Sweater Dresses

I have a hard time finding sweater dresses that are flattering to my shape. I have a rather large rear end so it makes things like this give me a "mermaid butt." Mermaid Butt occurs when the back end of the garment (dress/skirt) curves up in the back due to your butt stealing all the fabric. 

This dress was a gift for Christmas. It is a little tight, but with a few wears, I think it will be more flattering.  

Do you ever hope that clothes will fit better after a few wears? 

Here is a closeup of the brooch on top. I'm not crazy about the black toule, so I might remove this pearl flower feature in the near future. 

 Dress: Kohls

Belt: PacSun

Shoes: Gift from a friend

Menswear with a Twist

My herringbone vest had long been hanging in my closet, so I decided to pull it out and pair it with a few more girly items to mix it up a little. 

Try #1 

First, I added a black pencil skirt (which I can now see is a little bit too big on me) and black ankle boots with faux fur trim (a new addition from my Kohl's trip). After looking at the pics, I decided that the boots would go better with skinny jeans. With a skirt, they cut my legs off, making me look shorter.

Try #2

I swapped out the ankle boots for tall ones. The fit of the skirt still bothers me - not to mention that it doesn't add much interest to the outfit. 

Try #3

I guess the third time is the charm. The leopard print skirt fits far better, plus it adds a much more feminine twist to the menswear look up top. Maybe I will cinch the vest more at the waist and swap out the boots for pumps next time.

A gratuitous baby pic for your enjoyment:

Sunglasses: Kate Spade Soleil

Blouse: LOFT

Vest: Gap

Black Skirt: Ann Taylor

Leopard Skirt: Ann Taylor

Ankle Boots: Kohl's

Tall Boots: Kohl's

Which look is your favorite?

Petite Fashion Challenge #12

The Challenge:

From Night to Day: Restyle a glamorous look that you would typically wear for a night-out-on-the-town into daytime casual wear. Easy right? Bonus points if you can restyle it for work! 

I chose my sequined skirt to style for casual/work wear. I gotta be honest, I probably wouldn't wear this outfit for a casual day - sequined skirts just aren't super baby-friendly. I would wear it to work or church, though. 

 I paired the skirt with black leggings and wedge boots, a tank and cardigan, and a belt to bring it all together and give me some shape. I chose the cardigan for its length, in order to protect the skirt for daytime wear. If I am sitting down, standing up, getting in and out of the car, carrying groceries, carrying Luke, etc, I would hate for the sequins to snag on something - this is a piece that I want to last for a long time.

 It was freezing out, but I took off my coat for a few minutes so that I could share the outfit underneath.

I love how the sequins shine in the morning light!

Earrings: Francesca's

Cardigan: Express

Tank: Maurice's

Belt: Ann Taylor

Skirt: LOFT

Leggings: Francesca's

Boots: Mudd (via Kohls - another of my new boot purchases)

Check out the other entires at I Am Khatu

You know you have a great outfit when....

You know you have put together something great when you get more than 5 compliments in a day. I wore this outfit to church and everyone was telling me how cute they thought it was. 

That's a fashion victory in my book :). 

I was nervous in this picture because there was a creepy looking guy at my neighbors house who kept staring at me. 

 Skirt: Gap Outlet

Blouse: Ann Taylor Factory

Belt: PacSun

Bracelet: Gift

Earrings: St. Augustine

Shoes: Rack Room Shoes

Amp up your classic styles

You may recognize this dress that I bought recently at the Banana Republic Outlet. You can see my original post here. I decided to amp it up a little by adding a skinny belt and a bold sweater. 

What do you think?

Dress: Banana Republic Outlet

Belt: Charlotte Russe

Sweater: Target

Showes: Rack Room Shoes

The Long and Short of It

With so many bloggers wearing cropped sweaters lately, I thought I'd give the trend a try...without buying anything new. So, I paired a hip-length sweater with one of my favorite dresses, then safety pinned it together in the back at my waistline and tucked it under. 

The jury is still out for me. It is hard to make it look right in the back. I do like how it makes the dress look like a high waisted skirt, though. The more casual feel is nice too. What do you think? Any suggestions?

And here is the dress on its own. Depending on how I accessorize, I feel either very Sicilian or like a 1950's housewife in it. Can't you see June Cleaver pairing it with pearls and running a vacuum?

