Ensemble du Jour: 11-16-10

Hey look!  I'm feeling better so I actually took a picture with my face it in.  Oh, yeah.  hello new hair!

I just used my camera phone so I didn't get a shot of the full outfit, but basically I've been wearing my new Gap black pants like every other day, so whatevs.

The cardigan is a Merona one with a black cami underneath.  The pants, as I mentioned were Gap and the necklaces are both from JCrew. For shoes, I wore my YSL Tribute peep-toes.

But the scarf was the focal point.  I received this pretty thing in the mail yesterday and wanted to wear it right away.   Admittedly I was a bit nervous about it when I first opened the package and felt it.  The maker is Fraas and they had called this new "Cashmink" link.  I typically would not promote cashmere or fur of any kind but then I read further to see that this was made of a new exclusive acrylic that is 20% finer than cashmere.  This scarf is amazingly soft and warm. And the color is very vibrant.

I am a big scarf fan. I think have at least 15 - 20 in various colors and levels of casual to fancy.  I have a bunch of solids that I wear when traveling.  I have the ones I keep in my coat to match my coat.  I have fun knitted ones that are super long.  I love this purple plaid but after being seduced by it's snuggly-softness I think I want more.  Fraas has lots of solid colors (maybe the light pink and the ivory) but I love the other plaids and patterns too. 

There less than $30, so you'll probably be seeing me wearing more of these around.

Ensemble du Jour - 9-20-10

This is pretty typical work outfit: Merona cardigan, black cami and black and white houndstooth skirt - all from Target. 

I have a ton of basic clothes from Target.  But since I'm not shopping there while they continue to support politicians who advocate against human rights, I'm going to have to branch out to other options... and cut back, which I need to do anyways.

The shoes are "Jessica" by Lilibee.  I've had these for a while and I like that they are a neat little spin on the typical black patent mary jane. Details like the stacked wood inset on the heel, the large shiny buckles and the fun oversized cord stitching.

My work outfits can vary quite a bit based on my mood (and what's new in my closet) - from a tulle skirt to triple-laced-up knee-high boots, but this straight-forward look is almost a uniform... and helps be get out of the house when I'm running late.

Ensemble du Jour

I'm trying to catch up on my outfit posts. Sadly, my day-to-day small camera is, as I've mentioned, crap. And getting dark by 5pm really impedes on my picture taking time. So I made the hubby take pics today of my outfits from during the week.

This is what I wore on Wednesday. Quite a long day since we had vet appointments for the dogs and then I taught a class that night and then came home to do more work... so basically I was on the go from 6:30a.m. until 1:00a.m.

At least I was comfy.



It was chilly but not overly so.



I wore a black Merona baby-doll style jacket over a red Gap v-neck which was paired with a creme mini-skirt from Anthropologie.



I have a huge collection of vintage gloves and I really love to wear wrist-length ones, especially if they have a neat element like these with the stitching and scalloped edges.

These gloves are usually just a few dollars so grab them when you can. I think I have about 15 pairs and they aren't too precious so you can actually use them and not worry.



I like how the glove detail matches the cut-out design on the Nine West Ruffle mary janes.

More pics at Flickr.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
I found these really cute flippy swishy skirts on sale at Old Navy so I got 4 of them. Two polka-dot ones in black and in cream and then a solid teal and black. Today I wore the black polka-dot version and paired it with a simple black knit top. For fun I have these sheer aqua leggings (No! Not leggings... sheer tights, that's it). To pull out the color I wore my vintage bubblegum necklace.



I was going to wear mary janes but ended up with these Tar-get peep-toes in black patent.



Not leggings, sheer tights... Right?



Don't mock me. I like them. I think they're cute.



The Focal Point
See cute polka-dots. Cute flippy skirt, sheer bright (footless) tights, shiny shoes.



Well, I have this skirt in two colors so you may see a similar combo again.

Oh alright, I'll probably wear regular tights next time. Geez!

; )

Giving Target Another Look

I was at Target today and had also received a new promo email from them about the new Romantic collection in the Go International line. So the evil empire was doing its best to influence me.

So I'm trying to over expose myself to everything to keep me from indulging on the site. You know, really soak it all in. And they're quite a few new options to tempt me. Click on any of the images to take you to the online page. I haven't seen any of these in person (some are on Online Exclusives) so in-person quality is an unknown.

