goldenpig

Here are a couple of MOTG outfits using my Paige bootcut white denim jeans and new wedge sandals.
1-5. Took the kids to Music Together.
Gap denim jacket
WHBM blue geometric print tank (only downside was it kept riding up, which was annoying)
Paige Hidden Hills white bootcut jeans
Clarks Woodward Willows nude wedge sandals
Jason Wu for Target straw purse

6-9. DH and I took the kids to a local neighborhood festival.
Kate Spade sunhat (good for keeping the sun off my face)
Ann Taylor Loft green sweater and blue/yellow/green floral shirt (old)
KS orange slice bag
Paige Hidden Hills white bootcut jeans
Clarks Woodward Willows nude wedge sandals
Banana Republic Trina Turk bracelet

The red-trimmed leopard heels were asking to come out and play again, and what better match than my red draped-waist dress? I feel very retro glam--my demure bombshell side is having fun today! I wore it with my leopard necklace (secret Santa gift from Lisa) to match, and my brown glasses to go with the red/brown theme, and a swipe of red lipstick (Clinique Black Honey).

None of my purses seemed to fit exactly right, so I pulled out this little tortoiseshell color handbag. It's ancient...I got it one day when I was at a spa for a massage many years ago--they had some handmade gifts and this cute little number called out to me. It has brown and yellow tiles on it--kind of matches the leopard spots, so it's perfect. It's too small to be practical though (doesn't even hold my wallet), so I am bringing my brown briefcase to work as well. It doesn't have quite the same impact though. I'll just keep the purse on my desk to have fun looking at it.

Adrianna Papell red draped jersey dress from TJ Maxx
Leopard secret Santa necklace from Macy's (gift from Lisa)
B Makowsky Heist red-trimmed leopard heels
Handmade tortoiseshell color tile purse
Jack Georges brown leather briefcase

Thanks for your comments!

New combination of old favorites:

Anne Fontaine white double collar blouse
White House Black Market ink blue jacket
Anthro Liquid Acres print pencil skirt
Kate Spade turquoise jewel clutch
Kate Spade turquoise pumps
Turquoise glass bead earrings

I really like how the skirt ties everything together as it has white, ink blue and turquoise in the pattern! And of course the matchiness of the purse and pumps. But is it too ALGO or dramatic with the double collar on top of the ruffled collar blue jacket and big white cuffs?

Interested to see what you will think! Thanks for your comments!

ETA: Added pics of the blouse tucked into the jacket and a close-up of the skirt, shoes and bag. I think it looks pretty different with the blouse tucked--more streamlined and emphasizes the double collar in a different way. Slightly less ALGO. I think I like it both ways...which one do you prefer?

All this talk about dated clothing and wardrobe turnover and clothes not lasting more than five years has me depressed in a way. I just spent all this effort creating a fab closet and I'm scared that it's all going to turn dated in five years! Especially since I love prints and supposedly those date faster than solids. I really have to wrap my head around the idea that a wardrobe is never "done" and that I will need to keep renewing and replacing things, hopefully not at the same pace I have been but maybe at the 20% per year guideline that someone else mentioned. I also have to come to terms that my favorite pieces will not last forever and that someday I either might get tired of them or they will become dated (as I'm finding out with my 90's bias skirts!)

Which leads me to the question, what in your closet is timeless and will most likely never date?

I think as general categories, handbags, watches and jewelry tend to date much more slowly than clothes and shoes. But in terms of your clothes, here are some questions to ponder:
1) What items in your closet are more than 10 years old but you still wear regularly?
2) What are your favorite items that have survived your post-YLF purges?
3) What things do you own now that you anticipate surviving in your closet for at least another ten years?
4) Is there anything in your closet that you think will never go out of style?
5) What are the characteristics of timeless clothes?
6) Do patterns automatically date faster than solids--do you tire of your printed clothing faster?

I would say that I do have pre-YLF pieces that are over 10 years old in my closet that I still like, but most of them I am not wearing because I suspect they're dated (which leads me to think I should just go ahead and do a complete purge of them). I already posted some of my skirts recently and the consensus was they were dated. I think among clothes, coats and dresses have the most potential for remaining timeless. Shirts, pants and skirts all seem like they change what's in style rather frequently.

The couple dresses that have survived my post-YLF purges and have also passed YLF K/T's are my Banana Republic black wrap dress and my Jessica Howard jungle leaf print dress. Both are prints but the wrap style is pretty timeless (which is why DVF is so popular) and the safari look remains a perennial theme. Current items that I think will survive the test of time are my Kate Spade trench coats, Kate Spade black and white floral sheath dress, Adrianna Papell red faux wrap dress, J Crew poppy sheath dress, purple Adrianna Papell and Classiques Entier ombre stripe dress. And hopefully my signature outfit with my leather and tweed skirt (although I'm worried the pussy bow blouse will probably become dated in a few years). As for print dresses I think the turquoise Michael Kors, pink Laundry and yellow Eliza J may last longer than 10 years, but you never know with prints. The rest of my beloved printed PB blouses, printed skirts, and coat collection I hope will last a long time, but I suspect they may go out of date first before I tire of them.

