How To Wear: Spring’s Cropped, Loose Trousers

These look at first glance to be completely impossible to wear. Not true!

Here are a couple tips:

• Have the crop hit shortly above your ankle by only several inches. These are not capris, hitting right below your kneecap.
• Keep the entire look as sleek as possible. No bulky fabrics up top.
• Heels are a must. This look can be worn with flats, but it tends to emphasize the width of the pants if there’s no height on the shoes.
• Wear them to work! Pair with a work appropriate blouse and more conservative shoes/shoes.

Definitely a look I’ll be trying this spring!

American Eagle Spring Cardigan, $25-30; F21 Racerback Tank, $6; ASOS Vero Moda Cropped Trousers, $48; Target Platform Sandals, $20; Korto Momolu Seed Bead Necklace, $48

How to Wear : Slouchy Cowboy Boots

• Target Print Dress with Pockets
  
• Black turtleneck
• Target black leggings
• Gold necklace from Forever 21
• Scarf (bought in Paris)
• Slouchy cowboy boots from Ross

Total Damage : About $40

This outfit was perfect for today’s weather: I could go without a jacket because the turtleneck and scarf kept me warm, but not so much that I was stuffy or overheated. I love that this dress has pockets—actually, I love any dress with pockets!

And these boots…well, let’s talk about the boots.

Cowboy boot styles can be hard to pull off since they are in and out of style almost in the blink of an eye. One minute, everyone’s wearing them (remember Jessica Simpson?), then the next, it’s on the “Out” list in People StyleWatch. Too bad, because they are indeed a comfortable, classic boot, if you know what to look for.

• Choose a non-patterned pair without stitching, flowers or any of that other trendy stuff you see splashed all over cowboy boot styles.
• Stick to a specific color family: brown and shades thereof. Black can look okay, but be careful they don’t go into Johnny Cash territory. White is a big no-no for obvious reasons and gray just doesn’t work with this style. Dark brown, light brown, taupe (like mine)—you’re safe with those colors.
• For the love of Mike, don’t look like you’re going to a Daisy Duke costume party. That means: no denim shorts, no plaid (and I mean it!), and avoid the matching cowboy hat. Denim jackets are also iffy. I’d avoid them.
• Pair with an outfit you’d normally associate with a dressier boot style. The dressier the outfit, the more it classes up what’s on your feet.
• This season, wearing socks that come above the top of the boot is a popular look. Try it out slowly by matching the socks to your leggings (i.e. black socks, black leggings, etc.)
• If wearing with jeans, keep them skinny and tuck them in. Don’t wear boot cut jeans over these boots. Stay away from wearing tucked in anything up top with the jeans/boots combo and go for more loose, casual styles: think a white v-neck tee and belted cardigan.

Have any pressing boot questions? Let me know!

How to Wear : Creative Business-Friendly Clothing

I had a client meeting yesterday and had to dress on the more-conservative-less-creative side. My office has a fairly relaxed, creative dress code, but when client meetings happen, it’s nice to present a more conventional look.

I really dislike wearing suits, whether they be pants or skirt suits, so I like to mix up items I already own to create a similar look without having to go to the “dark side.”

• American Eagle blazer
• Target leopard-print flats
• Black pencil skirt from ROSS
• H&M long-sleeved stretch shirt (my husband’s)
• Payless booties
• H&M necklace

The Damage: Less than $100

I wore the leopard print flats and blazer to commute to the office, and then changed around the accessories for the meeting, removing the blazer and adding the booties.

Here’s how to get a more conservative office look, while still exercising some creativity:

• Keep the color palette neutral. Blacks, grays and tans/taupes are good.
• Matching a pencil skirt with a tucked-in buttondown is a safe alternative to a suit.
• You can get away with wearing plain cotton shirts if they are long enough to tuck in, long-sleeved, not v-neck and either the same color as the skirt/pants or a neutral like white or gray.
• Add creativity to a staid outfit with jewelry and shoes. You can get away with a lot of interesting footwear if it’s black. Go for oversized or colorful necklaces instead of earrings. Large or gaudy earrings don’t translate well to the office.
• Always keep the following items at the office in case you wear something more casual and an unexpected meeting pops up: hairbands to pull your hair into a sleek ponytail, perfume, black tights and a black or gray cardigan/blazer. You can dress up a lot of things simply by adding those pieces.
• Instead of wearing flip-flops on your commute, try some pretty flats instead. You’ll look a bit dressier but won’t be sacrificing comfort.

Do you have any questions about office-appropriate attire? E-mail me!

How to Wear : A Flowy Top

As requested, I’ll bring back the (sometimes) daily outfit photos, but I’m mixing it up and doing this as more of a how-to than simply a gallery for my closet goodies.

First up! A blousey top that can—with the wrong pairings—make you look like you’ve been hitting the buffet table one too many times.

• Blouse from Bitten by SJP (Project Runway design)
• Target leggings
• Mossimo heels

The Damage: Less than $25 for the outfit

• Stick with solid colors for an oversized top. A subtle print can work, but be careful: prints have a tendency to make you look bigger. Black, gray, navy and dark red are always safe picks.
• A fitted bottom is a must. Don’t even think about pulling out the wide-leg jeans for this look. Skinny jeans will work, but since leggings are huge this fall, why not try them instead? Keep the color families similar to the top. This is not the time to try those bright yellow leggings with the huge purple blouse! No!
• Flats can work, but I’d suggest going for heels or boots. These heels were a complete Target steal, at only $9 (thanks for the tip, Sarah!)
• Despite your tendency to want to belt the top, try it without. Sometimes belts can look even bulkier over a shirt with this much volume.
• If you feel like you want a slimmer profile, put on a blazer or fitted jacket. A long necklace can also help balance the silhouette.

Do you have any photos of how you’ve made a flowy top work? Send them to me! I love to hear from you guys.