The Color Project: White

One of the OCD things about my closet is that I have each item category (sweaters, tops, jackets, pants) sorted by color. When I am looking for a black top, for instance, they are all together so I can see my options. Now that my closet is so lean, I even hung all the t-shirts so they can be included in that grouping.

One day as I was grabbing a favorite white top, I started to wonder if I really wore ALL of the tops that were in each of the color categories. Or was it just a favorite 1-2 that got cycled through and the rest were there as filler?

So I embarked on what I am calling the Color Project. I pulled all the white tops to the front of my closet and purposefully worked as many as I could into my outfit rotation. I did not put a time limit on it -- i.e., wear them all in a week -- because this wasn't some fashion challenge I was forcing on myself; the idea was to see if I really did NEED to have all the ones I had, or if a few could be edited.

Turns out, I wore them all. I didn't love them all, but I did wear them. Since none were obvious edits, I've had to look a little deeper to see which are worth keeping.

1. V-neck ruched Sejour long-sleeve, Nordstrom. Worn with a navy polka-dot scarf from Old Navy, navy Gap modern bootcuts, grey long-sleeved Target Merona cardigan, and grey Franco Sarto Deers. My co-worker told me I looked like the definition of Connecticut preppy, which I consider a compliment. :)
I took these particular Deers to the cobbler and had him replace the heel tips, which just extended the life of these shoes by another 2-3 years for sure.  You know how I love all my versions of these shoes, so I am thrilled.



Verdict: The shirt itself is okay; the v-neck sits a little crooked on me, and I keep thinking that is more versatile than it is. There's a bit of a flare to it at the waist that I don't love. I'm not ready to let it go quite yet, but it was tougher to rotate in than some of my others. 

2. Old Navy collared knit button-down shirt, first under a new cream Old Navy waffle-knit pullover. It was a snowy day, so bundling up was key. The Gap straight-legs were the only option as pants because I had to tuck them into my Dansko snow boots. I thought the blue bubble necklace added the right amount of dressiness to tip the outfit into the business casual/office appropriate look. Not what I would wear if I had been at one of the hospitals, but for just my office it worked.



I wore it again this weekend under my new striped cotton pullover from Gap, Dreamer Old Navy jeans, pewter Privos and the clear acrylic ice cube pendant from Banana Republic. Even Hubby thought this was a cute look.



Verdict: This one is a total keeper. I was avoiding wearing it because it was too wrinkled and I was too lazy to iron it, but I found that it can either go under my new pullover sweaters or a few hard shakes will eliminate the worst of the wrinkles.

3. Lauren Conrad embellished tee, Kohls. I have had this for at least 3 years, but it still works with so many looks. I posted the first outfit below back in January; my plan was to wear all the white shirts over the month and see if anyone noticed, then do a round-up post. Those plans got waylaid when I stopped posting. ;-D



I wore it again this weekend with the mushroom knit cardigan, faded Dreamer jeans, and a color-blocked infinity scarf I got last spring from Old Navy; it is navy, olive green and mint/paleblue, which I am seeing around as a pretty trendy color these days. So I dug my only version of it out. :)






Verdict: this veteran still has plenty of life in her. She's going nowhere.

4. Basic long-sleeved LOFT tee, worn under a Forth & Towne faux-wrap cardigan. I posted about this outfit before too.



Verdict: I completely forgot I wore or even owned this until I found the picture on Flickr. That does not speak well for its longevity or necessity in my closet. I think I only need one long-sleeved white top, so I will probably keep either this or the v-neck.

5. This slub tee from Lane Bryant I actually pulled out of my loungewear drawer and rotated back into regular wear. It has two tiny stain dots on the front that had relegated it to loungewear, but I managed to cover those up and finally understood the power of a great plain white t-shirt.
I wish I had gotten a good front-on shot of this outfit, which was all my co-worker's idea. This was a gorgeous tux-like jacket from Gwynnie Bee with sequined sleeves, and I went for a rocker look with an assortment of long silver necklaces. Really fun look that I will probably repeat with some other dressy jackets I have.



A-ha! I did wear the slub tee again, this time with a fabulous snakeskin print cardigan from Gwynnie Bee. I loved that sweater so much I wore it four times before I sadly returned it. This time I added my Bestey Johnson camera pendant necklace, faded Gap Dreamer jeans, and patent tan-black colorblocked flats from Me Too.





Verdict: the perfect white t-shirt. Will try to find a replacement at Lane Bryant, or will figure out how to get those two stain dots out. (Thanks for the tips in the last post, gals; I will try those with this!)

