daily duds: petal to the metal

It seems that flowers have had a recurring role in my life over the last week or so. Last Friday I received a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers, I have a small pile of tiny, wilted flowers given to me by son (who picks them during our evening stroll around the park and presents them to me with the sweetest smile) that I just can't bring myself to throw away, and my allergies--which I normally only suffer from in the spring--have been out of whack as a result of recent rainstorms. Despite the flood of flowers, I haven't been ready to pack up my spring florals just yet, so today I toughened up my sweet florals with a black faux leather jacket (last seen here).



I've always liked contrast when it comes to fashion and I think this dress (also seen here in green) and jacket combo is the perfect mix of femininity and edginess.



I added black earrings, an oversized black ring, and a black handbag. I also tried the socks-with-heels thing again (last seen here), but I'm still trying to figure if it works for me. I like the look, but I wonder if my legs are too short for the trend.



I'm looking forward to getting a few more faux leather jackets--I would love a cream-colored one!--and I'm sure they'll get plenty of wear this fall and winter.



So tell me: Are you lusting for (faux) leather this fall?

[DRESS: Walmart; JACKET: Forever 21; SOCKS: Walmart; SHOES: Charlotte Russe; HANDBAG: Express; RING: Forever 21; EARRINGS: (I don't remember.)]

daily duds: drill sergeant

I laughed as I was typing the title for today's post because not too long ago my son went through a weeklong phase where he referred to me as Police. So whenever I told him to clean his room or get in the bathtub or get ready to eat, he would say (with the enthusiasm of a 4-year-old), "Okay, Police!" I immediately started wondering if I was too much of a disciplinarian with him, but that thought disappeared three minutes later when I caught him trying to do backflips off the couch.

Anyway, today I paired olive green and navy blue for a military-inspired outfit. I wore a long-sleeved blue and white striped tee under my military top with a navy blue skirt.



I added camel-colored shoes to bring out the brass buttons on the shirt, gold bangles, hoop earrings, and a chunky ring.



I think olive green and navy blue is a chic color combination and I'm sure I'll be mixing these two colors more this fall.



Here's the supporting cast:



[SKIRT (also seen here): Walmart; STRIPED TEE: Forever 21; MILITARY TOP (last seen here): Forever 21; SHOES: Urban Original; EARRINGS: Gold Beauty Supply; RING: Forever 21; BANGLES: Agaci Too; AVIATORS: Payless]

haul of fame: fall 2010 (part two)

The temperatures are finally starting to drop here, so I think it's safe to say that fall will be making an appearance soon. I've been prepping for the change, as evidenced by my most recent haul, which consisted of wool shorts, fur vest, and a brighter-than-bright trench, among other things. What it didn't consist of was pants, so that's what I picked up this time around.

I really don't like shopping for pants because I always have a hard time with fit. If they fit in the thigh, they don't fit in the waist. Or they're too short--and even though I'm only 5'3", I like my pants long. So when it comes to pants, I usually end up eyeballing it. My eyeballs did a pretty good job, because I ended up with three pairs of pants and and some other wardrobe goodies.

LIGHT GRAY WOOL PANTS. These are nice and long and fit perfectly. But what I love about them is the camel-colored lining along the front pockets. It's a little detail that adds something special to these simple pants. I'm thinking I'll wear these with a simple white button-down and my leopard print pumps.





BLACK PANTS. I have tons of black pants in my wardrobe, but they're all different. Like the gray ones above, the fit is awesome and the length is perfect.



OLIVE PANTS. Olive has been a mainstay in my wardrobe all summer, so it's no suprise that I'm taking my obsession with olive into the next season.



DARK GRAY PANTS. I already have a few gray pants in my closet, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to add one more pair.



BLACK SHORTS. I'm not sure what I'll wear these with just yet (and the material isn't all that thick, so they probably won't be worn past October), but I'm sure I'll find something to pair them with. Any suggestions?



COBALT BLUE SKIRT. Like olive, this is a color that I absolutely adore. It's so bright and fun and makes for an interesting pop of color among neutrals.



PRINTED SKIRT. I like the colors and the pattern of this skirt. I definitely think I have plenty of options to pair with this, so I look forward to wearing it.



LONG PLEATED SKIRT. Long skirts are definitely a trend this fall and I'll definitely be carrying one of my structured handbags with this skirt.



SHORT PLEATED SKIRT. I know this skirt is a bit schoolgirl-ish and reminiscent of Britney Spears circa her 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' days, but I like it. So I bought it.



BURNT ORANGE BLOUSE. It seems that my thrift trips aren't complete unless I purchase at least one 'home-ec reject.' This blouse appears to be a homemade project that someone didn't want and banished to Goodwill for all eternity (or at least until I came along). But I'll make it work.



[All items in this post are thrifted threads courtesy of GOODWILL.]

daily duds: spot treatment

A cold front hit the area today--it's currently 63 degrees, which is considered a cold front by Texas standards--so I decided to pull out one of my faux leather jackets and add some leopard spots.



I bought this skirt about six years ago when I was going through a maxi skirt phase. The jacket came with detachable sleeves...which I obviously detached.





I added camel-colored shoes and a black clutch, and accessorized with gold jewelry.





[SKIRT: Goodwill (circa 2004); CAMI: Forever 21; JACKET: Forever 21; SHOES: Urban Original; CLUTCH: Ross; RING: Vintage (made from an old earring); AVIATORS: Payless; EARRINGS: Gold Beauty Supply; BANGLES: Agaci Too]

daily duds: tulle of the trade

Since starting this blog, I've been experimenting with my wardrobe more and taking a few fashion risks--or at least what I deem to be fashion risks--and with the style risks I took today, I wonder if I should have just booked a trip to Vegas.



