practically stylish
  • practically stylish
  • pursuit of practical style
  • contact
  • bread and flowers

lovely layers

12/16/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Ann Taylor Ruffle Tiered Skirt $69.99
Pair with a black sweater and tights. For a daytime date look, pair with black riding boots and for evening, slip into a metallic pump. The best part is that this skirt is light enough to be worn year-round so you can pull it out for the next June wedding you're invited to attend.
Picture
Ann Taylor Pleated Satin Clutch $115
Add soft layers to any outfit that needs a little bit of pizzazz. It doesn't take a lot to make a big impact, so let the tiers speak for themselves and keep your accessories sparse and streamlined. Happy layering!
Winter is all about layering up-we put tees underneath our sweaters and cardigans over our dresses. But in the heavy layers, we forget about the delicate ones.

Today will be all about fun and flirty layers in unexpected pieces. Pair with clean lines and neutral colors for a fun and easy holiday look or for date night.
Picture
LOFT Tiered Shell $49.50
Picture
WHBM Tiered Pencil Skirt $118
Picture
Ann Taylor Cap Sleeve Peplum Dress $168
Picture
WHBM Ecru Tiered Shell $68
Picture
Banana Republic Sparkle Chandelier Earring $45
Picture
Banana Republic Mara Dot Lace Top $49.50
Wear with jeans and a winter white cardigan for a lunch out with your friends or tuck into a grey skirt for a chic work to evening look. Plus, this dot overlay top will find a whole new life this summer when paired with brightly colored shorts or cropped pants.
Picture
WHBM Tiered Fringe Dress $120
0 Comments

jane's closet part eight: the oxford

12/15/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Everyone has a few oxfords in the back of their closet. Maybe you wear one regularly to work or perhaps it is only in there as part of your interviewing suit. But what about wearing one just because?

We were winding down our style session when my mom grabbed this striped oxford out of her closet and asked me to put an outfit together that "wasn't so preppy." To be honest, my first thought was, "Well, it's an oxford. Of course it is going to preppy." But I really don't like to admit defeat so I cheerfully agreed.

She bought this shirt because she loved the pattern of the stripe (which unfortunately my photography skills did not capture well) so I didn't want to cover it up. My first instinct with an oxford is to layer something over it, usually a v-neck pullover sweater, however that minimized the visibility of the pattern and was also deemed by my mom as "still pretty preppy."

I eventually ended up pairing the shirt with a pair of plum trousers and a moto-chic vest in a thick sweater material to bring in contrast both with color and with style. The outfit was not quite as casual as I had initially hoped, but it would be appropriate for dinner with friends or for a business casual events.

Other ways to wear oxfords:

-Wear untucked with a pair of skinny jeans and riding boots. Layer a brightly colored cami underneath and unbutton the oxford so it shows.

-Tuck a solid oxford into your favorite casual skirt and layer a striped sweater over it. Pair with tights and boots.

-Tuck into a colored pair of pants and accessorize with a metallic belt (worn through the belt loops.) Cuff the sleeves, add a sparkly necklace and slip into some comfy heels!

1 Comment

jane's closet part seven: embellished skirt

12/14/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sometimes you try on a piece when you're out shopping and it looks fantastic and fits like it was designed only for you...but you have no idea what to wear with it. Unless it is a very trendy piece, I suggest buying it and figuring out the rest of the outfit later.

This skirt has great embellishment that shouldn't be covered up, so the solution was to find (mostly) long sleeve blouses that could be tucked in yet still provide some coverage on the arms.

Tucking in an oxford (far right) is a great look for the office, a sleeveless shell (middle) is fun for dinner & drinks and a patterned blouse (left) is the answer for every occasion in between!


Picture
Picture
0 Comments

jane's closet part six: cardigans

12/13/2012

0 Comments

 
PictureLunch with friends

I have a slight obsession with cardigans. I wear one almost every day and I even have "lounge" cardigans that I wear with my sweatpants. In my opinion, there is no fashion crisis that can't be fixed with a cardigan.

