COMFY LAYERING / Chambray and shades of browns

Does anyone watch 666 Park Avenue?  I was hooked once I saw the pilot and have seen every episode since then so I am disappointed that ABC cancelled the series.  A beautiful cast, a compelling storyline, and great fashion, I can't believe there's not enough viewers for it.  Thankfully ABC is airing the full 13-episodes so there's 5 episodes left to enjoy.  The reason I ask is because this outfit was inspired by an outfit Jane (played by the gorgeous Rachael Taylor) wore in one of the more recent episodes.  I can't recall the whole outfit but it was the combo of chambray and tan that caught my attention and it was a combo I wanted to recreate.

FIFTY SHADES / Of grey! Faux fur vest and grey dress

My face is turning red as I reveal this but I have to share a guilty pleasure I had a few months ago.  As the post title alluded to, I read the Fifty Shades series.  All three books... in less than 4 days... during the work week.  Yup, bright crimson now.  It was good mindless reading to distract me from experimental reports and journal articles and thankfully I didn't incorporate anything from the books into my presentations.

I just had to bring that up because I was thinking of a post title and what better title than one from best-seller lists =D  Although there's probably only, at most, five shades of grey in my outfit.

CLASSIC / Because you can never go wrong with Classics

The only thing that goes by faster than a 3-day work week is a 4-day weekend.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, a safe (but fruitful) Black Friday, and you're having a good weekend!  I saw a lot of bacon-wrapped turduckens this year and if I am so lucky to host Thanksgiving one year, that will probably be one of the first things I attempt.

Not much to say about this fool-proof outfit since you can never go wrong with a classic black and white (er in this case, off-white) combo.  A nice blouse, some sleek trousers [updated with leather tuxedo stripe and trimmings], and classic accessories.  Sometimes that's all it takes.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING / Contrast leather-sleeve jacket and mixing textures

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Today is a mix of textures in my fool-proof color combo for Fall - olive green, brown, and black.

When mixing textures I like to stick to a monochromatic color scheme which allows the focus to be on the textures of the garments. For this outfit, my canvas was the jacket and the main color of the jacket is what I will work with to create a monochromatic look.

POLKA CAT / Polka Dots with a peeking smiling cat face and silver accents

I've been in the market for the perfect polka dot sweater for Fall since these little round circles make their big comeback last spring/summer and finally found the one!  During my search, this Alice + Olivia white w/ black dots jumper caught my eye but the price was off-putting so I kept looking.  Of course the one day I wasn't looking was the one day I spotted this adorable number.  In actuality it wasn't the polka dots that grabbed my attention but instead it was the smiling cat peering out from the corner.  Utilizing a dot as its face, the kitty adds a whimsical touch to the sweater and makes this polka dot pattern unique from the rest.

NEON BRIGHTS / Citron, Fuchsia, and Suede Leggings

A conversation with my cousin before I headed out for the day sparked this outfit.  We were discussing the weather here (he is from Canada) and I was telling him how it is quite gloomy since it rained all night and it's suppose to rain all weekend.  With that tidbit in mind, he suggested that I should wear something bright and his idea was the the pull that made the lightbulb in my head turn on!

I got this sweater a few weeks back and knew that this was the something bright I would wear with the suede leggings but I was stumped on what shoes I would wear.  Should I wear plain leather heels?  How would that look against the suede?  What about black flats?  After more thinking I decided I didn't want to wear black shoes and wanted to play up the sweater a bit.

SPOTTED & LINED / Cheetah print dress and Mom's vintage striped Fendi

Mom's beautiful vintage Fendi has been my workhorse clutch whenever I want to mix prints between my clothing and bag. I loved the stripes on stripes look when I used it against a striped dress (in this entry) but today I wanted to experiment with stripes against cheetah print.  When I pictured the mixture of prints in my head, I was unsure of how it would translate into an outfit but I am quite pleased with the combination.

Keeping the prints in the same color family provided a smooth transition between them which allowed both to shine together. And the stark contrast between the uniform stripes of the clutch and the sporadic spots of the dress distinguished them from one another so that they didn't clash.

INTO FALL / Color play with red leather jacket and Chanel Taupe

The warm weather has bid adieu and I've retied a string to my finger to remember to grab a jacket when leaving the house. It's been those days where the sun is shining bright during the afternoon and you'll be okay with bare arms and feet but once the sun starts to set, temperatures take a nosedive and a jacket is a necessity.

RAINFOREST / Python, Croc-etched, and Rainforests

The print on this dress reminds me of a lush rainforest.  The leaves made up of varying shades of green represents the different layers in a rainforest, a patch of olive moss towards the bottom of the dress acts as the shrub layer, and colored flowers dispersed around are the exotic surprises one would find while exploring.

I didn't realize until later that the accessories I chose to wear with the dress are basically a couple of the inhabitants in the jungle. The croc-etched necklace and bracelet lay against the print soaking up the sun and the python bag takes centerstage in the scene.

DOVE BLOOM / Pink dress with black bird contrast

Good morning! As I am getting ready for bed and the start of a new work week, I wanted to reflect on the great weekend I had with friends and my darling boyfriend.