Run Around POW: Muted, Playful Contrasts at Home Tuesday

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Outfit Mission Statement: Dress down your black skirt in muted tones, with pops of fun and sunshine

No place like Tuesday outfits are casual, comfy clothes for working from home, working at home, parenting (at home), , and anything else where comfort is key and you are home. Although they will work for errands and anything else casual. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi Spring 2016 Run Around Skirt. This skirt is as easy to style down as it is to style up! There are many options to style it down. A tee shirt of any sort is instant casual and comfort! Or a cotton knit tank. Or a casual button down, like a denim shirt. Or, maybe those last two together? That’s what I went with here. A tee shirt is too easy. Plus, if you are like me, layers are great—something for cool mornings and hot afternoons.

If you really want to give this skirt (or other black skirts) a casual feel, follow my rule previously discussed in No Place Like Tuesday for Sky & Earth Explorers for dressing black bottoms: go for more muted colors not whites (or brights), such as heathered grey. I also suggest stripes, which works here too! This wonderful tank has a light heather gray stripped with yellow—a fun and casual combo (the grey acts to tone down the yellow). A denim shirt often adds a casual air, as does this faded one with amazing embroidery. Plus these four colors create some fabulous combinations—yellow and blue are a favorite combination of mine. Black and yellow always grab attention. Blue and Black are a trendy, yet classic, combination. Grey goes great with everything, but I especially love it with yellow (actually thinking of doing my kitchen in yellow and grey!). Together this make a fun, casual, interesting, and incredibly comfortable outfit for working from home or whatever casual environment you are in!

Tips:

  • Don’t be afraid of fun color combinations in casual wear, such as black and yellow or blue and yellow
  • Keep your colors more muted when going casual with black bottoms
  • But don’t be afraid of some bright elements, such as stripes, to add interest
  • Think of easy ways to incorporate layers into casual wear, especially in the spring, when temperatures vary over the day (or if you have hot flashes or other things that cause quick temperature changes)
  • Have fun with your casual jewelry, such as featuring pieces with favorite or apropos animals
  • When working with a few main colors pull each out in your jewelry
  • Look for comfortable but fun summer sandals for your casual days—ones that let you walk on walls (even if low ones)
  • Have fun with your casual outfits
  • For an added touch, find fun ways to tie your denim shirt (plus this keeps from getting in the way)

 

Outfit Breakdown:

 

 

 

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

Plume POW: Staying or Leaving Home Tuesday

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Outfit Mission Statement: Travel in versatile, comfortable neutrals and add pops of color for fun and adventure

No place like Tuesday outfits are casual, comfy clothes for working from home, working at home, stay at home parenting, and anything else where comfort is key and you are home or in this case leaving home. Although they will work for errands, travel, and anything else casual. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi Spring 2016 Plume Top. There are so many ways to style this easy and casual. Simply wear it with jeans, and you are good to go (see something similar in “No place like Tuesday in a Blouse”). Also, the Traveler Pant and top are a great casual combo. I took it one step further and played off the outfit I posted in “The Transitional cabi Jacket and Pants Pieces You Need Now: The Adventure Anorak and the Traveler Pant”. I took the Travel Pants and Plume Top, added the Adventure Anorak and topped it off with a belt! Now you have casual, comfortable, practical, and fun! This is great outfit when you are not sure of the weather or will have a lot of changes in temperatures! You can just take off layers.

I just traveled in the Traveler Pant and Adventure Anorak, and I am more in love with them than I was. The Traveler Pants handled a cross country flight with a toddler, followed by a gymnastics meet (watching), my first In-N-Out Burger stop, more time in the car, and a visit to in-laws (all in one day). I spilled coffee on them and it wasn’t even noticeable after it dried! The Adventure Anorak I wore multiple days—as a layer on the plane, as a coat with hood to keep California rain off, to hold my toddler’s juice and other various things, and a layer on the chilly beach (still have sand in the pockets). It is so practical and versatile! Just add the comfortable, casual, and pretty Plume Top; a belt; and some fun shoes and you have a perfect travel and exploring outfit!

Tips:

  • Look for versatile, comfortable clothes especially for travel
  • Make your coat look like part of your outfit (and not just something you threw on) by wearing a belt over it
  • Put together travel or regular outfits with multiple layers that can easily be worn alone and look great together
  • If you are wearing two neutrals (like the pants and jacket), pop color elsewhere in your shirt, shoes, accessories, and jewelry
  • When a coat may add bulk, consider belting it to show off an hour glass shape and not look bulky yourself

 

Outfit Breakdown:

 

 

 

POW Saturday Edition Week 1b: Play Day at the Track Saturday

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Outfit Mission Statement: Reach for your comfort classics in clean crisp colors and add a nice jacket for a comfortable, classy look

