WIW: almost no white this time!

I don't have much opportunities to be on the forum or read the blog these days - my work and building a deck eat all my time - but I am still trying to carve out time to take daily WIW pictures and post weekly WIW posts just to keep myself motivated!
After very white  last week this week is definitely colorful! Also this was a very hot week and skirts reigned supreme. Nothing really exciting - too hot so all my creative juices simply evaporated :-)

pic 1 Flowers
Simple FFBO formula for summer - sleeveless dress and a cropped jacket: perfect for those hectic mornings!
Floral sheath - Long Tall Sally
White denim jacket - ON
Silver slipper flats - Isaac Mizrahi
Old teal tote from Winners

pic 2 Swirls
I wanted to wear a sweatshirt-like top with a skirt for a long time - and now I can. Tried a half tuck with it-  what do you think?
Swirly cotton skirt - Winners
Indigo silk banded top - Le Chateau
Nude Fidji pumps
Red Chromia satchel - Winners

pic 3-4 Dots
Definitely I was in a fancy mood this day! I like this polka dot top but have hard time finding good toppers to wear with it. I amnot sure if this cropped blue jacket was a good pairing but it was better than any others - and not as hot as denim on 31C+ hot day. I would appreciate any ideas which toppers can work with this top style!
Polka dot sleeveless top - Jacob
Midi skirt - Spanners
Ros Hommerson pointy toe slingbacks
Silver tote - Danier

pic 5 Simply orange
This is my new Hilary Radley silk blouse from Costco. It is already a high - low hem but I like to semi-tuck is as well to showcase the belt. I really want to add one more button, this one is too low cut for me! This orangy-red color really makes me happy!

Orange silk shirt - Hilary Radley via Costco
BF jeans - Gap
gold slipper flats - Isaac Mizrahi
"Monty cousin" - Winners  

Observation: last summer I did not wear these bone pointy toe slingbacks at all - and this year I wear them almost every week even though they are not the most comfortable shoes for me. I think it is all Angie's doing because I am such a shameless copycat of hers! :-) Hmm, maybe I should risk those BV Wow pumps after all...

Have a great weekend - and yes, it is a long one in Canada!
For Canadians - Happy Canada Day!!!

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WIW - for the love of White!

We have a lot of love for white around here on YLF recently and I am no exception. There is something magical about white in summer which feels cool and refreshing, don't you think? Interestingly enough prior to YLF I had a big white-phobia (especially for bottoms) but Angie shown me the way of truth...:-)
 
pic 1 White above...
What can be simpler than a white shirt, a flared skirt and flats in summer? Never mind that the skirt is bold polka dot and the flats are bright silver...:-)
I carried a Monty cousin bag that day because I have not decided if I keep the silver tote yet but this outfit looks much better with the silver on! (which I am keeping - YAY).
White Tahari shirt - Winners (desperately needs replacement)
B/w polka dot skirt - Jessica Howard via consignment
Silver Isaac Mizrahi slipper flats - Nordstrom
Silver tote - Danier :-)

pic 2-3 White below...
I was inspired by Angie's outfit post that morning to wear loose fitting top tucked into jeans. Never mind that my outfit looks nothing like Angie's eye candy - it was still inspired!
Indigo silk shirt - Le Chateau
White BF jeans - Kut
Ros Hommerson bone slingbacks
Faded biker denim jacket - Gap
Silver tote - Danier :-)

pic 4 Column of White
This is my Christmas outfit in summer- green and red with a lot of snow white!:-)
White Editor pants
Emerald riding jacket (my mom)
White tank - Laura
Me Too red pumps
Monty cousin bag from Winners

pic 5 Almost White
I think this was my favorite of the week. I wore these blush pants with black, I wore them with burgundy but I think I like them the best with white!
I almost did not wear it that morning though as I discovered another wardrobe hole - nude cami!  I put a white cami underneath this oyster top and it was awful! The silk is slightly see through with a nude bra BUT extremely sheer with a white underneath. I was considering to wear something else completely but my heart was set for this outfit so I decided to wear the top without the cami and do not remove blazer at work. I really like how optic white of the blazer and off white oyster color of the silk banded top work together. Off white studded belt and bone slingbacks were another shades of white here - and an oversized nude clutch from Portugal to break up all white! 
I really love how these shoes look and how they play in the outfits but they are not very comfortable for me. They squeeze my toes too much and I cannot walk far in them without a discomfort. If only I can find a pair of pointy toe shoes which are comfortable...but do they even exist?
White cotton blazer - Melanie Lyne
Blush knaki pants - Gap
Off white silk banded top - Le Chateau
Ros Hommerson bone slingbacks
Nude studded oversized clutch from Portugal vacation

