Run Around POW: Simple Elegance Sunday Best

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Outfit Mission Statement: For an elegant, sophisticated outfit that is easy and comfortable, pair your black skirt with a neutral silk and similar accessories

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 Spring 2016 Run Around Skirt. Sometimes simple is best. Take a black skirt add a silk blouse and there you go. The ease and comfort of the Run Around Skirt suggests an easy comfortable dressy look, something of simple elegance. Don’t get me wrong. This skirt can be dressed up all sorts of ways—lace, sequins, chiffon, more drapes... the list goes on.  For instance, this skirt is a knockout with Tivoli Top and the Vita Blouse (see Simple Affairs Date Night for the Vita with black pants for an example outfit with the blouse and black on bottom). Or you can go for power and elegance of all black with a black top. Consider either the white or black Sophia Sweater (with sheer lace backs) for another dressy look. This skirt is versatile and easily dressed up.

But, you can also pair it with a simple silk blouse in a neutral color for a classic, but easy, look. This gives you a fun base to accessorize. You could go for bright colors to really pop them. Or go for a more sophisticated look by playing off the color of the blouse, such as I did here—gray blouse and silver accessories and shoes. With the draping and layered skirt, gray silk, and silver accessories you have a sophisticated, elegant look that is easy and comfortable.

 

Tips:

  • For a simply elegant look, pair the draped black skirt with a simple neutral silk blouse
  • With a gray silk blouse, you can play up the color with silver accessories (if going with a cream or brown, consider gold)
  • Keep things simple by keeping your hair down
  • With neutral garments, you can show off a statement necklace as the highlight of your outfit
  • For a layered, wrap skirt, consider D’Orsay heels to compliment the lines
  • Choose a neutral silk blouse with minor embellishments, which as the slightly draped neckline, to keep with the simple elegance of the outfit

 

Outfit Breakdown:

 

Photography by Bill Ruhsam of The Evil Eyebrow. Check out more of his photography.

Plume POW: White & Bright Sunday Best

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Outfit Mission Statement: Look for comfortable, classy clothes you can dress up with  good pants and accessories

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 Spring 2016 Plume Top. This is a versatile special occasion outfits, as it could work for fine dining, church, theater, or even work! The best part is, it is a very comfortable outfit! The Plume Top, as an easy, tee shirt style to it. The Portico Shrug is in a soft yarn and has an easy open style. The linen pants have classic styles but the wide legs provide comfort and flow. The linen pants and statement accessories bring a higher level of dressy to this outfit, elevating it to special occasion worthy. It’s a lovely mix of colors that says both classy and spring.

Tips:

  • Yes, you can wear white year round!
  • Consider ways to layer similar length necklaces so they look like one complex necklace
  • Look for comfortable fabrics that move in your special occasion outfits, so you can actually enjoy yourself
  • Keep in mind that linen quickly gets wrinkles, as shown, which may preclude it from some special occasions
  • White is very on-trend right now, so find ways to pop this color, including wearing accessories with white in them
  • When mixing whites, it is okay if the whites vary a bit in shade and color, as shown here
  • White provides a lovely contrast to bright bold colors, like the bougainvillea of the shrug, showing off both colors for a bold look

Outfit Breakdown:

 
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Plume POW: Working It Classic & Modern Coco Wednesday

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Outfit Mission Statement: Create a career outfit with the same put-together professionalism as a suit with a few modern interpretations of classic pieces

Working it Wednesday outfits are professional career clothes, often a step or two above Manic Monday outfits. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi Spring 2016 Plume Top. Nothing looks more professionally stylish than the clean, elegant lines of Chanel suit. You can mimic this look much less expensively by wearing this bright sweater cardigan with lines and details reminiscent of classic Chanel. Add the always classic pencil skirt and a lovely blouse and you have a clean, classic, and professional look. You can add modern touches through things like the bright trendy color of the sweater and the contrast of the bright yellowish sweater and navy ponte pencil skirt. Even Coco would love the ease of this look! Remember, nothing says a professional career outfit needs to be boring or a plain suit.

 

Tips:

  • Pair a sweater with classic, elegant lines & details with a pencil skirt for a look just as professional as a suit
  • But, break up the more traditional single-color suit look by wearing the sweater and skirt in contrasting colors
  • If going for a classic feel, add those pearls, but modernize the look by choosing and elegant yet on-trend statement pearl necklace
  • If you look has a touch of an earlier time, like the 60s, play that up with a modern version of a hairstyle of that time (such as the French twist with a bit of volume) and maybe some cool sunnies
  • Neutral shoes allow your other pieces to take the spotlight
  • If you don't already have one, once again let me tell you, get a ponte pencil skirt and other ponte career clothes!
  • Button that sweater up for a dressier, more suit-like look, or leave it open for a more casual look (or vary it as the daygoes on based on body temperature and needed professionalism)

 

Outfit Breakdown:

  • Blouse: Plume Top from cabi Spring 2016
  • Sweater: Loren Sweater from cabi Spring 2016
  • Skirt: Lido Skirt from cabi Spring 2016
  • Necklace: This is the Fall 2014 cabi Contessa Necklace and no longer available. Consider instead these Stella & Dot options:
  • Earrings: These are cabi Fall 2014 Vintage Stud earrings and no longer available. But, consider these Stella & Dot options: 
    • Vintage Crystal Studs: These are about the same size and I tend to wear these interchangeably
    • Maddie Pearl Earrings: Perfect with the Starlet Pearl necklace, these elegant earrings will fancy up your outfit 
    • Déjà vu Studs: With a pearl on one side and a spike on the other, you can go classy or edgy
  • Shoes: These are beige suede pumps from Target last year. Here are some available options:
  • o   Lainee Pumps at Target
  • o   Glamorous by Aerosoles
  • o   Doppler Radar by Aerosoles
  • Sunglasses: Rectangle Sunglasses – Brown at Target
 

Go-To POW: The Versatile Blackout Thursday

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Outfit Mission Statement:  For a trendy yet classic versatile look, choose black pieces with a twist

TTT Thursday outfits are Trendy, Transitional, and/or Terrific—in other words my choice. It can be whatever other outfit ideas the garment gave me. It may be something very trendy, transitional, terrific, or something else. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi Spring 2016 Go-To Trouser. In many ways this POW outfit is all three Ts—Trendy, Transitional, and/or Terrific.

First, Trendy: Black is very on-trend for this spring and summer. In fact, cabi is calling the trend “summer blackout.” And you get “bonus points” for patterns and floral! The trend is black on black with those florals or patterns mixed in. In the dog-dog days of summer we may not follow this trend as much, when it feels too hot to wear black, but it is a great trend to follow in these cooler times. Plus, black is sophisticated, classic, slimming, and can seem a bit dressier than the same garment in another color. It’s a great trend to wear now, as shown!

Second, Transitional: This is also a good transitional outfit for two main reasons. Black tends to be more associated with the colder months, so it works well for that. But, with the summer blackout trend, it springs well into spring and summer. Plus the cardigan is a wonderful transitional layering pieces—light, but adds a layer of warmth. Perfect for those spring days that are not warm enough for short sleeves or that cool off at night.

Third, Terrific: This outfit is composed of some of my favorite cabi Spring 2016 pieces. The Go-To Trouser is amazing—comfortable, classic, and practical. The Tivoli Top is a best seller this season, and for good reasons. It is flattering, trendy, and unique. The taupe and ivory with black is a nice twist on the higher contrast white and black zebra print we often see. The flow of the top also masks any tummy issues. The relaxed Sorrento Cardigan is a wonderful layer. The knit is lovely and it has side slits for flow and movement. The oversized pockets provides a subtle mixed media look by being woven, not knit. I wasn’t sure about this cardigan, but once I tried it on, I was in love!

All three pieces are terrific—plus great accessories and shoes! So, this outfit is are Trendy, Transitional, and Terrific! Plus, it can work for a business casual work environment, a day at the playground, checking out a museum or the latest flick—this outfit is versatile!

 

Tips:

  • For a versatile outfit you can work or play in, look for classic pieces with a twist (such as shorter pants and a mixed media cardigans)
  • Do play with the “summer blackout” trend, but if black washes you out, put colors near your face, such as a scarf or shirt
  • When wearing various black garments, make sure they are of different types of fabric, this will give a more mixed media look, rather than the appearance that one of your black garments is faded
  • If you do the summer blackout look with a print or floral, pull out that color with your accessories for a more polished look
  • With shorter cropped pants you can still create a long, lean look by wearing heels in the same color as your pants (repeated from Go-To POW: Manic Black & White Monday)

 

Outfit Breakdown:

 

 

 

Go-To POW: Classic Pearls and Lace Sunday Best

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Outfit Mission Statement: Sometimes simple is special—keep it simple with black pants, a lacy sweater, and classic accessories

 

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 Spring 2016 Go-To Trouser. The classic elegance with a modern silhouette of these trousers keeps suggesting to me simple styling, as I have for this Sunday Best and for Date Night Friday. The can also be dressed in less simple ways (check out the Black & White Manic Monday). But they do work well playing off the classic and simple styling of the trousers. To create a Sunday Best outfit, just add a lovely lace sweater, some pretty sandals, pearls, a purse, red lipstick, and a variation on a classic French twist. The looks is simple, elegant, and ready for many different special occasions.

 

Tips:

  • A classic pair of black pants and a lovely sweater with special lace details can make an elegant and simple special occasion outfit
  • Add classic details, like red lips, a French Twist, and pearls
  • Look good coming and going with details in the back of our top, like the lovely lace on the Sophia Sweater
  • Black and white outfits bring with them a certain classic sophistication that you can draw on with styling
  • Keep in mind that black and white outfits are hard to photograph, so look for something different if you know you will be photographed at your special occasion
  • Wearing classic, quality jewelry, such as pearls, increases the style and dressiness of any outfit
  • When layering with lace, wear a different color under the lace to accentuate the lace—this soft pink adds to the sophistication of the outfit but a bolder and brighter color can be fun in a more playful and/or sexy outfit

 

Outfit Breakdown:

 

 

 
An outtake for your pleasure. I think my kid may have been modeling too!

An outtake for your pleasure. I think my kid may have been modeling too!