Tag Archives: jeans

August 23, 2012 · 9:54 am

Marbled Satiny Top

Here’s a genius idea: This pattered, synthetic silk, woven shirt has a plain, knitted cotton back, which gives this garment stretch and shape. I love the dressy-on-the-front, comfy-on-the-back workings of this piece.

lime top and jeans

Top: Target
Jeans: Seven for all Mankind
Shoes: BCBGirls via consignment
Cuff: Claire’s

And what else goes with lime green and gray? Hot pink! It says “I didn’t try too hard (but maybe I want to be noticed).”

green and denim

I’d been looking for a pair of bright green pumps when I saw these and thought they were a close second. I probably paid too much for them ($40) but they fit well.

light and dark

These are fun shoes but so far, I’ve worn them only with dark, trouser-cut denim. What else would you wear them with?

details

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

July 9, 2012 · 6:48 am

Business Casual

My friend Suchitra asked me about business attire because a friend of hers works in an office and needs ideas about how to be creative and stylish within a business setting. I promised to take on this challenge–if she joined me in it! Suchi is very fashionable and always looks great. She was in my blog earlier too.

For the next few days, you’re going to see Suchi and me in our best business casual looks. Remember that we work in a no-dress-code environment. Adjust your look to suit your workplace!

yellow blazer and color-blocked dress

On Jean
Blazer: J. Crew via thrifted
Tank: Wet Seal
Jeans: Gap
Shoes: BCBGirls via thrifted
Bag: Nine West via thrifted

On Suchi
Cardigan: H&M
Dress: Ragamoffyn’s
Boots: Aerosoles

I’m a big fan of blazers and cardigans. They add polish to an outfit, and are great in chilly, air-conditioned offices. I think women have a lot more leeway with business clothes. We branch out with color, textures, and styles more than men. Shirts and ties are where men add color. Women can get creative head to toe, but I hope men step it up and have fun with fashion too.

Here, I wore a velvet mustard blazer. I’m wearing jeans and a tank top but the jacket and heels pull this look together. If you can’t wear jeans at work, try a long bootcut trouser. Suchitra wore a cardigan over her color-blocked dress. Between that and the boots and tights, she can take a sundress into business territory.

What’s your go-to business look?

6 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as blazer, boots, cardigan, dress, fashion, jeans, style, thrifty fashion

July 7, 2012 · 12:24 am

Stripes and Denim

Here’s a swapped look I put together for an afternoon out with Mr. Jean of all Trades. We went to the U District for coffee and window shopping. We ended up having lunch at Flowers too while we were out, because Hillside Quickies was closed. Both places offer great veggie food. Hillside Quickies is an all-vegan restaurant. Flowers has a vegan buffet on weekends. You can’t go wrong with either.

stripes

Top: Swapped
Jeans: Kenneth Cole via swapped
Purse: Old Navy
Cuff: Greenbelts
Boots: Dr. Martens

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Tagged as fashion, jeans, stripes, style, thrifty fashion

July 2, 2012 · 6:50 am

Hot Pink Swapped Wrap

I picked this wrap up at a clothing exchange a month or two ago. At first I thought it was coming apart and then I realized it was made with thumb holes. I love it. Putting my thumbs through the thumb holes keeps the sleeves in place.

Cardigan: Swapped
Tank: JC Penneys
Jeans: Banana Republic
Boots: G by Guess
Earrings: Sears

This is a stretchy cotton cardigan wrap that I can let hang loose, but it’s versatile too. I can tie it and I can even throw one of the panels over my shoulder for a scarf effect.

Today, I wore this with cuffed jeans and boots. Cuffing straight-leg or skinny jeans is a great way to show off your footwear and change the look of your pants. Oh, and I’ve linked up with Visible Monday. Check out how everyone else is getting noticed!

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Tagged as fashion, jeans, style, thrifty fashion

April 26, 2012 · 5:26 am

Neon Envelope Clutch for “Poem in Your Pocket Day”

Why did I not know about Poem in Your Pocket Day? Why did my husband, a self-admitted non-reader and non-intellectual, tell me about it? Could it be that he is smarter than he lets on? Could it be that I’ve been drinking too much and reading not enough?

The answer is yes! And that’s why I’m reprinting my favorite childhood poem. I don’t have an exciting pocket but I have a cool envelope. According to the Wikipedia entry about envelopes, “when the folding sequence is such that the last flap to be closed is on a short side it is referred to in commercial envelope manufacture as a pocket.” Enough said. Here’s my pocket:

Top: Gifted (from mom)
Tank: Old Navy
Jeans: Earnest Sewn
Belt: Matt and Natt
Shoes: Seychelles
Cuff: Greenbelts
Clutch: Asos

Tired of wide thighs? Feel like your waist is too thick? The answer is to carry an enormous envelope clutch! Of course I’m kidding! But I do notice that the larger the purse, the smaller the person. It’s the Olsen Twin philosophy–and it works.

And here’s my poem:

It’s Hot
by Shel Silverstein

It’s hot!
I can’t get cool,
I’ve drunk a quart of lemonade,
I think I’ll take my shoes off
And sit around in the shade.

It’s hot!
My back is sticky,
The sweat rolls down my chin.
I think I’ll take my clothes off
And sit around in my skin.

It’s hot!
I’ve tried with ‘lectric fans,
And pools and ice cream cones.
I think I’ll take my skin off
And sit around in my bones.

It’s still hot!

8 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Literature

Tagged as clutch, envelope clutch, fashion, jeans, neon, poem in your pocket, purse, Shel silverstein, style

April 14, 2012 · 1:50 pm

White Jeans with Silver and Gray

I like white jeans. You can wear them year-round and dress them up or down. Colors pop next to white denim and neutrals look sharp too. For this look, I paired my white bootcut jeans with a gray merled sweater and added engineer boots in a fun silver distressed finish.

Top: Thrifted
Jeans: BCBGirls
Boots: Dirty Laundry

I have had these jeans for ages and I’ve worn them with brights like green or red and pastels like rose or mint. The next thing I do will be to taper them on my sewing machine to make them skinny jeans.

I have another pair of white jeans too. I featured them almost a year ago in my dress up, dress down post. The other pair is a wide-leg, trouser cut. I wear both often. The color says “summer” but the fabric says “winter.” It’s a great combination and makes white jeans perfect all year long.

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Tagged as fashion, jeans, style, thrifty fashion, white jeans

April 10, 2012 · 9:57 pm

Plaid and Denim with Red Accents

I wore my Gunnar’s home again so I’m wearing them back to work. I didn’t buy a case and the best way to keep them safe is to wear them.

Jacket: Macy’s
Top: Trina Turk via thrifted
Jeans: Saltworks
Shoes: Seyshelles
Glasses: Gunnar
Watch: Florida street market
Bag: Furla via gifted

I really liked the $5 snap/slap watch I found at a street market in Florida. So much so that I bought one in black too. The only problem is that I haven’t figured out how to set the time. For now this isn’t functional. It’s basically a bracelet. Do you wear a watch? Is it functional or just for looks?

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Tagged as fashion, jeans, plaid, style, tartan, thrifty fashion

March 8, 2012 · 11:38 pm

Blue on Blue

I don’t often wear one color tête-à-toe but I did today. I broke up the wall of blue with pea green boots and a winter-white scarf. One day I looked in my scarf drawer and realized all my scarves are brightly hued. So I vowed to buy a neutral scarf. When I saw this one at the Thread Show, I snagged it.

Top: Old Navy
Jeans: Gap via thrifted
Boots: Naughty Monkey via thrifted
Scarf: Wildlife Works
Earrings: Sosie Designs

I like Wildlife Works’ philosophy. They employ people in Africa in a fair-trade, sustainable garment industry so they don’t have to resort to hunting or forestry to make a living. I like the scarf because it’s soft and long and can be worn many different ways. It has a subtle print. The t-shirts they make have graphic prints too, but they have their own unique twist. They’re very unusual and completely wearable.

If anyone tells you that blue and green should never be seen, tell them it’s nonsense! Look at the sky and the mountains next to each other and tell me they don’t match.

Another eBay Necklace

By now you know jeans and a blazer is my go-to look. It seems dressier than it is. It’s simple, classic, and easy to get right. This time, however, I changed things up a bit by adding a multi-strand necklace.

I love how this necklace looks like it’s many separate pieces. They’re all joined together at the clasp and they’re all perfect lengths for a layered look. Best of all, this clocked in at less than $5 on eBay. I just searched for long necklace. In fact, today I checked that search term and this exact piece was the first result. It’s from an online store in China.

You can also search for multistrand necklace or vintage necklace or get more specific with words like key or owl or heart and see what you find.

Blazer: Forever 21
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity
Tank: Old Navy
Belt: Forever 21
Earrings: Sosie Designs.
Necklace: eBay
Shoes: Nine West via Goodwill

Have you bought necklaces on eBay? What other places are good for scoring jewelry?

4 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as blazer, fashion, jeans, necklace, style

March 4, 2012 · 1:12 am

Newsboy Cap for Casual Day

I wear hats a lot, especially when it’s cold out or I’m walking my dog. Rarely is it a fashion statement. Today, though, I decided to wear a tartan cap as part of my outfit, not as a way to stay warm or hide messy hair.

Cap: Fuego
Top: Ross Dress for Less
Jeans: Express
Boots: Wanted

I like this style of cap a lot better than baseball caps. In fact, I’ve never worn a baseball cap. It doesn’t seem to fit my style. For me, it would symbolize that I’d given up. When I do wear caps–even as a way to hide a bad hair day–I’m usually complimented on them.

My cap is blue and gray and my outfit is blue and gray so I added non-matching boots so I didn’t look like I spent too much time planning.

Do you wear hats? What kind and when?