T-MINUS FIVE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! And I'm just a little bit excited, can you tell? Christmas is always my favorite day of the year but the holiday season this year shines a little bit brighter because it's the first my boyfriend and I are spending together.
We are fortunate that three out of the four sets of family we are spending time with this weekend live in the same town. But that does mean lots of time popping in between houses and the car. In this snowy Michigan weather, practical shoes are a must and a fun winter hat make a white Christmas a little bit easier. A sparkly reindeer tee and an evergreen sweater help me to feel festive for the holiday!
Looking for some more Christmas Day outfit inspiration! Make sure to visit the other ladies participating in The Holiday Series!
Showing posts with label riding boots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label riding boots. Show all posts
Dec 20, 2017
Feb 24, 2017
Create28: Boots Boots Boots
The title of this post should really be, "Boots and Wrinkles."
Well friends, this is what I look like after a day of teaching! I really do wear all of the outfits I feature here on the blog. Most of the time I attempt to photograph them before I wear them but sometimes life says otherwise. Oh well, this is me, wrinkles and all!
I'm really happy that Carrie and I included boots in one of our Create28 prompts. These riding boots are some all-time favorites of mine but I'm finding that they are getting less love this year. This challenge gave me the perfect reason to pull them out of hiding.
I combined the boots with some other old classics, my chambray dress and cognac bow belt, to create a look that I actually love! Isn't it funny how a new combination can make you fall in love with pieces all over again?!
How are you wearing your boots this winter? Show us on Instagram (#create28winter17)! And pop back tomorrow to see how Carrie styles camo!
Feb 22, 2017
Create28 and New Year Styled: Outerwear
Outerwear, for so many of us, it's a necessary part of the winter season! So why not have fun with it?! At this very time last year, I talked about ways to to jazz-up your favorite coat with different cold-weather accessories. Since I'm all about the remixing lately and it's still winter here in Michigan (although you would hardly know it with the warm temperatures this week), I'm featuring a new way to style the same coat!
This time around, I went for a monochromatic look using a marled purple scarf and patterned mittens that I bought in Iceland. This is definitely a more elegant look that I would wear perhaps to a nice restaurant or to a show!
Are you stuck wearing outerwear for months and months? What's your favorite way to make the most of it?
And if you are here for New Year Styled with The Blended Blog, make sure to link-up below. Come back tomorrow to see the chic way that Carrie is wearing leggings!
Jan 11, 2017
New Year Styled: Utility Vest + Link-Up
Military vest? Utility vest? Cargo vest? Regardless of what you call it, this was one of my first blog-inspired purchases. When I first started reading style blogs, I will admit to buying many items because I wanted to be just like the bloggers who inspired me. Most of those purchases have since been donated but this vest is here to stay! It really has been a great layering and point of interest piece to add to outfits. I'm still so happy that I purchased mine in this pretty purple color instead of the traditional olive green because it is very me.
I usually wear this vest with neutral combinations. A great example of a typical outfit featuring the vest is this ensemble that I wore this exact week but last year!
For my New Year Styled challenge with The Blended Blog this week, I wanted to do something a little bit different than I've done before. So I added color! I started by finding a scarf that went well with the vest and built my outfit from there. I'm so pleased with the results. I think this is one of my favorite outfits I've created recently!
How are you styling your new year? Are you enjoying the seasons latest trends or are you remixing what you've got? I would love for you to link-up with us below!
What I'm Wearing:
Sweater: Target (similar)
Vest: Eddie Bauer (similar)
Scarf: American Eagle (similar)
Jeans: American Eagle (exact)
Boots: Nordstrom (similar)
Nov 21, 2016
Comfy and Cute for Thanksgiving
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away?! What are your plans for the holiday? Are you spending it with family or perhaps a group of friends? Are your gatherings a bit more formal or super casual? And do you know what you're wearing yet??
