Hey Glossies,

I love warm (bright) colors in the winter months. They uplift my mood, make me excited about the day, allow me to tolerate the season.  Since, the early fall, I have been obsessing about procuring yellow and flame orange wool skirts.  My favorite store was not selling any of these colors, which totally bummed me out.  I did see a skirt from another go-to retailer that I liked, but it was 16 inches long.  For me, that length was a very definite “No ma’am!!”

I took a chance on the J. Crew double serge wool skirt and I found the colors that I wanted, spicy gold and vibrant flame.  Initially, I purchased a skirt in-store. Even though the size could fit, I wanted a tad bit more length, so I purchased a larger size. Yes, all the sizes are the same length, but the different sizes rest on various points on my waist.

Outfit Details

One of my favorite fashionista friends re-introduced me to Lands’ End and I have been quite pleased with the quality and colors offered.  LE is a great place to find fun basics that can be easily paired with other items.

I purchased the cardigan (below) in the nautical blue because I do not own any other blue than navy.   My shopping rule is that I do not buy colors that I do not like, which means about a quarter of the color wheel is neglected.  So I decided to move out of my color comfort zone.  I  imagined the nautical blue as being similar to the blue in ocean.  I can like that blue and the memories that it brings.  Pairing with the spicy gold that reminds me of the sun. Great way to wear pops of color.

I added the Ralph Lauren Sleeveless Emely Georgette Ruffle Blouse and Leopard haircalf belt for visual interest.

Land's End Cardigan Sweater - Nautical Blue

Ralph Lauren Sleeveless Emely Georgette Ruffle Blouse

Ralph Lauren Leopard Haircalf Belt

JCrew No. 2 pencil skirt in double-serge wool - spicy gold

Finished off the look with Talbots black tights and black Sofft pumps, which can be the most comfortable shoes.  Seriously, every woman needs to own a pair!

Mix Maven

Hey Glossies,

Recently, a friend and I were trolling the J. Crew sale section in one of the local malls.  There was nothing much left or available, but I did a see the J. Crew Perfect shirt in Ashbury floral in bright blue.  Of course, none are (ever) available in my size.

I found the Forever21+ Abstract Floral Top that could satisfy.  The color palette is similar, even though the silhouette is different.  In a perfect world, I would want the Ashbury floral top in the forever21 + silhouette made from silk.Any favorite spring floral tops??

Mix Maven

Hey Glossies,

If I really like a classic/conservative item, I tend to opt for a unique characteristic (color/pattern) other than the basic black or grey.

Boden Milan Jacket - Bright Green

The Boden Milan jacket in bright green was a must have for me.  The wool jacket has a classic silhouette, with three-buttons, slot for a fun pocket square.  The color is very fun and cheery for this time of the year.  The color screams Spring, but the material is very winter.

The remainder of the outfit consists of lighter neutrals because I really wanted the Milan jacket to be the focal point.

Talbots Hollywood dot pintuck top - Chinchilla

Talbots Double-faced wool skirt - Ivory

Talbots Sidra Leather high-heel bootie

The jacket can be have a boxy look when buttoned up, so I left it open to showcase the top, which is one of my favorites.

The Sidra booties are love! They were pretty comfortable to wear. Even my father complimented me on my shoes!

Boden includes the best linings.  They look rich and luxurious with a sprinkle of whimsy.  The liner in my Milan jacket is navy blue and white polka dots with purple trim.  I felt like John Witherspoon in Boomerang when I flashed my lining. lol

Polka Dot lining (navy blue and white)

 Outfit Details 

• Milan Jacket – Boden
• Hollywood Dot Pintuck Blouse – Talbots
•  Wool Skirt – Talbots
• Hosiery – Talbots
• Booties -  Talbots

Mix Maven

Hey Glossies,

I am loving most of the floral patterns that I have seen over the past couple of months.  I was perusing the new J.Crew collection online and I found a floral pattern that I would wear, the Perfect shirt in Liberty Art Fabrics floral.

J. Crew Perfect shirt in Liberty Art Fabrics floral - $150

I wanted to see if other brands had a similar pattern in a wider range of sizes.  Lands’ End, my new favorite spot, had a couple items that were similar (as in tiny red floral). I found the Long Sleeve Pattern Stretch No Iron Shirt in Soft Khaki Floral,  Long Sleeve Pintuck Pattern Tunic in Claret Red Tiny Floral and the 3/4-sleeve Cotton Sateen Split Neck Blouse in Coral Bliss Floral.

Lands' End Long Sleeve Pattern Stretch No Iron Shirt - Soft Khaki Floral

Lands' End Long Sleeve Pintuck Pattern Tunic - Claret Red Tiny Floral

Lands' End 3/4-sleeve Cotton Sateen Split Neck Top - Coral Bliss Floral

Wear with a light brown, rich violet, reddish orange (skirt/pants).

I think these are fun floral patterns that can be worn now to get us excited for the spring season.

Happy Haulin’

Mix Maven

Happy Glossies,

Two years ago, I started wearing dresses on a very regular basis.  The last time I wore a dress prior to 2010 was my wedding dress and that was a quite a few years prior.  Instead, I wore skirts.

When I saw the Capra dress (below), I knew I had to have it!  The splash of deep teal, black, shades of brown and one shade that looks like a rusty coral.

The plan was to wear the Capra dress with the BCBGeneration Parade Platform Pumps in bronze leather. [Sidebar -  I realized that I  did not own any metallic leather pumps in brown/bronze. *gasp* How was I living??]

