TheStyleGeek.com

I won’t lie. My friend Melissa did such a fantastic job with these photos that I almost didn’t recognize myself.  We stumbled upon this brightly colored wall in a shopping center near where we work and knew it was the right spot to take some pictures.  I had thrown my outfit together that morning and I have to say, it turned out surprisingly well.  Unfortunately, I bought almost all of the pieces a few years ago (except for the skirt, which is from Hard Tail, is one of the most comfortable articles of clothing I own and can be purchased here).  Believe it or not, the bag is from United Colors of Benetton and was one of the first
over-$50-fashion-related-purchases I ever made. (Similar from Kate Spade here. Similar, cheaper and much more colorful from Melie Bianco here.) The shoes are from Nine West and while this pair doesn’t have the fun ruffle at the top, I feel confident that they will look just as good.  As for the top, I purchased it from a local boutique that doesn’t have an online presence, but this lace alternative from Ark & Co. is so feminine and delicate, I kinda wish I’d purchased it instead. Now, lest you think I always look this put together, why not hop on over to the other blog to check out what I look like when I’m not planning to be on camera.

Ok. While the pictures may indicate that I’m on the tracks, I’m really on the fence (see what I did there?) about this outfit.  I like the shoes (Nine West-on sale here) with the jeans (Miss Me) and I like the top (Forever 21. Similar here.) and the blazer (Target. Similar here.) separately; but when you put it all together, it seems to give off this weird cowgirl meets businesswoman vibe that was not exactly what I was going for.  (The train only adds to the Wild West feel, methinks.)

I don’t know. What do you all think about this outfit? Good together or better as separates?

I just returned from spending the week in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). I’ll post some of the links to my coverage of the event tomorrow, but right now, I’m suffering from nerd overload and wanted to treat myself to a little fashion indulgence. Before I took off for CES, the lovely and talented Melissa Jean took a few photos of me in one my favorite business trip outfits.  The jacket ( which I actually wore it quite a bit while in Vegas on business last year) paired with the dress and boots seem to say to me: “I’m sophisticated and professional yet able to have a good time.”  And the scarf, well, depending on your knowledge of designer brands, it either says “I love Scotland” or “My scarf is cooler than yours.”  Also, I should give a shout-out to Kenneth Cole for making these awesomely comfortable boots.  I’ve had them for a few years, so they are super worn in (read: scuffed up) and they got me through the miles and miles of walking I had to do in Vegas.

Urban Outfitters Jacket. Similar here.

Dress: Unknown (sorry, Style Geekers)

Kenneth Cole Boots. Similar (and less expensive!) here.

Burberry Scarf.

I won’t lie, I’m kind of embarrassed to make this post.  As some of you may or may not know, I lost about 15-20 pounds (depending on what time of the month it is) about three years ago.  By God’s grace, I’ve kept the weight off; but I still have–and still wear–some of the clothes from my heavier days.  The other day, I had my photo-taking-sidekick Melissa take a few pics of me in some pants that I thought looked too big, but wasn’t sure.

The result? Well, it’s worse than I thought.  Lest you think I’m exaggerating, I’ve posted some photos of me in a fuchsia top and the too-big pants and then some photos of me in a similar top and some form fitting pants.  I think these pics will make it very clear why one my New Year’s Resolutions will be to wear pants that fit.

Look at those thunder thighs!

Much better

Oh, and that beautiful brown bag I’m holding in the photo above? That’s Big Michael. The best investment I’ve ever made. And since the shirt I’m wearing is from WALMART (yes, you read that right), I could afford that investment.

Last Thursday, Hubs and I went to hear one of my favorite artists, Tyrone Wells play in Santa Barbara.  Since we were leaving right after work, I needed an outfit that would be conservative enough for work yet dressy (read: sexy) enough for a date night.  I decided on my black skinnies and a sheer, red floral shirt from Gap (similar, but minus the flowers here) .  The classic black pumps are something that everyone should have in their closet and the purse, well, I’ve professed my love for it before.

Oh hey, Tyrone Wells and Joe Brooks! Did I mention we had front row seats?

If you ask my college roommates, they will tell you that they are still incredulous that people now ask me for style advice.  In my formative years, I was a cardigan and button-down shirt only gal–often pairing them with khaki pants, no less. These days, my style is a little less “conservative” and one of my greatest joys is helping other people develop their personal style.

To that end, I am going to be starting a series of blog posts that answer reader questions.  This Thursday’s question comes from my friend Carolyn who asked me if skinny jeans tucked into boots are appropriate for a 34-year-old mother or if they will make her look like she’s trying too hard to be “young.”

First, let’s get one thing straight: 34 is not old and being a mom is not a fashion death sentence.

To answer Carolyn’s specific question, though, no,  I do not think skinny jeans tucked into boots are at all inappropriate for 34-year-old mothers.  Since Carolyn is tall and thin, I’d suggest that she purchase a pair of flat boots and pair them with a longer tunic, a jacket or a comfy sweater.

As someone who is rapidly approaching both my 30s and motherhood, Carolyn’s question resonates with me.  Younger styles look good on older Hollywood starlets but often look silly on “older” people in real life. (At this point, let me reiterate my previous statement that 34 is not old.)

While I don’t want to regress back to my days of cardigans, button-downs and khakis (sidenote: there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of those articles of clothing, unless you’re wearing them every day like I was), I do want to make sure my clothes don’t cause people to say “who does she think she is.” Here are a few guidelines I like to follow when deciding whether a certain article of clothing is ok to wear or not.  Personally, I think these guidelines are good for people of any age to follow:

• Unless it’s a special occasion, stay away from flashy fads. We’re talking sequins, sparkles, feathers and fur, here, not a brightly colored dress.
• Avoid lycra, spandex and velour.  Exceptions can be made for workout clothes and sweatsuits (which should only be worn at the gym or around the house, I might add).
• Always err on the side of modesty.
• When in doubt, ask your best friend, not your significant other.  Your best friend will tell you to hide the twins, lengthen the skirt and lose the stripper heels.  Your man friend will either lie or tell you to vamp it up even more.

Since Pinterest (my new favorite website) contains endless outfit inspiration, I decided to create a Pinboard to share age appropriate outfit ideas. You can follow all my Pins, or just the board labelled “Always Age Appropriate.” If you’re not on Pinterest and need an invite, just send me your email address in the comment section below, and be sure to send me your style questions too.

Happy shopping, Style Geekers!

That’s right. I’m doing it. I’m biting the bullet and posting pictures of myself on this blog more often.  I’ve even got a partner-in-crime to take photos of me at least once a week this time, so you know I’m serious.  And yes, I do remember what happened the last time I tried to post photos myself on this blog, but I figure I’ve set the bar so low that anything I post now will be better than that, right?

In all seriousness, this is one of my go-to outfits for a night out on the town.  I know. I wish the town I live in was more of a little black dress on a Friday night town too, but it’s not; and, sadly, even wearing this I’m usually overdressed.  

One of my favorite elements of this outfit is the necklace.  I actually won it in a Twitter contest about a year ago from an online clothing boutique called Threadsense, and while I can’t find anything quite it on the market right now (though I’m sure it’s out there) some chunky chains like this will work perfect.  It goes with so many things gives the illusion that I have a long torso. I’ve had the jacket for years too, and it goes with pretty much everything.  Express and Target have similar versions this season.

The boots are from Marshalls, but Steve Madden makes a pair that is almost identical.  Or, if you’re wanting to show a little more leg, consider an ankle boot like the ones below or some type of bootie (these are on sale!).

What shoes would I not suggest wearing with this outfit? Flats or pumps of any kind. A motorcycle or bomber jacket screams for something a little less dainty.

In case you haven’t gathered, I’m pretty small. Too small to be wearing bandles (but I did). Too small to have a husband who is nearly six foot four (yet I do). Too small to carry a big purse (though I will continue to do so indefinitely).  Yes, there are many things I am probably too small to do, but do anyway.  And let’s add to that list of small wonders, wearing maxi skirts and dresses.

Oddly enough, I’ve been a fan of the maxi (minus the name, because it makes me think of feminine hygiene products) since before I was (somewhat) fashionable (e.g.- my grad school days).  I love them because they are usually made of comfortable material, hide many trouble areas and can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion.

Right now, Gap has some adorable maxis on sale, and I would encourage all of you to head on over there and take a gander.  (Yes, that’s right. I said gander. No, I’m not 80 years old.) I have both the maxi skirt and the maxi dress pictured in this post, and wore the green skirt along with this tank top and some chunky gunmetal colored jewelry to work and then out to a wine bar with some friends tonight. (If you need a visual, it was similar to Kendi’s Laid Back Weekend outfit.)

For my fellow shorties (not to be confused with my shawties) attempting to make this look work for you, I have three words for you: five-inch-heels.

I’m realizing more and more lately just how much I thrive on helping people, and this weekend I got the chance to help one of my former co-workers, Sarah, find a dress to wear to a wedding next weekend.  Here’s a few pictures of what Sarah tried on and why we chose or didn’t choose each dress.

From the front, this dress is super-flattering on Sarah. The empire waist and a-lined bottom hide any trouble areas and what you probably can’t see from the picture are the dainty layers of fabric at the bottom of the dress.

From the back, however, the dress was quite revealing and made Sarah feel like she might need to keep pulling it into place, so as not to have a wardrobe malfunction.  My rule of thumb: If you start off fidgeting with a dress before you’ve even bought it, chances are you’ll be uncomfortably tugging at it all night long, so put it back on the rack.

This dress looked great on the rack, but when Sarah put it on, the place where the top ruffle of the dress met Sarah’s hips was rather unflattering and turned her into a bit of a box.  We hung it back up immediately.

The first words out of Sarah’s mouth after she put this dress on were: “It’s so comfortable!” And that’s exactly what you want in a dress that you’ll be wearing long into the evening hours.  Not only is the color of this dress one of summer’s hottest hues, it complements her skin tone nicely and the bottom of the dress will look so Marilyn Monroe (in a non-slutty way, of course) when she’s twirling around on the dance floor!

In addition to the dress, Sarah purchased the gold shoes she has on in the pics above (I own them too, and they are uber-comfy) and decided to wear a gold and turquoise drape necklace and gold hoop earrings to accessorize the ensemble.

Sarah’s also asked me to help revamp her wardrobe.  So, I started by making a list of my top 10 clothing must-haves for any working woman.  Tim Gunn would be proud!

The Style Geek’s Top 10 Work Worthy Items

1. Trench coat

2. Little black dress

3. Black blazer

4. On-the-town jeans

5. Black scarf

6. Black or tan (just not khaki material) dress pants

7. Black pumps

8. White & black tank tops

9. Neutral colored cardigan

10. Black knee high boots

I know this is a lot of black, but believe me, ladies, that color is any muffin top’s best friend; and by keeping the items on this list in the same color family, you’ll be surprised how many things you can mix and match together.  If you don’t have some of these items in your current repertoire, I suggest you start making your Christmas list early!