goldenpig

Since I haven't been here for a whole year yet, I don't have any outfit pictures from a year ago. But the outfit I wore today reminds me a lot of my old pre-YLF style so I thought I'd play along with the then and now challenge. I took pic #1 in July right when I joined YLF, as a representative of one of my most favorite pre-YLF outfits. I had tons of those Ann Taylor printed bias-cut skirts, and usually paired it with a matching Ann Taylor cardigan twinset or simple top or V neck or mock-turtleneck sweater. I really liked the black/white/red color combination and that skirt was one of my favorites. I carried that red Fossil tote every day and the black Nine West boots fit perfectly (amazingly enough, since they're super old and I bought them before I knew about calf fit). I still kept most of the old Ann Taylor/Banana Republic skirts and have been wearing them along with my new skirts (which explains why I have like 30 skirts!) I would still wear outfit #1 completely as is right now--in fact I probably will this week!

Initially I was moving away from the crewneck cardigan twinset look and donated a bunch of them (light blue, red, purple, black, brown) partly because they were a little worn and faded, and partly because I felt like doing a complete style revamp. But now I find myself looking for the perfect cardigan and gravitating toward the printed skirts again. The outfit in #2 is all new except for the red pumps (which are over 10 years old but I still wear them all the time). The silhouette is slightly different--pencil skirt instead of flared skirt--but otherwise the style is very "old me". I know it's a bit tame/boring compared to some of my "new me" demure bombshell or UWP outfits, but it's OK--I don't have to be a fashion plate every day! ;P

1. Banana Republic sleeveless turtleneck shell
Ann Taylor red, black and white printed skirt
Red Fossil tote
Black Nine West boots

2. White House Black Market hibiscus print skirt
WHBM jewel neck cardigan in red
H&M black tank top
WHBM black and silver pendant
WHBM red faux snakeskin bag
Red Clark T strap red pump

This is for the "I really love my" one item three ways challenge. I'm in a rush to get to work now so will go back and post outfit details later!

All with Lafayette 148 cognac/caramel leather jacket from Nordstrom Rack.
1. MOTG. H&M brown graphic T, Anthro AG ivory skinnies, Born bronze ballet flats
2-4. Anthro Bailey 44 tiered stripes longsleeve dress in orange, Alexis Bittar orange pendant, and Mia Nanette brown lace-up ankle boots. Fossil floral satchel.
5-8. Emerson Made bee and crown blouse, Lafayette 148 tweed pencil skirt with leather waistband, Chie Mihara Written in Stars heels, Fossil chevron stripe satchel.

Happy Valentine's Day YLF!

Tory Burch navy dress with white hearts all over
Nordstrom red skinny bow belt
White House Black Market red purse
Nordstrom diamond acorn earrings
WHBM silver and diamond cuff
Clark red T strap pumps

And bonus kid shots!

ETA: I added some pics of my red trench with the dress.
XOXOXO, Natalie

Boy, my 4-year old daughter has been quite the fashion critic this week! I'm sure you guys have seen her comments on my recent WIW posts, but she has a new zinger every day!

Thursday she patted my apple tummy and said "Mommy, your tummy is round because me and baby stretched out your tummy and now it's always round. But that's OK."

Friday she saw me putting on my skirt and said "Mommy, you need some pants to go with your skirt" (because I always have her wear leggings under her skirts). I said "No, I'm just wearing the skirt." And she said, "But then when you twirl, everyone will see your underwear!"

Yesterday she said, "Mama, you always wear high heels and it makes a loud clop-clop-clop sound." And she asked me not to wear heels that day (so I wore my Converse instead of wedge sandals).

Then last night she saw me in my new lounge pants and said, "Mama, your butt looks like it just got bigger."

And today she announced at the dinner table, "Mommy buys too many clothes and she needs to stop!"

Ouch! I guess that means I am on SYC for a while! Her honest comments are really funny, but it's starting to hit too close to home! :(

PS--I wonder if DH bribed her to say that! ;P

ETA: Here's a couple pics of her in outfits she chose herself! She layered two tutus (yellow and pink) in the first pic. And she loves to try on my heels!

One of my favorite fashion magazines is People Style Watch. They have a feature called "I really love my..." where they show celebrities wearing their favorite item in three different outfits. I thought that would be a fun challenge to do! I love wardrobe remixing! You can use previous WIW pictures and/or try it going forward in the next week or two with one of your favorite items, whether it be shoes/boots, purse, jewelry, coat, or other piece of clothing. Show how versatile your favorite piece is! And tell us why you love this item!

I am going to try to think of what I can use this coming week, but here's one from my recent WIW's:

I really love my Frye Melissa Tall Lace boots in black. They were pretty darned expensive, but I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of them! These are the last four times I've worn them in the last couple weeks, and in three different settings (work, MOTG and date night) to boot (pun intended)! In fact I even wore them three days in a row (2/3/4)! I love these boots because they instantly add edge by toughening up my ladylike looks. I feel like a rock star when I wear them. They are definitely an essential part of my secret UWP uniform!

Work: black shirt and grey suit with black lace trim
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....e-up-boots
Work #2: black leather jacket, teal top and red pencil skirt
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....this-style
Date night: Missoni for Target blouse and purple poncho with black skinnies
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....vate-idaho
MOTG: black turtleneck, black zip peacoat and garnet snakeskin skinnies
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....oral-skirt

Just wanted to put all the outfits together from MaryK's neutral challenge for comparison. I am glad I did this challenge, because it changed my perception of all neutral = boring. I thought I was going to have a much tougher time with this since I really love bright colors and pops of color. I am surprised that I didn't even use any red or leopard all week! I guess finding White House Black Market made this challenge much easier, since 3 out of 5 looks are from there. Also, I used prints, patterns and stripes to keep the outfits more interesting. Next time I would like to try adding more textures--Angie's post today on textured neutrals was very inspiring. And also more pattern mixing!