The long full skirt is fun, but do you think it is too long for a petite girl like me? Would it look better knee-length?

Earrings: Francesca's

Sweater: LOFT

Dress: Petite Sophisticate Outlet (went out of business a few years ago, I think)

Shoes: Aerosoles (via Kohl's)

Emerald

With Christmas fast approaching, I dug this semi-neglected, emerald green camp shirt out of my closet to wear to work this week. I slimmed the sides and am pretty happy with the way it fits now, especially when paired with a skinny belt and my $5 pencil skirt (or a pair of dark skinny jeans). I think I will start wearing it more often.

I finally mustered up the courage to try out our Digital SLR camera today. It is a Nikon D50 and nearly collapses my little tripod. I just used the self-timer with the automatic setting. Any tips for a camera novice?

Earrings: Ann Taylor Factory Store

Shirt: Old Navy (DIY Slimmed)

Belt: Ann Taylor Factory Store

Skirt: Ann Taylor (DIY hemmed)

Shoes: Aerosoles (via Kohl's)

Thanks for reading and have a fantastic Christmas, everyone!

Got the blues?

I've got sleepy eyes in most of these pictures. Please ignore. 

I'm really into blue this season. I think it gives a nice contrast to my skin and hair. 

Turtleneck: Gap (old)

Necklace: Francesca's

Boots: Nine West

Ring: Charlotte Russe

How do you brighten up your winter blahs?

The Power of Safety Pinning

I love this skirt, but it is a size 4P, so it barely catches on my hips. Since it doesn't sit at the right place at  my waist, it comes below my knees and makes me look shorter.  

So I decided to safety pin the waist to bring up the hem line. 

What do you think of this combo?

Skirt: Ann Taylor

Shirt: Banana Republic

Belt: PacSun

Shoes: Target

Bracelet: Gift

Necklace: Target

Like my mug shot?

Do you ever safety pin things to make them fit better? 

Or do you just get them tailored?

Little Black Dress

I went shopping at Banana Republic outlet a few weeks ago and bought this little black number. It fits really well around the waist and has pockets!

It is a size 0 and is a perfect addition to my work wardrobe. The great thing about black is that you can pair it with any color to make it pop. My earrings (which you can see better in the third picture) were the color I went with. 

Dress: Banana Republic Outlet

Earrings: Francesca's

Shoes: Gift

Bracelets: Gifts

Do you have a staple black dress for work?

New Shoes

I love buying new shoes. You can wear them multiple days in a row and no one looks down on you :). 

I've been wanting to get a pair of black heels that are comfortable enough to wear at work all day. I came across these beauties and they were $15. Yes, I will buy you. 

I love purple and teal together. I just can't help but pair them together when I'm building an outfit. 

Shirt: Gap Outlet

Sweater: Gap Outlet

Pants: Ann Taylor Factory

Shoes: Nine West

Earrings: Francesca's

Necklace: Gift

Watch: Gift

Do you have go to colors when you are trying to build an outfit?

Hand and Cloth

Over the weekend, I attended an event called Seeds for Bangladesh, which was held by Hand and Cloth. Their mission is to rescue women in Bangladesh from the sex trade into which they were born, sold, or kidnapped by providing dignified work - making Kantha blankets. Hand made of vintage sari material, they are beautifully colored and patterned, and their sale helps to ensure that these women have a safe means to provide for themselves and their children with dignity. If you are interested in buying one, check out Hand and Cloth's website.

We had a great time sampling South-Asian inspired dishes made by a local chef, and great desserts, including Hand and Cloth's signature Chai Latte Cupcakes. Yum. Then, we got to hear the stories of some of the ladies who make the blankets, as told by the organization's sweet founder, Sarah.

As to what I wore...

The invitation called for business casual attire, so I jumped on the chance to wear this new blouse that I picked up at LOFT on clearance. I love the rich eggplant color, and the fit is perfect straight off the rack, even the sleeve length! The fabric is thicker than I expected (not see-through at all), and looked great even after a wash (without ironing)! It is a lovely addition to my wardrobe, especially since it looks great tucked or untucked. Just FYI, the XS runs way bigger than the XSP if you are on the hunt for it. I so wish I could buy it in 5 colors...

Earrings: Ann Taylor Factory Store

Blouse: LOFT (here)

Skirt: LOFT (similar)

Shoes: Ann Taylor Factory Store

What charitable work around the world excites you?