Passionate Fashion - Coral Summer

I am attempting to REMIX my clothes. I am attempting to stick the money in my pocket where it belongs and the clothes in my closet on me. Yeah! I am not saying I am not buying anything, but I am trying to be happy with what I have.

This outfit was fun. It was fun to build. Yeah build! I like construction.
These pants are the gray pants I wasn't totally comfortable with here.

I added this colorful coral tank top and this summer white lace vest to create a laid back summer vibe. Oh yeah and my silky shiny black shirt tie as a belt!




Coral tank - New York and Co.
Gray Pants - Old Navy
Vest - Thrifted
Belt - Belt tie from a shirt

Passionate Fashion - Dress Up

My husband's step sister had a vow renewal ceremony last week. They had gotten married previously and wanted the family to be a part of the celebration now.
What does one wear to a Sunday morning vow renewal wedding located in a park?

Things to think about:
Time of day - Sunday morning?
Location - Park (no high heels in the park)
Location/climate - Close to a large lake and on a hill where the weather is always chilly
Event - vow renewal/bbq

All of these factors meant I was unsure of the dress code.

Most of my summer dresses seemed too casual or too white for a wedding but most of my day dresses are work attire. Add in that I wanted to wear something that I haven't gotten a chance to wear or something fun and... dress up game!

First I tried this fun tiered skirt with a tank top.
Too much skin and not the right vibe for me for this occasion


Then I tried on this satin pencil skirt and shirt combo
Fun but not what I was looking for either


Next try was this silvery button up dress
Nope still not right (sorry about the face)


So this is what I ended up with
Something that I was comfortable in and something that allowed a jacket to be an option but not a boring one! (Ps... I was still chilly even though it was 80 degrees at home 2 hours away it was still like 60 something degrees at this wedding!)





Outfit 1
Black Tank Top - Aude via redtagcrazy.com
Skirt - thrifted
Shoes - Payless
Earrings - DIY

Outfit 2
Off White Top - Marshalls
Satin Pencil Skirt - thrifted
Red Tshirt Necklace in my hand - DIY
Shoes - Payless

Outfit 3
Dress - Walmart clearance
Off White Top - Marshalls

Final Outfit
Jacket - Herbergers
Tank Top - Aude via redtagcrazy.com
Pants - Ann Taylor Loft
Shoes - via Target
Belt - via Target
Necklace - gift from Mom
Bracelet- gift ?
Watch - Fossil

At least I tried on some of my yet to be worn items for dress up!

Jess - I think that black and white Ann Taylor strapless dress would have been perfect! And I realized I didn't get a pic of you! And I was hoping to guest post you for this. Darn it!

Passionate Fashion - Rocker chic

Ok, I admit it. The tomboy in me has always enjoyed and felt more me with a little edge to my outfit! Its just one of the things about me. I love to dress up a bit, but I HATE being the most dressed up person in the room.

I thought it fitting for my first day of unemployment that I rocked what I WANTED! I wanted to wear something that I couldn't wear to work. Since it was raining, I didn't have to work hard to decide on jeans. (I am trying to enjoy my summer wardrobe because even though I like winter and fall, I don't get to use my summer wardrobe enough. A/c creates a wintery atmosphere. A lot of times this part of the world seems to skip the fall weather. Last year I think I wore a fall jacket twice before I had to pull out my winter jacket.

This year I hope that is different. I don't want summer to end but I would love to enjoy my fall jackets for a while. I think I got rid of many of them just because I never got a chance to wear them. There is ONE jacket that I have been kicking myself for getting rid of. I had a green military like jacket with buttons. I think the only reason I got rid of it was because I didn't get much of a chance to wear it. Oh to have it back for this fall!



If you haven't noticed, I have let my hair go! I need a cut and a color but I am trying to save money AND get it to grow out. This is such a frustrating process as I will just get it to the length that I want it, and I will start getting headaches (my hair is very very thick) so I will cut it off again. The second I cut it off I will be happy for several months or a year even and then I will want it long again and it will take a year to grow it out again. Either way, I need a color and some bangs. AMY!!!!!!





Jeans - Miss Sixty shredded and studded by me
Belt - Kenneth Cole via Marshall's (my fav!)
Black sleeved shirt - American Basics
Black Sparkly Tank - Mossimo thrifted
Necklace - Target
Shoes - RSVP - Bday gift from CA (my husband)

Passionate Fashion - Teal Baby! Teal!

This was such a fun outfit but....

Several people told me that I looked cute in this outfit which was awesome because I love this outfit and I felt good in it! I loved the colors of the teal and the brown together. I loved that this shirt so closely matched my skirt. (You know I love a good matchy match.)
This outfit made me smile as I walked around work. The skirt makes a soft swishy feeling and has a bit of a twirl to it and (sigh) this shirt is fitting better that it was last July YAY!

Not cool though when your boss calls you to their office and tells you how cute you look and then proceeds to lay you off. Ugh! I understand that she was being nice and that it had to be done but... I don't know that I can love this outfit the same for a bit. We will see how I feel the next time I try to wear this outfit.

Now for the test. How do you remix something like this? Suggestions please!



Sorry for the shot. I had C take my picture before work which worked out great as I was tired, had crying eyes, and a headache by the time I got home from work but the lighting and myself are a bit off in the morning.

Shirt - Ann Taylor Loft
Skirt - thrifted
Shoes - (I wore some. Honestly!)

Thanks for the light bulb!

Ok, so that sounds random I know. I admit that I am not a good blogger in that I get what I think are GREAT ideas for posts but before I write them down or blog them I forget them.

Well NOT THIS TIME!

I want to say thanks to Kayla of Internal Sequin Issues.

First I want to say thanks because I really like how you are pushing yourself to do break out of your style rut. We all need to do that from time to time and it's inspiring to hear it.

Second and more importantly (to me!) thanks for figuring this out for me! Thanks for writing the words that allowed me to have an epiphany. Wow that word sounds major and I think she explained to me WHY I HAVE A SHOE ADDICTION!

I love clothes. Ask my husband and he will say yeah too much, you spend too much. Ask my sister and sister and law and they will thank me as they get my hand me downs hand me overs?? Ask me and I will say they are fun. They are a challenge to take things and put them together and make them work. Make them fit for me! Understanding my love of clothes is easy for me. I love art and I love design and I love problem solving. Too me that is what fashion is. ( Yeah I know, most of you think it is about looking pretty and covering yourself... well I guess it is that too.) But to me it is creating!

Creating isn't always enough though. I have said before that I like to dress up do I do not like to be the most dressed up. I think that is part of why I LOVE jeans. They are fun and you can wear almost anything with them which allows me to create but they are still comfortable and wearable.

Oh yeah.. back to the thank you. The clothing addiction I understand. It is the shoe thing that has me wondering a bit more. I mean I love that shoes can make me feel sexy or powerful or whatever I need a little bit extra of that day but I think more so I love what Kayla said.

"Funky shoes are great but sometimes hard to pair. With a simple tee and jeans and lots of great accessories I was able to pull a look together that is completely different from my normal."

I think that is a big part of why I love shoes. I LOVE to be able to wear my jeans and a fun shirt but let a funky pair of shoes do the (t)walking. I love the pop that a funky pair of shoes adds to an outfit.

So thanks for the unintentionally inspiring (light bulb on!) insight for me.




I think I get a lot of my ideas from my fellow bloggers but by the time I implement them, I have mulled them over so long in my mind that I feel they are my ideas (SORRY!) and I forget to give credit where credit is due.

THANKS BLOGGERS FOR THE INSPIRATION!

(Pics taken by me of my bro's dog Lacy)

Online Shopping, lusting, looking? www.barenecessities.com

In my travels over the internet today, I somehow stumbled upon this new to me site.
www.barenecessities.com

I must say that I am greatly intrigued. I will be browsing here for quite a while until I get a chance to try this site. I mean there seems to be A LOT of good things on this site.