My Thanksgiving celebration will be a bit different than usual this year. My sister, niece and brother-in-law will be with his side of the family so it will just be my mom, dad and me indulging in the feast! I'm thinking that since we are having a mini-Thanksgiving, we will be dressing very casually (I'm hoping for leggings and a tunic), but normally we get a little bit dressed-up for the occasion!
If your family dines more formally for Thanksgiving, this is the perfect dress! The fit is what does it for me! It skims the body so you don't look like you're wearing a sack but it's loose and soft enough to accommodate the inevitable stuffed belly. Not to mention the pretty, burgundy color is perfect for the holiday season! But do you know what I love the best? The scallop detailing on the sleeves and hem. It takes a basic, comfy dress up a notch! I'm wearing my typical size medium and it fits perfectly! You can purchase your very own holiday dress from Shein for an amazing price. Seriously, you will have plenty moolah left over for Christmas shopping! Or maybe you can find gifts for your favorite gals at Shein!
What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Shein (exact)
Scarf: Cotton On (similar)
Tights: Nordstrom (similar)
Boots: Nordstrom (similar)
SaveSaveSave
My Thanksgiving celebration will be a bit different than usual this year. My sister, niece and brother-in-law will be with his side of the family so it will just be my mom, dad and me indulging in the feast! I'm thinking that since we are having a mini-Thanksgiving, we will be dressing very casually (I'm hoping for leggings and a tunic), but normally we get a little bit dressed-up for the occasion!
If your family dines more formally for Thanksgiving, this is the perfect dress! The fit is what does it for me! It skims the body so you don't look like you're wearing a sack but it's loose and soft enough to accommodate the inevitable stuffed belly. Not to mention the pretty, burgundy color is perfect for the holiday season! But do you know what I love the best? The scallop detailing on the sleeves and hem. It takes a basic, comfy dress up a notch! I'm wearing my typical size medium and it fits perfectly! You can purchase your very own holiday dress from Shein for an amazing price. Seriously, you will have plenty moolah left over for Christmas shopping! Or maybe you can find gifts for your favorite gals at Shein!
What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Shein (exact)
Scarf: Cotton On (similar)
Tights: Nordstrom (similar)
Boots: Nordstrom (similar)
SaveSaveSave
Oct 12, 2016
Styling Fall Boots with the Blended Blog
Hey, ladies! I'm fresh off of a spectacular weekend spent celebrating the wedding of a dear friend from high school! There is something about spending time with the people who truly get you that is so very good for the soul. I feel blessed to have stood by Michelle for this momentous occasion in her life. On top of that, the San Antonio weather was delightful, I felt beautiful in my bridesmaid dress and I got to meet Carrie in real life! Talk about good for the soul! Meeting Carrie felt like a long-needed catch up between two old friends...like we've known each other forever. I'm happy to call her a real friend now!
After all of the activity of the weekend and missing the first two days of school this week, I'm totally taken aback that it is already Wednesday and time for the next installment of the October Style Series with The Blended Blog! Please head over that way to see how a few of our lovely contributors are styling their fall boots!
I didn't have time to take outfit photos this weekend but I have assembled a few posts featuring my must-have boots for the chilly weather! These have all been staples in my wardrobe for the last couple of years and I don't see that changing any time soon! Click on the title for each picture to be taken back to the original post!
After all of the activity of the weekend and missing the first two days of school this week, I'm totally taken aback that it is already Wednesday and time for the next installment of the October Style Series with The Blended Blog! Please head over that way to see how a few of our lovely contributors are styling their fall boots!
I didn't have time to take outfit photos this weekend but I have assembled a few posts featuring my must-have boots for the chilly weather! These have all been staples in my wardrobe for the last couple of years and I don't see that changing any time soon! Click on the title for each picture to be taken back to the original post!
Bean Boots
What are your cool-weather boot essentials? And which look is your favorite? Don't forget to link-up your fall style below!