These cute t-straps come in black and grey and brown and creme. They'd be great with dark tights for winter and fall.



These would be fun with some dark slacks or jeans.



Red double-strap mary janes. Can't go wrong with these, no matter who makes them. So now everyone can have a pair.



These tweed kitten heels are perfect for the office. I'd like to get a skirt with a large scale plaid that has this tone in it, a nubby brown sweater and some wool tights.



I'm not sure how good the gold on the heel of these looks but I like the cream and black combo and the big strap and buckle.



These seem very Queen Michelle to me. Tough, strappy, classic. I could see these on someone wearing really really skinny jeans.



Yellow and grey look so fresh together. Plus, the ruffles remind me of Loeffler Randall elements.


When did Target get all snazzy? Look at these funky snakeskin wedges? Where did those come from?



Miss Bubble? I think these would be fun for you to dress up. And dress down. And all around.





These little peep-toe pumps have a Betsey Johnson element to them. I think it is the adorable floral pattern.



Metallic snakeskin - very Nine West which are very Dior but for even less.



Target's Skylar pump. Now in a cute cute cute black with white polka-dots. I have the patent version and they are very cute - plus you don't have to worry about messing them up.



These azure chunky sandals will still be great for summer with the floaty and floral dresses. Plus could be fun with tights transitioning into fall.





Almost all of these come in different colors, so check them out. And if you see them in person, let me know.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
Today is one of those crazy mixed-up weather days. You're not sure whether to wear something warm or spring-y. I was going through my off-season closet and saw that I had put this Merona skirt in with my warmer weather clothes. I'm not sure why because it could be paired well with darker tights. The material is very suit like to me. It kind of a dark taupe with black and black pin-stripes. It has a really nice sheen to it. The top is a simple knit black v-neck from Ann Taylor.




I went very simple for jewelry, just my watch and regular rings. The outfit has sort of a corporate feel to it, so I wanted to keep it simple and streamlined.

The Focal Point
Even with, or maybe because of, the simpleness, I wanted to interject a little something off-kilter. A little bit of controlled chaos.

I did end up getting the polka-dot Anatole pump from Lela Rose at Payless. These actually are really nice. the colors are great, the fabric has a nice satin sheen to it (both which pull it back to the skirt) and it has a great heel. Much better in person than it even appears here.



It's a bit of a weird combo mainly because I'm not wearing any navy. But for me the background color of the shoe ties to the lightest color tone in the skirt and the muted navy plays off the black top. The shoe's office look goes with the look of the skirt. I'm kind of liking it. What do you think?

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
I just realized I'm wearing black and brown again today. I'm wearing cropped black pants and a black camisole, plus a croc print Merona cardigan. Because I have a lot of pattern, I am only wearing my rings and my nice watch for jewelry.



I really only have two watches. My sportier one is the acrylic Toy Watch, which I wear a lot because I like the chunkiness of it. My everyday, nicer watch is a Raymond Weil Parsifal with a diamond bezel and numbers. This is actually my second one. The first one got stolen at the gym because I dumbly, took it off during a class.

I am of the belief that if you have a few key nice accessories you can dress up most any outfit. I would say the key things to invest in are a wallet, watch, sunglasses, and, of course, shoes. You can even get away with a less pricey bag or other jewelry if you have a nice wallet and watch. Same goes for men - wallet, watch, belt, shoes. From there, you're good to go.



The Focal Point
Croc! No, not Crocs (ick!). Croc print. I'm risking wearing a pattern overload by wearing two croc print items but the color tones are complementary and not matching, so I think it works.



I luv these shoes. Their Manolo Blahnik Tuccio in pony hair with the print magically on there.



These are the most comfortable heels ever. What a silhouette.




I would wear these everywhere if I wasn't so over-protective of them.

Target Spring 2008 Preview

Target isn't wasting any time with getting you excited for Spring. They have a ton of new shoes in their Spring Preview. There is a pretty wide variety styles including flats, skimmers, heels, wedges, wellies, thongs and sneakers. You can find some dressy styles and casual ones too.

But on the whole, I wasn't overly impressed, just as I wasn't overly impressed with the Hollywould line that they did for the holidays.

