Outfit Idea: Mixing Textures

Sunny, 60 degree weather is wonderful and very refreshing.  I absolutely love spending time outside whether it is at the playground, driving with the windows down (reliving high school days when I could drive aimlessly for hours listening to my mixes - on cassette tapes!) or attempting to garden.  The only thing holding me back from completely enjoying these days is my inability to strike a balance between overdressing (i.e. wearing my puffy coat) and underdressing (i.e. wearing flipflops and a dress).

Yes, I could wear skinny jeans, ballet flats, a sweater and a light jacket of sorts.  Within a week, though, I tend to develop a blasé attitude towards my "go to" ensemble.  You know the feeling you get at about the 7th month of pregnancy... when you are so tired of wearing the same thing everyday!  My golden rule is that I must mix things up at least a 2-3 times per week in order to keep my sanity. 

I had the perfect opportunity to experiment over the weekend.  I was headed out to run errands for Easter (at the last minute, of course!) by myself.  No girls, just me, my iPod and a beautiful day.  Naturally I felt like getting dressed up more than I usually do.  I headed straight for my skirts and couldn't find a thing to wear.  Some things were to summery, others to wintery, or I didn't have the right shoes to pull off the outfit that I wanted to wear... ugh!

Then it dawned on me like a flash of lightning... mixing textures would be the perfect solution.  I grabbed a crocheted lace skirt from Club Monaco - a birthday present from my hubby!

Beckett Lace Skirt

I topped the skirt with a white ribbed tank and my angora blend sweatshirt style sweater (Club Monaco).

My really old and comfy riding boots were my footwear of choice for a day of running around.

I love my trusty Coach satchel... you can wear it cross-body.  A perfect hands-free bag.

And, voilà!  I was ready to hit the stores.  Comfy, cute and a little different...

                                                                                                                          - Allison

*Photo courtesy of clubmonaco.com.

Between Seasons: Old Favorites with a Twist

Nothing squashes your creativity like your husband going out of town for 5 days... I am pooped!  I have been trying to sit down to put together a post, and cannot quite gather enough energy to accomplish this not particularly difficult task.  Not only cannot write a post, I have had an equally difficult time putting together some fun looks.

I guess we all get stuck in a rut at one time or another, but I think the extremely warm weather and the fact that I have not done any spring shopping might be part of the problem.  With the beginning of a new season, I need some fresh blood to get my creative juices flowing.

In the midst of all this, I had a bridal shower to attend on St. Patty's Day.  It was going to be a gorgeous day with a group of fab ladies and I had nothing to wear!  Normally I would have gone shopping for some sort of new piece... top, skirt, dress, etc.  However this time around there was no time.  As you can imagine, with feeling so drained, I was having a serious case of stylist's block!

After spending a good hour trying on various combinations, I finally pulled out an old friend.  A beautiful strapless dress (fitted bodice, straight skirt) with a print that I love!  My only issue was that I have a serious void in the jacket department.  I have yet to find a navy blazer that fits really well, and I don't have a brown leather jacket (which I have decided would solve all of my problems).

Back to my point, I layered a slub cotton ivory long sleeve tee and stuck that under my dress. I added my trusty brown leather belt and my new Madewell booties.  I kept the jewelry simple - gold hoops and an oversized cocktail ring.  All in all I felt pretty good.  I would have liked to wear something new, but when that is not possible it is always a good idea to fall back on a pieces that you love.  No matter what, at least you feel good when you wear one of your favorites.

Lesson learned:  When in doubt, reach for something you love and start to think outside the box.  A new twist on an old classic equals something completely original!

                                             

                                                                                                                             - Allison

Between Seasons: What to Wear?

With the sun shining, my windows open and a current temp of 64 degrees, I am having just as hard time writing this post as I did packing for a skiing trip last week.  The entire point of this post was to share how I dressed up some of my sweaters as I struggled to get back into "cold weather mode".  You might not need this advice today, but file it away for when the temp dips a bit.  

Anywho, last week I headed up to Tremblant (in Canada) with my hubs, the girls and friends for several days of skiing.  As far as the trip goes -  it was fabulous, the village - enchanting and the skiing - great.  I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a new place to ski.  But, this really isn't about the skiing... it's about the clothes.

I always struggle with packing for a ski trip.  It isn't about to wear about when skiing, I feel like I have that covered (*thin wool sweaters are a great alternative to Under Armour type layers).  I really have issues with what to wear in the evenings.  I am a person who likes to dress up.  Given the choice of a skirt or jeans, I will always take the skirt.  However, this is not always the best option when you are dealing with freezing temps, icy walkways and carting the kids around.   

My ultimate goal is to mix up my super casual clothes with a couple of dressier pieces...  this time around I did luck out with the weather.  Canada was having warmer than normal weather as well.  It was still cold, but not freezing, therefore I have more freedom with what to pack!  

First up, I have this angora sweater from Club Monaco that I love!  It is warm, but not an overwhelming sweater.  It is 3/4 sleeves so I can stack bracelets, and it hits at the waist which allows me to wear it with skirts and jeans.  

This silk tank from J.Crew works perfectly as a layering piece with my sweater.  It will pair perfectly with skinny dark jeans and my Sorel boots.

For evening, I am planning on wearing my sweater with my "vintage" green skirt from Club Monaco.  It hits below the knees and will be perfect for a "rugged meets elegant" look.  

Besides my heavy duty snow boots, I am going to take my trusty Frye boots, and that's it... except for my flip flops (for the jacuzzi).  These boots will look great with the skirt as well as jeans.

My goal was to pack dressier, warmer sweaters.  I love this Club Monaco sweater otherwise known as my "sexy sweater".  It has a low back, metallic thread woven throughout and is great by itself or layered over a tank.  In colder weather, I thought a sequin tank would be perfect complement.

I can't forget my fur collar and a white v-neck tee.  When in doubt I can wear this combo with anything.

This slip skirt has been everywhere with me (even on my honeymoon!).  I have worn it with flip flops and heels.  It is a great piece to pack in case of an evening where you just don't feel like wearing jeans.  It would be perfect with my white tee, fur collar and boots.

Besides this I will take a heavy cardigan that I can belt and a sweater dress (*sweater dresses and tights are a great alternative to a sweater and leggings).  I don't need much jewelry... a bracelet, my watch a big cocktail ring and a pair of larger earrings... that's it!  My goal is to always have pieces that I can mix and match.  I like the ability to "play" with my clothes.  I don't usually plan every outfit ahead of time. 

The best part about these new combos is that they are not limited to ski country.  I can wear them now - especially with these in between temps.  Why not wear a silky skirt with rugged boots and a tee or sweater to run the girls around?  What's the point of having these great pieces if we are just letting them gather dust in the far corner of our closets!

Take advantage of the weather now to wear those heavy sweaters in a different way.  Pair with skirts, dresses, cropped pants or boyfriend jeans.  This is a great time to ditch the boots & jeans combo and pull out the flats.  Or, wear your boots with skirts and dresses and leave the tights at home.  Have a little fun with your clothes!

                                                                                                                                    - Allison