matchy-matchy

The excitement is in the details! This tan dress is wonderful, made with a great fabric and cut beautifully, but it's pretty basic in color. The fine details such as chest pockets, side pockets, self-tie belt and flouncy skirt add interest when you look further, but at quick glance there isn't a lot going on for the eyes. I wanted to spice it up and bit for a girls luncheon, and decided to do that with matching accessories.

Matching striped shoes and bag add the perfect 'umph' that I wanted! The bag is ladylike in size; petite and structured, and the shoes add some height and sassiness with the platform and high chunky heel. It's a great juxtaposition of styles, yet they are made by the same designer and complement each other perfectly. I found that these matchy-matchy accessories provided the visual interest I needed with the outfit.

The dress is perfect for a spring luncheon outside as the fabric is a bit heavier in weight. The color is softer than black and the cut allows for fun movement and is super easy to wear. I love the utilitarian feel of the collar and rolled sleeves. I kept the jewelry really light, nothing really, but my watch and some tiny gold hoop earrings. The chain link on the bag is sort of like a big chunky bracelet so I didn't want to compete with that.

Thats it ladies - another fun idea to spruce up your spring dressing without being over the top, or not enough, and allowing your style to pop through with different ideas. I hope everyone is enjoying the weather, fresh air and sun!

Kisses,

Jennifer

Brands and links:

Dress - A.L.C. (last season) www.alcltd.com

Sylvie Bag - Gucci www.jomashop.com (on sale!), www.tradesy.com

Millie Shoes - Gucci (last season) www.ebay.com (hard to find!)

intéressante

Jeans can be a bit boring sometimes, but are so great most of the time! I was headed to a birthday dinner at a friend's house and wanted to be casual, comfy, but a bit more stylish as it was a special occasion. Jeans fit the bill, but not really the 'more stylish part' of the equation. So I added a dress to my ensemble. YEP! A dress.

This dark green beauty is a wonderful dress on its own, but added as a duster, open, with the ties in the back, make it a great option as a second layer for a cooler spring evening and adds interest to everyday jeans and otherwise boring white top.

This dress has a nice weight to it as its a bit on the weightier side and was quite fun to wear open and flow-y. I love the color. I love the breast pockets on the front, and I tied the self belt in the back to ensure it stayed open. it has small slits on each side as well, helping with increased movement at the bottom. Very simply underneath was a sleeveless tank, tucked in.

The shoes are vintage, comfy wedge-like and gave a nice line of sight from my toes all the way to the jeans thanks to the interesting lace up detail. I was surprised at how much I really liked this entire look. The Jeans are a favorite - super dark blue, high waisted with buttons up the front and on the pockets. Super flattering and comfy too. It felt great to be a tad different and fun for my friend's dinner, and yet, easy and effortless. Yipeeee! A super simple idea to boost your look ladies. xoxoxo

Links to brands below:

Jeans - JBrand, Natasha High Rise - www.intermix.com

Dress - L'Agence, Rivi Dress - www.nordstromrack.com

Shoes - Dolce Vita-Sooo retro, couldn't find.... :)

le printemps

Dressing for early spring can be difficult. Those adorable floral, flow-y sundresses are staring you in the face when you open your closet, begging you to be put on, yet the weather outside still screams a little windy, possible rain showers, maybe some snow - or an amazing warm summer day is followed by a cold evening. It's a tough decision of how to dress for this hormonal-like change in the atmosphere....

In comes the idea of layering - layering that pretty lighter sundress with something on top for added warmth. The lighter fabric choices look and feel much better and more appropriate now than a heavier winter fabric that just looks and feels wrong when the calendar says 'Spring Equinox'. And adding a top layer allows for you to take it off if you get too warm, yet keeps you cozy if you need it.

For a family dinner I started with this adorable black jumpsuit. The fabric is very light, yet has long sleeves for a colder evening. There is a self-tie belt which allows for the waist to be accented, and the ankle crop lends itself to feel lighter and more playful. Like springtime! oh and pockets...yes please!

I would have definitely been cold if I just had the jumpsuit on, but pairing it with a light color blazer gave me a little more fabric for warmth and was a perfect choice! And instead of putting on booties, I opted for a springier feel with the open toe heels. The shoes complemented perfectly the lighter fabric and slightly shorter length of the jumpsuit, allowing the light color of the jacket to fit right in with the springier details of the rest of the outfit.

The gold hardware on the jumpsuit and the blazer matches perfectly and pulls this look effortlessly together. I paired it all with a simple gold bracelet and a croc patterned bag for some visual interest.

Enjoy spring everyone - a time for renewal, growth and a refresh!

Brands and links to shopping:

Jumpsuit - Intermix Brand, www.intermix.com

Blazer - Veronica Beard, www.veronicabeard.com

Shoes - Stuart Weitzman, www.stuartweitzman.com

Bracelet - Ben Amun, www.ben-amun.com , www.intermix.com

Clutch (vintage) - Michael Kors, www.michaelkors.com