pic 6 Hmmm...no White this time :-)
...unless you count the white in the shirt's pattern. Anyway I wanted to wear shades of blue so this teal lace skirt met this blue patterned blouse and I think they liked each other!
I have a question about these shoes: do you think they work here? Of course classic pumps would be the natural pairing here but what about those Fidjis? Do they look frumpy? They are very comfortable and I can walk in them for hours no problems. Is the fact that the toe box is not pointy or almond makes them frumpy or not? I think it is a good shape for me for comfort for my wide toes - what about the style part? Thoughts?
Blue patterned shirt - Cleo
Teal lace skirt - my mom
Nude Fidji pumps
Silver tote - Danier

As you can see I am on the Team Wear and my silver tote came out to play several times this week. I LOVE it and cannot understand why I had any doubts. It is shiny and bold and I love it - and the shape and size work perfectly for my needs. It makes me happy just seeing it sitting at my desk at work!

That was my week - thanks for looking! As usual any suggestions and advice is very much appreciated.
Have an awesome weekend!!!!

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Any of these totes works?

If you remember I had a bag revelation when I had to return a beautiful white satchel because it does not fit my life style? The result was a realization that I need a big tote for work. I often walk to work and I carry lunch with me every day and gym clothes 4 times a week. I hate carrying more than one bag so it all should fit into one - and look good in the process: no gym bags for me!
My Monty cousin tote (pic 8) was the one which filled this bill the most - and I end up carrying it almost every day. I am not a bag lady but I like to have some change in bags from time to time. Also while Monty cousin is big enough to fit my lunch and yoga clothes when I pack gym clothes with running shoes it is too overstuffed and cannot zip. I need at least one more tote which is bigger and can fit all my stuff comfortably. |It also should be a very versatile color so I can pair it with almost all outfits - until I get more of them :-)
I found 2 totes which work for me in size and which style I quite like. Now I would like your opinion: is any of them is fab enough and versatile enough for me?
pic 1-  -4 Danier silver tote 
IRL it is shinier than on the online picture but not as quite as in my pictures: I think the closest one is #4. I like that it has this pebble or fish scale texture (pic 1) but is it a lot of bag for me?  I know sci-fi is on trend now but I would plan to use this bag for years - can I?

pic 5-7 Charles & David tote from Winners.
I bought this one last Sunday and could not make up my mind. I was not sure I want a black bag, especially for summer. Today I decided to return it, came to Winners and tried it once more before the mirror - and suddenly was not sure if I should return it. I found another one like this but in purple and thought it would be better but then I realized that black and light snake skin contrast makes it better for me.
So here I am with two bags and cannot make up my mind which one should I keep if any. I hope for a collective YLF wisdom - what say you?

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WIW: yellow, blue, and white

We are doing a big landscaping project this summer including building a deck so my free time is going to be very scarce on the coming weekends. I will try to post my weekly WIW just to keep myself motivated but I may not be online much otherwise. I apologize for this in advance! :-)
Also sorry for my disheveled look in pcs 2 and 4 - they were taken right after we came home from the gym.

pic 1 Daisy white and yellow
I am trying to wear this white sheath more often now before it is too hot for it. I really like bright yellow and white together, it did brighten up the gloomy and rainy day.
Calvin Klein white sheath via Winners
Yellow academy blazer - Gap
Re Me Too pumps - NAS

pic 2 Orphan day
I am struggling with this Anthro denim shirt I got in Chicago last spring. I like the tencel fabric and its drape and I like high / low style but these sleeves drive me crazy! The fabric does not have stretch in it and while sleeves are not tight they are a bit constricting, especially when I try to scrunch them up and have to have my arms bended. Also the cuffs do not have buttons and opening so they are very hard to scrunch and I have to roll them up. I am considering to take the sleeves off to see if I can wear it more this way but I am also ready to pass it on even though it was not a cheap buy.
I am also not sure if these skinny Martin pants do me any favors. Maybe my eye adjusted to looser fit now but I am not sure they are flattering on me - too tight?
The grey Trouve oxfords are living through their last summer I think: Portugal's rain and cobble stones really did them in! I hope I can find a good replacement at NAS this year...
Tencel denim shirt - Anthro
Martin skinny pants - BR
Trouve grey flat oxfords - NAS

pic 3 Angie's copycat
Ever since Angie posted her red skirt / blue shirt outfit last week I wanted to copy it. I don't have a red skirt so I substituted for a yellow one. My pale blue shirt with white trim is still going strong - even though I wish it was longer...
Halogen yellow seamed pencil skirt - NAS
Blue / white button down - BR
Cream pointy toe slingbacks - Ros Hommeson

pic 4 Feeling pink
Pink pants again! First time I paired them with black, red and animal print. This time I decided to add white, burgundy and gold. They are still new for me so I am not sure if I got it right this time. What do you think?
Pink khaki pants - Gap
Burgundy sweater - Reitmans
White cotton blazer - Melanie Lyne
Gold slipper flats - Isaac Mizrahi

Pic 5 Hole-y boyfriend
This is the only mesh sweater I have. I decided to wear it today with BF jeans. I did struggle with the tank to wear under. I tried white and it was too light and low cut neck so I did not like it. Then I tried this purple one with a square neckline and I think it works much better. Too bad the sleeves of the sweater do stretch out a lot - it does bother me.
Kut BF jeans - NAS
Mesh polka-dot sweater - Madewell
Me Too Adam Tucker grey flats - Nordstrom

This was my week. As I said above this weekend is landscaping work so I will not offend you with any outfits :-)
Have a great weekend and thanks for looking!

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WIW - and you call it summer?!

After the heat of the last week we were freezing here! It is so hard to dress summery for almost-early-spring temperatures... I did not feel like wearing dresses or skirts this week at all  because I would freeze with bare legs and all my nude hose needs replacement...so it was Pants week for me!

pic 1
There is a silver lining to a colder weather in June  - this is an opportunity to wear my white leather jacket once more! I don't wear scarves very often now but I felt like wearing one that day. I was pretty happy how all colors played together here and hope the white jacket saved this outfit from looking too wintery.
White leather jacket - Danier
Burgundy banded short sleeve sweater - Reitmans
Taupe Editor trousers - Express
SE taupe suede booties
Pink raw silk scarf - market in Italy

pic 2
I got these pink khaki trousers from Gap some time ago but this is the first time I am wearing them. Please be honest - how does it look?
Pink broken in khaki - Gap
Black tux jacket - BR
Animal print blouse  - Rack
Me Too red patent pumps - Nordstrom

pic 3
I had quite a few debuts this week. This day was so cold I decided to wear a wool sweater - and leather jacket! As I was looking around for a sweater (I have already stored away some winter things) I thought that this Club Monaco boxy t-neck I received yesterday should work - so here it is its debut. I like this sweater, it is a great length to faux-tuck
Navy boxy t-neck - Club Monaco
Micro check slouchy trousers - Long Tall Sally
David Tate animal suede booties

pic 4
I slept in that morning and I had 5 min to get dressed so I pulled out the first things catching my eye from the closet. Before I wore this jacket with faded denim and white and hope it was not a complete faux pas with a darker column of color.
Yellow academy pique blazer - Gap
Striped boatneck tee - Gap
Straight leg Skyline jeans - Paige
SE python booties

pic 5
Another debut - Gap denim biker jacket. Actually this outfit started with faded denim BF jeans and white blazer but I was not happy with colors together.Then I changed to white BF jeans and white blazer but it felt too formal for Friday so I exchanged white blazer for my new faded biker jacket and felt right. It is totally weird because it is a the same colors as in my original outfit but reversed; however I liked it much better.
Faded denim biker jacket - Gap
B/w polka dot shell - Jacob
Kut Catherine BF  jeans in white
Fitzwell animal pumps

pic 6
Tonight our friend was graduating from an adult high school so we went to support her. I did not plan it and threw this outfit together literally in 5 min - hope it was not a disaster.
White leather jacket - Danier
Indigo banded silk top - Le Chateau
Wide leg trousers - Long Tall Sally
SE python booties
Any comments and suggestions are welcome as usual.
Thanks for looking and have a great weekend!

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I blame Angie: Gap biker denim jacket arrived today! ETA: added pics with jeans

Have to run but want to get your advice: which Gap biker jacket to keep if any?
They are the same size but one is regular and another is Tall.

1,3,5 - Regular
2,4,6 - Tall

Sorry, my Photoshop was lost when our hard drive died and I did not have time to install it again: it would be easier to see them side by side

Sorry for the brevity of this post - have to run pick up my hubby!

Thanks a lot!

ETA: added pictures with jeans - I want to know if I can wear a shorter one with jeans as well as with skirts. Thoughts?

7,9- regular with jeans

8.10 - Tall with jeans

 

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My first ever Club Monaco order is here...ETA: decision made...

