Black and White with a Touch of Silver

I've had this shirt hanging in my closet for a while, but today I finally took the tags off.  I actually think it was around January when I bought it, I knew the material was summer appropriate. It was something I picked up from Ann Taylor Loft off the sale wall, perfect shirt for work.  To be honest, when I first saw it on the hanger, I didn't think much of it.  It sounds odd, but sometimes the "ugly" well what appears to be at first glance, looks great and is an awesome find!

I've been waiting to wear it with white pants and a little tan.  What really sold me was the detail ruffled front and also the thin silver thread.  Although plain, paired with bottoms that gave contrast and a silver necklace, it all came together.  These pants are from Gap, something I picked up as a basic for the office.  White dress pants are a must for the summer!

You've seen this necklace before, a thin silver strand that gives just the right touch.  To add some style to the look a wore a black floral headband.  Keeping the clothes basic allowed me to add snaz with a hair accessory.    

Tip: Pair black and white together for a classic look 

Finally found a maxi for me!

I know maxi dresses are all the rage right now, but until this dress I didn't think I could pull one off.  Wondering where I found it... I'm sure you could of guessed it, Marshalls!  Before finding this dress, I tried one that was more flowy and loose fitting.  I decided being barely 5'4'' and pretty thin, something that was fitted would be more flattering.  I've found that with my size, something flowy is just too much material for me, it takes over.  Since most maxi's seem to be less fitted, it took me awhile to find a dress I actually liked.

What do you think?  I'm usually not a huge stripes person but when I tried this dress on I knew it was the one.  One of my favorite parts about it is that it has a inner layer, almost like a slip that goes about 1/2 down my thigh, I think this additional layer gives the dress great shape.

Well as I mentioned above, seeing as I'm barely 5'4'' and wearing a maxi dress, the only thing that is completely necessary are platforms!  I fell in love with these at Marshalls, BCBG nude/coral wedge platforms - aren't they beautiful?? :) With a black and white striped dress, these shoes were perfect for a pop of color!

To add some jewelry to the look I decided to go chunky.  I went with my go to gold watch and then layered on my Alex and Ani bangles.  One of my favorities... Pursue Happiness.

Lush Lavender

I knew today was a business casual day so I picked this dress out last night.  When I was getting ready this morning I knew I at least had the base picked out - a simple lavender dress.  I found this dress at The Loft last season on the sale wall, what a find!  Silver would work too, but I added gold to accent the color.  Being so basic, this dress allows you to layer on a long or chunky necklace to showcase.  I loved how this necklace tied the look together, the diamond colors in the flower and straight piece went great with the colors in the dress.  Believe it or not, I picked this necklace up at Kohls, by Lauren Conrad.  Keeping it simple this morning, I only went with my gold watch, I just wasn't feeling extra bracelets today.

Continuing the simple trend, I pulled my hair back into a low ballerina bun.  I just didn't feel like having it in my face and pulling it into a clean bun is a great trick!  Pull it back into a ponytail, twist it around, and secure with elastic - easy! 

Tip: No matter what store you're in, always keep your eyes peeled for the jewelry.  You want to have a variety to choose from so costume stuff is great!  

Star burst Stripes - Marshalls Find

You never know what you'll find in the clearance racks at Marshalls.  The last time I was there, I flipped through the rack and found this really cute sleeveless top - only $15.00.  I love the striped pattern, but most of all I love how the fabric is gathered across the waist, creating what I describe as a star burst.  The color isn't too exciting but the design is really neat and that's where accessories come into play.  I paired a chunkier style necklace, but stuck with the subtle colors.  This piece is from one of my favorite spots in Providence - Domain!  Of course I wore my gold watch and a bangle set.  I didn't go with anything special for bottoms, just simple black legging jeans from Gap - pretty comfortable I must add!  I added a short sleeve sweater from The Loft to cover my shoulders.  I just went with black sandals with a touch of gold to accent the rest of the outfit.  Just in case its not obvious, I wanted the shirt to be the focus so I kept everything else pretty basic.  

Tip: Don't underestimate the clearance racks at Marshalls!

Head to toe in Gap

Today was a fairly simple outfit, I kept it pretty business looking. I knew I wanted to wear my casual blazer from Gap so I needed a shirt that had some style underneath. I ended up choosing another Gap item, a sleeveless off-white shirt that has ruffles across the chest.  When I bought it a few weeks ago I knew it would be useful for its simple taste.  For the bottoms I wore black dress pants again from Gap, they really have great pieces that can be versatile for all different looks.

To give this outfit some flare, I added a layered gold necklace and some cheetah printed shoes!  The necklace is from my secret gem in Providence (read past posts to find out where!) and the shoes were a Marshalls find by BCBG.  These shoes added just enough flare to my look today!

Tip: Don't be afraid to add a bold pair of shoes to your simple outfit - sometimes that's just what it needs!    

Does it pass the like or LOVE test?

My color pallet was pretty plain today, a lot of tan with a pop of PINK.  Lets start with the shirt, this sleeveless top is always a big hit, it must be the detail of ruffled flowers.  I also love the color scheme of the fabric, the pink and tan go nicely with each other, a very soft look.  Today it was a business casual day for me, I pulled out a tan pencil skirt.  Although you couldn't tell today, its pretty versatile because its high waisted, wearing a top tucked in is a very different look!  To cover my shoulders I added this rose petal sweater.  Its something I pull out of my closet all of the time, it goes with everything!  All three of these pieces were Marshalls finds - I LOVE that place.  

For accessories I went with my gold jewelry, my goto chunky watch and bangles from Alex and Ani.  I wore one of my favorites today - Pursue Happiness.  Short and sweet but so true.  

Now to my favorite part of the outfit - the SHOES.  I saw these shoes at Gap few weeks ago, but I ended up putting them back.  This weekend I was back in the store and just couldn't pass them up, I LOVE them.  I originally wanted a teal colored pair they had but I knew I would get more use out of the tan.  The wooden heel is definitely in, get yourself a pair!   

The just like or LOVE rule - If you're not sure if you should buy something, put it back and leave the store.  If you keep thinking about it a few days later then you actually do LOVE it and not just like - GO BACK AND GET IT!  This was the case for my new wooden wedges.  Do I really need them? Probably not, but I realized I did really love them because I kept wishing I had them to wear.  Most of the time I leave something at the store and forget about it as quick as I walk into the next store.  Try this test next time your out shopping, I swear it works!  

Simplicity

I loved how this look pulled together, wide leg pale blue and a ruffly white top.  The pants are from Gap and are one of my favorites, I have them in navy blue too.  They're a great alternative to jeans, made out of a khaki material.  This shirt works well because of its simple design, yet stylish because of the ruffle detail.  I find it goes with a lot of different looks and adds just the right pop.  I found this shirt at Ann Taylor Loft.  With the clothes being pretty simple, I wanted to wear jewelry that had some life.  

I went with my normal gold bracelets and watch but spruced it up with these intricate dangle earrings - straight from Puerto Rico!  I LOVE the detail and soft look when you're wearing them.  I'd share where you can get a pair too but they came back from PR as a gift :)

Tip: Go BOLD with the accessories when your clothes are simple - keep it in proportion, but you can really make a statement with a piece when it is the focus.