6. LOFT ruched neck sleeveless tee. Probably my least-favorite of all my white tops, especially now that I have found the perfect one above. This is with my new-ish mushroom Ann Taylor Outlet knit cardigan, new black Gap long-and-lean jeans, and my trusty pewter lasso necklace from Banana Republic (which I bought with Shopping Friend a million years ago). 

I forgot how awful mirror shots were; so glad I got my office corner back for my tripod!



Verdict: it's okay, but the Lane Bryant one is better. Might be hitting the road soon.

7. This LOFT tee has angled distressed stripes, which offer interesting texture to a basic ivory tee. Paired with the Betsey Johnson camera pendant again, my fuschia Gap piped shrunken blazer, grey pinstriped Gap modern bootcuts, and black Clark Artisan boots.



I wore this top again the following weekend, this time pairing with a couple of familiar items, the mushroom knit cardigan from above, and the same faded Dreamer jeans. The jewelry this time was an assortment of long gold necklaces (boy I liked that look with the sparkly jacket), and a pair of faux-suede tan boots from Target.





Verdict: like the cream embellished one in #3, this is going nowhere for a long time.

8. The last top of the White Color Project was a regular button-down, a no-iron three-quarter sleeve Foxcroft version from Nordstrom. I've had this in my closet for at least a year, and I think I wore it one time. It is the reason I actually embarked on this experiment at all -- I didn't think I would like it when I tried to incorporate it into outfits, and then I could finally edit it out without guilt. 



But here's the funny thing: turns out I LOVED IT. The fit is perfect, there is no gapping at the chest, it tucks in without too much extra fabric bulking up under my pants, and the no-iron claim really means no ironing needed. Best of all, I had forgotten how much I like a good collared neckline; one of the most annoying parts about being fat is the enormous scoop neckline that are on nearly every top. Easily 75% of all plus-sized tops are like this, especially the nicer ones from Nordstrom. (Skim this page to see what I mean.) I learned from this round of the Color Project that I really miss a variety of necklines, and having that variety among my current white tops made this rather enjoyable.

Verdict: not only keeping it, but probably buying another in a different color.

++++++

Final thoughts of this Color Project round:
1. A variety of necklines is important to me, which I will keep in mind as I shop in the future. (Note to self: add turtleneck to your list for next winter.)
2. I love the look of a plain tee, funky jacket and a bunch of necklaces for dressy going-out occasions.
3. I had forgotten how much I love a good button-down.
4. Keeping: cream embellished #3, ivory distressed stripes #7, knit collared button-down #2 and no-iron button-down #8, and the perfect plain white t-shirt #5.
5. On the fence: one of the two long-sleeved tees (#1 and #4), the ruched sleeveless tee #6. 
6. While I don't mind repeating outfits, it did get boring for a stretch, I think because I was just tired of white.  But since I usually rotate colors more often than I did here, this was likely a product of the Project itself than an issue with any of the tops.

Next round is red (pinks and purples are included in that section of my closet too). I've already started!




What do you guys think? Any tops I should reconsider keeping?

Weekend Catchup

Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I feel very smart because I took Tuesday off too. The only thing better than a 3-day weekend is a 4-day one. :)

ANYWAY. I did go to work on Friday. I said to my sister that morning that it was just a black Target dress but I really liked the details of the outfit, so she reminded me to take photos of those. Which I did for once. :)





New LOFT necklace, brown Kohls cami. (On purpose this time!)



Orange Clark Long Pond sandals, orange Essie polish. So fun!

Saturday I wore a repeat of this outfit. And I got a much needed haircut. LOVE it!



Sunday I threw a 4th of July cookout for some friends. My friend J took this shot of me in my red, white and blue outfit. Between the goofy expression on my face and George jumping up and putting his white belly on the glass, it's a wonder the picture worked at all.



White LOFT tee, bright blue Lands End knit shorts, silver Hive & Honey bracelets from Piperlime, red cutout Target flats.

Sunday has been a little slow after an evening of sausage, fresh salmon and vodka lemonades. :) J stayed over and we went to the local 4th of July parade. I had a red striped Gap tee on with my stone Lands End shorts, but we didn't quite get a whole picture of it. But I got this one!



LOL! I did manage to get our whole faces at least. Pretty smile-y for a pair of tired women!



Boy I cannot wait to be off again tomorrow. I am beat!

30 DoC: Day 16 (Dad and the garden photo shoot)

I am back in Connecticut, and all the plants and flowers that my Dad had just started to put out are bloomimg like crazy! He and my sister are wonderful gardeners; I am the odd man out in the family with my black thumb.