Awesome swimwear!


I am always willing to try items that have large bust sizes available.
This site has some really cute bras and swimsuit tops for large chested girls.

CAN I PLEASE TRY SOME?

These are just a few of the items I love (whether they have my size? or what I THINK would be my size left or not)




There are so many things on this site! They have of course bras and swimsuits. They have shapers and lingerie. They carry shirts for men and women.

Other things on this site:
Invisibelts
Maternity
Bridal lingerie
Sleepwear
Socks

They have everything that is a "bare" necessity!

Passsionate Fashion - Wild Thing

Can't you tell I have a wild side? This is an outfit that I wore while I was still working. It followed all my rules. It dealt with the heat by being a silky shirt and short pants, it worked under a suit jacket for calls, and it was professional but fun!



Do you guys do what I do?I have all sorts of great clothes but I wear a lot of the same things over and over again. Yeah sometimes it is because the same old clothes are comfortable and sometimes it is because I am lazy, but a lot of times I find myself wearing the same old thing because I don't want my nice things to be dirty in case I want to wear them for something else.
If I am going somewhere in a week, I will be sure to not wear anything that I MIGHT want to bring. That could mean my favorite pants or a layering tshirt. If I think I might want to wear it at another time I won't wear it that week.

Is that horrible? I have been trying to just MAKE myself wear what I want when I want and just be sure to do laundry more often but I just can't seem to break the habit. Any ideas on how to kick this hold out habit?




Zebraish Shirt - Dress barn
Sailor Crop Pants- Marshall's
Necklace - Boston Store
Sunglasses - Kohl's
Shoes- What shoes? (For work, I wore my black A2 Aerosoles Peeptoe Pumps)

For C with Love J

Sis-
These are the jeans that I was talking about. $1.50 well spent.
Mossimo Low Rise Bootcut
Great for a girl with school time on the mind.
Oh and they remind me of you!
She'll hate them because I love them.
What a great age!
J

What I Wore- White and Snake

WARNING! LOST POST!

I have had this post sitting on my computer for MONTHS! I wanted to post it when I realized I wore this about the same time as Kyla from Blue Collar Catwalk wore a similar outfit.




I wanted something light and airy since the weather was in the 90's when I wore this and I wanted to wear my WHITE PANTS! I love these pants. I got them at the thrift store and I was super excited to try them out. I have never had white pants before.

What other pairings do you suggest for my white pants?

Tshirt- Mossimo via Target
White Pants - Banana Republic via thrift
Belt- Target via thrift
Shoes - Naturalizers via Marshall's
Bag - Target clearance
Necklace - DIY

Passionate Fashion - Cobalt Blue

I got this top from Walmart about a a couple weeks ago and was waiting to wear it ever since. I LOVE THIS COLOR! I might be addicted to it as it is the color my eyes are sometimes. (I wear colored contacts. In real life (haha) my eyes are a muddy blueish greenish grayish color.) Right now my eyes are brown so the color of the shirt pops on it's own! The color and the interesting neckline make it a very fun shirt to wear.

I added the vest for a bit more polish for a work atmosphere on a casual Friday.

Seven for all Mankind jeans! Check!

Fun shoes! Check! Snakeskin and pink I mean they are fun!

When it comes to my shoe collection, I am realizing that my work shoes are great for comfort but are mainly black. My other shoes tend to be neutrals. Other than A pair of shoes here and there I need some more fun and color in my shoes collection. Oh well, that won't be soon.






Blue Floaty Top - via Walmart
Shoes - thrifted
Jeans- Seven for all Mankind via Nordstrom's
Vest- thrifted
Belt - Kenneth Cole via Marshall's

You will be seeing more casual outfits once I get through the backlog of outfits that I have held up. I was laid off from my job recently (damn it, in the summer when the weather is beautiful!! Yeah it is rough so far!) and I won't have a lot of extra money for clothes so I won't be adding much to my wardrobe. But I will be enjoying less suits (until I get interviews) and I will be enjoying trying more of the items that were not appropriate for work. (when I am not being lazy about getting dressed.)