Every wardrobe should have a few cardigans in it. The three cardigans highlighted in these outfits showcase a healthy variety- one dressy cardigan; one basic, solid-colored cardigan; and one printed cardigan. Armed with those three pieces you will be able to add polish and pizzazz to almost anything.

Cardigans are also a great way to get additional use out of your sleeveless blouses during the colder months. The tops in these outfits are all sleeveless and because of that my mom was rarely wearing them. Instead of thinking about cardigans covering up a shell, I like to think of them as complementing the entire outfit.

Picture
Church to brunch
Cardigans I Love Now:

Ann Taylor Deco Trellis Print Cardigan $78

Banana Republic Velvet Trim Merino Cardigan $69.50

WHBM Sequined Sweater Jacket $148

J. Crew Tippi Cardigan $49.99-$85

Lands' End Rhinestone Cardigan $34.99
Picture
Monday morning meeting
Picture
Desk to dinner
Banana Republic Lace Front Cardigan $89.50

Ann Taylor Ruched Front Cardigan $78

LOFT Sequin Diamond Print Cardigan $54.50

Gap Eversoft Thermal Knit Cardigan $59.95

LOFT Colorblocked Cardigan $54.50
0 Comments

jane's closet part five: sparkle

12/12/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
My mom got this beautiful grey sparkly top for my cousin's wedding almost a decade ago and has only worn it that one time. The problem? She is worried that this top is too fancy for the events she has going on in her life. Solution: layer with neutrals and soft cardigans and, most importantly, never feel ashamed about getting dressed up and looking great!

Both of these outfits are still dressy, but are very appropriate for a nice dinner out or an evening at the theatre. This is a great alternative to throwing on a dress, especially since the shirt accessorizes itself (just add a sparkly stud earring)!

In the photo to the left, I paired the shell with a grey dolman sleeve cardigan (look for details like this satin tie) and a pair of winter white trousers for a look that is both cozy as well as evocative of the snow and ice outside. If you have a holiday cocktail party this season, you'll wow the room in this, plus your legs will be much warmer than all the women in dresses.

The outfit to the right is a modern take on a Christmas suit. Every year in late November women come into the store I work in looking for a bright red Christmas skirt suit. That is a beautiful and classic look, but no one wants to be wearing the same thing is holidays photos from year to year! The photo is a little bit dark (I'm still working on my photography skills!) but I paired dark plum trousers with a dark plum cardigan to make the grey shell the center of attention. This cardigan has some detailing to it, including a small sparkly top button which added an additional bit of whimsy to the outfit. If plum isn't your color, pick another deep jewel tone and make your own personalized holiday suit!

Picture
Like this? Get the look:

WHBM Jacquard Filigree Top $94
INC Pailette Tank in Silver $43.99
LOFT Lace Overlay Shell $49.50
1 Comment
<<Previous
Forward>>
    Tweets by @practicalstyl

    RSS Feed

    Visit Practically Stylish's profile on Pinterest.

    categories

    All
    12 Days Of Holiday Parties
    Accessories
    Athletic Wear
    Beauty
    Birchbox
    Blogher
    Books
    Casually Stylish
    Cold Weather Wardrobe
    DIY
    Emily's Closet
    Evening Chic
    Fabulous Shoes
    Fall Essentials
    Fashionable Food
    Fashion Finds
    Gift Guide
    Guide To Elegance
    Halloween
    Holiday
    Inspiration
    Jane's Closet
    Key Pieces
    Men's Fashion
    Nautical Inspired
    Office Attire
    Ootd
    Outerwear
    Outfit Guide
    Packing Tips
    Polyvore
    Q&A
    Review
    Room For Debate
    Shopping Tips
    Spring Style
    Style At Home
    Style Tips
    The 10 Basics
    The 10 Basics
    Warm Weather Wardobe
    Wedding Season
    What To Wear
    Work To Weekend
    YouTube

    Picture
    Picture

    archives

    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly