Love POW: Sweater Saturdays are Pretty Cozy!

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Outfit Mission Statement: Start with a cozy sweater and add feminine and practical pieces for a casual, pretty, and lifestyle-friendly look

Play Day Saturdays are clothes for taking your kids to the park, running errands, taking your dog for a walk, shopping, picnicking, travel, going to a museum or a zoo—out and about or home having fun clothes. These are the clothes you often live the best parts of your life in! The POW (Piece of the Week) the cabi fall 2015 Love Blouse. To me winter is all about the sweaters. I grew up in Maine and lived in as many sweaters as I could from November to March. Even here in Georgia, I wear them as much as a can. Sweaters automatically make things cozy! And you can do so much with them. Here, I took a longer, roomy open sweater with lovely stitches and a funky hem and added the sweet Love Blouse for a pop of femininity and some colors that suggest spring (which are often a nice promise on a cold day!). The skinnies carry the navy theme from the sweater and blouse, creating a longer line and a more put-together look. The brown buckle boots add practicality and contrast to the blouse. The rose-gold wire wrapped crystal earrings play off the blouse colors with adding a modern touch. Together, this look is cozy, feminine, and practical for whatever your errand or park game.

Tips:

  • Up the femininity of a roomy sweater by wearing a lovely blouse under it
  • Consider throwing on a cozy sweater instead of a coat when you need a warm layer but don’t want the bulk or coat look, or for when you will be going inside and outside often and don’t want the hassle of taking a coat on and off
  • Create longer leaner lines by having the sweater and jeans be the same dark color (or even the same color) 
  • Add a practical touch with sensible boots with strong details
  • Go for modern accessories that drawn on colors in the blouse to not go too feminine with the look and to keep a less fussy feel

 

Outfit Breakdown:

The clothing items in this outfit are all cabi Fall 2015, and no longer available. Contact me if you must have something and I may be able to direct you to a stylist who has it. Look for substitutes from your own closet or check out the alternatives below. I normally will make the POW a currently available item, but my blog launched later than planned and I wanted to share these outfits. The next POW will be of an available item, I promise!

  •  Blouse: This is the cabi Fall 2015 Love Blouse. To find a substitute from your own closet, look for a feminine blouse with a special feature. If you don’t have quite the right blouse to substitute in your closet, consider these cabi Spring 2016 alternatives: 
    • Vita Blouse: This gorgeous draped blouse is also sleeveless, and has a sexy cutout in the back 
    • Bella Top: This feminize, fluttery blouse has a similar feel to the love blouse 
    • Positano Top: This flowy top reminds me of vintage fabric with very current colors 
    • Gemma Top: This bright green beauty, has eyelets and lace for a vintage and trendy feel
  • Jeans: Skinny jeans are everywhere. If you don’t already have some dark skinny jeans, I’m sure you can find some you will love. If you want something a bit less skinny (and white), consider the Slimmie. 
  •  Sweater: This cozy delight is the Countryside Sweater—cabi Fall 2015 and not available. But cabi has some great Spring 2016 cardigans to consider: 
    • Blanca Cardigan: This white, ivory, and cream relaxed cardigan is a perfect layering piece for the transition to spring 
    • Sorrento Cardigan: This roomy black cardigan has over-sized pockets and a relaxed modern feel
  •  Earrings: These are rose gold wire wrapped crystal earrings by Shine Chaser Jewelry. She does not currently have any available on her Etsy page, but you may be able to commission some. She does currently have these similar White Sea Glass Wire Wrapped Earrings and others that will nicely work in a casual outfit (or any type of outfit!).
  • Boots: These are old Target favorites. Some available ones include 

 

 

 

Spring into Spring with this white version of the look: Take the cabi Spring 2016 Bella Top, Blanca Cardigan and Slimmie, plus the Fringed Reza Ankle Boot and White Sea Glass Wire Wrapped Earrings. I love this look! I may have to buy it all!




Love POW: Just add Sparkles, Fur, and Beads to make it Sunday Best

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Outfit Mission Statement: Take a pretty blouse and a neutral pencil skirt and turn it into a sophisticated special occasion outfit with fur, sparkles, beads, and mixing a single metal