I must say that I am mighty proud of the fact that I have been following a work out regimen for the past several days that has me good sore. I would love to see a few of these extra pounds melt back off. If it were in time for my sis in laws wedding next month, then that would be fine too.

Feedback Please!

To all my readers and followers, THANK YOU! I greatly enjoy reading and following blogs and I have come to love my time blogging. I was hoping you guys could tell me what you do and don't like about my blog. I have recently gained some extra time to blog and I am hoping to make my space a better place!

So please! Nicely! Let me know what you would like to see here!

Thanks!

Ugh

Posting gone awry again. Check out August 12 for my newest post!

What I Wore - Blue and Floaty

Jeans, jeans are my favorite thing. I don't know about you, but I have a lot of jeans. (probably like 20-40 pairs) I went through my freshman year of high school with maybe two pairs of jeans and probably not much else for pants. This was not because we couldn't afford them or anything, but I wasn't into clothes and I couldn't find much that I liked. For my birthday that year, I got a pair of Silver jeans with flare legs. I wore those jeans almost every day! They finally succumbed to the fabric pile about 2 years ago. I do believe that this was where my denim love began. In that same time frame, I found a love of LEI jeans, but previous to that I had a hard time fitting my shape with flattering denim.

I have always been what fashion people call an apple. I carry most of my weight in my upper half. Chest and stomach area. I don't have an hourglass shape in the traditional sense of the word, but I have learned to fake an hourglass. In the past year, I have learned how to create the illusion of an hourglass shape with dress and skirts but before that, my struggle was with denim.

Isn't is fun that we get to fight through the body shape dilemma along with everything else we face. Guys just try not to look fat. They don't have to worry about where their shirt hits with these pants or how the sleeve fits their arms. For a guy, if it fits, it fits. (And if they are married or in a committed relationship sometimes their idea of fitting is vetoed. Maybe that is just me!)

Pear shaped women have trouble with gapping at the back of their pants and getting the pants over their thighs and hip/butt area.

Slim women can have problems looking like they have any curves.

Apples, our problems can be trying to get a waist band that fits without having saggy butt issues, trying to find jeans that don't slide down constantly as our hips aren't wider than our stomachs, and trying to find denim that doesn't create the dreaded mushroom top.

So far, I can say that I have found several pairs of American Eagle jeans that work for me. I definitely need to try them on but I have had success with that brand.

I have also found success with Seven for All Mankind Dojo's, Aristocrats, Silvers, Arizonas, Banana Republics, and a few others.

The perfect denim is a hunt. A challenge. A game!

Pashionately Fashionable - Neutrals

I have only worn this dress once before.

Love the buttons on this cardigan. They are a silver metal disc.

I will be sharing some more of my work outfits for a little bit as I empty out my archives. (Too lazy to post outfits) Keep your eyes open for some less work appropriate outfits in the near future. My job circumstances have changed and with that parts of my wardrobe will as well. At least for now! EXPECT MORE DENIM!

I will be pushing myself to not fall into a completely denim routine but I can't lie. I am totally excited to wear some denim!

Suits to denim, what a switch!

Dress- via Marshall's
Necklace- Locket received as a gift in 2nd grade and lil sis heart necklace from a gift I gave my sis
Cardigan - via Herbergers
Lacking shoes - Due to sore leg!

Pashionate Fashion - LBD

These pictures do not do this outfit justice and I apologize for that. I wasn't too sure of this outfit when I put it on, but the instant my boss told me that I looked nice I figured I had a winner. I took that for a stamp of approval. (I don't dress for other people's approval but I also don't like to be the freak who wears clown clothes!)