Nov 9, 2015
Mauve Sweater Pinned It and Did It + Link-Up
I think I might be a pin hoarder. I love pinning cute outfits, fun decorating ideas and delicious-looking recipes on Pinterest but then forget to actually use them! For that reason, I love this "pinned it and did it" prompt that Carrie, Casey and I use every once in awhile. It urges me to actually make use of all that amazing inspiration I so fervently pin!
I've had this muted, cozy look pinned on my "Cool Weather Clothes" board for ages! I created this board with pins that I can already recreate using pieces hanging in my closet. I knew that my textured mauve sweater would be a good stand-in for the chunky blush cardigan in the photo!
While I think I did a pretty good job recreating the pinned outfit with what I have, I still like the inspiration look better! I wish my grey tee were a little bit more muted and my cardigan a bit longer. Plus it probably doesn't help that I feel that my white jeans don't fit super well.
In any case, I'm so happy that I finally tried this outfit for myself! And I won't go deleting the pin anytime soon, maybe someday I'll have a few new pieces in my closet that will help me get a little bit closer to that inspiration!
What I'm Wearing:
Tee: Everlane (exact fit)
Cardigan: LOFT (similar)
Mar 10, 2014
Less is Truly More
Last weekend I did something that I thought would be really difficult but in the end feels oh so good...I cleaned-out my closet! Over the course of the school year, I've been weeding-out pieces a little at a time...but one look at my closet would have told you that I had way too many clothes. When you have way too many clothes, you sometimes run out of hangers and the clothing piles start to grow. Basically, I just could not keep things organized. And you know that I wasn't even wearing the majority of what I owned!
The time had come for a clothing purge! I am so fortunate that my best friend from Michigan came to visit me and was willing to help with the endeavor. I think that I was so fed-up with my closet situation that I had an easier time than usual parting with my clothes. I said "au revoir" to approximately half of my wardrobe! Here are some tips that I have for a successful closet clean-out:
1. Enlist a friend to help! Sometimes we have a special place in our hearts for a piece of clothing and are therefore blind to the fact that this particular skirt is no longer stylish (and hasn't been for some time). You need a friend to set you straight!
2. If you are feeling unsure, get rid of it! There were several pieces that I debated back and forth about. Ultimately I decided that if the decision is that hard, then I obviously don't love it and I don't need it!
3. Look for duplicates. So my dear friend pointed-out to me that I probably don't need two Lakeshore High School Cheerleading sweatshirts from the early 2000s for nostalgia purposes. One would really do the trick. And that goes for anything! Do you need two chambray shirts? Probably not. Clear-out some space for new and unique pieces by getting rid of duplicates.
4. Out of sight, out of mind. If you are really struggling to part with your things, stick them in a bag or box and then hide them in the basement or in a coat closet (someplace where you won't be constantly reminded of them). Wait a few months, if you haven't gone to dig-out that sequined mini-skirt from college, then it's time to say goodbye. And my guess is that you will forget that mini-skirt even exists!
5. Reorganize. While your wardrobe is splayed across your bedroom, take the time to reorganize what you do decide to keep. You will feel like you are looking at a brand new closet! In my efforts to reorganize, I purchased some Huggable Hangers (I've heard good things about these babies). I'm looking forward to having a more uniform look in my closet and to the space that these hangers will save.
I really encourage you to follow these tips and to clean-out your closet. I cannot tell you how much better I feel about my wardrobe now! I believe that I now wear 100% of what I own. I can actually see all of my clothes in my closet. And oddly, with less clothing, I feel less inclined to go shopping because I better understand what I have and how it works.
When I have completely converted to Huggable Hangers, I will post some pictures of my newly organized closet!
Also, I'm planning to sell much of what I decided to get rid of but I'm a newbie to the world of consignment clothing. Do any of you have any tips, tricks or advice about getting the most for your clothes?
This outfit features a colored cardigan that I love that had been lost in the abyss of my crowded closet. I'm so excited to wear it more frequently now! The color and the length of the sleeves are perfect for the approaching spring weather.
