Loop Looks

Blazer – Macy’s (similar) | Shirt – Gap (similar) | Pants – Express (similar) | Shoes – Lucky Brand via Marshall’s (similar) | Necklace – JF&A Show (similar)

First, I need to get a shout-out to Katie for inspiring me to put together my camel blazer with my green pants. She wore it first and wore it well, I must say. My outfit is basically a blatant copy but, hey, that’s the sincerest form of flattery, right? Or is that just what we tell ourselves when we’re feeling uninspired? Anyway, I loved the color pairing so much that I wanted to wear it, too.

I also used my own trick of adding an ankle bracelet between the clasps of my necklace to make it longer. Such a great way to get more use out of a necklace. And, yes, I’m one again pairing leopard print with brightly colored pants. I don’t know why I love to combine the two, but it always looks great to my eye. Especially when paired with neutrals on top.

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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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Independent Fashion Bloggers challenged its members to create a “2012 greatest hits” post for this week’s IFB Project.  I could have looked through my archives and chosen my favorite posts from 2012 but I thought I’d let the stats do the talking and show you why using keywords and participating in link-ups gives you top posts!

Top Post of All Time

Since Loop Looks started in February 2012 I’ve published 256 posts (to date).  The post that has generated the most visits?

The very first reader-submitted You Pick Wednesday: 5 Fun Ways to Wear a Striped Blazer!  How did keywords put this post at the top?  The title and the body of the post both very clearly say “striped blazer” several times.  “Striped Blazer” is one of the most popular search terms that leads people to Loop Looks.  So, while it may seem silly and uncreative to have very literal post titles or to repeat yourself in your post this is how you get people to find your content.  And why do you write if it isn’t to share your posts with others?

Why Yoast is the Most

Have you heard of the WordPress plug-in Yoast?  No?  If not you should definitely take a look at it.  I installed the plug-in after attending a search engine optimization class (SEO) and while I only use it occasionally the first time I really put it to the test I got great results with the post that is nipping at the heals of 5 Fun Ways to Wear a Striped Blazer.

Three Ways to Wear Riding Boots Without Skinny Jeans is the second most viewed post on Loop Looks.  Why?  Because I made Yoast work for me.  I made sure I followed all the suggestions regarding keywords.  I made sure to title all my  photos with keyword search terms.  And now people looking for riding boot ideas?  They end up at Loop Looks.

Link-Ups are Lovely

Finally, the third most viewed post on Loop Looks is one I did back in April as part of my very first link-up.  What’s a link-up? Typically another blogger has a theme, you do a post on that theme, and then you add your URL to the list of URLs on the original blogger’s post.  In this case, it was a “1 Piece, Three Days, Three Ways” challenge via Bramblewood Fashion.

Day 1, my green pants with a black top and zebra print scarf is the third most viewed post of 2012.  Why?  Most likely because of that link-up.  That post has been shared across at least three blogs and that link is always there for people to find on any of those three posts.  In addition, I’ve learned that the more incoming links you have to a post the more likely you are to come up in search results.  So link-ups are not only fun, they are beneficial for getting your content to the people who want to find it!

So, there you go.  Why I think keywords and link-ups are the key to making a top post, whether in 2012 or beyond.

What were your favorite Loop Looks posts of 2012? 

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1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12

Welcome to my new Sunday Remix Series!

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to showcase the fact that I re-wear items in my closet in many different ways.  I think this is it!

Now you can see in one spot lots of different ways to wear certain items!

I figured the green pants were a good piece to start with since I always get comments on how I manage to make them work so many different ways.

And, as always, I take requests.  So if there’s something you want to see, let me know!

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Blazer – Express (similar) | Blouse- Gap | Pants – Express | Necklace – JF&A Trade Show | Shoes – Bandolino via Macy’s

Green and navy may seem like more of a springtime combination but there was something about this outfit that screamed that it just needed to be worn today.  Maybe it was the slightly warmer temps.  Maybe it was that the sun was shining.  Maybe it was that I’m not quite ready to give up on wearing my cropped pants.  Whatever it was, this is what called out to me so I wore it.

Sometimes you just have to buck the expected color combinations for the season and wear what you love.

Also, I added some links to similar or to the exact products of some of the items I’m wearing.  Do you like having the links there?

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Blouse -  Gap | Pants – Express | Necklace – NY & Co | Shoes – Bandolino via Macy’s

After the last time I wore this outfit I got a lot of good suggestions on how to change it up.  So, here’s what I did differently this time.

                         Before                                                        After

Changes:

1. Tie the top so that it hits higher up

2. Implement the Rule of Three by adding the necklace

3.  Wear lighter shoes so that the eye is drawn up and not down.

Overall I think this is a much better outfit.  And it just goes to show you that with a few tweaks an outfit that is just blah and not flattering can become something else entirely.

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Blazer – Bergner’s | Sweater – Express | Pants – Express | Necklace – J. Crew via Poshmark | Shoes – Bandolino via Macy’s

It’s another Inspiration Monday from Two Birds Boutique!  And what, exactly, was today’s inspiration?

Olivia Palermo

But here’s the thing:  I don’t own anything yellow. Not one single thing. The closest I can get is this camel colored blazer.  So, I went with it.  I suppose it’s a more muted or toned down approach to Olivia’s look.

A blazer and a sweater are a great way to transition your cropped pants from spring to fall, too.   It’s pretty chilly in Chicago right now but I was nice and toasty in this outfit.

How would you interpret this look?

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Top – Gap | Pants – Express | Shoes – Bandolino via DSW

Tonight I’m attending the Fashion’s Night Out event at the State Street Macy’s.   Which means I was slightly more concerned about what to wear to that and not as concerned about what to wear to work.  So I pulled on an outfit I’ve had in mind for a while.  I’m not in love with it but it’s better than going to work naked.  I think.

Why am I not in love with it?  I’m not entirely sure.  Maybe the top isn’t tailored enough for the pants?  Maybe I’m too short-torsoed?  Maybe the black shoes are throwing off the look?  Maybe it feels too casual?  I do love the colors and the pattern together, though, so I’ll keep playing with it until it feels just right.

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Cardigan – The Limited | Tank top – Marshall’s | Cropped Pants – Express | Shoes – Nine West | Necklace – gift

The thing I struggle with the most when it comes to office fashion is making jeans look professional.  Sure, you can do it in the fall and winter (and spring, to some extent) by wearing a blazer.  But in the middle of summer in Chicago?  A blazer is not really the thing to be wearing.

So, today I avoided the issue all together and wore my green pants!  I paired them with a navy and white striped tank since navy and green are currently one of my favorite color combinations.  The white cardigan easily goes from indoors to outdoors and can be stuffed in a bag easier than a blazer could.

This outfit, however, seems to be a food magnet!  I got peanut butter on my top during breakfast and then chocolate from my chocolate covered banana on it during lunch after going to the Taste of Chicago.

Why, yes, I did eat a chocolate covered banana at lunch.  It’s my yearly summer treat.

Do you wear jeans to work in the summer? What are your feelings on chocolate covered bananas at lunch?

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Shirt – Old Navy | Pants – Express | Shoes – Lucky Brand via Marshall’s | Necklace – The Limited | Earrings – Bergner’s

Some Mondays you  just can’t face getting all dressed up.  Am I right?  Thankfully the weather cooled off to a more manageable degree that gives me a lot more options in my closet.  Plus, we’re on “summer casual” at work so I get a bit more leeway.

So, I broke out the green pants!  I paired them with this navy shirt with sheer stripes because I loved green and navy together.  The stripes give this shirt some interest while the sheerness keeps it summer-appropriate even though it’s a darker color.  And, of course, leopard flats because why not?  They go with just about everything.

The other reason I wore the green pants?  Well, remember when I had you vote on which item you wanted to see me style?  You chose the green pants and I had a lot of fun styling the reader suggestion.

Which is why I’m introducing my new series:  You Pick Wednesday!

On Wednesdays I will be showcasing reader suggestions!  Which means I need your help!  What can you do?

• See a photo of an outfit online that you love and want to know how to make it happen in real life?  Send the photo to looplooks@gmail.com and I’ll show you how!
• Have something in your closet that you’re not sure how to style?  Send a pic or a link to a similar item to looplooks@gmail.com and I’ll take on the challenge.
• Did I wear something that you want to see again?  Let me know and I’ll make it reappear!

Basically, Wednesdays are YOUR day to tell me what you want to see!

So, start sending in your suggestions!  Let’s do this thing.

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