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

Related articles

• Variations on a theme (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Gwen’s love for Zara. (poppys-style.com)
• Inspiration Monday: Classic combo, denim + white (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Gwen Stefani Print Pants (celebstyle.typepad.com)

Variations on a theme

If you’re a regular reader, y’all know my go-to formula for casual Fridays is a pair of jeans + a blazer. Here are a couple of recent variations on that theme, from the prior two Fridays.

By the way, it feels so strange to see pics taken before getting my new glasses, doesn’t it?!

Look 1:

Details:  Green camp shirt:  Old Navy, gift-carded last spring  /  Tweedy jazer:  JCPenney, old  /  Jeans:  Gap, old  /  Flats:  Payless, last summer  /  Skinny belt:  Target, winter  /  Black statement necklace:  Florence Adams, c/o giveaway

Look 2:

Details:  Blazer:  The Limited, old  /  Skinny jeans:  Target, last winter  /  Peep-toe wedges:  Franco Sarto, old  /  Striped tank top:  Old Navy, last summer  /  Silk animal print scarf:  Echo, c/o giveaway

And do y’all recognize the inspiration for Look 2? It started out the same foundation as this look, but I simply switched the tan blazer for a black one, and threw on a brightly patterned scarf. Amazing how simple things like that can change up an outfit!

Happy Friday!

Link ups:  Casual Friday Link Up  /  Friday’s Five Linkup  /  Fashion Informant Friday

Related articles

• 5 Days, 5 Ways: Remixing casual Fridays (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• How to Dress for Casual Friday at the Office (j9styleblog.com)
• Stripes on stripes (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)

5 Days, 5 Ways: Remixing casual Fridays

The final day of the “5 Days, 5 Ways” style challenge, hosted by Franish and Along the Lines of Style, wraps up with the theme of “Casual Friday.”

For this final challenge post, I went through my casual Friday posts on the lookout for any recurring ensembles or themes. And I realized that, time and again, I have a go-to favorite for casual Fridays:  blazers + skinny jeans.

Hope y’all have had fun remixing!

Link ups:  5 Days, 5 Ways  /  Favorite Frock Fridays  /  Casual Friday Link Up  /  Friday’s Five Linkup

Related articles

• How to Dress for Casual Friday at the Office (j9styleblog.com)
• Stripes on stripes (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Outfit Pick: Add Some Glam to Casual Friday (theprettydish.com)

Inspiration Monday: Orange + white

This week’s “Inspiration Monday” challenge is from one of my faves, Olivia Palermo. I wore this look last Friday, but I can’t really count a dress-and-tights combo as a “casual Friday” look. But gingham always retains that certain “casual” air, right?

Inspiration:

Inspiration Monday — March 11, 2013 — Olivia Palermo

Interpretation:

My mother’s vintage dress got another outing this week, and even though I layered on a shirt and denim jacket, the top of the dress finally got a chance to prove that it is, indeed, a dress!

Details:  Vintage dress:  My mom’s from the ’60s  /  Gingham camp shirt:  Old Navy, gift-carded last spring  /  Denim jacket:  Old Navy, gift-carded this fall  /  Tights:  American Apparel, last winter  /  Flats:  Payless, last spring  /  Stone pendant:  Gift from my husband, bought on a trip to Turkey, 1998

Link ups:  Inspiration Monday  /  Monday Mingle   /  YOLOmondays  /  Monday Bloom Link-Up  /  Style Sessions  /  Real Girl Style  /  Copycat Linkup

Related articles

• Denim: A Riveting Debate (debenhams.com)
• The Formula: Denim Jacket’s (fashiongrail.com)
• Colorblocked inspiration (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Never too late to discover Gingham style (debenhams.com)

Sweater vest purple

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday was definitely a disgruntle-y kind of day. And today? It started with a bus ride to the doctor’s, not the stuff that immediately brings to mind a great start to the day. But this bus ride is one of my favorite routes through Portland, through a central downtown park, art museum district, and a plethora of public sculptures, as well as the central library. I fell a little bit more in love with my chosen city. ♥

And I ended the day with a continuation of “getting-it-DONE” mode at work, and an after-dinner drink (or two) with a friend and colleague.

Happy weekend, y’all!

Obviously, I was totally paying attention to Sarah @ Frills for Thrills and her recent post about her signature pose.

Details:  Striped button-down:  The Limited, old  /  Sweater vest:  ??? don’t remember, old  /  Jeans:  Gap, fall 2012  /  Flats:  Payless, summer

When I saw this photo above, I immediately thought:  Cover of Brontë-like chick lit novel. And I’m okay with that.

Link ups:  Watch What I’m Wearing  /  Sunday Style

Related articles

• Sweater Vest Sunday (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Inspiration Monday: Touches of pink (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Pure Americana (jsnoekbrown.wordpress.com)