Nautical

Yep, I'm wearing this dress again.  I meant it when I said that I grab it every time I'm standing, clueless, in front of my closet.  Admittedly I wouldn't usually feature it twice in a row on my blog, but I wore it recently in this nautically-inspired outfit...and I wanted to participate in Andi and Laura's "Nautical Week" link-up today!

Nautical is a popular look right now and is perfect as we transition into summer with dreams of relaxing on a boat with the wind blowing through our hair.  Okay, maybe not the wind part as I will wind-up with a tangled puffball as a hairdo.  Anyways, nautical is pretty trendy right now.  I think that "nautical" can be pretty widely interpreted but here are a few style concepts that I associate with this trend: the color navy, anchor prints, boat shoes, and stripes.

These striped, espadrille flats are, to me, what makes this outfit nautical.  I picked them up on clearance for five dollars (!!) on a recent trip to Target.  They are so cute and comfy.  I have a feeling that these flats are going to be favorites this summer.

So, favorite basic dress + striped espadrilles = the foundation of this outfit.  The day I wore this, the weather was a little bit too chilly for a short-sleeved dress.  So, I decided to wear an open chambray for a little bit of extra warmth.  An open chambray is a great alternative when a denim jacket is too heavy!  The belt was a last minute detail because I thought it made the outfit a little bit more nautically.

Here are a few fun nautical pieces that I've found.  Are you on board (pun intended) with the nautical trend?

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Gap (similar, similar)
Chambray: Old Navy (similar, similar) 
Belt: Francesca's (similar, similar)
Shoes: Target (exact)

Linking-Up:
Because Shanna Said So- Random Wednesday
Just Another Smith and I Do DeClaire- Nautical Week

Pop of Pink

Every once in awhile you need a no-brainer outfit.  You know, for those mornings when you hit snooze a few too many times and just can't think of anything creative to wear.  This was one of those outfits for me!

The key to a no-brainer look, in my opinion, is having favorite basics with which to work.  You've seen this sweatshirt dress on me bunches of times and I still can't get enough!  It is comfy, can be for work or play, and is so basic that it is easily re-mixable.  Almost every single morning that I find myself staring vacantly at my closet, I end-up pulling out this dress.

Once I've got this dress on, the rest is easy...I grab a cardigan or jacket or blazer or tights or statement necklace...you catch my drift?  Today the spring weather called for my denim jacket and in order to add a pop of color, I threw-on my pink statement necklace.

What's the first piece you pull out of your closet when you are in a bind?

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: Gap (similar, similar)

Necklace: Francesca's (similar, similar)

Denim Jacket: Hand-Me-Down (similar, similar)

Shoes: Lindsay Philips (similar)

Linking-Up:

Basic Training Corporate Style- Fashionably Employed

Cha Cha the Fashion Genius and Pink Sole- #How I Summer

DC in Style- Monday Bloom

Elegance and Mommyhood and Life's A Party, Dress Like It- Stylish Tuesday

Fizz and Frosting- Mix It Monday

Greater Than Rubies- Remix, Rewear, Restyle: Pop of Color

I Would So Rock This

Style Elixir- Style Sessions

Winter Pastels

I don't know about you, but immediately after the holidays are over, I find myself ready for spring clothing.  I embrace the plaid, the cozy sweaters and the dark hues until January 2nd when I decide it's time for sundresses and bright colors.

I do, however, think that part of looking stylish is dressing appropriately for the weather and for the season.  "High School Whitney" was okay with wearing a skirt with bare legs in February because she thought it was cute.  "Grown-Up Whitney" thinks that "High School Whitney" looks a bit silly (and chilly)!  For this reason, I try to continually embrace winter clothing until the sun really does come out.  Also, I know that when the temperature rises, I'm going to miss layering a button-up under a sweater...so I might as well layer-up for as long as possible.

In order to embrace the inter weather while satisfying my need for something springy, I turn to pastel colors.  Pastels are often associated with springtime but I also think that they are a refreshing accent color during the colder seasons.  They brighten-up an outfit but they are still soft and serene, two feelings I associate with winter.

Blush pink has always been a favorite color of mine and I have been wearing an awful lot of it lately.  I just want to bury myself in this chunky, blush scarf!  Perfect for lightening-up an outfit while keeping warm!  Here I've layered it over my favorite comfy dress.  I'm also wearing patterned tights to add whimsical detail to a basic outfit.

How do you satisfy your craving for spring clothing while still staying warm?

What I'm Wearing:

• Dress: Gap (similar, similar)
• Scarf: Lou Lou (similar, similar)
• Tights: Anthropologie (similar, similar)
• Booties: Old Navy (exact)

Winter Layers

Today at Greater Than Rubies, Caitlin and a few other lovely ladies are showing you how to do cute winter layers!

When I wake-up for work on freezing winter mornings, the last thing I feel like putting on is a dress!  Brrrr!  However, I am slowly convincing myself that a dress can be the coziest thing to throw-on.  Just add a few winter layers and you will look warm and cute all day!

First of all, this dress is the texture of a sweatshirt...perfect for staying comfy and cozy.  Adding a patterned long-sleeved shirt under a sleeveless or short-sleeved dress is a way to add warmth and interest to an outfit.

I recently purchased a couple pairs of fleece-lined tights from Target and I think they might actually be warmer than some of my pants!  Add a pair of these to your layered dress look and you won't even feel the winter chill!  (I can attest to this because I survived the sleet/fleezing rain/wintery mix in mine this weekend.)

For a little winter glamour, I've added a glitzy necklace and some sequined flats.  In my opinion, sparkle always adds to an outfit...particularly during the holidays!

What I'm Wearing:

• Dress: Gap (exact)
• Shirt: Banana Republic (similar, similar)
• Necklace: Lou Lou (similar, similar)
• Bracelets: Alex and Ani (exact, exact)
• Tights: Target (exact)
• Flats: France (similar, similar)

Better than a Sweatshirt

This ensemble is my answer to those chilly, lazy mornings when you still want to look put together!

My primary motivation in starting Whitney à la mode was to motivate myself and to hold myself accountable for dressing more fashionably.  One area where I have always struggled with looking put together has been with comfy clothes.  Before discovering personal style blogs, my go-to outfit on lazy mornings was a sweatshirt and jeans.  While there is absolutely nothing wrong with sweatshirts, I have been trying to step up my game!

I love this outfit because it is as comfortable as a sweatshirt while looking like I put a little bit of thought into my clothing.  The key to this ensemble is an extremely comfy dress!  Then I just added cozy layers until the look was completed.

What I'm Wearing:

• Dress: Gap (exact)
• Scarf: Vacation souvenir (similar, similar)
• Jacket: Pimkie (similar, similar)
• Tights: In France (similar, similar)
• Booties: Old Navy (exact)

Linking-up for Third Thursday Threads!