar)

Another Inspiration Monday is upon us and another inspiration photo that didn’t work with today’s plans of presenting to a graduate school class about the field of records management (trust me, it’s a scorcher!).  So I took the idea of a dress with boots and went with that.

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I also wanted to link-up with Kimmie at Blue Paper Lanterns and her “Oh, This Old Thing” link-up.  Can you guess what the oldest item in my closet is?  I’m wearing it in this outfit.

It’s the purple collared shirt!  I’ve had this shirt since high school, which means it’s at least 15 years old.  My dad gave it to me as a gift with a gray sweater.  The sweater is long gone but this shirt keeps on trucking.

What’s the oldest item in your closet?

Also, have you taken the first anniversary reader survey yet?  Results announced soon!

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Yes, that’s right.  You’re invited to celebrate the first birthday of this blog!  Did you know Loop Looks has only been around since February 2012?  That’s right!  And look how far this little blog has come.

Since February 2012 I have:

• Moved to a self-hosted website
• Started taking more close-up photos
• Purchased a tripod so I can take photos outside
• Recruited my husband to take some photos
• Posted over 200 different outfits
• Began the You Pick Wednesday Series
• And much, much more!

So, in honor of making it one year I want to hear from you about what you’ve liked (or not liked) over the past 12 months.  To be honest, in the first few months of Loop Looks I thought, “Well, maybe I’ll do this for a full year and then shut it down.”  But now I can’t imagine doing that!   Every comment I get from someone who says they got an idea from my blog or tried something new because of what they saw on Loop Looks makes me light up.

And of course I want to be a useful as possible for you!  My goal has always been to help women who work in an office (or who just want to wear what they have differently) break out of their routine and feel better about themselves.  When you feel good about how you look your confidence will show!  And there’s not much better than being a confident employee.

With that being said, the best way I can think to help you is to ask about what you want to see.  Which is why I created my first reader survey!  Please, please, please fill this out so we can continue to make outfit magic together!  Can’t see the survey below?  Click here to access it.

P.S.  I really wanted to take these anniversary photos outside but, as you can see, it was a little wintery out there.

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Turtleneck – The Limited (similar)| Dress – The Limited (similar)| Tights -  Target (similar)| Boots – Cole Haan (similar)| Necklace – JF & A Show (similar)

You probably have a sleeveless dress in your closet, right?  Have you ever worn it in winter?  Sure, you could wear it over a button-down collared shirt but what about wearing it over a turtleneck?  I have no idea why it took me so long to pair these two items together, but now that I have I think I’ve opened up an entirely new area of my closet.  You mean I don’t have to buy long-sleeved dresses for the winter??

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean every single dress can be worn with something underneath.  It probably works better with more tailored dresses.  Although, admittedly, I haven’t tried this pairing with any other dresses in my closet.

Still, I’m excited to find new ways to wear my “summer” dresses in the colder months of the year.

P.S.  Do you need somewhere to store your jewelry?  Well, I’m giving away a jewelry holder over at Frills for Thrills!  I actually own this one and find it to be super versatile.

Linking up with Mix & Match Fashion.

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