...and you know what: this brand is not friendly for tall gals! I am almost in tears here because the quality is so great...see for yourself.

1-2 Merino short sleeve sweater.
I though it may be a great layering basic for fall - winter...look at the length! It should work with skirts but not with pants and jeans, right? This is so sad because I love the color and the wool is soft and very lightweight - ideal for layering.

3-4 Snake print sweater.
This is the same sweater Angie and Ceit have in thistle pattern. Too short!!!! Also sleeves are too snug - I prefer to have some ease in sleeves for a sweater. In addition it is itchy. This one is going back for sure!

5-6 navy slouchy t-neck
I LOVE this sweater. It is so soft and cozy  - but again short! It also fits more oversized on the model I think.

7-8 silk shirt
This is the only one with a good length for me. I want to try more sit down tests to ensure it is not too snug over my hips but other than that I really like this shirt. It has Peter Pan collar and I like it!

I am strongly considering to keep the silk shirt. I am definitely returning the snake print sweater. However I am on the fence about the short sleeve sweater and t-neck. I looked at the website again and they are not much longer on the models as well...maybe they are supposed to fit like this?
Help me please, set me straight!!!!!

 

ETA: I have made up my mind on CM stuff this morning. I am keeping the silk shirt and navy t-neck (I actually wore t-neck today as it was COLD). I am returning snake print sweater  - well that was obvious. I am also returning the cobalt short sleeve sweater. While it has enough width in the body it cut too close in the shoulders and arms and I like more ease there in sweaters. I know now that I like to add some short sleeve sweaters for winter but this is not the right one. PPP prevails! Thank you all for your help - and especially Angie for pointing out the problem area of the cobalt sweater and saving me expense and frustration of owning a garment I would not be happy wearing.

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Another orange shirt from Costco - what do you think?

I posted about these silk Hilary Radley sleeveless tops here. Unfortunately size M was cut too high under arms which made it uncomfortable for me.
I went back today in hope they restock - but no luck :-( However I liked the orange color so much I decided to give a try to a long sleeved silk shirt. It is the same fabric and color but the cut is simpler. I sized up to XL to get more length and slouch.
My main reservation is the collar. It does not button to the top - I have it buttoned up as much as it goes here. It is possible to add 2 more buttons but there is only one extra button attached... Also is it too short (my usual fear...)

What do you think? Please be brutally honest! Should I keep or return?

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Unsuccessful shopping after a long working weekend :-(

I popped into mall yesterday to check out Gap denim biker jackets (Angie, what are you doing to my NAS diet!!!)  and of course I could not pass Danier store without checking it out.   This time I decided to check the bags.
I am not a bag lady. I can appreciate how a bag adds to the outfit but I am too lazy to switch my stuff from one bag to another every day. Saying this I wanted to add a white bag for summer (and maybe beyond) because I am on the white kick lately.
Danier has several nice white bags but this one called my name. It has a soft leather, minimal hardware and simple satchel design which really spoke to me. It was also on sale from $225 to $99 so it came home with me.
Alas when I came home I realized that it will not work for my lifestyle. I carry lunch to work every day. I don't like to carry a handbag AND a lunch bag so my handbag should be big enough to fit my lunch - and this white beauty is not <sob>
I am returning this bag with  broken heart. It does not work for work and I don't have a need for a new bag outside of work. Instead I am thinking that maybe my ideal white bag is a tote where I can fit my lunch easily?

Then I went to Costco for groceries and found these beautiful Hilary Radley silk shirts there. The fabric is gorgeous, washable and wrinkle resistant and colors are vibrant without being neon brights. I could not decide between blue and orange so I bought both to try at home. They did not have size L so I hoped M may work.
Well it did not. There is a very slight pulling across the chest and armholes are cut too high. I hope they may get size L this week so I am going to check them out but size M will go back.
Now in case size L is there and fits well - what do you think of the color and style? I don't have anything in this orange shade - is it too bright for me? Also this blue is lighter than cobalt I usually like, it is closer to royal blue I think so I am not sure it works for me either.
What do you think?

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Ask Angie: what do you think about this jacket for me?

I am still on the summer jacket spree as was posted here. I was able to pare down my Zara shopping bag based on the forum help but somehow I got other ones in so the list is not any shorter.
I would really like your opinion on this one. I find this style new to me, like the oriental embroidery and that it is cotton and lined in cotton. What I am not sure is if it will work with my style and if this neckline is flattering on me.
What do you think?

8 comments