So looking at what I've listed here, it seems like dresses and coats in classic silhouettes (wrap or faux wrap or sheath for dresses, trenches for coats) in solids or neutral/subdued prints have the most chance of withstanding the march of time. Which doesn't bode well for my bright-colored print-happy closet! Oh no!

Looking forward to reading your responses!

Here's a MOTG outfit I wore today that I feel is actually a true MOTG outfit (not a dressed down work outfit)--comfy and casual but still stylish (well, I think anyways!). I think modgrl wears these dress over leggings outfits, and now that I know about this formula I think it will become a staple for me too!

This red, white and black empire waist dress was a kind gift from Mo--thanks so much Malina! I haven't had a chance to wear it till now. I took everyone's advice and bought a pair of black capri leggings to put under dresses. Perfect for MOTG--no worries about bending over to help the kids, etc. I wore it as shown in 1-2 with the black Dansko sandals. Now that I've been educated that my feet are too long for these (toe overhang is my new PPL-type revelation!), I'll have to replace eventually. But I wasn't quite sure if the Seychelles sandals in 3/4 were too "fancy" for this outfit with their high heels. I feel like the Danskos looked more appropriate with their flat heel and thicker straps. Do you prefer 1/2 or 3/4? If the Seychelles don't work for MOTG it's going to limit their CPW significantly!

Also, here's a K/R on the Jolt red denim jacket (5-7). I bought it a few months back when Angie recommended it, but just haven't had the occasion to wear it. I pulled it out to wear with this outfit, but then had second thoughts. It seemed like it was kind of boxy and wide on me, and the sleeves are not full length which kind of looks funny to me (I guess I'd have to keep them rolled). It's a junior's size M. I ended up going with the red cardigan instead. Should I keep or return the denim jacket? Not sure of the fit and whether the red denim will be that versatile (I already have the AE blue and white denim jackets). If you think return, let me know if anyone wants it before I return to Nordstrom, since it's sold out I figured someone might be interested in it. Tags are still on.

Moa Moa empire waist sleeveless dress from Mo
White House Black Market red cardigan
Nike black capri leggings
Dansko black sandals
Marc by Marc Jacobs Dotty Snake bag

Thanks for your advice and comments!

I spent several minutes this morning trying to come up with a good skirt outfit that would work for both work and MOTG afterward without any luck. I also tried to come up with an Angie menswear-inspired outfit with blue shirt and white pants and blazer, but it just didn't feel like me. (Not ladylike enough, I guess). So I went to my FFBO--dresses! The orange Bailey 44 dress was perfect for both work and MOTG by switching out the jacket, bag and shoes. I went to a popsicle social with DD at her new school so she could meet her new 8th grade buddy, then took the kids out to the park afterward.

I love this dress, it feels like I'm wearing pajamas all day. The pics with the overhead lighting really emphasize my poochy apple tummy, but hopefully it's not so noticeable IRL. Had lots of people complimenting me on my dress--both patients and coworkers. A couple of random moms came up to me in the park to tell me that they absolutely loved my dress...I told them to go to Anthro to check out the latest iteration.

Oh BTW I had my first IRL sighting of a purple B44 at the hospital--a staff member walked by wearing one (with a cream linen blazer on top)! I was so excited but I didn't have time to stop her (I didn't know her) to compliment her (good thing I wasn't wearing my orange one then! That would have been really funny!)

1. Anthro Bailey 44 orange tiered stripes dress, Alexis Bittar orange pendant
2. Work--Lafayette 148 cognac leather jacket, Fossil floral satchel, Easy Spirit nude pumps
3-4. MOTG--American Eagle denim jacket, Marc by Marc Jacobs Dotty snake bag, Ugg wedge sandals. Do you like the handbag as a crossbody or hanging off my shoulder?

Thanks for your feedback!

I am so bad at taking care of my hair! I haven't had a haircut since last October, and before that I hadn't had it cut for over a year (that time I had been growing it for a year and then cut it off and donated it to Locks of Love). Well, I finally made an appointment at a nice salon to get my hair cut. I found him on my local mommy board--several people named him as someone who is good with precision cuts and can cut straight hair that doesn't require a lot of styling to look nice (since most of us moms don't have much time to spend doing our hair). I never have time to blow dry or style my hair so it's just wash and brush and go. At work when I'm doing procedures I just put it in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. Otherwise it's just long.

So, what should I do? Here is my last haircut:
http://goldenpig.lookfab.com/p.....ure-outfit
This time I kind of want to change things up and maybe get something a little more edgy, which might help keep me from looking too young and sweet. That time I had bangs cut, but now they've grown out. Should I keep bangs or not?

