Memorial Day style inspiration

This week’s “Friday’s Fancies” theme is Memorial Day Weekend, yay!

I will be back on Memorial Day to kick off a week-long style challenge brought to you by Whitney @ Along the Lines of Style and Heidi @ Literate and Stylish. You can read all about the upcoming style challenge here.

In the meantime, please enjoy my inspiration board for oh-so-comfy yet stylish Memorial Day weekend style.

Memorial Day weekend edition by jjwsb – click image for individual item details and sources

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Link ups:  Friday’s Fancies  /  Fashion Friday

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Two takes with one striped tank

Today’s post incorporates two different looks with the same striped tank (alert — lots of pics ahead!). Instead of a day-to-night, it’s a weekend-to-work kind of post.

And if you’re asking yourself, “Wait, hasn’t Jennifer worn this top once this week already?” The answer would be yes AND no. I  wore this new striped tank for the first time last week, but the post didn’t get published until Monday of this week.

Casual weekend wear (Look 1):

I wore this outfit this past weekend while running errands. The top’s untucked, so you get to see the dark navy stripes at the bottom. The denim jacket and cropped khaki ankle pants  add to the “casual” vibe, and switching out the flats for sandals during the summer would definitely amp that up. It’s still a bit chilly up here for spring, hence the flats.

Details:  Striped top:  Old Navy (on clearance and gift-carded two weeks ago)  /  Denim jacket:  Kohl’s, old  /  Khaki ankle pants:  Macy’s, gift-carded this winter  /  Flats:  DKNY via Macy’s, Fall 2011  /   Pearl drop earrings:  Bridesmaid’s gift, old

Work wear (Look 2):

For work on Wednesday, it was our day to wear the color blue to support our faculty union, so I turned again to this striped top for its many different shades of blue. What made this combo more work-appropriate was the swapping out the khaki ankle pants for wide-leg trousers, and the denim jacket for a cardigan.

And pattern-mixing stripes!!! I think it works here because the navy background of the cropped cardigan echoes the dark stripes on the bottom of the tank. It looks more proportional and purposeful in a surprising way. Or at least, it surprised me how well it all went together.

Details:  Grey trousers:  Gap, old  /  Striped cardigan:  Old Navy, gift-carded this winter  /  Bar drop earrings:  Kohl’s, old

And there’s no need to scroll up again, as I’ve put together a side-by-side comparison from weekend-to-work:

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Happy Friday!

Link ups:  Friday’s Five  /  Casual Fridays  /  Fashion Informant Linkup  /  Friday Favorites Remix

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• Colorblocking stripes (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
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• United in stripes (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)

Different perspectives

Looking at the pics today — I almost always upload pics after getting home from work — I saw a story unfolding, a (cautionary?) tale about perspective.

Here’s what happens when you put your weight on one side and slouch (helloooo, hips!):

And here’s what happens when you stand up straight (hey there, legs that seemed to sprout five inches in the click of a camera button):

And looking to my left, the perspective reveals a lovely vista of trash bins on trash pick-up morning, plus ongoing construction mess:

And here’s what happens when you shift the camera angle to the other side. (Look ma, no trash or construction porta-potties — it’s like magic!)

And finally, a close-up perspective on the graphic print of my LOFT top and the light-blue-and-black color combo of today’s more casual work look.

Writing this post, I had a lovely flashback to third grade and those goofy illustrations that served as writing prompts, those line drawings all stuffed with different characters and odd props. Only this time, instead of a vase of flowers half-hidden behind a fire hydrant or a policeman carrying an umbrella, you get an assortment of porta-potties, cars, and construction. Discuss. (I look forward to your creative writing essays! Or maybe just your comments. )

Details:  Cardigan:  Gap, old  /  Patterned blouse:  LOFT, on sale this winter  /  Black skinny jeans:  Target, last winter  /  Ankle boots:  Payless, winter  /  Rectangular silver earrings:  Handmade by a friend, Abu Dhabi

Link ups:  Look What I Got

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Colorblocking stripes

Happy Wednesday! I  wore this outfit this past Monday, the most recent day of sunshine before we were plunged back into a cycle of rainy weather. The combo of blue, white, and green felt fresh for spring, inspired in part by this look.

And based on several recent positive comments about headbands and headscarves (thank you!), I added this striped headscarf at the last minute. And I’m so glad I did!

Details:  Colorblocked cardigan:  Target, last spring  /  Striped tank top:  Gap, gift-carded last summer  /  Tan trousers:  The Limited, Fall 2011  /  Denim wedges:  Payless, last summer  /  Striped scarf:  Thrifted in Texas, old  /  Drop earrings:  Lia Sophia, gift, old

Link ups:  WIWW  /  Wardrobe Wednesday  /  Whatever Works Wednesday  /  Dress for the Day  /  I Feel Pretty Linkup  /  Trending Pretty Wednesday

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• Refashion Inspiration: Colorblocking (christinadesignsart.wordpress.com)

Inspiration Monday on a Tuesday

Today’s “Inspiration Monday” style challenge is coming to you a day late, on a Tuesday, and features an outfit I wore this past Friday. (Any other ways I can incorporate more days of the week up in here? Lemme know! )

This week’s inspiration comes to you via the eternally cool Gwen Stefani.

Inspiration:

Inspiration Monday – May 20, 2013 – Gwen Stefani

Interpretation:

This one may not look too similar at first, but stick with me. I wanted to turn Gwen’s cool casual look into a “casual Friday” look for work.

Gwen’s look is a mix of monochrome (black) and denim (vest), with a pop of yellow (shoes). My look is also a mix of monochrome (navy) and denim (skinny jeans), with a pop of yellow (scarf).  Big sunglasses? Check. Bright lipstick? Check.

And I like that Gwen’s outfit totally matches her rock chick style, while my outfit reflects my more classic style.

Details:  Navy blazer:  Macy’s, winter  /  Skinny jeans:  Target, last winter  /  Nude wedges:  Payless, gift-carded last winter  /  White sleeveless sweater:  Kmart?, old  /  Scarf:  Echo, c/o giveaway  /  Tote bag:  Payless, new  /  Pearl drop earrings:  Bridesmaid’s gift, old

And let’s talk hair. Like Gwen, I went for an easy updo with maximum impact. Check out the Mad Men-like fabulousness below, y’all. And so easy! It’s just a ponytail with the ends not pulled all the way through, and then wrapped around the base and pinned. It’s a good style for those I’m-going-to-eke-out-another-day-without-washing-my-hair kind of days. Y’all know what I’m talking about. And Sam caught the hairdo at its widest possible camera angle, so it didn’t look quite so puffy in real life.

And finally, I’ve waxed rhapsodic about my Revlon “Just Bitten” lip stains before. But I wanted to show y’all what this lip stain looks like at the end of the day. I took the pic below around 5pm, after 9 straight hours of this lip stain — no touch-ups and after lunch and multiple cups of coffee and water refills throughout the day. This bright pink color is called “Lovesick.”

Link ups:  Inspiration Monday  /  Style Sessions  /  Real Girl Style  /  Anything + Everything Blog Hop

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