My dad's not feeling too great right now, but he's still funny as ever, and always game for a fashion blog visit.





Coral-peach tee from ON, tan knit short from Lands End. Like my outfit matters among all the pretty flowers. Love the purple clematis behind me.





What's so funny?



My dad overseeing the photo shoot. He suggested where I should pose, helped me think of a way to secure the gorillapod, and then started giggling right in the middle of my posing. His laughing made me start.



He didn't think his outfit was fashionable enough for the blog. It was a free t-shirt from a casino -- as he was proudly showing me their logo. Hahahahaha.

He also wanted to make sure I got a picture of his wooden whirligigs; he found them in Branson Missouri, and admired the craftsmanship. They have never found them anywhere else as well made, so the last time they drove to Arizona they made sure they drove through Branson to get more of them. I like the rooster one the best.



I am in Connecticut all weekend, so expect more photos like this. Or not quite like this, as it is raining pretty hard this morning (Friday).

30 Days of Creativity: Day 3

Friday's creative endeavor: TWO all-neutral outfits.

For work:


(Not complaining about the bad shots, not complaining about the bad shots...)

I got this jacket back from my sister a couple of weeks ago, and boy have I missed having a little black jacket. For quick work outfits, it cannot be beat. Because the rest of the outfit was a black tee from LOFT, olive/brown cotton LOFT pants, and black wedge sandals from DSW -- which on their own is pretty casual. Adding the jacket upgraded it to business casual and suddenly I was appropriately dressed for my meetings on Friday. I did debate wearing a colored top underneath, but sometimes I really like black on black. The long silver necklace from Lia Sophia broke it up enough, and I added my turquoise glasses to give the whole outfit its one bit of color.


For play:


First I have to give props to this awesome new top from Old Navy. LOVE the cinnamon color, and I love how airy and cute it is for summer. The reviews complained that it was too big, but honestly when it's 8 million degrees out, I like a breezy top that doesn't touch me anywhere. They have it in olive and in white, and I am debating getting a duplicate in the white.



Second, let's talk about the shorts. I don't know about you guys, but I really hate shorts. I'm a pear, and most of my weight is on my dupa and hips; shorts have all the annoying parts of pants (the buttons, belt loops, pockets) right in my widest part, and then they end, stumpfying my legs and making me look even bulkier in the middle. And when it's hot and in a casual setting (which is why I am wearing shorts in the first place), I tend to sweat and the waistband curls up and pops out and looks even worse. And then I am uncomfortable AND unfashionable. Boo.

About two years ago (when I was skinny!) I stumbled across these shorts from Lands End. Hallelujah! They are a super-soft knit with side pockets and an elastic waistband, so there is no tugging, sweating, popping out, etc. They are called sport shorts, and honestly since I don't wear shorts in any kind of dressy outfit or situation, the style is perfect for me. I wear them to go walking, exercise, run errands, hang out on the patio, weekend stuff.

My first pairs (smaller sizes) were navy and black since that was what they had at the store. But online there are a ton more colors; for the Memorial Day sale I picked up these in light stone, chocolate brown, and blue twilight, for $11 each. I love them so much they make me want to take more days off so I have an excuse to wear them. Oh wait, I do have an excuse; I can wear them everyday when I get home from work!

But there you have it. All neutrals. I think I might be getting the hang of this -- and it's awfully fun to do.

Cooking with Gas

My co-worker laughs at me every time I use that expression, "Now we are cooking with gas!" It means now we going full steam, things are chugging along, etc. Is that a real phrase or something I made up? I am old, I can't remember these things anymore!

Anyway, yesterday's outfit was cooking with gas. What a difference a day makes!

Wednesday, I wore my new Gap "wassal" cardigan and blouse together. A little drab. Since I only wore it for a couple of hours, I wore the cardigan again on Thursday.



See? Cooking with gas.



Details that improved the outfit:
-the bootcut pants were the longer version, which forced me to wear heels, which elongates my leg nicely
-the cream blouse gives the wassal color a richer depth (it's sort of a mauve-y brown)
-Tucking in the blouse raises the eye and again elongates my leg. My hips and belly are more prominent when I tuck, but I think the leg-lengthening balances it out.
-My hair color was done on Wednesday night, and I went a little blonder for spring. No more dark roots at the top of my head!



A goofy angle, but I wanted you to see the detail of the blouse, the lariat necklace, and how the wassal color looks much better now with the other colors working with it.