Play Day Saturday are clothes for taking your kids to the park, running errands, talking 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) is the cabi fall 2015 Media Jacket. This jacket may not say “park” or “dog walk” to you—it is on the more dressy side. But, even if you reserve this comfy outfit for something less casual, it will work nicely for a variety of things! The secret is—I’m wearing tack pants (or joggers). These are not designed for the track or working out, although I wish my running clothes were this comfortable. But they are still a very causal style and extremely comfortable! These are the same pants worn in the Manic Media Monday POW post for this POW series. See how they work for work or errands? The other secret is a nice tee shirt. This is a long sleeved tee with an oversized swing feature. So, I’m just wearing a tee shirt! But it looks all fancy. The white helps with that. Take track pants, add a tee and a jacket and look what you can wear! And you can be as comfortable (or more so) than that mom in mom jeans and her husband’s tee (plus your husband may get less grumpy). Of course, the Media Jacket pulls the two casual, comfy pieces together in a striking outfit. Depending on your workplace, this could even be work appropriate!

Tips:

  • Reach for nice and trendy versions of your favorites, like a tee shirt, to be comfortable and look good.
  • When going for comfort, look for colors, patterns, and styles that dress up more easily. A clean dark black will look nicer than a faded black or gray. A clean white is always striking.
  • Go beyond the jeans and yoga pants. Yes, they are comfortable. But you may find pants that are even more comfortable and more versatile. Plus, you can play with different silhouettes.
  • Think of ways to mix casual and professional clothes for casual outfits that work when you want to look a little nicer than your default casual—nice jacket can always pull a look together and add some sophistication to even the most casual pieces.

 

Outfit Breakdown:

The clothing items in this outfit are all cabi Fall 2015 and no longer available. Contact me if you must have it and I may be able to direct you to a stylist who has it. I offer ways to substitute from you own closet or alternatives below. I normally will make the POW a currently available item, but my blog launched later than planned.

  • Jacket: Shown is the Fall 2015 cabi Media Jacket, which is now unavailable. From your own closet, you can substitute a cropped jacket and/or a flashy jacket in a shorter style. Or, if you want to purchase, here are a few other cropped jackets to consider instead: 
  • Pants: Like the other cabi pieces in this post, these are Fall 2015 and no longer available for order (likewise contact me if you must have them and I will see if I can find a stylist with leftover samples). ​
    • Traveler Pant: These are Spring 2016 cabi pants and I’ve hear they are so comfortable (I’m finding out today!)—the color is not as dressy, but olive green can work wonderfully as a neutral ($119.00)
    • Joie Mariner B. Track Pants: Very similar to the track pants shown, but pricier ($168.00) 
    • Gap’s Flannel Joggers: More casual than the track pants shown, but more affordable (and on sale! $34.99)
    • Crepe Joggers: The crepe should make these work quite nicely for work ($25.00)
  • Tee Shirt: This tee is the white cabi Fall 2015 Swing Tee, and not available. But there are some cabi and other alternatives: 
    • U-neck Tee: This is a fabulous drapery tee—I love mine from last spring and the combo is a favorite! ($76.00) 
    • Asymmetrical Tank: This tank comes in white or gray and has a great asymmetrical hem. Either color would work, but the white would match this the most closely for the pop of polish ($79.00) 
    • Long Sleeved Double-V Tee: This has the oversize appeal, with some tapering at the bottom, which does well hiding flaws. The heather white fabric may look more casual ($79.00)
    • Peri Swing Tee: By Anthropologie is more casual, in a heathered gray, but has a similar shape (sale $39.95) 
    • Sharkbite-Hem Long-Sleeve Swing Tee: Sold at Neiman Marcus Last Call also has a similar, but exaggerated, shape (sale $32.50)
  • Shoes: These are an old, beloved pair of A2s from Aerosoles. Here are some in-stock options: 
    • Stroler: Similar look, without the cutout (sale $39.99) 
    • Teashop: For something easier to run around in, these are ballet flats with cool colors (prices vary) 
    • Lambada: Slide slits, open-toes, and a zipper for a smooth, trendy professional look. ($89.99) 
    • Layette: These leather sandals are fun, comfort, and trend in one ($89.00)
  • Earrings: These are older Stella & Dot pieces, but they have a few that are similar: 
    • Sentiment Stone Drops: The smoky quartz is close to what I am wearing here, but there are nice blue and turquoise ones ($49.00) 
    • Isla Drops: These may have been part of the same collection, but are smaller, aqua, and round ($29.00)

Want an outfits that follows the same rules, but with spring pieces? Consider the cabi Spring 2016 Piazza Jacket, U-neck Tee, Traveler Pant, Layette sandals, and the cute Helios Necklaces.

