triple play thursday: linen dress

The main reason I bought the $23 Forever 21 linen dress featured in today’s post is because it’s plain and simple, with the opportunity to remix and remix and remix some more. I created three looks with the dress below, but have several other outfit ideas featuring this ‘blank canvas.’

First up is the dress in all its simplicity. It came with a black belt, but I swapped it for a cream-colored one. In keeping with the cream theme, I accessorized with off-white heels and an oversized patchwork clutch. Because the dress is so minimal, I could have added more jewelry, but I was satisfied with a wrist-full of bracelets and tiny bit of gold jewelry.



[DRESS: Forever 21; BELT: Thrifted; SHOES: Lulu’s; CLUTCH: Thrifted; BRACELETS: Aldo; RING: Forever 21; EARRINGS: Borrowed; NECKLACE: Flea Market in New Orleans]

The second look is a bit of a wardrobe replica (or at least an ‘inspired by’ look). When I saw Rachel Bilson sporting this look a few months ago…



…I knew I would be copying it, especially after I scored this orange blazer at Forever 21. I will admit that I’m not a fan of her shoes, so I wore my cheetah-print heels and accessorized with my quilted handbag and minimal jewelry.



[DRESS: Forever 21; BLAZER: Forever 21; SHOES: Enzo Angiolini; HANDBAG: Express (available here); RING: Forever 21; EARRINGS: Borrowed; NECKLACE: Flea Market in New Orleans: PHOTO CREDIT: PopSugar]

This final look is probably my favorite because it gives off a casual yet polished vibe. I wore a gold gingham button-front shirt over the dress and tied it at the waist. I accessorized with a yellow handbag, cheetah-print shoes, and jewelry, in the form of a gold ring and gold bangles.



[DRESS: Forever 21: TOP: Old Navy; SHOES: Enzo Angiolini; HANDBAG: Dots (I think); BANGLES: Forever 21: RING: Aldo; EARRINGS: Borrowed; NECKLACE: Flea Market in New Orleans]

[ABOUT THIS FEATURE: Being the cost-conscious shopper that I am, versatility and cost-per-wear are two things that weigh heavily on my decision to buy an item (or not), so I’m a firm believer in the ‘Rule of Three’: When you buy something new, you should have at least THREE things in your closet that you can wear with that piece. Each Thursday, this feature will highlight three ways I’ve worn one item.]

weekday wardrobe: cobalt and camel (part deux)

I guess I didn’t get enough blue and brown yesterday because today’s outfit is all about those two colors. Despite the triple-digit heat wave here in Dallas, I just wasn’t in the mood to wear shorts (or a skirt. Or a dress) today, so I shopped my closet and pulled out a blue one-shoulder and paired it with camel-colored pants. Being the animal-print fanatic that I am, I accessorized with two—yes, two—of them: a snakeskin belt that complemented the shirt and a leopard clutch that matched the pants. I kept jewelry at a minimum with a gold bracelet, a gold zipper ring, and small earrings. I also added my black shoes from Lulu’s, even though you can’t see them because of my extra-long pants. What can I say? I like my pants long and my heels high!













[TOP: Forever 21; PANTS: LAUNDRY by SHELLI SEGAL (thrifted); BELT and BRACELET: Forever 21; SHOES: Lulu’s; CLUTCH: Express; RING: Aldo; EARRINGS: Borrowed]

weekday wardrobe: loco for cobalt

This weekend consisted of a trip to the park on Friday (complete with bubble kits and Frisbees), a Mommy-and-Me volunteer project at a local nonprofit on Saturday (helping with the Back to School Drive), and brunch and a movie with The Boyfriend on Sunday (it’s our every-other-Sunday ritual). I’m still on a cobalt kick, so for yesterday’s brunch, I paired a pleated cobalt skirt with a cobalt halter that I found while attempting to organize my closet a few weeks ago. As I mentioned last month, the color combination of cobalt and camel is gorgeous, so I accessorized with shades of brown, a bit of cheetah, and a touch of gold jewelry.





The supporting cast:



words of advice: Hesitant to go with a single color head to toe? Use accessories to break up the monotony of one color.