The top is a Lauren Conrad tee from Kohls from last year. I don't think I've ever worn in a outfit where it worked this well; this is the first time where it really complements the other pieces and doesn't overwhelm them.



Definitely my favorite outfit in a while. I am back!



++++++

On the bad news front, my boss' boss (who is also an ER physician as well as a senior exec) diagnosed me with pneumonia. He's put me on a bunch of good meds, but...I'm pretty wiped out, and I don't have a lot of time to be sick. I'm gonna take my meds today and try to take it easy, and see how I feel tomorrow. For the ball. I don't want to miss it!

Plus, my birthday is Sunday. Being sick on your birthday stinks.

End of the whining session. Off I go!

Weekend Wear: Scarf Score

I mentioned the other day that I've been doing a lot of shopping, and returning, but the scarves I have been finding have all been keepers!

Saturday:


A nice day with friends, getting a pedicure, eating delicious food, and watching Anne of Avonlea. Still mooning after Gilbert all these years later! :)

The melon BR sweater got another wear, and I added my Kohls-Lauren Conrad embellished top, Kut from the Kloth jeans, Naturalizer booties, and a lovely new scarf from Old Navy. It's a great burn-out butterfly pattern, and the grey and black colors really work and make the butterflies less chintzy looking. Plus, it's really soft yet substantial feeling.

Look! They still have them on the Old Navy site! Black, blue, raspberry, green or purple. Thumbs up recommendation from the Scarf Addict!



Sunday:



The yellow kick continues. This is an older sweater from Martin + Osa; it's kind of an odd fit, cropped but slouchy with super-long sleeves and an almost neon yellow tone to it. I love it as part of a casual look, especially paired with athletic grey like I did here. I also added my other new-ish Old Navy scarf with yellow, taupe and grey animal print. (This one is long gone from the site, even though I got it just a month or so ago. Scarves go fast on ON.)

We went to see a girlfriend and her sweet little five-month-old baby, so the scarf came off while I was holding and playing with her, of course. Which I had planned on -- the t-shirt has a great subtle floral embellishment so I didn't look half-dressed without the scarf.



+++++

I have to admit, I am really looking forward to a whole week of casual outfits over my vacation. Packing on Tuesday/Wednesday is going to be fun!

Catch-up, photo heavy

I considered breaking this up into more posts, but truthfully I am really under the gun at work and it's hard to find the energy to post during the week now. Conversely, I don't like getting too far behind in outfit posts. I know, I'm nuts! Anyway, here we go!

Wednesday:



None of the other photos of this turned out well, but I really liked the way the mushroom muted the rust (you were right, Sandy!) of my favorite cascading sweater. I usually wear it with warmer colors, but it worked here too.

I wasn't going to post the bad picture, but I will to remind me. In the mirror it looked fine, but it wasn't until I read a thread on a similar outfit on YLF that I realized the problem: there's too much volume everywhere. With a bootcut pant I need to stick with a closer-fitting top. This is just too much.



See what I mean?

Thursday: Bootcuts again, but a shorter jacket and top. Much better.



Can I talk about how much I love this jacket and top? I found the jacket last week at Nordstroms as I was wandering to the escalator; it wasn't in a department I normally shop in but I fell in love instantly with it. I've wanted a new Chanel-esque jacket especially now that it is on trend this season, but none of the ones I saw really appealed. This one is so perfect for me; check out the gold trim!



The top is from the Gap; it's kind of a strange color for me, but it is perfect with the jacket. (Once I replace that top white button with a darker or gold one.) Love!!

Friday:



Ahh, okay my favorite outfit of the week. I bought this Elle sweater at Kohls (I know, you guys need to check yours out more!) a couple weeks ago but it's been a little too warm to wear. Now that the winds blew in the genuine fall weather, it's perfect. The sweater is a dolman short-sleeve, and the tee under it is a mushroom long-sleeved from Old Navy. Black Gap skinny pants, my beloved Franco Sarto heeled oxfords, and mustard paisley silky scarf a million bloggers picked up from Target last year (I see it all over the place!).



I love the little tie!

Saturday:

Friday's outfit was so comfortable, I did another variation for a party on Saturday!



The pants are actually a lovely chocolate brown, which contrasted nicely with the black sweater. The white tunic top is Old Navy (I have its twin in red pinstripe), the ponte pants are Not Your Daughter's Jeans pants from Nordstroms, and the heeled clogs are from DSW. Every bit of this outfit is new this season; I am really loving this silhouette on me right now. It works.



I...might have worn the sweater again today to a christening. No photos though. I will put it back in my closet for a few days. It needs a rest! :)