I think #2 was my "least like me" look--I wanted to try something new (menswear-inspired) and I felt like it was a lot more masculine than usual (although some of you said it still looked ladylike and not masculine at all!). And #5 was my "most like me" look--typical demure bombshell. And #4 was the one that generated the most compliments--from coworkers, patients, and even Angie with a K2K rating! Which look do you like best?

Day 1: Parisian Chic
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....isian-chic
Day 2: Menswear inspired
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....r-inspired
Day 3: DH's pick cream and black trench
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ack-trench
Day 4: Ultra matchy ombre stripes
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....re-stripes
Day 5: Pindot suit and fish bow pumps
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-bow-pumps

Here's what I wore for MOTG today to take the kids to ballet and the park.
Angie's recommended Banana Republic denim shirt
Gap T shirt with beige, blue and cream stripes. I love the pattern but it's rayon/poly and starting to pill even though I've only had it for 6 months--boo! I need my T shirts to hold up with machine washing and drying, is that too much to expect?
Anthro AG ivory skinny cords
Kate Spade orange slice straw bag
I wanted to wear it with my Ugg Hazel wedge sandals (#1), but DD said "Mom, you always wear high heels and it makes a loud clop-clop-clop sound." So I switched to yellow Converse (#2) since she asked me not to wear high heels today. LOL!

I just wore this suit last week, but it seemed like a perfect way to finish off the neutral challenge week, bookending the WHBM outfit I wore on Monday. Another look copied straight from the catalog! But the spectator pumps they had in the catalog were super high, so I thought of the perfect alternative--the All Black Fish Bow pumps that Angie recommended! Now I can be shoe twins with Shannon! (and I think maybe Sona?)

The shoes definitely run small--I'm normally a size 7-7.5 and the 8 fit best (I also bought a 7.5 to compare but it was too small). But it's a size 38, which is the same size as my Dansko clogs (my Chie Mihara sandals are a 37.5). So it runs 1/2-1 size large based on the American size, but relatively true to size if you know your European size. The shoes are really comfortable--low heel and roomy toe box--and I think it'll go well with my retro ladylike style (which is very similar to Shannon too)! Great pick Angie!

Oh, and another DD funny--she saw me putting on my skirt and said "Mommy, you need some pants to go with your skirt" (because I always have her wear leggings under her skirts). I said "No, I'm just wearing the skirt." And she said, "But then when you twirl, everyone will see your underwear!" Daughters are so much fun! :)

White House Black Market Pindot jacket and skirt--black with cream mini-polka dots
WHBM cream satin shell and spectator belt
Old black necklace
All Black Fish bow pumps
Fossil Vintage Re-issue black/silver/taupe chevron stripe satchel (I was in a rush and didn't have time to take pics with the purse but used the same one from yesterday).

ETA: More pics added to show collar and skirt details.

I'm being matchy-matchy-matchy-matchy! Dress matches shoes matches purse matches wallet. I bought them at different times but they all seem to match. I know super matchy looks aren't everyone's cup of tea, but it was super fun! I got lots of compliments from patients and coworkers alike about my outfit--the nurses all said "Doctor, you look hot!" Tee hee! It made up for last night when DD patted my apple tummy and said "Mommy, your tummy is round because me and baby stretched out your tummy and now it's always round. But that's OK." Haha, out of the mouths of babes! Yes, they were worth it!

Nordstrom Classiques Entier Ombre Panel Dress--sheath dress with black, taupe and grey diagonal striped panels
Tahari black leather jacket with black suede panels
Calvin Klein gold/diamond V necklace
Missoni for Target black pumps with taupe and beige zigzags across the front
Fossil Vintage Reissue Satchel in black, silver and taupe chevron stripe pattern, with matching wallet

This is the cream and black trench coat from White House Black Market that DH picked out for me when we were vacationing in Hawaii in December (he may regret that he got me hooked on the store!). The trench fabric is permanently wrinkly, but I kept it because DH picked it out for me. I haven't had an occasion to wear it yet, but neutrals week seemed like the perfect occasion to break it out! Plus it's a sunny day and feels like spring so it's a perfect lightweight coat for the weather. This outfit reminds me a little of Angie's prior post where she wore Gap Really Skinny pants with Giveable flats (http://youlookfab.com/2011/07/.....-of-black/)--too bad I don't have those cream and black flats--that would have been perfect!

Which pants do you like better for this outfit--Blue Essence skinny jeans (1&3) or Gap Really Skinny pants (2, 4, 5-7)? The BE jeans are thicker, but tighter since I sized down to a 2, and even then they tend to slip down a bit. So I went with the Gap pants for comfort. I'm not sure I like the outfit sans trench (short skinny top over skinny pants feels a little bare) but the shirt goes well with the trench. And here's some bonus MOTG shots at the park with the kiddos! I was a little dressy compared to the other moms at the park, but who cares, I was comfortable!

White House Black Market cream and black Contrast Cropped Trench coat, cream and black striped top, and silver and black pendant necklace
Gap Really Skinny black pants (vs. Blue Essence black skinny jeans)
Stuart Weitzman Giveable black ballet flats
Coach black purse (this purse is super old and worn, but it's one of the few neutral non-crazy-patterned bags that I own!)

Here's the original story about the trench:
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....acket-pick