I like mixing masculine and feminine so I paired an olive mechanic-themed top with a full cream skirt for a look that's one part grease monkey, one part ballerina.



I took the socks-and-heels trend for a test drive today. When this trend first hit the fashion scene, I thought it belonged in the Hot Mess Hall of Fame, but it has suddenly grown on me. I'm still on the fence about how it looks on me, but in general, I think it's adorable.



I accessorized with a black clutch, a cluster ring, a black belt, and hoop earrings.



I also added a hot pink bracelet (made out of corn kernels!) to bring out the pink in the shirt's patches. It's actually a necklace that was in a goodie bag that I received a while back.



Here's the supporting cast:



So tell me: What do you think of the socks-with-heels trend?

[SKIRT: Forever 21; TOP: Forever 21; SHOES: Charlotte Russe; SOCKS: Gifted; CLUTCH: Ross; EARRINGS: Gold Beauty Supply; RING: Bakers; BRACELET: Gifted; BELT: Forever 21]

if money were no object...

...these Miu Miu patent platforms would be in my closet. No, they would be on my feet. Always.



Now please excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard.

daily duds: all tied up

I just wasn't feeling it this morning. I feel kind of blah today, which translated to my outfit. I can't say that I put much effort into today's ensemble, which is unfortunate because I was really excited about wearing the skirt and the shirt.



I mentioned this skirt in yesterday's haul post. I think it's adorable--and reminds me a bit of Halloween.



My top was inspired by this look from Louis Vuitton's fall 2009 runway.



I took a long-sleeved black tee from Old Navy and a super-long scarf from Forever 21 to make this:



This was actually my second attempt at making this shirt. The first time I tried, the holes ended up too big and in all wrong places. This time, I poked holes instead of cutting them and was more strategic about where I placed them. Next time I plan to switch the cream scarf for a leopard-print one. Rawr!



I added a cream-colored clutch (it was a shoulder bag, but I cut the strap off) and black heels.



[SKIRT: Casa View Thrift (tag says 'confess'); TOP: self-made using tee from Old Navy and scarf from Forever 21; SHOES: Charlotte Russe; CLUTCH: Vintage; PHOTO CREDIT: the glamourai]

haul of fame: fall 2010 (part one)

We're getting closer to the end of September, yet the temperatures here are still scorching. But that hasn't stopped me from slowly building my fall and winter wardrobe, which for me, is the only thing that makes the approaching season bearable. Here's what I picked up on two recent thrift trips:

TRENCH. This bright little piece of outerwear was tucked away on a rack in one corner of the store, and when I saw it (and its price tag of seven bucks), I grabbed it and didn't let go. I love the gold buttons, and I already have an idea of what I want to wear with it.



FUR VEST. It's hard for me to spend money on trends, so I was glad that I found this fur vest on the cheap. I'd been eyeing fur vests for a while, and until I saw this one, the lowest price I'd seen was thirty dollars. Luckily for me, this one was a fraction of that price.



SWEATER DRESS. I love wearing dresses in the summer because they make for such effortless ensembles--toss on some accessories, grab your handbag and go...which is exactly what I plan to do with this gray dress.



BCBGMAXAZRIA DRESS. This trench dress is made of some pretty heavy material, (which is a bit itchy, so I plan to wear a long-sleeved shirt underneath it). Please excuse the wrinkles--it obviously hasn't been pressed.



WOOL SHORTS. I was first drawn to these shorts because I thought they were a skirt, but even after seeing that they're shorts, I had to have them. I'll pair them with tights and maybe a turtleneck. (Like the above dress, these shorts have more wrinkles than a pug. They'll look much better when I wear them. Promise.)



BLOUSE. I like the tribal pattern of this short-sleeved blouse. I plan to wear it with a skirt or wear it belted.



SKIRT. I actually had this skirt in my basket, but I ended it putting it back on the rack...then I ended up going back to the store to get it. Sigh.



BROWN HANDBAG. This handbag is unlike any other handbag that I have. For one, it's microscopic compared to most of my other handbags. (What can I say? I like huge handbags.) But I really like the dark brown color, the faux croc feel, and the super-thin handles.



PLAID HANDBAG. I plan to carry this with a full skirt for my own spin on the 50s trend that is supposed to be big this fall.



So tell me: Have you made any fall purchases yet?

daily duds: going for brocade

Sometimes when I browse the Web and see an outfit or item of clothing I like, I add it to my Favorites list (which is currently about a mile long). During one of my Net-surfing sessions, I discovered this Loeffler Randall Skirt.



Although I think the skirt has long been sold out (and was far out of my price range), I promptly added it to my lust list and have been coveting it ever since. Until yesterday, that is, when I discovered a similar skirt for much less.





I picked up this metallic brocade skirt at Charlotte Russe and paired it with a fuschia tie-neck blouse (also seen here).





I added cream-colored heels and a brown clutch.





I accessorized with a cream-colored gold-studded belt, gold earrings, and a cluster ring.



Here's the supporting cast:



[SKIRT: Charlotte Russe: TOP: Newport News; SHOES: Agaci Too; CAMI: Forever 21; EARRINGS: Forever 21; RING: Forever 21; BELT: Stein Mart; CLUTCH: Ross; AVIATORS: Payless; PHOTO CREDIT: Polyvore]