POW Tuesday Edition Week 1b: No place like Tuesday in a Jacket

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Outfit Mission Statement: Integrate dressy jackets into your casual style, by keeping the other elements casual

Welcome to the second week of our first POW series. Remember, POW stands for Piece of the Week, where I show off a week’s worth of outfits focused around one piece, styled seven different ways. I break this “week” of outfits over two weeks, in part to prevent too crazy of a posting schedule! This week I will be posting Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Sunday I will then post the next POW. Check out last week’s post for Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, which focus on career clothes, date night clothes, and special occasion.

No place like Tuesday outfits are casual, comfy clothes for working from home, working at home, stay at home parenting, and anything else where comfort is key and you are home. Although they will work for errands and anything ere casual is key. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi fall 2015 Media Jacket. As this is a dressier item, there was some challenge in dressing it down, which was fun. I love this result! I added two very casual items: a causal tank and ripped boyfriend jeans. The two dress down the jacket for an overall fun and casual look. I added some booties for a few reasons—they look great with the rolled jeans and I don’t have great casual black shoes (something I will have to work on). These are comfy wedge booties, but you may want to go with something easier to chase toddlers in. One thing I like about this jacket is that I could see just wearing the jeans and racerback tank around the house and then throwing the jacket on to go get groceries or go pick up a kid at daycare or school (possibly hiding any bra straps that might be showing) and looking put-together, but still comfortable and casual. Also, the ripped jeans add a trendy edge, more so then regular jeans would. They also bring back some memories of how cool and “bad boy” (or “girl”) I thought ripped jeans were when they were in last time.

 

Tips:

  • Make a dressier jacket work for a casual outfit by combining it with very casual pieces
  • Grab a nice jacket and throw it on over a casual home outfit when you need to run errands, get kids from school or the playground, or decide to meet a friend last minute for lunch or coffee
  • Consider the very trendy ripped jeans to tone down the dressy pieces and add more edge than regular jeans
  • If you have a casual life, don’t rule out the dressier jackets that may scream “career” or “office job” to you, you can find ways to integrate them into a casual wardrobe

 

Outfit Breakdown:

The clothing items in this outfit are all cabi Fall 2015, and no longer available. Contact me if you must have it and I may be able to direct you to a stylist who has it. I offer ways to substitute from you own closet or alternatives below. I normally will make the POW a currently available item, but my blog launched later than planned.

  • Jacket: Shown is the Fall 2015 cabi Media Jacket, which is now unavailable. From your own closet, you can substitute a cropped jacket and/or a flashy jacket in a shorter style. Or, if you want to purchase, here are a few other cropped jackets to consider instead: 
  • Tank: The tanks shown is the Fall 2015 cabi Horizontal Tank, and no longer for sale. However, cabi has two great replacements in the Spring collection: 
    • Asymmetrical Tank: This tank comes in white or gray and has a great asymmetrical hem. Either color would work, but the grey might be more casual
    • Limoncello Tank: This sporty, yellow and gray tank, has wider stripes on back, for a different look coming and going and has a cool back with modest cutouts. This may be the best replacement for the horizontal tank shown.
  • Jeans: Shown are the very popular Dark Destruction Slim Boyfriend cabi Fall 2015 jeans. If you like this particular look, there are many boyfriend style jean out there right now. For a Spring variation, consider: 
    • Destructed Skinny: A soft skinny with rips like the jeans shown. It’s also available in Curvy. 
    • Destructed Slim Boyfriend: Or, if you like the shape of the jeans shown, try the ones from this Spring in white! 
    • Or, for a non-jean casual pants, the Traveler Pant could work: These are olive green with an elasticized ankle hem and flap pockets.
  • Booties: These are old Aerosole. Here are some current ones that could work: 
    • Sundae: The black wedge boots have an elastic cross strap
    • Duble Trouble: These low heeled (1”) ankle boots that look like you could keep up with twins wearing them 
    • Soterday Night: These Oxford-style ankle boots are also wedges
  • Earrings: I kept it simple with gunmetal gray hoops. I bet you can find something similar easily. These were from Charming Charlie a few years ago. A Spring cabi option are the understated but cute Dolce Charm Earrings--perfect for a casual outfit

Want an outfits that follows the same rules, but with spring pieces? Consider the cabi Spring 2016 Piazza Jacket, Asymmetrical Tank, Destructed Skinny, and the Dolce Charm Earrings, with Soterday Night boots from Aerosole. 

 

Welcome to POW week 1: Manic Media Monday

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Welcome to POW week 1: Manic Media Monday

Outfit Mission Statement: Dress down pieces by combining them with casual pieces for an overall business casual look.

Manic Monday outfits are easy career clothes to throw on for manic Mondays. This Monday we focus on two things: comfort and color. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi fall 2015 Media Jacket. Since the season is now over, this particular jacket can no longer be ordered. I have some substitutes below that are available. From your own closet, you can substitute a cropped jacket and/or a flashy jacket in a shorter style. If you must have this jacket, contact me and I may be able to put you in touch with a stylish who has a sample left.

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