Pants Practice

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I wore these pants here, and if you click the "cardigans" tab, you'll likely turn up oodles of results with this cardigan or an identical one.

Composition:
black cami (Kohl's)
red print tank (Isaac Mizrahi for Target: does anyone else miss his line there as much as I do?)
black and red beaded necklace (NY&Co)
black cardigan (NY&Co)
micro plaid trousers (Express)
black wedges (Lauren by Ralph Lauren)
"Metro Chic" polish (Sephora by OPI)

Usage:
So I've been trying to work on putting together outfits I like with pants since I wrote about my "pants prejudice" in last week's post.  I've been surfing some other blogs and looking at pants ensembles, and I've decided there is a standard pants outfit that "works."  The basic ingredients are:
1) a great pair of pants (I love all of mine, so that's not the problem)
2) a cute top (I have fewer of these)
3) a cardigan (I obviously have plenty of these)
4) at least one other item of interest (statement necklace, great earrings, belt, cute shoes, etc.)

I really liked this outfit.  I don't own a lot of prints, so this is as close to print mixing as I can come, even though I really like that styling choice.  (I actually had no idea that I don't buy prints until I started blogging.)  I like how the red top brings out the reddish/pinkish stripe in the micro plaid (I think you can make this out if you click to enlarge).  This necklace looks great up against the red top and black cardigan, and it also falls nicely with the neckline of the top.  And after what feels like a long time of deferring to neutral nail polishes, the cold weather prompted me to return to the fall hues that I fell in love with last year.

It all felt very pulled together and cohesive for me, and I ended up wishing I'd waited two days to wear it.  You can probably tell from my "I voted!" sticker that I wore this outfit on Tuesday, but it seems in retrospect like this would have been a perfect outfit to wear for the formal observation my teaching mentor is conducting in my classroom today.

Prompts:

• Can you share a list of "ingredients" for a different type of pants outfit that "works" for you?
• Can you think of anything I could add to this list of ingredients to mix it up?

Road Trippin' Wear

Draft:

Previous Drafts:
These are my new favorite shoes.  I wore them here and here.  And a few days in between.

Composition:
plaid button-down (Target)
khaki shorts (Lulu's)
wedge heels (RJ Girl via Piperlime)
aviator sunglasses (Fells Point Surf Co.)

Usage:
This weekend I'm taking my first ever couples road trip with a girlfriend and her husband.  Have you ever vacationed with other couples?  I'm excited to travel together, and I'm especially thrilled to traipse around our quaint New England destinations (details to come!).

For our first day on the road, I'm keeping my outfit simple: shorts, button-down, and wedge heels.  Typically I'm not a short-shorts kind of girl, but I've committed to a more intense running regimen this summer, so I'm feeling bold.

I'm also happy to revive this plaid top, which I haven't worn in years.  The cap sleeves are newly adorable to me, as is the cinched waist.  They add interest and make this shirt a little special, I think.

Happy weekending!

Prompts:

• Are you road trippin' this summer?  Tell me about your outfit (and traveling) plans!
• If you wear shorts, which lengths and cuts do you prefer? 
• If you don't wear shorts, why not?  Maybe we can commiserate?  Therapy-ize each other?