Frugal Fashion Friday - Transition Pieces

My favorite wardrobe pieces are those that can be worn during multiple seasons. I have a floral skirt that you've seen a few different ways. I wear it in the spring and summer with light tops and sandals and in the fall with tights and sweaters. As the stores and online retailers clear out their summer merchandise you can take advantage of the discounts and snag items to wear now and into the fall. Here are just a few picks.



Printed Shift Dress - ASOS

 

A floral dress can be a versatile piece in summer and in fall, throw on a jacket (like the one below) and some pumps and you're ready for work. Dress it down by adding sneakers and a denim jacket.

 



Speckle Moto Jacket - Piperlime

 

I love tweed jackets! In a mid-weight, they are seasonless. It's also a timeless piece. I wear my tweed jackets with dresses and skirts, as well as with jeans and t-shirt.

 



DOCKLAND Sneakers in Gold - Asos

Slip on sneakers are an on trend item right now. In a color like this gold metallic, you can wear them now with shorts or a cute floral dress. You can also wear them into the fall and winter with warm socks, jeans and a sweater.

 

 

NYDJ Marilyn Straight Leg Jeans - Amazon

 

The old fashion rule of no white after Labor Day no longer applies. A cute tank and sandals can help you close out the summer in these jeans. Add a tweed jacket and swap out your sandals for some sneakers or ankle boots and you're ready for fall.



 

Linen Midi Skirt - ASOS

The length of a midi skirt makes it the perfect fall transition piece. It works in the summer with a tank or short sleeve top and you can wear it on cooler days with a sweater or a cute jacket.

 Do you have favorite transition pieces?

Frugal Fashison Friday - Date Night Edition

Last Friday's post for Friday's Fancies was so much fun that I decided to join again today.  The theme is Date Night and this one is perfect for today.  My Honey and I are having a date night tonight!  We attend the local Unitarian Universalist Congregation and tonight they are having a movie and sing along night to The Sound of Music! I know it sounds corny but I think it will be great.  The entry fee is food for the food pantry.  There will be a concession stand where we can buy snacks.  It's a very laid back place and dressing up or wearing super high heels isn't necessary so I picked an easy outfit that's worthy of date night but a little on the casual side.

Jacket - Newport News Boxy Tweed Jacket $69

Top - Old Navy Sleeveless Cowl Neck Top $14

Jeans - NYDJ Boyfriend Roll Up Cuff Jeans $88

Shoes - Nine West Punchy in Pewter $59.99

Bag -Target Xhilaration Neon Yellow/Green Clutch $19.99
Necklace and Bracelet - DIY Neon Yellow bead necklace and bracelet (from Goodwill)
Lipstick - Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Fuchsia Fever $7.49
Canned Goods for the Food Pantry - Find Your Local Food Pantry

I have a black tweed jacket that I added chain to.  It was a fun and easy DIY (details here).  Before I added the chain, I hardly ever wore the jacket. Now I wear it often. I love simple tees with interesting details, like this cowl neck. I have quite a few pairs of jeans. They are only two brands, Lane Bryant and Not Your Daughter's Jeans (NYDJ). I love NYDJ jeans because they fit my pear shaped body really well.  I never have to worry about them riding too low in the back. They have just enough stretch and they come in tons of styles.  They are more expensive than other brands but worth it because they retain their shape and color wash after wash. I just got these shoes at DSW. I wasn't able to find them on line in the pewter color but they are great shoes and I'd consider buying them in almost every color. I got them for less than $30 because of DSW certificates. Obviously I love this bag. I've featured it in two posts in a row. Guess that means I've made my decision about my clutch buy. The necklace and bracelets aren't in the collage above but you can see them here in my DIY post. They are a fun addition to the neon trend and were so easy and inexpensive to make. I've been wearing this lipstick constantly. The pink color is so much fun and a great spring alternative to red.

Did you know that one in six people in the United States go hungry every day?  With the economy in such a rough place, food banks need help more than ever. They are terribly depleted and need money and food.  They also need volunteers. Please consider helping out your local food back. 

I hope you all have a fun date night planned soon. A date night doesn't have to be a date with someone romantic, it can be a date night with your friends.  Have a great weekend.

HAPPY FRIDAY REAL GIRLS!

Weekend Casual

This weekend I was thrilled to attend my first plus size clothing swap. Thanks to my blogging buddy, Curvy CEO for hosting such a wonderful day. As you know I love going to clothing swaps.  Unfortunately, many times, my choices are limited.  I think most curvy girls stay away because they think they may be the only girl bringing plus size clothing. It was a treat to have so much to choose from.  I'll be posting my great finds later and I'm sure I'll be wearing items in future posts. When I picked out my outfit, I wanted something chic, comfortable but easy to shed if I needed to try on something. I picked one of my favorite weekend casual outfits, a tweed blazer, cargo pants, a gray t-shirt, flats, and my trusty Coach Willis (cross body bag).  I added my tiniest cubic zirconia studs, a chunky chain necklace and my silver monogram necklace.  I also threw on a couple of rings for good measure. I took a few photos with my camera phone but as you can see the quality (due to lighting) isn't the best.

Jacket - Kasper, T-Shirt - Target, Cargo Pants - Avenue, Shoes - Marc Jacobs via Saks off 5th, Bag - Coach, Earrings - ??, Necklaces - gifts

I wanted to add pictures of some of my blogger friends from the swap but I only took three photos. They went like this.  First one Bisi looks great, I look drunk.  Second photo, I look pretty good and Vivi has her eyes closed. Third photo, Vivi looks great and I have my eyes closed.  It's an unwritten fashion girl rule that you don't post "not so great photos" of your girls.  But you can see photos of the beautiful Bisi and Vivi in the Curvy CEO post. Bisi blog is Fatshion and Fattitude.  Vivi's blog is Heart, Print & Style. She won the Goodwill giveaway I ran a while back.


Many of the items I'm wearing are no longer available but you can wear similar items. I pulled together this little collage on Polyvore for your viewing pleasure.

J Crew crew shirt, $39
Tweed jacket, $59
Jessica London cropped tweed jacket, $31
Cargo Pants, $69
Flats, $70
Coach Willis bag, $298 (I paid $40 at Goodwill)
Monogrammed jewelry, $210
Cubic Zirconia earrings, $12
Chain necklace, $5.80

If $298 is out of your price range for a Coach Willis bag, never fear.  I found mine at a Goodwill store in NYC.  I've found several Coach bags at Goodwill stores in the DC area.  You can also search on ebay.  There are lots available in every price and quality. It's a great investment bag. I use mine often on the weekends and love that it has a shoulder strap and a top handle. The monogram necklace is also a pricey piece but I found it in lots of sizes and price points. Mine is sterling silver but I've seen them in other metals.

I love this outfit combo because it's easy and chic.  The tweed jacket and jewelry elevate the casual cargo pants and t-shirt.  The flats make shopping and errands comfortable and the bag keeps your hands free.

What's your favorite weekend casual outfit?