Tag: Leopard

Neutral Layers

On By all dolled upIn Michael Kors, Nordstrom Rack, Outfit Ideas, Uncategorized6 Comments

Sometimes dressing to go out in the evening can be a bit tricky this time of year.  The days are warm enough to get away with tanks and tees, but the evenings cool down just enough to ensure that some sort of jacket or layer is necessary.   And while I love blazers and cardigans (of course), it gets a little boring to always fall back on one of those options.  So what else is there?

In the fall, my go to layering piece is usually a black leather jacket.  I don’t have a super “girly” style, so I love the idea of pairing a rough-and-tumble piece back to something a little more sweet.  But alas, my black leather jackets feel a little heavy for this time of year, which got me thinking.  What about a neutral colored leather jacket?  Something a little lighter to fit the season?

Well thank goodness for my job!  I was at a meeting in one of my stores, and just happened to see it-a neutral colored, shrunken lamb leather jacket.  And I knew on the spot it was the perfect piece to add to my collection to give me a fresh new layering option for cool nights out on the town.  And even more than that, it’s a jacket that will also be perfect when summer fades to fall…

Cat Eye Sunglasses:  Jessica Simpson via Ross

Gold Hammered Earrings:  Street Vendor in San Francisco

Leather Jacket:  Guess via Macy’s (sold out online)

Chiffon Flower Petal Top:  Bohme (SLC Boutique)

Belt:  American Eagle

Red Skinnies:  Else by Joe’s Jeans via Macy’s (sold out online)

Tortise and Gold Watch:  Michael Kors via Nordstrom

Bracelets:  Tiffany

Leopard Wedges:  Aldo (sold out online)

And while it was a little bit of a splurge, I am so happy I decided to add this jacket to my wardrobe.  I have already gotten a lot of use out of it, and know that I will continue to do so once the summer months have passed and fall is upon us.  Black is always in, but neutrals are a great way to change things up and an excellent staple to pair back to pretty much anything, including red pants and leopard shoes! 🙂

Happy Monday!

xx

Let’s Talk About Leopard

On By all dolled upIn Outfit Ideas1 Comment

I LOVE animal prints (and when I say love, I mean LOVE).  As I have talked about in previous posts, they can be a great neutral due to their grounding colors, but because they are a print, they also have the ability to create an element of interest and creativity. As a matter of fact, I use them frequently in both home decor and in fashion.  But the print that has really drawn me in as of late is leopard-and even more specifically, leopard shoes.  I have actually collected a small assortment of them over the last couple of months, and due to the variation in style and color, I use each pair for different intents and purposes (you can catch a peek of a couple of them in my shoe closet shown here).   

So when my best gal pals were visiting a couple of weeks ago and I picked up a fun new yellow blazer on our marathon shopping spree, I knew immediately it would look amazing with a pair of boyfriend jeans and (of course) sky-high leopard heels.  And one thing you will find if you follow this blog, or look at my Pinterest boards, is that I am a sucker for the mix of a beat up baggy jean with a more sophisticated heel and blazer.  In fact, when you combine all of these things together, there are a very wide breadth of occasions where an outfit like this would be appropriate:  brunch, errands, lunch date, a movie, or even a casual dinner with the hubby or friends.  Spunky, yet casual and sophisticated-definitely right up my alley.  🙂

Blazer:  Forever21(recent)

Gold Foil Striped Top:  JCrew (last fall)

Boyfriend Jeans:  Rich and Skinny c/o Nordstrom

Leopard Shoes:  Steve Madden c/o Macy’s

Necklace:  H&M (last summer)

Watch:  Michael Kors c/o Nordstrom Rack

Bracelets:  Macy’s, H&M, and World Market

One of the reasons that I picked this specific leopard shoe to complete this outfit over any of my other options is because the tone of this particular leopard shoe is very warm and compliments the warm tone of the yellow blazer and gold foil stripes on my top.  Some of my other leopard shoes were too cool in their coloration to work with this look.  So with that taken into consideration, the possibilities of what you can do with leopard are not only pretty endless, but a whole lot of fun.

xx

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

On By all dolled upIn Outfit Ideas, Uncategorized2 Comments

I was a really, really good little girl-and that is not an exaggeration.  In fact I was often teased by my peers and called a goody-goody-two-shoes, a brown-noser, and  the teacher’s pet (which was probably true).  And of course it all seemed so horrible at the time, but in hindsight, I am proud that I was indeed all of those things growing up!!  However, none of us are perfect and I of course had my challenging moments, just like any other kiddo. 

In fact, my beloved grandma loves to tell a story about me when I was in the 3rd grade and visiting her in Detroit with my family.   She and my mom had taken me shopping, and while I have always been opinionated about what I like to wear, for whatever reason, that opinion reached a fever pitch during this particular outing.  My grandma wanted to buy me a Polly Flanders dress-white with pink and lots and lots of ruffles and smocking.  She and my mom thought I looked ADORABLE in it and both ranted and raved in the fitting room about how excited they were for me to have it.  I, however, was not convinced.  And so, when my mom left the fitting room, my grandmother said I looked her squarely in the eyes and said “You can buy that dress for me, grandma, but I won’t wear it.”  And oh the drama that ensued.  To this day, my grandmother still laughs as she relives the shock she felt when her sweet little Abigail uttered those defiant words to her.  But in the end, as I was a spoiled first-born grandchild and had previously done no wrong, ended up getting the dress that I wanted that day-a purple dress with white polka dots, and some really cute leggings to match.  And as a budding fashionista who knew what she wanted from a very young age, it ended up being one of my favorite outfits during my 3rd grade era.   So when I was at the Rack a couple of weeks ago and saw this cute polka dot number, I knew I had to have it in memorandum of that infamous day…

Sunglasses:  Cole Haan c/o Nordstrom Rack

Dress:  c/o Nordstrom Rack

Leopard Belt:  Express (still in stores!)

Mustard Cardigan :  H&M

Leggings:  c/o Nordstrom Rack

Shoes:  Jessica Simpon c/o Macy’s

Watch:  Michael Kors c/o Macy’s

Necklaces:  Tiffany, and my personal collection of charms

Many people reflect on defining moments in their life and as I look back, I can’t help but think that maybe the incident with my grandma and the Polly Flanders dress was perhaps my defining fashion moment.  But whatever the case, I still love polka dots-so am thrilled that they are back with a vengeance this season.  And as you may recall, I talked about chambray being one of the new neutrals of the season a couple of posts back, well, leopard is the other-which is why I selected a leopard belt to accessorize this dress.  It might seem busy, but leopard really goes with anything due to its neutral coloration.  Plus a leopard scarf, belt, shoe, or bag is a really great way to spruce up an outfit without having to put forth much effort.

Here’s to dressing in what makes us happy!!

xx

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