Neon Sparkle

Top: Ann Taylor; Pants: J.Crew; 

Shoes: ShoeDazzle; Pendant: Banana Republic;

All other Necklaces: Silpada; Ring: Silpada;

Sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs via Rue La La

    

 It happened again! A completely different outfit than what I had planned in my head. But, I love this outfit more than the one planned! So great when that happens! I am a huge fan of this top. Love the flow, the color, the length...everything! And, how fun are the lime shoes with the neon yellow? (I packed a pair of black just in case I didn't like them in natural light.) And, I added a ton of sparkle! Layer after of layer of bling makes a girl giddy!

 

 

T-Neck Love

 

Jacket: Levi; Top: Three Dots; Pants: Loft;

Shoes: Tory Burch via Nordstrom (gift);

Long necklace: BaubleBar; ShortNecklace: Gift;

Bracelets: Ralph Lauren (attached); Rings: House of Harlow;

Sunglasses: Prada (gift); Watch: Emporio Armani (gift)

I love a turtleneck! No matter what time of year, I wear them. I have them in merino wool, cashmere, silk, cotton, sleeveless, short and long sleeved. And, because of the variety, they can be worn/paired with anything! Take this little white t-neck for example. It's light weight cotton, sleeveless and perfect under the denim jacket. I've worn its sister, or brother, in black with a scarf seen here. 

And let's talk about this work-horse of a denim jacket, shall we? I purchased this for our trip to Chicago and I've worn it numerous times already and I haven't even had it a month! 

 

Note that I'm wearing the top both tucked in and loose. That's how my day went. Started tucked in, and by mid afternoon, just had to go with loose. Spin pizza for lunch...

Other Jacket Pairings:

  

And how cool are these new sandals! They were the inspiration around the look! You gotta love purchasing a shoe and then finding something to wear with them!

 

Wider the Better

Blouse: Loft; Tank: Banana Republic;

Jeans: J Brand via Gilt; Belt: Ann Taylor;

Necklace:?; Ring: Tori Spelling;

Watch: Emporio Armani (gift); Sunglasses: Prada (gift)

I love wide leg jeans and these rock! I took a page from Rachel Zoe, however they look ten times better on her! I will have to attempt this look next time I wear mine. Totally chic!

 I decided to pair mine with a tie front blouse, leaving the tie undone for a breezier look. I didn't want to go too stuffy and tying the tie would make this a little more conservative. I added a belt to keep the volume down since the jeans have enough in the leg. What you can't see are my amazing Brian Atwood pumps! I've worn them here and the last time I wore these jeans. However, a photo was never taken so that just means its a do-over with that look!

And the Starbucks in my hand, that had nothing to do with the photo below! Just a sheer coincidence!

 

Would you go with jeans with such wide legs or just keep it to flares?

 

Photo of Rachel Zoe courtesy of Your Next Jeans.

Win this Ann Taylor Necklace!

Win this fabulous Vibrant Vine Necklace from Ann Taylor!

I am super excited to host my first giveaway! And, so happy to be working with one of my favorite retailers, Ann Taylor! See details below on how to make this piece yours!

1) Leave your name and a comment below on how you would style the necklace.

2) "Like" Ann Taylor on Facebook.

That's it! Check back next week for the winner! The giveaway is open until Tuesday May 29th at 10:00 p.m. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. 

 Good luck!

Blurred Vision

 Dress: Loft; Belt: Off of another dress;

Shoes: Ann Taylor (gift); Necklace: ?;

Ring: Tori Spelling; Watch: Emporio Armani (gift)

Sunglasses: Prada (gift)

Yesterday was definitely a "fat" day for me! As in, I feel so fat that I need something to wear that will hide it! BINGO! This full skirt did the trick, however in the before and after photos below, I appear thinner after baby than I do less than a year AFTER the photo was taken. Thank goodness Zumba starts in two weeks! It is time for this mommy to get herself back in the gym!

This dress, with its busy print, is really easy to style. Add a belt, a statement necklace and you are ready to go! I love when getting dressed is this simple!

And, who needs this sock bun that everyone is talking about! I just put my hair in a ponytail, sectioned off the ponytail in four parts and then rolled each part under and pinned. Made for a nice full bun without the added accessory! Loved the polished looked.

  How I wore the dress before.

Giving it a twirl, I attempted to make the skirt do just that. It was fun to try at least!

 

A Q/A with Jessica Quirk of What I Wore

What started out as a simple six question email to Jessica Quirk, author of the blog (and book) What I Wore, turned into something so much more! After her responses arrived, I informed Jessica that I would like to add a couple of photos from the early days of her blog, May 2007 to be exact, as well as current photos so that readers could see how her style had evolved over the years while still staying very much the same. She was happy to oblige, providing her Flickr account, and from there this post took flight!