[TOP: Forever 21; SKIRT: Thrifted; SHOES: Enzo Angiolini; BELT: Forever 21; HANDBAG: Vintage (thrifted); BRACELETS and RINGS: Forever 21; EARRINGS: Borrowed]

weekday wardrobe: optical illusion

As it turns out, my passion for pattern-mixing is at an all-time high. While browsing the (clearance) racks at Marshalls the other day, I came across an adorable black-and-bone bubble-hem skirt that I couldn't pass up. Then, two racks over, I came across a halter whose print was different from the skirt, but whose colors were nearly identical. So what did I do? I bought both and wore them simultaneously and added an elastic belt—I love how the two separates, combined with the belt, give the illusion of a short, flirty dress. I accessorized with sky-high stilettos, a bone-colored clutch, a black-and-bone bracelet, and what has quickly become my FAVORITE piece of jewelry—a necklace that I picked up at a flea market in New Orleans last weekend (that fits perfectly in the halter’s v-neck collar). I wore this to run errands (as usual), but it’s perfect for lunch with the girls or date night with the guy.









The supporting cast:



words of advice: Bright colors are all the rage right now, but neutrals can be just as chic during warm months.

[TOP: marina luna (via Marshalls); SKIRT: crimson & clover (via Marshalls); SHOES: Lulu's; NECKLACE: flea market in New Orleans; BRACELET: Forever 21; RING: I don't remember; BELT: hand-me-down; CLUTCH: Thrifted]

triple play thursday: brocade skirt

Because my funds are limited most of the time (okay, all of the time), I’m often hunting for looks for less. When I saw this Loeffler Randall skirt online last year…



…I wanted it desperately. What I didn’t want was the sky-high price tag that came along with it. So imagine my delight a few weeks later when I found a similar look at a much lower price at Charlotte Russe. This brocade skirt has been a staple in my wardrobe for nearly a year and while I still have a ton of outfit ideas in mind for this skirt, here are three looks featuring my little brocade skirt.

When I first wore it last September, I paired it with a bright fuschia pussybow blouse, which popped against the light color and gold detailing of the skirt. I added a wide, gold-studded belt to emphasize the skirt’s metallic elements.



When I wore the skirt a few weeks ago, I paired it with a silk snakeskin-print blouse that had been taking up residence in the back of my closet. Once again, the bright orange in the blouse popped against the neutral color, and I added the gold-studded belt again.



This third look features another staple in my wardrobe—the chambray shirt. I accessorized with a black belt, gold jewelry, and a leopard clutch. The jewelry brings out the gold in the skirt and the printed clutch adds a pop to an ensemble full of solids.





The thing that I love most about this skirt is that while I tend to pair it with bright colors (and a gold-studded belt), this skirt can be paired with pretty much any color. I’m excited about a particular look that I want to try with this skirt, but I’m in need of a black bow tie. Can you imagine what I have in mind?!

[ABOUT THIS FEATURE: Being the cost-conscious shopper that I am, versatility and cost-per-wear are two things that weigh heavily on my decision to buy an item (or not), so I’m a firm believer in the ‘Rule of Three’: When you buy something new, you should have at least THREE things in your closet that you can wear with that piece. Each Thursday, this feature will highlight three ways I’ve worn one item.]

checking in

One of the reasons I started words & wardrobes was so that I could have something to call my own. When it comes to single motherhood, sacrifice is the name of the game, so this blog was something that I considered all mine. For the last 13 months, it has been a little corner of cyberspace that I could call my own. But the reality is that you guys are a huge part of words & wardrobes. Whether you silently lurk from behind your computer screen or comment on nearly every post, you play a role in the progression of this blog. With that said, I’m coming to you today asking you for your words of advice. What would you like to see more of on words & wardrobes? Less of? What features do you love? Which ones could you do without? If you could tell me anything about words & wardrobes, what would it be? Feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me at wordsandwardrobes@gmail.com.

the leaux down on louisiana

I didn’t make it home from New Orleans until nearly midnight last night and was way too exhausted to post. I had a blast in Louisiana, despite the fact that it rained from the moment we arrived until the moment we boarded our departing flight (although there were sporadic appearances from the sun). In spite of the wet weather, our four-day weekend included two outings to witness the debauchery known as Bourbon Street, plenty of good seafood, a trip to the flea market (where I picked up an awesome necklace), and a visit to Café Du Monde for beignets and coffee (and momentary shelter from the horrendous storm). I did a horrible job packing, mostly due to the fact that I waited until the last minute, so I spent more time behind my camera than in front of it, and suddenly realized how much I enjoy photography. All in all, it was an amazing trip, but I’m glad to be home…and back to blogging.

