Watching From the Sidelines

Patterned pants are a trend I've been watching from the sidelines for quite awhile now. I didn't dislike the look, I just never saw a pair that really spoke to me and were the right price. My philosophy is not to spend too much money on a trend that isn't likely to see more than a couple of seasons. I found these at Gap, loved the pattern and mix of colors, and found that they fit great and were within my price criteria. Sold! I'm looking forward to wearing these when sandal weather returns.

Better still, I happened to be visiting my sisters, aunt and mom in Bend, Oregon for the weekend, so without the exorbitant sales tax that I'd normally pay in SF, it was like everything was on sale. You can bet that with 5 women hanging out together, we spent a fair amount of time in shops. The navy t-shirt I'm wearing here is from the adorable clothing boutique that my sister happens to work in. I actually brought back 3 of these shirts in different colors because I loved the long length, curved hem, and soft fabric.

The peach tank top is far more neon than it may appear in the photos. That bright a shade is not the most flattering to my skin, however letting just a small amount peek through under the t-shirt is a fun way to incorporate the neon trend without it being overpowering.

Tank, pants: Gap
T-shirt: Bobi
Shoes: Cole Haan

Twins

This top and its twin (which is blue with white stripes) get a lot of wear on the weekends but are rarely seen on the blog. I love the crisscrossing panels and the interesting take on the basic striped shirt. For this outfit I went with a vaguely nautical look by adding the orange scarf and navy bag. The stripes in the shirt are actually black and not navy, but in my opinion it doesn't really matter.

The shoes are also twins, of my black wedges. I don't have many duplicates in my wardrobe, but I fell in love with the unfussy design and cushioned footbed of these shoes, so when my mom gave me a Zappos gift certificate for my birthday, I grabbed this second pair in pewter. They have a soft metallic finish that has just the right amount of shine for a casual daytime outfit.

Scarf: Banana Republic
Top: Anthropologie
Bag: Michael Kors
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Shoes: Cole Haan
Canine accessory: Spencer

Drawbacks

One of the drawbacks about not posting as often anymore is that by the time I get around to putting an outfit up here, I've completely forgotten what I wanted to say about it or what I was inspired by that day. I'd be willing to bet that this song was on my iPod that day though, because it's been in heavy rotation lately; someone was playing it at the hostel I stayed at in Lisbon, and through the magic of SoundHound I discovered a fantastic artist I'd never heard of before:

If you don't have SoundHound on your smartphone, do yourself a favor and get it now. It's life changing!

Dress: Carolina Herrera (thrifted)
Scarf/belt: Banana Republic
Bag: Michael Kors
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Neutrals

I got the idea for this outfit from a store display I saw downtown, and I liked the combination of textures as well as the blend of dressy and casual. Until I saw the display I really thought of these silk pants as a purely dressy item, but pairing them with the military jacket and sandals was a great way to wear them for daytime. The other thing I like about this combination is that all the shades are neutrals, but yet the outfit is still full of color. Navy and olive are fairly universal colors that look great on anyone of any age, and which certainly work well for the office.

Jacket: thrifted
Scarf: a gift
Pants: Vera Wang
Sandals: Levity (DSW brand)
Bag: Lucky Brand