The Bad

Loeffler Randall is their designer line for Spring. And I hate them. I saw some of them in stores today and they look really crummy.

They have these Rosette Ballet Flats in Rose, Gold, Black and Brown - $29.99



I really hate these Cinch Flats which come in Gold, Rose, Black and Brown - $29.99. I think they look like 1960's old lady house slippers.



I also saw these Mossimo Danae Peep-Toe Pumps which come in giraffe, zebra, "natural" linen and black patent for $26.99. These are bad knock-offs of Steve Madden knock-offs. They look clunky and are not well done - they look better in the picture. If you see them in person, let me know what you think.




I don't like these Xhilaration Tera Sandals in black and white floral either. Tacky. $17.99 is too much for them. They come in a multicolor print and a "natural" color as well.



In theory these Merona Amber Chop-Out Flats (nice name) are cute but in reality the material isn't that good and they are kind of clunky. They are $22.99 and come in Pewter, Brown and Black.




I haven't seen these Mossimo Deann Cut-out Flats in person so it's hard to say but the odds are they aren't great. But they're only $19.99 and come in black, white and pewter.



These may be the worst. These Isaac Mizrahi Drew Open-Shank Ballet flats have a horrible shape to them. Ugh! They come in cream, red and black patent, as well as gold and silver "leaf" - each $29.99



These Xhilaration Sable Floral Ballet flats in the red pattern (also in a "ribbon tapestry" style, gold and black) aren't bad, they just aren't as cute as the ones I'm going to show below. They're $14.99.



The Good

But there are a number of shoes on there that I feel are really cute and have a lot of potential. Here are a few of my favorites.

I think these Merona Alice Slingbacks are very sharp. The patent could be tacky but in the picture they have a much higher end look than their $22.99 cost.



They have some cute new moccasins for spring but for a white version I prefer the Isaac Mizrahi Alysia Driving Moccasins in winter white. They're on clearance right now for $14.99 and also come in brown nubuck, black patent, silver, oxblood patent and broccoli patent (broccoli???). These are great to have in your car for driving instead of getting your nice shoes all dirty from the car pedals and mats.



I don't know why I like these Mizrahi Beth Peep-Toe Pumps in cream but I just do. They look very icy and sparkly. They're $29.99 and also come in black satin with black crystals.




I know strappy mary janes have been done but I think the shape of these is so good. I like that the straps are really low on the bridge of your foot too. They are Isaac Mizrahi Chris Mary Jane Pumps for $29.99 and come in cream patent gray, red patent and black.



Didn't I just say that I thought the Mizrahi Drew Print Ballet flats were hideous? Well, they are, but if you like the shape, I think you should get them in this pattern. It is graphic and interesting and hides the clunkiness. They're $29.99 if you like them.



Here are the cute new moccasins for Spring. They are the Mizrahi Gail Leather moccasins and I just love them. Typically I would get the pink version but I already have a pair of pink moccasins from last year (they also come in a great preppy green, a black and navy) but I think I prefer the yellow. They will go really well with my new JCrew Postcard cardigan. They're $29.99.



How designer-y and cute are these metallic Mossimo Daria Woven pumps? Perfect with jeans and sundresses and only $24.99.



I love espadrilles and wedges for Summer. These are so cute and cheap enough to be a seasonal item. They're only $22.99, have a cute floral pattern and also come in a coffee brown with a patterned ribbon. Xhilaration Tiki wedges.



A little animal print can go a long way, as we all know. Wear these kitten heels under jeans or pair them with opaque black hose now for a little roawwwrrrr action. This Mossimo Dierdre style comes in the leopard, brown, black, black patent, silver, gold and zebra print. $24.99.



And last, but not least, my favorites - the Mossimo Deann flats. When I was in high school I had these adorable peachy pink floral fabric flats from Gap. They were so cute and I just loved them. I totally wore them out but kept them for years because I loved them so much. These remind me of my original pair. I have to, have to get them! I'll wear them all summer with jeans and it will be like I'm back in my senior year of high school. Is that a good thing? Probably not, but the shoes were cute!



There you go, affordable but cute options from my favorite retailer. I know I tend to appear biased to higher end shoes but I do think Target (and Gap and Old Navy, etc.) can have some really inexpensive but very wearable styles.

So enjoy!