Pencil Skirt POW: Writing a Chic, Comfortable Play Day Saturday

Outfit Mission Statement: Write your own Saturday style with a pencil skirt, a bright print, and a stylish tee

I have a cute photobomber here

Play Day Saturday are clothes for taking your kids to the park, running errands, talking your dog for a walk, shopping, picnicking, traveling, 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) is the pencil skirt in general, and the cabi Fall 2016 Sigourney skirt in particular. Once again, I’m offering too version of this outfit, a colder weather one and a warmer weather one. The key to a play day Saturday is mixing comfort and style. The right pencil skirt can be comfortable and stylish. Then just mix that with other comfortable but stylish pieces. This is a great time for a bold print and a fun accessory. I wore a similar top in both outfits, one with short sleeves one with long, to better highlight the seasonal takes. The cooler weather play day outfit far passed its comfort and style test, as I has the perfect play day and wandered around NYC in it (the pictures are taken in Morningside Park)!

Tips:    

• To add some fun, choose a bold print and mix with neutral basics
• If you have a busy play day, chose comfortable but enjoyable shoes—like clunky boots with a thick heel or owl flats (whooo doesn’t love owl flats?)
• Consider adding a striking piece of jewelry, but one in a single metal to keep the focus on your bright print and keep the outfit tone more casual
• For play days, look for casual and comfortable pencil skirts, like those made from a nice stretchy cotton knit or ponte
• For a pulled together look, choose a main color and keep most of your pieces in this color
• For comfort and style, choose a soft tee (long- or short-sleeved) in a stylish cut

Outfit Breakdowns:

Sigourney Skirt Outfit:

• Skirt: Sigourney Skirt from cabi Fall 2016, which is no longer readily available. See my introductory POW post for ways to get this skirt, turquoise alternatives, or other pencil skirts
• Long-sleeved Tee: Blue Serenity Tee from cabi Fall 2015. Consider any one of the several different colors of Serenity Tee in the spring 2017 collection.
• Jacket: Fate Vest from Stitch Fix (use my referral link for $25 of your first Fix)
• Boots: Older Target boots
• Scarf: Gray Owl Infinity Scarf from INTHEBAGDesign on Etsy
• Earrings: Older bead earrings, unkown.
• Bracelet: Paragon Straps Cuffvia Suzanne on eSBe—you can win most of this cuff if you participate in our April Style Challenge*

Spring Skirt Outfit:

• Pencil Skirt: This is a Cassie pencil skirt from LuLaRoe (The LuLaRoe stylist I have worked with the most is Emily Henry (lularoeemilyhenry@gmail.com or via Facebook)
• Tee Shirt: Double-V Tee from cabi Spring 2016—you can try the two colors of the Double-V Tee form this spring 2017 collection, the blue Ultimate Tee, or the Laid Back Tee in two colors.
• Necklace: Ballerina Necklace via Suzanne on eSBe—you can win part of this necklace if you participant in our April Style Challenge*
• Earrings: Vintage Crystal Studs from Stella & Dot
• Bracelet: Eve Gray Agate Stretch Bracelet by eSBe*
• Rings: Aubree Stacking Rings by eSBe*
• Shoes: Owl Flats from Land’s End

*For all eSBe orders and questions, I recommend my eSBe Stylist, Suzanne Wall Joffrion—her ID is 246131.

Win money towards this beatiful jewlery in our April Style Challenge

Getting set up on a buys staircase

Related Posts:

1. Margherita POW: White Out Over Navy Saturday:

2. Pleated Star POW: Cozy Cabled Rocky Coast Saturday

3. Off to the Races Saturday:

1. Margherita POW: White Out Over Navy Saturday: Be put together and carefree in your sundress by adding layers and accessories in a variety of whites
2. Pleated Star POW: Cozy Cabled Rocky Coast Saturday: For a cozy take on a pleated skirt, add comfy pieces like a big cowl-neck sweater and suede boots
3. Off to the Races Saturday: For an effortless, preppy, horse-race-ready outfit choose modern takes on classic pieces, some mixing of prints, and the sophisticated combination of black and navy—plus a hat!

Three Tips for Fabulous Fourth Style: Tip Three—Find one versatile new piece and mix it with red, white, and blue you already own

For better or worse, the Fourth of July only comes once a year. You can style a few more patriotic days if you want, such as Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day (and Bastille Day, if you want to get your French on). But, most of the rest of the year, red, white, and blue just may be too much, especially items that are clearly for the Fourth. Thus, buying specific clothes for the holiday may not be an effective use of your money or closet space. Instead, start with a new piece that you can also wear other days of the year. Bonus points if it suggests the Fourth of July, such as stars in red, white, and/or blue, but doesn’t scream it, so you can wear them the rest of the season too. Then add red, white, and blue pieces you already own for a practical, closet-, and budget-friendly look!  Not sure what to get? Check out “Not just for fireworks: Nine Versatile Pieces for your Fourth of July and Patriotic Wardrobe” for some new pieces to add to your wardrobe.

Tips for making it work:

This skirt is perfect for the Fourth but it also can work for work, church, special occasions, and more! Outfit: PLEATED STAR SKIRT, SLEEVELESS DOUBLE DRAPE TEE, AND BOW BALLET FLATS.

• If you find your closet lacking either, go for stripes or stars for your new pieces—there are lots of options that easily work for everyday wear (my favorite may be this lovely skirt)
• Look for new pieces you can clearly see yourself wearing to best ensure you do
• If you add a new red item, you could possibly rock it for other “red” holidays, such as Christmas and Valentine’s day (a red dress a red or a top you can layer might be best for this) (this idea could also work for blue for Hanukkah…), making it even more versatile
• Keep in mind how you are celebrating the Fourth, while I love this skirt or this jacket, neither will work for my plans to be outside in the hot Georgia weather walking around a festival and having a casual picnic before watching fireworks (although I wore them to work around the Fourth for a patriotic touch)
• Look for fun pieces, such as red shiny wedges, as star scarf, or dangling star earrings for a celebratory touch
• Feel free to go overboard if you are adding anew accessory, as they can easily be styled “down” the rest of the year (Such as this blue and red star scarf—clearly has a Fourth of July vibe, but could also work with a navy suit)
• Shop your closet for the rest of the outfit, focusing on red, white, and blue items
• When putting together the outfit consider these previous tips:
  • Wear two of the colors, pop one
  • Mix prints, especially stars and stripes

This scarf is clearly ready for the Fourth--but think of all the ways you can wear it all summer long! OUTFIT: STRIPED FAVORITE TANK, PICNIC SHORT, STAR PRINT SCARF, AND THE BOW BALLET FLATS

Amazing jacket, right? It also rocks for work! OUTFIT: CRUISE JACKET, and everything else is older (Aersoles shoes, Target shorts, Stella & Dot necklace, past season necklace.

I hope you enjoyed my Three Tips for Fabulous Fourth Style. Be sure to check out Tip 1—Wear  Two & Pop One and Tip Two—Mix Prints for a more Festive Look!

I’ll be back to the POW posts soon, never free. But look forward to more posts of this kind. I had a lot of fun with them. Let me know if there is another day or topic you would like me to focus on for style tips!

Three Tips for Fabulous Fourth Style: Tip Two—Mix Prints for a more Festive Look!

For a fun and festival Fourth of July look, mix prints in red, white, and blue. This will be a more unexpected look, especially if you choose prints that are not something clearly "Fourth of July prints"—like an American flag print. Bonus points if you can mix a strip with a star print!

Tips for making it work:

Three prints, including a star print and stripe print. Outfit: Striped Favorite Tank, Picnic Short, Star Print Scarf, and the Bow Ballet Flats

• Make one of your prints stripes for more clear reference to Independence Day
• Consider mixing a stripes print and a star print, if you have them, for a fun play on the American flag (and this mixes two of the same types of prints [geometric], which is a win for print mixing)
• For the Fourth, you can have a lot of fun mixing prints in the three colors, which automatically gives you a limited palette and the opportunity to go bigger and bolder than normal
• Follow the rule for mixing prints so the outfit works together, especially these:
  • It may be easier to mix prints if you choose one main color that is in each of the prints to bring the outfit together (white may be easiest and is used in my examples)
  • For a more complicated mix, try prints with different main color (such as red, white, and blue) [These last two conflict, but either can work, so go with what best fits your style and experience with mixing prints]
  • If mixing prints in the same color, emphasize differences in size, fabric, and style of print
  • Play with size, mixing smaller prints with larger prints
  • Look for different fabrics and structure, such as a loose knit and a structured cotton
  • Consider stripes a neutral when mixing prints
• Have fun—it’s the Fourth you can go a bit wild and not be the craziest dressed person

Two prints with different main colors, textures, and print size. Outfit: KRIS TOP, PICNIC SHORT, STAR PRINT SCARF, AND THE BOW BALLET FLATS

Two prints both in the same two colors with the same main colors in different sizes. Outfit: Butterfly Print Scarf, PLEATED STAR SKIRT, SLEEVELESS DOUBLE DRAPE TEE, AND BOW BALLET FLATS.

Check out the first tip: Wear Two & Pop One and tune in tomorrow for the second!

Three Tips for Fabulous Fourth Style: Tip One--Wear Two & Pop One

For a classier, and more subtle take on  patriotic style , choose two of the three flag colors, such as blue and white, and base your outfit around them. Then choose one or two key elements (probably accessories) to pop the third color—red (or whatever is left).

Tips for making it work:

Gotta love the pop of a red shoe!

Outfit: PLEATED STAR SKIRT, SLEEVELESS DOUBLE DRAPE TEE, AND BOW BALLET FLATS.

• Think scarves, shoes, bags, and statement jewelry to pop your third color or wear a print that has some of that third color in it
• Limit the amount of the pop color to one or two pieces to make it really work
• Consider mixing prints in the two main colors of your outfit for added fun
• Take it even further and wear a dress, jumpsuit, or outfit in one color and then accessories in the other two
• Don’t be afraid of having blue and red as your two main colors—if you can do it more power to you!
• Have fun—it’s the Fourth you can go a bit wild and not be the most crazily dressed person

The red here is very subtle--in the stripes. I could also add a red shoe for added fun.

Outfit: CRUISE JACKET, Destructed Slim Boyfriend jeans from cabi Spring 2016, Fifth Avenue Tee past season cabi, Older Target shoes, Michael Kors, Selma Medium Satchel, Stella & Dot necklace, Sloan Ranger Knot Earrings.

More red shoe pop!

Outfit: PLEATED STAR SKIRT, Kate Spade handbag,  older cabi Drape Tee and older Aerosoles shoes.