I stopped and giggled when I thought about how much money went into the outfit. I love when someone gives me a compliment on an outfit of cheap and/or thrifted items. I know then that my shopping adventure, my thrifting experiment, my fashion attraction is on target. It takes a lot to get that same feeling out of department store clothes. It just seems like you don't have to work as hard for those. (At the same time, there is something to be said for walking into a store, finding something you like, picking you size, and paying for you purchase.)

Thrifting is such an adventure. Thrill of the chase. Hunting at it's best! When I go into a thrift store, I try to have something that I am looking for, but I also try to keep an open mind. Don't just look at an item, look at what an item could be. I don't mean that you have to tear an item apart as a DIY to make it great, I just mean that you need to think about what you could pair the item with to make it work for you. A lot of people look at a skirt on a rack and think it is ugly. I look at that same skirt and think that paired with the right shirt, belt, shoes, it could be a unique piece. That is WHY I love fashion. Fashion isn't buying an outfit off a mannequin and wearing it. Fashion is pulling pieces together in new and unique ways. Sometimes I think that my outfits are not fashiony enough but then I remember that I enjoy putting the items together and that is all that matters to me.

Sorry for the thrifting rant, the only thing THRIFTED out of this outfit is that shoes.





Dress - Norma Kamali via Walmart
Tank - Ann Taylor Loft
Belt - Target
Shoes - Daisy Fuentes -Thrifted
Jacket - Worthington via JCPenney
Bracelet- Headband via Walgreens

Pashionate Fashion - Pink and Bruised

This summer has given me plenty of time to learn the benefits of a skirt.
- looks professional
- keeps you cool
- is an easy way to add color to an outfit (pink pants are cute but not always as appropriate
- sits more comfortably (this is of course a personal fit issue. dress pants tend to sit too high and then cut into my widest part)
- don't have to worry about heel height versus pants length
- there are tons of cute ones out there to thrift


Chillin' in my pink skirt.
Complimented by a plain black shirt.



Black Shirt - Daisy Fuentes via Kohl's
White Faux Tank - Victoria Secret
Pink Skirt - thrifted
Necklace - made by me
Sunglasses - Kohl's

Sorry for not wearing shoes in my recent pics. I have reinjured my leg so I have been chilling in flip flops more often that I should be. I only step into heels for my sales calls. (What can I say, they are more professional, and I feel more professional in them!)

POST ISSUES

Ugh! I don't know why my posts insist on posting to the wrong date when I schedule them! Check back thru August for more new posts!

Game Plan

Ok, here is my game plan. Yeah yeah, you hear everyone talk about a shopping ban. I am not going to do one of those because honestly, I wouldn't hold myself to it. What? I am honest! I am also honest that I have a TON of YOUR outfits saved on my computer as inspiration. I also have items in my closet due to some thrifting excursions that haven't been worn. I am going to challenge myself to incorporate those items into my wardrobe rotation. I am going to push myself to wear each item. In an attempt to do this, I am going to actually start a journal of outfits that I could wear. You guys talk about picking out outfits the night before or some of you ON SUNDAY! Wow congrats. I don't have that type of ambition and even if I did, I dress for how I feel each day. Granted I change clothes about 2-7 times each morning but that is part of my routine. I work with it.

I am going to remix (wear an item in a different way - Thanks for asking reader!) items from my closet and get a little more creative about finding "my style".

I picture a sleek, bold, creative professional look when I am going to work. By that I mean that I like bold color, a little bit of edge, but a simple look.

For casual dress, I think I still go with bold and creative, I think I like to layer on simple and a little punk.

What do you think my style is? Where do you think I excel and where do I struggle? What would you like to see me try? Recent comments have mentioned that I should stick to trying dresses and try more belting. I am on it! Any more ideas?

Some inspiration pics. Some are links! I am sorry if I borrowed your pic and didn't link. Please let me know so I can link it to you! I want to give you credit as you inspire me!




Thanks E., Kyla, Danielle, and all you other fashionable ladies. I wish I could post every inspiration photos but I can't. There are too many more inspiring ladies. I can't even COUNT them all. Catch them in my blog roll!