BCBGeneration Parade Platform Pumps (4.5-inch heels)

Well, while coming down the stairs one day, I tumbled over 4 steps, injuring my knees and left leg and foot.  Thank God nothing was broken.  So I opted to wear the Calvin Klein Dolly in Navy because flats were not an option.  I love the color of this shoe, even though it is not a true navy. The color is more like a very smoky teal.

Calvin Klein Dolly - Navy (3-inch heels)

OOTD Details

• Capra dress – Talbots
• Cardigan – Talbots
• Belt – Ralph Lauren
• Hosiery – Talbots
• Dolly Pumps – Calvin Klein

What I learned from this OOTD

I need more crop cardigans.  The cardigan I wore is a lovely color and brings out the matching shade, but it was overwhelming. I wore it because the place that I was going to is either really cold or really hot and, sometimes, at the same time in different rooms.

Mix Maven

Hey Glossies,

I have been excited about the spring 2012 colors.  One of dear fashionista friends, Dorene,  sent me a link for the Joe Fresh 2012 Spring collection preview.  I love the bright and vibrant colors and the silhouettes are modern and fresh.

Some of my favorite pieces from the collection.

Joe Fresh Moto Jacket

Joe Fresh Tunic Top in Blue and White

Joe Fresh Spring 2012 Preview - Yellow

One of the standouts from the collection is the Printed Loafer Pump.

I love the reinterpretation of this classic loafer in fun and whimsical fabric in orange and green. The heel looks to be approximately 2.75 inches.

Retail price will be $49 CAD.

Mix Maven

Hey Glossies,

It is well known how much I love an animal print, especially of the kitten variety, so when I saw the Gilded Leopard top, I had to have it! The Gilded top (black, shades of brown and a smidgen of cream) is comprised of cotton and metallic silk, which makes the blouse extra festive.  The poet-style top (dolman sleeves) allows flexibility to create a daytime look and the metallic silk fabric allows any easy transition to an evening look.

The rest of the look allows the Gilded Leopard top to be the focal point.  I love the Jessica Simpson pumps in black and gold herringbone print.

My actual outfit details

Mix Maven

Hey Glossies,

I love a printed skirt. It can add so much visual interest and the print makes it easier to create a great look.

I ‘built’ the outfit based on the Anne Klein pleated skirt and I pulled out the colors of the skirt.  The colors may not seem fall-like, but the colors are cool. Remove the cardigan and change the belt color and the look could easily be a late spring/early summer look.

I cannot stress how much I love Ralph Lauren and his work with ruffles.  The top is Ralph Lauren in fig purple. The ruffles are silk and the bodice is jersey knit.

I love the cardigan in a charcoal grey because it winterizes the look without the harshness of black.  I repeated the grey and purple in the pumps.  The belt in purple suede was a gift and I am pleased and grateful that I did not have to hunt for this color because it would not exist. lol

The hosiery situation was, moderately, tricky because I was thinking about wearing grey opaque tights, but I did not see any that did not remind me of thermal underwear.  I was perusing Talbots and I stumbled upon the ash grey panythose, which I thought was a better solution than wearing neutral or black pantyhose.

Outfit details

Hey Glossies,

Hope you all are enjoying this wonderful holiday season.

The sayings “Good things comes to those who wait” and “The early bird catches the worm” seem to be odds with each, yet both are true.  There are times in life when we need be patient or pro-active.  Recently, I found myself in a scenario where both sayings were applicable (at the same time) and I was very TRIUMPHANT…..Yes, I was *poplocks and twirls*!!

Outfit Story

I love brocade and jacquard print pencils skirts and I am always on the hunt to acquire more. I was more than a bit gleeful when I saw that one of my favorite stores had a jacquard-print skirt, called the Triomphe skirt in the spring 2011 line.  I had to purchase several sizes to get the right fit (Patience).  I scheduled (yes, I really do that!) the wearing of the skirt for the Christmas holiday season.  I knew the Triomphe would work.

The puff-sleeve sweater (in Frond) is one of my favorite purchases of the year and I knew I had to pair it with something tres elegant like the Triomphe.  I pre-ordered the sweater a few days before the collection was released (discounted, of course!) and I am glad I did because most of the colors and sizes were sold out within a couple of weeks of the release date. (Proactivity!)

I love these studded plaque chunky-heel pumps (in Evergreen).  While, I am no fan of the chunky-heel, these heels are not as bad as I imagined.  The heel is 3.75 inches.

Mix Maven

*All items purchased from Talbots

Hey Glossies,

In the spring of 2011, I wrote a post about my first experience with Boden.  In the post, I discussed that I had a positive experience with a skirt purchase and that I planned on purchasing more. Well, I did!!

Recently, I purchased the Limited Edition Amazing Embroidered Skirt in navy/gold.  The exterior is  92% wool,  5% polyamide and  3% cashmere.  This skirt is well-made!  I do not often wear jewelry, so I like to find pieces that have visual interest that do not border on the whimsical. The Amazing Skirt offers me the fun elegance that I require.  I also love that this skirt was available in Navy. Navy seems to be relegated to the frumpy and stodgy variety, but it deserves much better treatment.  I am very happy to say that I seen a lot of pretty navy items this year, so someone out there is listening.

I was kind of surprised that the skirt looks shorter on me than on the model, but I do love to showcase my legs (as often as I can).

Outfit Details

• Navy Seasonless Wool Blouse – Talbots
• Skirt – Boden
• Belt – Ralph Lauren
• Navy Tights – Lands’ End
• Navy Patent Leather Pumps – Talbots

Mix Maven