This animal-print dress is a fun, neutrally-colored piece that I can pair with a multitude of colored cardigans and blazers. Plus, it will look cute on it's own this summer with a pair of colorful flats.
What I'm Wearing:
Tights: Target (similar)
Linking-Up With:
Because Shanna Said So- Random Wednesday
BonBon Rose Girls- Monday Mingle
The Brandied Pair- Sit-Down Style Sessions Link-Up
DC in Style- Monday Bloom
Fizz and Frosting- Mix It Monday
Greater Than Rubies- Remix, Rewear, Restyle Theme: Colored Cardigans
Style Elixir- Style Sessions
Feb 26, 2014
When it Fits Just Right
In early January, I wrote this post about my style resolutions for the new year and I wanted to give you a little update. One of the reasons I started Whitney à la mode was to hold myself accountable for dressing more stylishly...so I might as well hold myself accountable to those resolutions, too!
While I haven't devoted much time to cleaning-out my closet, I have been more more conscious of clothing convenience and fit! Everything I have purchased since the beginning of the year has been machine washable, no ironing necessary, and it all FITS! I know, I know, all of my clothes fit. But I mean that my new clothes really fit! You'll know that an item is perfect for you when you don't have to fidget and you just feel so good! I truly believe that attention to this detail will take an outfit from cute to wow!
This dress is an example of a perfect fit! I purchased it during a trip to the Gap Outlet with a couple of girlfriends. I knew from the moment I zipped it up that I felt good in it. It flatters my pear-shaped body by highlighting my waist and flowing over my derrière and legs. I love the stunning cobalt color and the animal print is fun without being too overwhelming.
I also think that this dress will be fun to remix! Adding different blazers, cardigans, belts, tights and shoes will be an easy way to change-up the look. Further, it layers nicely with tights for the winter but it will also be cute on its own when the temperature rises (soon, we can only hope)!
What were your New Year's resolutions? Have you kept up with them?
What I'm Wearing:
Feb 3, 2014
Blush
Good morning. I hope that you are having a cozy Monday! I sure am, in my favorite blush pink scarf! Obviously I just can't get enough of this lovely layer. It has been so cold here and this scarf is just so thick and warm.
In a recent post, I mentioned my long-standing love for the color blush pink. My desire to wear this rosey hue has been really strong lately. Fortunately, my mom gave this beautiful, blush dress to me for Christmas. I absolutely LOVE it! I feel like this dress is perfect representation of my personality. Do you have any favorite pieces that are so totally you?
The only reason I thought to pair this scarf with this dress is that I really wanted to wear both on the same day and I couldn't choose between the two. I typically wear scarves with accent colors that stand-out from my ensemble but I really like the way this monochromatic look turned-out. The scarf added sparkle and texture without taking away from the pretty details of the dress. In wearing this outfit, I learned that keeping things monochromatic while playing with texture can be a fun way to spice-up an ensemble.
What I'm Wearing:
- Dress: Gift (similar, similar)
- Scarf: Lou Lou (similar, similar)
- Watch: Gift (exact)
- Tights: Target (similar)
- Boots: Piperlime (similar, similar)
Linking-up for Remix, Rewear, Restyle: Scarves at Great Than Rubies!
Oct 15, 2013
Accidentally Trendy
Have you ever purchased something just because you liked it...and then discovered that it is all the rage? Well, that's how I feel about this skirt! In an effort to incorporate more skirts into my wardrobe, I bought this gorgeous cobalt one during a recent J.Crew Factory sale. From the day it arrived at my doorstep (gotta love online shopping), I noticed this skirt popping-up all over blogs like Because Shanna Said So, Anne in Residence, and Undergraduate Style.
This is my first time wearing the skirt but I'm already dreaming of the remixing possibilities! It is made of thick, high-quality material and the elastic waistband makes it super comfy. The only downside I've discovered is that the skirt is dry clean only. Otherwise, it's a great buy and I'm considering purchasing other colors!
