Graphic Pants

If you have been shopping lately, you probably noticed all of the graphic pants out there - some of the prints are really out there. I have been dying to try and find a way to wear them. Some of them look like pajama pants, or 'Hammer Pants' and I struggle to think what I have in my wardrobe that I could wear with them. Then last week at the Cardinals game, I saw someone who found a prefect pair. I'm not ready to ask strangers if I can take their photo and post to my blog, so I tried to re-create the outfit here. They were royal and white, diamond patterned pants (trust me I have scoured the internet looking for them - no luck), paired with a white T and red/orange cardigan. I mean red/orange just like the crayon - or maybe it is orange/red - either would work. Any gold jewelry and a gold sandal rounds this out perfectly. Kudos to you stranger at the Cards game!

The other tricky part about these crazy pants is the shape. I have seen wide legged, skinny, tapered, cropped, slouchy and more.  It seems the shape of the pants I like are called a 'track pant' by most designers. Kate Spade called some a 'lounge pant'. Most have an elastic waist and drawstring - which really I can't believe this is not the first time I'm endorsing an elastic waist in my short tenure as a style blogger. They are relaxed through the hip and thigh but still fit close to the body, and are tapered at the bottom - no droopy crotch. The material is usually silk, polyester or rayon blend so that it has a light, drapey fit. Here is another pair from Nordstorm I thought were super cute and pretty wearable.

I definitely would consider this style of pant a quick, passing trend. I wouldn't invest a ton of money on a pair as you might be tired of them in a year or two. But I think it is a great opportunity to have some FUN! 

Another alternative to this trend would be to pick a printed pant with a more traditional cut. I like the Pixie Pant at Old Navy. These have kind of a sweet, retro feel or you could go preppy like 2nd pair below from J.Crew. 

OR - just feed your craving for crazy pants with work out pants - those are everywhere with lots of price points!

Casual Friday Night

This one will be short and sweet. It is a relaxing Friday night, and I felt like wearing my favorite concert T and jeans. My first thought was that it wasn't a very 'fashionable' thing to share on the blog - but it is part of my style, and that is what this is all about. This T-shirt sports the name of my favorite band, The Avett Brothers, and so it is an authentic expression of me - and that is what style can be. My husband gave me this shirt for Christmas, which makes it even more special. I bought these jeans at a resale shop over 9 years ago for under $20. They are so soft and almost thread-bear in spots. There is something so satisfactory about wearing jeans until they develop holes. And while I love getting all gussied up, this is my husbands favorite look.  So while I don't wear this everywhere, it felt perfect for a night like tonight. 

Longing for a long dress

As I have mentioned before, I am short - barely 5'2". I am plagued this summer by the barrage of beautiful maxi dresses and printed, long knit skirts. Oh how I want them to fit and flatter me. But alas, they do not.  I know a touch dramatic but that is how it sounds in my head. I have tried. I think I have purchased 3 maxi dresses and have taken them all back. There was one I just couldn't part with so I had it shortened  - it is the navy print dress shown in this post. And therein lies part of the inspiration for this post. 

And here is the other part that lead to this post. I was checking out at a store and mentioned to the clerk how I just loved her long dress and how I wish I could wear them. She responded, 'I wish I could wear your dress but my butt would be showing." Touché. Maybe she was just being nice, but it made me look on the bright side. 

I am not saying that short people can't wear a long dress. I just don't like them on me - "It's not you, it's me." I have heard other shorties share my sentiments - this list was the first time I knew others agreed with me #32. Lol. I have seen 1 super stylish short friend pull it off - the dress had a tie at the waist, so I think that helped break up the column of fabric. 

You always have the option of making something work for you - like getting a maxi dress shortened. I will say you have to make sure it is not too billowy or they will have to take in the seams as well as take up the hem. 

I was wearing this short number during the story I mentioned. I picked up at Target about 2 years ago. I am being redundant with my printed dresses on this blog, but hey - it is about my style and short printed dresses are part of it!

Versatile Dressing with Dresses

Sometimes you look at an item and you just know - we are meant to be, it 'looks like me'. That is how I felt about this dress this instant I saw it at paperdolls - adorable boutique in St. Louis. Not only is it an amazing shape and fit, but it is so wearable. It is a "fit-and-flare" style dress which is one of my favorite shapes - fitted at the top and flared at the waist. There are varying degrees of the fit and the flare, but this classic shape dress is flattering on all body types. 

Not only do I love the shape of this dress, i love the print! Prints and patterns are everywhere this summer. When looking to add some to your wardrobe, pick ones that interest you and that you are drawn to (chevron is one of my favorite right now). Be careful not to overdo it with one type of print. You might find you are always drawn to polka dots and all the sudden you have 8 polka dot items in your wardrobe. Each item might be a great piece, but I like a little more variety. 

Show below I wore wedges, simple jewelry and a colored purse for date night, add a navy or white blazer and nude pumps for work, or cowboy boots and a denim jacket for a more casual look. Another casual options is to just throw on a cardigan and flip flops for daily wear. 

I verified through this shoot that I am not a model and Jason is very sweet, but not a professional photographer. I tried shooting the looks flat, but it just didn't do my new, favorite dress justice. So again bear with me while I post pictures of myself while I figure out the best way to showcase the clothes. 

Packing for Vacation

Well this weekend is the unofficial start to Summer and the vacation season, so I thought I would write a post about thoughtful packing. Some of you may hate packing but I love it! If feels like a fashion game of Tetris - how do I fit the perfect clothing items that all go together in 1 space? 