What I Wore - First Photo Post

Things took a new route when I found myself focused on three simple pieces that exist in Jessica's wardrobe. A vintage dress that was her first expensive piece, around $100. An Oaxacan dress which just happened to be her first What I Wore photo*. And a leopard coat, also vintage, that she claims "is the one thing in my closet I'd grab if my house was on fire (if my husband, cats, computer and cameras were already out)."

The Leopard Coat

 

 

As you read, you will not only find questions and answers, you will find a blogger whom I admire and refer to as my online mentor. No, she doesn't really mentor me, but she does provide inspiration with sewing ideas, DIY projects and in her daily photos. I can't pose like her, but she has helped me in trying not to feel so self-conscious about the way I try to add new poses for my own blog. And though we aren't friends on a personal level, I feel that she is very down to earth not only in personality but in how she approaches style.

So, without further ado, I introduce you to Jessica Quirk.

Style My Way (SMW): For me, I was inspired to start my blog based on a Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity exhibit. I felt we as a society had lost our ability to "dress" on a daily basis. What inspired you to start "What I Wore" and what keeps you inspired to blog every day?

Jessica Quirk (JQ): I started the blog as a place to elaborate on my daily outfit photos, which I started taking a year before What I Wore was up and running (in 2007!). I keep it up partially for selfish reasons - it's a great way to remember what happened at a specific time in my life or a phase I was really into. It challenges me to shop my closet and wear old things in new ways too.  I also do it because I think there's a large group of women who are interested in looking good each day, but aren't going to go shopping every time a new trend hits the floor. My goal with What I Wore is to be inspiring, informative and relatable.

The Vintage Dress

   

SMW: I am drawn to bloggers that write about things that I too am passionate about such as fashion, travel and entertaining. What draws you to other blogs? And, what keeps you coming back daily?

JQ: I like reading blogs that are relatable with authors that feel like close friends. I'm also a very visual person so pretty blogs with great layout and design catch my eye too. Some of my favorite sites DesignforMankind.com, KendiEveryday.com, Frecklewonder.com, Blog.MrsLillian.com, and SFgirlbyBay.com (plus all of the sites on my blog roll).

SMW: I have been blogging for three years, but still consider my blog a very amateur endeavor. When did you know it was time to make your blog a full time job? What helped you make that move?  

JQ: When I lived in NYC, I had a great meeting with the found of tumblr, David Karp who introduced me to Suzanne Xie and Rich Tong, founders of Weardrobe, a personal style social media site (which was eventually sold to Google). When I told Rich about my traffic, he suggested I start working with advertisers. A few months later, with a handful of sponsor partners, I quit my job and made What I Wore my full time endeavor!

SMW: If I didn't have to go into work everyday, I'm pretty sure I would lay around all day watching TV! Because you don't work in a traditional office environment, what motivates you to "go into the office"? How do you keep yourself from loafing around all day and losing focus on your blog?

JQ: Honestly, I'd feel like a fraud of I just got dressed up each day to sit around the house. I like having a routine and part of that is getting up, getting ready and out the door each morning. Most week days I work in the morning at the office on my laptop and then use the afternoons for sewing or DIY projects. I also have a rough outline in my mind about what I need to accomplish each day and I like to work ahead if possible. It's always my goal to have a post Monday-Friday.  

The Oaxacan Dress

  

SMW: Since starting my blog, I've discovered that I love to write, share personal stories and put myself on display more than I ever thought I would. But, I struggle with thoughts of my friends thinking I'm taking myself too seriously and/or thinking I'm something more than I actually am. Did you ever have second thoughts about yourself as a blogger or did you just know this was a good fit?

JQ: No way! I love sharing, and blogging is a great outlet for me. It was also helpful that when I started my blog there was a big group of tumblr bloggers in NYC who would get together socially, so it's never felt weird for me. 

Incidentally, What I Wore was the first personal style blog I read and it continues to be a daily read. If you want to continue to explore the world of Jessica Quirk, she has a new little blog idea up her sleeve, check her out here!

*All photos on What I Wore taken by Adam and Jessica Quirk.

Here's to Ann Taylor

Jacket: Levi; Blouse: Ann Taylor; Pants: Ann Taylor;

 Pants: Ann Taylor; Shoes: Ann Taylor; Cuff: Ann Taylor (gift);

Sunglasses: Prada

 Apparently, I felt very patriotic yesterday while paying homage Ann Taylor! However, this isn't exactly how I planned this outfit in my head! I originally planned to wear black pants but I just wasn't feeling the dark color. So, red it was! The denim jacket was my husbands suggested and I'm so glad he gave his input. I had pulled my 3/4 sleeve black blazer which gave it a more conservative look. And, to keep the rocker/laid back vibe going, I added the cuff. Tough, huh?

 How I've worn the pants before: