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

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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• Blue stripes + florals (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
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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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• Gwen Stefani Print Pants (celebstyle.typepad.com)

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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• Coral pleats (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
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• Simple in stripes (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)

All-in-one floral

Today’s outfit was inspired by the latest IFB project, sponsored by the film EPIC, to share a nature-inspired look. I don’t have that many florals in my wardrobe — or at least I thought I didn’t! – but as I was taking another look at my tunics (most of them bought overseas while working in the UAE), I realized most of their patterns are floral-based. Take this tunic, for example, that has a paisley-like pattern, but one made up of flowers.

I often wore this tunic for work overseas, so I thought it fitting to wear today while giving a presentation at work about my time in the UAE. I also wore my Arabic name necklace, which can be seen close-up here in this post.

Details:  Floral tunic:  Dept., Abu Dhabi, 2010  /  Trousers:  Woolworth’s, Abu Dhabi, 2009  /  Sandals:  Target, last summer  /  Necklace worn as bracelet:  Birthday gift, Abu Dhabi, 2009  /  Arabic name necklace:  Dubai, old  /  Sunglasses:  My mom’s, Dubai, old

And here’s a prior look featuring this tunic, from last spring, when I paired it with a cardigan and skinny jeans:

Link ups:  IFB Project #94  /  What I Wore Wednesday  /  Wardrobe Wednesday  /  Whatever Works Wednesday  /  Dress for the Day You Want  /  Trending Pretty Wednesday

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