I wore this outfit while continuing to explore Reykjavik, Iceland. Throughout the course of one day, I wore this ensemble with my riding boots, my Target booties and my leopard-print flats...the outfit looked cute with all three! I'm sorry that I was too busy vacationing to snap pictures with the other pairs of shoes!
And just for your enjoyment, here is a picture of my LEAST stylish look while in Iceland!
What I'm Wearing (NOT including the dry suit):
- Shirt: J.Crew (similar, similar)
- Skirt: J.Crew Factory (exact)
- Necklace: Gift (similar, similar)
- Tights: Don't remember (similar)
- Boots: Piperlime (similar, similar)
Today I'm linking-up for Style Sessions at Style Elixir!
Sep 6, 2013
Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Skirt Edition
I have been having so much fun with the Fall Capsule Wardrobe Remix on Caitlin's blog, Greater than Rubies! For this remix, I am creating 30 fall-friendly ensembles from 20 clothing items. I believe that I have previously mentioned my love of autumn which definitely extends into a love for fall clothes! Even though it is still too warm in the Washington D.C. area to wear most of these outfits, I find myself counting down the days until I can comfortably wear my mustard sweater and my new riding boots.
I have found that it is easier than I expected to put together so many outfits from 20 items of clothing (remind me of this moment when I'm stuck on my 29th outfit). For this reason I chose to focus this post on five outfits created with the two skirts that I included in my remix. Further, due to the bare legs, I figure that I might be able to wear these outfits a little sooner than my other fall creations. When it (finally) gets cooler, I can easily add tights to each outfit.
You will recognize my navy and white print skirt from this post. As my favorite summer skirt, I am super excited that it works well in cooler weather creations.
Here I paired my favorite skirt with a mustard striped sweater. I used to think that I couldn't wear yellow due to my fair skin. I liked the mustard trend so well, though, that I decided to try it anyway...and it worked! If there is a particular style you like but don't think you can wear, don't write it off just yet. You owe it to yourself to at least try it! If it still doesn't work, try to make minor adjustments until it works for you (for example, try different shades of yellow instead of mustard). To complete my outfit, I added my beautiful, new riding boots that I got for a great deal (that's what happens when you combine birthday coupons with purchasing boots at the end of May...).
Side note: I locked myself out of my apartment while taking these photos which is not so much fun when you are wearing a sweater in 90 degree weather. My neighbor probably thinks I'm nuts.
This outfit is a bit more transitional from summer to fall with its loose eyelet top and patterned wedges. Some chunky and sparkly jewelry add a bit of a glamorous touch!
This is an exact outfit from my previously mentioned "One Piece Many Ways" post. It is perfect for work as a teacher and I am STILL waiting on that cooler weather to wear it!
On to the second skirt! I like that this green number has an entirely different shape from the first skirt. The differences between the two make for more versatile remixing options.
I think that the blue and green in this outfit compliment each other so well and that the button-up with the a-line skirt create a polished silhouette! With my sassy, new booties and a glamorous necklace, I'm feeling good!
Phew! We've made it to the last outfit of the post! Are you still there? This shirt is another purchase from my infamously successful outlet trip in August. I love the colors because they work with just about every bottom I own! By adding the denim jacket, I'm ready for cooler temperatures!
Now if only those temperatures would actually cool down!
What I'm Wearing:
- Navy Print Skirt: Target (similar, similar, similar)
- Green Skirt: Banana Republic (similar, similar)
- Mustard Sweater: Banana Republic (similar, similar)
- Boots: Piperlime (exact)
- Amber Necklace: Gift (similar, similar)
- Pink Top: Gap Outlet (similar, similar)
- Wedges: Gift (similar, similar)
- Necklace: Gift (similar, similar)
- Bracelet: Forever 21 (similar, similar)
- Chambray Shirt: Old Navy (similar, similar)
- Belt: Eastern Market D.C. (similar, similar)
- Heels: DSW (similar, similar)
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