Sunday Best POW outfits are special occasion clothes for dinning, theater, opera, holiday parties, church, and other such occasions that need something special. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi fall 2015 Love Blouse. With the gathered ruffle-like collar and lovely colors, this blouse easily works for special occasions. It’s easy to dress it up with nice accessories and a skirt. I’m wearing a classic navy pencil skirt here, for slim lines and a neutral to play the other pieces off of. The skirt is also a ponte knit, so I am comfortable and can move easily, including squatting on the ground with my toddler. After the lovely blouse and the neutral skirt, it’s all about special accessories to bring up the glam. Most striking may be the faux fur-trimmed Twist scarf. This adds elegance and warmth (why are places always so cold?). Plus, as mentioned in Friday’s Spicy Sweet Friday Night Drinks, the scarf can add a bit of flirtation too! The long gold earrings add sophistication and fun. I don’t wear these enough, because they are “big” for my day-today look (I don’t tend to go big in the jewelry department. I’m working on it. It may become a Personal Style Challenge I try to conquer later this year.) But I do love occasions when I feel I can bring them out. It’s nice to have statement earrings! The length and style draw attention to my face, neck, and hair, adding a bit of sex appeal too. I continue the gold accents, with a gold belt (actually it’s a necklace, see Wednesday’s Working it Lady-Like for more on this and the belt/bracelet combo worn professionally). Then we get to my shoes. These lovely sparkly shoes are nice in that they are not over-the-board sparkles. It’s more subtle, if you can say that about stiletto sparkling heels! The clutch, which my son loved, is gold and silver beads, and add a fun vintage accent. Together, I have a look that is comfortable (except maybe the shoes), dressy, flattering, and fun.

 

Tips:

  • Start your special occasion outfits with a lovely blouse with feminine details
  • Have one main neutral garment that can act as a base for the rest of the outfit
  • While mixed metals are in, focusing on accenting with a single metal in various tones creates a more elegant look and one that may be easier for many (mixing metals can be hard for some)
  • When working with various tones of the same metal, do keep the metals separate so the differences don’t conflict
  • Look for ponte pencil skirts for elegance, clean lines, and comfort
  • Adding fur, sparkles, and beads can make anything fancier or cheaper—limit each by choosing items where it is more subtle or an accent, not the full thing (if one is the full thing, tone the others down even more)
  • Consider statement earrings—statement necklaces have been in for a while, but sometimes, especially when you have a striking collar, earrings are the better choice
  • Have at least one awesome pair of “wow” heels with some fun attribute like sparkles (or bows, or zippers, or whatever)
  • Realize you can do special occasions with separates and it may be both more fun and more striking

 

 Outfit Breakdown:

The clothing items in this outfit are all cabi Fall 2015, and no longer available. Contact me if you must have something and I may be able to direct you to a stylist who has it. Look for substitutes from your own closet or check out the alternatives below. I normally will make the POW a currently available item, but my blog launched later than planned and I wanted to share these outfits. The next POW will be of an available item, I promise!

  • Blouse: This is the cabi Fall 2015 Love Blouse. To find a substitute from your own closet, look for a feminine blouse with a special feature. If you don’t have quite the right blouse to substitute in your closet, consider these cabi Spring 2016 alternatives: 
    • Vita Blouse: This gorgeous draped blouse is also sleeveless, and has a sexy cutout in the back
    • Bella Top: This feminize, fluttery blouse has a similar feel to the love blouse
    • Tivoli Top: This fierce black and taupe blouse has plenty of cool features
  • Skirt: This ponte knit is a vintage cabi skirt, and not available. However, the Lido Skirt from cabi Spring 2016 collection would be a perfect replacement. This classic pencil skirt is in navy and has a tiered hem for a feminine touch that still can work as a neutral in your special occasion outfit.
  • Scarf: This is the cabi Fall 2015 Twist Scarf, which sold out in black and cream. You can go a few different ways to substitute. You can go with fur or a scarf, or, if you find it a combination. Here are some options: 
    • Marabou Bolero Shrug: By INC International Concepts and sold at Macy’s this is a faux fur shrug
    • Persian Cartouche Burnout Shawl: By the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store, this shawl is a striking black scarf with bright colors and a rug design
    • Louis XIV Arabesque Burnout Shawl: Also from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store, this striking silver and black large shawl will allow you to bring your metal (silver in this case) into your shawl too
    • Dunand Deco Floral Scarf: This stunning black, white, and gray has a leaf design based on a beautiful lacquered wood panel and is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store
  • Earrings: This are ones I’ve had for quite a while—they are Stella & Dot Devon chandelier earrings. They are not sowing on the site, but here are some great alternatives: 
  • Belt: I am wearing the cabi Fall 2015 Heirloom necklace as a belt—the necklace converts into several different pieces. The cabi Spring 2016 Locket Necklace is also a convertible piece and can be worn as a bracket and belt also, and has a similar feel to the Heirloom.         
  • Shoes: Jennifer Lopez’s Women's Metallic High Heels—I’m shocked they are still available at Kohl’s! I got these last year and now they are only $39.99!
  • Clutch: This is a vintage clutch (I’m guessing from the 1950s or 1960s) that my mom bought me for Christmas. I’ll put the shop name in where she got it when she gets back to me.
  • Griffin’s necklace: Griffin loves my jewelry and hair stuff and always wants to wear my jewelry, have a ponytail, or have hair pins in. So, I commissioned this necklace from Shine Chaser Jewelry, based off her cute elephant earrings. Griffin adores it!
 

For a Spring cabi 2016 version of this, with mixed silver (instead of gold) try the: Vita Blouse, Lido Skirt, with the Louis XIV Arabesque Burnout Shawl, Casablanca Chandeliers, Metallic High Heels (in Pewter), and Vintage Silver Clutch Purse.

Love POW: Spicy Sweet Friday Night Drinks

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Outfit Mission Statement: Mix romantic pretty items with ripped denim and black leather for a look that is both sugar and spice and certainly nice

Friday Night Drinks POW outfits are for going out on a date, getting drinks, seeing a band play, going to dinner and a movie—something where you want to look good and may wear some sexier clothes and statement pieces. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi fall 2015 Love Blouse. In many ways, this blouse is ready for a romantic date without any work at all. But, sometimes we don’t want to look all sweet and romantic. Sometimes we want some spice with our sugar. For the spice I added ripped jeans. These give a real edge to the outfit, creating some flirty fun. The jeans balance the sweet of the Love Blouse and scarf combo. The black shoes also add a bit of spice with the cutout and black leather, even though the style is reminiscent of Victorian style. The amazing faux fur trimmed Twist Scarf adds to the romantic sweetness, and gives a bit of warmth and a bit more filtration. Together we have a spicy sweet Friday night look, perfect for a romantic night out with your sweetie, out partying with friends, or anything in-between.  

Tips:

  • Don’t be afraid of mixing romantic pieces with edgy pieces 
  • Find ways to balance out a romantic blouse to make your outfit multidimensional
  • Consider rolling your jeans to show off your shoes and look a bit more street and trendy (for tips and a tutorial from PopSugar) 
  • Add a scarf for added flirtation potential (and warmth)
  • Think details like ruffles, fur, tassels, and rips to make sure your outfit is not boring (we can’t make promises about that blind date) 
  • When choosing an ombré blouse, go with one that goes from light to dark as you go down. This will lighten your face while making your waist and hips look smaller 
  • When wearing an ombré blouse, choose pants that are similar in color to the colors at the bottom of the blouse to create a longer, leaner look

 

Outfit Breakdown:

The clothing items in this outfit are all cabi Fall 2015, and no longer available. Contact me if you must have something and I may be able to direct you to a stylist who has it. Look for substitutes from your own closet or check out the alternatives below. I normally will make the POW a currently available item, but my blog launched later than planned and I wanted to share these outfits. The next POW will be of an available item, I promise!

  • Blouse: This is the cabi Fall 2015 Love Blouse. To find a substitute from your own closet, look for a feminine blouse with a special feature. If you don’t have quite the right blouse to substitute in your closet, consider these cabi Spring 2016 alternatives:
    • Vita Blouse: This gorgeous draped blouse is also sleeveless, and has a sexy cutout in the back
    • Bella Top: This feminize, fluttery blouse has a similar feel to the love blouse
    • Plaza Top: This classic, flowing blue and white blouse has a cute Henley collar
    • Tivoli Top: This fierce black and taupe blouse has plenty of cool features
  • Jeans: These are the cabi Fall 2015 Dark Destruction Slim Boyfriend, and yup, no longer available. However, there are two great cabi Spring 2016 options:
  • Scarf: The Twist Scarf is cabi Fall 2015 also and it sold out during the regular season. Consider:
    • Flora Scarf: This is a colorful floral scarf from the cabi Spring 2016 collection
    • Dunand Deco Floral Scarf: This stunning black, white, and gray has a leaf design based on a beautiful lacquered wood panel and is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store
    • Monet Water Lilies Scarf: This striking scarf is mostly blue with pops of a red color and is  also from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store 
  • Shoes: These are an old, beloved pair of A2s from Aerosoles. Here are some in stock options: 
    • Glamorous: Black leather with an open toe and side cutout-sleek and sexy!
    • Mirage: This buckled ankle bootie with an open toe are edgy and fun
  • Earrings: These are Rose Quartz Dangle Earrings by Shine Chaser Jewelry

 

 

 

Looking for a Spring version of this? Here is a version composed of the alternatives listed above and the available earrings: Vita Blouse, Destructed Skinny in Curvy, Dunand Deco Floral Scarf, Mirage bootie, and Rose Quartz Dangle Earrings.