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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SIA: Fish out of water

Woo-hoo, it’s SIA time again! This week’s inspiration is a stunning watercolor illustration by 3-time Caldecott Award winner David Wiesner.

Inspiration:

Flotsam illustration – David Wiesner – Watercolor on paper, 2007

Interpretation:

And I was inspired right away! Usually, I have to sit with the inspiration art for awhile — as I like to do when visiting museums, as well, just sit with the paintings and soak up the vibes — but this one spoke to me immediately. I think the Wiesner’s stunning colors helped speed up the inspiration.

My coral salmon-colored pleated skirt was a no-brainer, and I paired it with a new striped top I scored at Old Navy with a gift-card last week. (And the top was on clearance, woo-hoo!)

Details:  Pleated skirt:  Florence Adams c/o giveaway  /  Striped tank:  Old Navy, gift-carded last week  /  Denim jacket:  Kohl’s, old  /  Flats:  Payless, new and on sale  /  Trench:  Marks & Spencer, Abu Dhabi, 2008  /  Pearl cluster earrings:  Old Navy, gift-carded in winter

I also added in extra details to play off the inspiration fish in the illustration. I went to my go-to rope braid hairstyle as it reminded me of gills, and my pearl cluster earrings represent fish eggs for this inspiration look. Tee hee!

And could I resist twirling in my pleated skirt? OF COURSE NOT!

Link ups:  SIA  /   YOLO Mondays  /  Monday Mingle  /  My Style Monday  /  Sunday Style

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I’ll take that as a compliment

I had a different plan for what to wear today, but had to change course due to… laundry needs. (Sigh.) Vicious cycle.

So I kept things simple again. And the result? A compliment about my cardigan (!) in an early morning class, and a student coming up to me at the Reference Desk in the afternoon to tell me that I looked more like a student today. By his tone, the student’s remark came across more like he was unsettled that I didn’t look like the “typical librarian” image in his mind. But I grinned widely and replied, “Thank you! I’ll take that as a compliment.” I don’t think he knew how to react to that.

I felt a little ’50s retro in this outfit, due to the ankle pants and flats. Perhaps the gingham headband — subtle pattern-mixing alert! — gave off that student-y vibe?

Details:  Graphic top:  Macy’s, gift-carded this winter  /  Blue cardigan:  August Silk via Macy’s, winter  /  Tank ankle pants:  Macy’s, gift-carded this winter  /  Gingham headband:  Free gift from ModCloth purchase, last summer

The headband is a wire-tipped version, so the ends are bendable into different shapes. I chose to wrap the ends of the bow underneath for a more streamlined, knotted effect.

Link ups:  Look What I Got Thursdays  /  Friday’s Five  /  Casual Fridays  /  Fashion Informant Linkup

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Navy + coral pleats

Today, I felt like going for a feminine look. My pleated skirt definitely fit the bill, and pairing it with navy felt like a fresh color combo for spring. Plus, stripes!

Details:  Coral pleated skirt:  Florence Adams, c/o giveaway  /  Navy striped shirt:  H&M, last winter  /  Flats:  Payless, new  /  Navy skinny belt:  Kohl’s, gift-carded last spring  / Silver bar earrings:  Kohl’s, old

And here’s how I looked returning home from work. I liked how the coral pleats peeked out of my navy trench coat.

Link ups:  Friday’s Five  /  Casual Fridays  /  Fashion Informant Fridays  /  Watch What I’m Wearing  /  Sunday Style  /  IFB Project #95:  Show Us Your Stripes

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United in stripes

For the past couple of months, my faculty union has sent out weekly style challenges for us to show our support. Work and blogging worlds collide! This week’s challenge was to wear stripes. Done. And it was the first time I’ve worn my new black-and-white striped dress to work.

Sam and I took a little stroll down our street after work and made the acquaintance of a friendly cat. Turns out his name is Maxamillion. That’s so money.

Details:  Striped dress:  Old Navy, gift-carded in March  /  Blue camp shirt:  Old Navy, gift-carded last summer  /  Flats:  Payless, last summer  /  Silver collar necklace:  Kohl’s, gift-carded last spring

I cracked up at this photo above and how similar our stances are. Two typical Leos!

Link ups:  Look What I Got

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