I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii earlier this year and it was my best packing story to date. We were there for 4 nights and for most of the events, the attire was labeled as "resort casual". 

First I started with 2 base colors/neutrals  - navy and white. Then I picked 2 accent colors - coral and mint. And if there was a third tier, it would have been 'print'. This allowed me to consolidate shoes and accessories. All shoes were metallic gold - flip flops, Sperrys, and wedges. And all of my jewelry was gold, coral or mint. 

The travel outfit must always be layer-able and super comfortable. I felt like a real jet setter in this picture. My travel outfit was white jeans, navy cami, navy/white pattern top, navy knit blazer and navy/white/yellow scarf. I was going from 20 degrees to 80 - so I was prepared to peel off the layers or add as needed. 

Here were the rest of the outfits - pictured below
Navy/Multi pattern skirt with mint top, coral jewelry, flip flops
Navy/White nautical dress, gold wedges
Denim chambray shirt (counts as navy)/White shorts/coral white swimsuit
Coral Dress, mint/coral jewelry, mint wrap/scarf, gold wedges
Navy/White polka dot shorts, white tank, mint jewelry, gold Sperrys
Navy Multi color print dress, mint wrap
Coral/White printed pants, navy tank, white sweater

I was also prepared with a black knit LBD (little black dress) if an event felt dressier than I was prepared for, and my gold wedges would have been okay for shoes. 

I almost had as much fun re-living this through my post as I did when I actually packed for this trip.

Now I do not get this involved with packing for a weekend trip or a family trip to the beach. BUT some of my same rules apply. I like everything to coordinate so I can mix and match. This gives me a lot of flexibility to create several outfits out of 1 batch of clothes. 

I hope you enjoy your summer vacation regardless of your outfits!! I of course am always most grateful just to BE on vacation with loved ones. 

Safe travels!

Goldie Locks and the 3 shorts

Ah shorts. Not one of my favorite things, but when it is 90+ and humid here you rarely have another choice. I usually prefer a cute, flowy skirt or sundress, but life and activities with kids doesn't always make those a practical choice.

The biggest problem I have found (post 3 children and over 30) is what is the appropriate AND flattering length ? This is where the Goldie Locks post title comes in - I often feel like her when looking for shorts - 'this pair is too short, this pair is too long, oh but this pair is just right! 

My favorite trend in shorts this year is all the fun prints!! It makes a basic short look more fun and can be a bit dressier. Stripes, polka dots, geometric and florals.

First I'll say that for my body type, I prefer a structured short. Any drawstring, pleat, silk or flowy short is out for me (that is just me - again if you like them on you that is wonderful). Length - Here is my rule for short shorts - if you bend over and can see your butt hanging out, they are too short.  Butt peak-age aside, if you have some kick ass legs and want to wear some short shorts - rock on with your bad self. 

The easiest way to evaluate shorts is by the inseam - most of the time it is listed on the shorts or in the description online. There is the 3" inseam - this might feel too short for some people. I am short (5'2" on my very best day) and so this length is okay for me, but the 5" inseam is a bit more comfortable depending on the day. Then the next step is the 7" inseam - harder to find, but Old Navy does have some - I imagine this might be to 'average height' people what the 5" is to me. And finally the 9-10" or official 'Bermuda'. I did buy a pair of these after kid #3 when I swore off shorts forever, and they have grown on me. When wearing the longer shorts, I like to balance it with super feminine pieces - like the tops I posted about yesterday . Or If paired with a blouse and cardigan and some flats I think it can have a cute, retro feel.  I would always prefer to wear a wedge or some elevated shoe with my shorts, but that is sometimes counter-intuitive to the reason I'm wearing shorts in the first place, like to go to the park with the kids. 

So join me and Goldie Locks this summer on our quest for the shorts that are 'just right'. 

First photo: Animal print and geometric print from INC at Macys, Orange polka dots Old Navy, and Blue Print The Limited. 

Second photo: white 3" (Target), navy 5" (Target), taupe 10" (Old Navy)

Printed 'Perfect' Tops

I did some 'personal shopping' with my mom today which was much overdue and very fun. We have been doing an overhaul of her wardrobe lately as she has shed quite a few LBs and looks great! A few weeks ago we got her all settled with bottoms - navy, black, and white Exact Stretch from the Limited (they carry PETITE ONLINE!!!) and of course several pairs of denim. But she was struggling with tops. Her closet looks full, but she was struggling with an 'everyday' top that wasn't a T-shirt. No disrespect to T-shirts of course, but sometimes you want to take it up a notch. 

I love to look for printed tops that can be worn casually or dressed up. We found this one for her today in the Nordstrom Petite department - only $38. I thought it was the perfect mix of pattern and interest. It is a striped knit and the flowers are on a sheer overlay that wears like a T-shirt. It looks like it could be a work of art! She did not like it at first, but once she tried it on - she loved it! (I always recommend trying on). 

For me this is one of those 'perfect shirts'. It can be worn with some black or denim capris for casual wear, a black skirt or skinny pants with heels and fancy jewelry for a night out, or with a black suit for work. You can choose to pull out the orange, purple, navy or black with your jewelry and accessories. 

These are two of my favorite tops in my wardrobe that fit this bill. I found them in the 'trendy' possible juniors section of TJMax and Marshalls. Don't be intimidated by the crop tops you will currently find there this season. If you like to hunt, this is a perfect place to find affordable, different pieces.  I have worn these with jeans and cowboy boots, skinny black dress pants with a jacket, and cotton shorts.