One new arrival I was looking forward to was the Floral Sweatshirt in Sea Green Gray. I tried both this one and the Navy Navy on and liked this one more. It seemed a little more versatile to me. The Navy ran small on me. I tried on a Small and it ran tight across the chest, while the Gray in Small was a good fit. The Medium in Navy was a better fit but not as slouchy as the Gray in Medium. The front material of the Navy is silk while the Gray is Brocade. I felt I would snag the Navy so I brought the Gray in a Small home with me.

Now, let’s see how well I like it after putting it through the “1 Item, 3 Ways” test.

First, I paired it with the Andie Chino’s in Fatigue and the Frye Anna Leather Oxford. I think I can do better on the shoe with this one but the Floral Sweatshirt does pair nicely with the Andie Chino’s. It will also look great with the Navy and the Tuxedo Stripe. (I’m guessing the Gray Andie’s will work as well but I didn’t purchase those.) 

Next, I paired the Sweatshirt with the Cafe’ Capri’s in Iced Lilac from a season or two ago and my Gray Bronson Booties in Suede. This looks really good with the light purple and this color is one I would never have thought of if I hadn’t been trying be creative with this Sweatshirt. 

Lastly, is my favorite outfit with the Floral Sweatshirt. I have it on with the No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Viridian Green and my Kate Spade Kiki Suede Wedges. The skirt brings out the smaller green pieces in the Sweatshirt. They are almost an identical match in color.
Of course, the Floral Sweatshirt will look great with any type of jean, so I stayed away from using that as one of my items.
Tell me, what would you pair this Sweatshirt with?

I received quite a few questions and requests about the VS Leather Jacket in this post that I thought I’d give a quick post dedicated to it.

Measurements: Chest=18 in, Waist=17 in, Length (from back of neck to hem)=23 in

On my mannequin…

     

     

The peplum is so minimal and gives the jacket a girly touch to it.

On me…

You can see in this pic that the sleeves are long on me. Because there is a zipper on the sleeves I don’t think I’ll be able to alter it.

Love the quilted/seamed detail on the sleeves and at the waist.

There are two Leather Jackets on the website. This one is called Leather Jacket, Style #VE-305-633 and the other is called Leather Moto Jacket. I ordered a Medium/8-10 and the fit is perfect everywhere including the arms. I cannot put a thick sweater under this but a Tippi will be fine. I am amazed at how beautiful this color is IRL. The very first pic at the top captures the color very well. I took a chance since there was not a pic of this jacket online, just a swatch of the color. I’m so happy I chose this one. 

The Deco Shirred Skirt was one I loved a few years ago but had to sell because it no longer fit. I was happy to find add it back to my closet last year, albeit in an bigger size. I had a busy day last Wednesday with work and HOA business so I dressed up a little better than usual. I paired the skirt with the Short-Sleeve Chambray Shirt and my Lanvin Espadrilles.

     

But, I’ve started back up on the treadmill and my shins were hurting so I changed my heels to the Janey Printed Flat. A much better choice and they gave the outfit a touch more color.

Have a Great Day!

To help me with defining my style and continuous closet purging I am starting a new feature of showing how to wear one item 3 ways. I know a lot of you try to also use this idea when making/keeping purchases. These will be items I currently have or have recently purchased and am on the fence about keeping. I will show everything “IRL” so you can see the true items and colors together.

The first piece was part of an outfit I wore last week at home and then to dinner at a Pizza Garden that evening. I find that my outfits consist of three things: a top, bottom and shoes. Very basic and simple because the need for jewelry or other layers doesn’t fit my work-from-home life. I paired the Natasha Blouse in Gardenshade Floral with hemmed Matchsticks and Cece Ballet Flats in Black (but probably should have done the Navy instead). This is a blouse I was sad I missed out on last Spring but happily found it on ebay a few weeks ago.

As the weather cools, I can add a cardigan for inside the house and to run errands. This is the Jackie in Landscape Green and is a great match to the Natasha Blouse. 

I added the Navy Schoolboy for a more polished look, still keeping my three basics, and the Jackie Cardigan. 

For work, I kept the Jackie and changed to the Sterling Skirt in Crimson Maple, that I was able to purchase from a fellow JCA, and my Louboutin’s in Cranberry. A black heel will work as well. A Nude could work but I think a darker heel is best for this outfit. This green and burgundy pairing is beautiful, don’t you think? Buttoning the Jackie at the bottom helps you look more polished and leaner.

And, finally, to edge it up a bit I removed the cardigan and added my new Leather Moto Jacket in Cabernet. It’s amazingly gorgeous IRL and from Victoria’s Secret. I’ve been looking for a leather jacket for a very long time but could never find one I loved. Dark jeans like the Midrise Toothpick Jean in Carbon replace the Sterling Skirt and, again, the Louboutin’s in Cranberry finish this look. I only have gray Moto boots but short Black ones will do as well. I didn’t want to the look to be too edgy and I think the Moto Jacket in a different color suits the style without trying too hard.
So there you have it. The Natasha Blouse styled three ways (ok, maybe that was four). It’s a keeper. 
I hope you enjoyed this feature. If you have any suggestions or want to see an item styled 3 ways please leave a comment or email me. If I have the item or something similar I will be happy to feature it.
Have a Great Sunday!

I ordered a few items on Wednesday from the new arrivals but I’m such a visual and touchy-feely shopper I had to go into the store and see some of them. One item that caught my eye was this Scalloped Lace A-Line Skirt in Navy. I was bemoaning to my VPS about the Collection Wool-Silk A-Line Skirt in Navy being almost sold out. Then I looked down to the lower shelves and saw this Lace skirt hanging. My VPS found a 6 and 8 for me and I went back into the fitting room to try it on.

It’s a Navy lace over-lay with a thin Black Tulle lining and then Black Poly lining. It has an A-Line shape and hits just above the knee. I tried on the size 6 and it was a great fit. To be sure, I tucked in the shirt I was wearing to see if I would still be comfortable, and I was.

This is not currently online. The Style # is 02825 and is $148.00.

Back view
 
This is such a beautiful skirt and I think it will be very versatile dressed up or down. I’m thinking all the Embellished Sweatshirts I’ve purchased with black tights and boots. I also see it with the Swoop Top in Brown and my Printed Etta’s. And I think it will be great paired with the Schoolboy Blazer in English Tweed
What do you think of this Lace Skirt? I have some trips coming up in October and this skirt will definitely be in my luggage.