I was inspired by teeandcee's recent post:
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....b-hair-cut
I am thinking of copying her fab haircut (and Una too: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....air-photos) with some sort of long inverted bob. Something like this pic below but maybe a little longer since I need to be able to put my hair back in a ponytail. (And no red streaks, obviously). Or just copy teeandcee exactly (I printed out her pics for reference)--I think that length would work much better for me. What do you think--would that edgier style clash too much with my ladylike style persona? Since it seems I only get my hair cut once or twice a year, I want to make sure it looks good!

What other ideas do you have for hair styles? I can't go really shorrt because 1)I don't think I look good in short hair 2)I think longer feminine hair looks better with my style and 3)DH really loves me in long hair and hates it when I cut it short. He equates long hair with youth and feels like short hair ages people and he loves to run his fingers through my long hair. So I can't go too short or DH will be sad.

Of course, I'll see what the hairdresser recommends when I meet him, but I want to have some possibilities in mind already. I'm really excited about the possibility of taking my style in a new direction! Thanks for your suggestions!

Sorry for the blurry photos! I felt like trying a new color combo for me (eggplant and turquoise--what do you think of it?) and also to try to spring-ify this fallish purple dress a bit. The outfit follows my rubric--color (purple & turquoise), matchy matchy (turquoise in the necklace, belt, shoes and bag), pattern (bag and belt), fitted (belt) and flair (patent turquoise pumps--everyone kept praising my shoes today--they are definitely statement pumps!). I felt pretty fab at work today. But now that I look at the pics, I'm feeling less impressed. Ugh, my belly! That extra 5 lb is not helping matters, and the belt is a little too tight (I bought it on eBay and I wanted a M, but only S was available). Also not sure if the cognac jacket was the right topper or not. Oh well, at least I had fun posing with DD in our dresses!

Always appreciate your comments and advice!

Ralph Lauren eggplant long sleeved dress
Anthro yellow and teal stretch belt via eBay
Fossil floral satchel
Kate Spade turquoise Shelly pumps
Lafayette 148 cognac leather jacket
Turquoise necklace

Still struggling with figuring out MOTG (mom on the go) looks. I still feel like I don't really have much between super casual loungewear type T-shirts and fleece, and dressed-down workwear. Here are my three latest MOTG outfits. All of these were comfortable and I was able to do everything with the kids, but they still felt a little overdressed compared to everyone else. I feel like maybe I'm starting to turn into my mother, who always was overdressed (much to my & my sisters' embarrassment) and wore high heels all the time, as if every day was a gala. We always tended to underdress because of her, and now look at me. LOL!

1-2. I knew this dress was overkill, but I put on some matching navy shorts underneath and it was fine for rolling around on the floor with DS at Music Together, watching DD's first ballet performance, and playing at the park--it was a social for parents and kids from the new school DD will be attending next fall when she starts kindergarten, and I was definitely the dressiest parent. The last time I wore this dress was to a kid's birthday party, so it seems like MOTG is the only opportunity I have to pull this dress out! It's actually a comfy summer cotton dress and works for MOTG with the shorts on underneath, it just looks really fancy.
Jason Wu for Target navy poplin dress and navy shorts
Red bow belt (sorry it's crooked in the pics)
Easy Spirit nude pumps
WHBM red snakeskin handbag

3-4. To take the kids to swim lessons and to the playground. It's basically jeans and a tank and ballet flats, but it still seems dressy to me.
Classiques Entier teal and black ruched tank
AG garnet snakeskin skinny jeans
Stuart Weitzman garnet ballet flats
Marc by Marc Jacobs Dotty Snake bag
Tahari black leather jacket

5. To a neighbor's backyard BBQ dinner. This one I was trying a waist surrender top like Rita suggested in my MOTG angst thread, but I wonder if it makes me look fat. Still felt overdressed compared to all the neighbors.
Tahari black leather jacket
Ella Moss grey and black peacock print top
Gap Always Skinny jeans
Stuart Weitzman black ballet flats
WHBM black pendant
Le Sak black purse (gift from sister)

What do you think? Still too dressy for MOTG, or to hell with the environmental norm as long as the clothes are comfortable?

I have been trying to update my apparently dated 90's bias cut skirts and we've been discussing what's dated or "out" in these threads:
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ted-or-out
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....t-the-norm
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....hion-grain
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....90s-skirts

Denise mentioned that she was also going to try to update one of her dated items. So I thought that would be a fun YLF challenge to open up to the group. Take your oldest or most dated item in your closet and see if you can rescue it by styling it with modern pieces and bring it up to date. How old is this item, when was the last time you wore it, and how do you feel wearing it now? Do you plan to keep it, or do you realize now that it's time to purge it and move on? Hopelessly non-salvageable dated items welcome too if you want to post just for laughs! If it's still in your closet, it's fair game!

Thanks for playing--I can't wait to see what you come up with!

PS I'm going to purge the brown skirt, but the blue ditsy floral and black/white/red geometric print patterns are staying in my closet, dated or not! :)