long weekend in louisiana

As I type this, I'm enjoying a much-needed vacation in New Orleans. I'll be back on Tuesday, but hope to post on Monday. Stay tuned...

weekday wardrobe: buck-gingham palace

I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I’m not publishing a ‘triple play’ post today. The good news is that I am publishing a ‘weekday wardrobe’ post today. I’m leaving for New Orleans (early) in the morning, so my schedule today is nothing short of hectic. I haven’t even started packing, nor have I put a dent in today’s massive to-do list. Sigh. The only thing getting me through this frenzied day is knowing that this time tomorrow, I’ll be in New Orleans…hopefully noshing on beignets. Anyway, today’s outfit is actually yesterday’s outfit—I wore this to lunch yesterday. It’s a bit of gingham, a bit of cheetah, and a lot of color.













[SKIRT: Lulu’s; TOP: Anthropologie; BELT: Thrifted; SHOES: Enzo Angiolini; HANDBAG: Vintage; EARRINGS and BRACELETS: Forever 21; RING: Aldo]

words of advice: shopping on the web

Shopping for clothing in your typical mall or shopping center can be a bit exhausting, as well as a bit overwhelming. You may roam from store to store, being pressured by salespeople and finding countless bright, flashy displays about the “newest fashions” or “seasonal outfits.” Then you will probably want to compare clothes from one store to those from another, and you may have to walk the entire length of a shopping mall multiple times to do it. By the time you are ready to buy clothes, you will often have spent a good deal of time and effort on the process, and it just isn’t as pleasant an experience as it could have been. This is why many people prefer to shop online.

Fashion blogs and websites such as my-wardrobe.com have extensive collections of affordable high-end clothing from labels such as Halston Heritage, Acne, Mulberry, and a number of others. These sites are very helpful to know about, as many people think that “shopping online” simply means going to the websites for classic department stores and clothing stores, where you will see the same selections you would have seen walking through the malls. Granted, you still avoid the hassle of dealing with salespeople and walking back and forth; but, if you are going to try shopping online, why not try looking into some more original fashion options?

It can be surprising how affordable some high-end fashion really is. Of course, if it is in your budget and you feel the need or desire to spend, you can still find extremely expensive options. But you can also find clothing of very high quality for prices that barely exceed what you might spend at more everyday type of stores. For example, rather than simply buying into the latest brightly colored summer dresses you see next to big signs about Summer, find a designer dress or two that you can really make your own.

Shopping at online fashion websites really does have great benefits: essentially, you get higher quality clothing with far less hassle. Many people avoid shopping online because they prefer to be able to feel and try on clothing before buying it, and this is indeed usually a good idea. But most online orders can be easily returned, meaning that if you choose to shop online you can order a number of items, see what works best for you, and simply return the rest without ever having to set foot in a store or talk to a salesperson.

[This post was brought to you by My Wardrobe.]

weekday wardrobe (formerly 'daily duds'): don't believe the stripe

I’ve been all about mixing prints lately, but today I stuck with one and wore it all over. This striped Marc Jacobs skirt is one of my absolute favorites, but always pairing it with a black top (which I tend to do) can be a bit uninspiring. That’s why when I wore it this time, I paired it with a black and white top—in stripe form, to mix things up a bit…without adding another print to the mix. But I have to admit that what excited me most about this outfit wasn’t the adorably-pleated skirt or the striped top that’s sure to match a lot of things in my wardrobe. No, folks, it wasn’t either of those things. It. Was. The. Shoes. The sky-high, jet black, lace, tie-front, peep-toe booties with criss-cross detailing. Oh, yes. That, my friends, is what had me feeling euphoric, despite The Boyfriend’s comment that they kind of look like a medieval torture device…









words of advice: If you want to try pattern-mixing, stripes are an easy way to test the waters without going overboard.

[SKIRT: Marc Jacobs; TOP: Zara; SHOES: Lulu’s; BRACELETS and RING: Forever 21]