Tag: outfit of the day

The Struggle: Leggings as Pants

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These pants are basically leggings – and that’s why I LOVE them.

I had never been on board the leggings as pants train.  It started pretty young, when leggings first resurfaced.  My mother (who had been around for the first legging adventure) would tut tut about how no one wore shirts that covered their butts, and how you could see their underwear!  In the beginning, this was certainly true.  Leggings were initially made from the same material as tights so they were frequently see through, and not meant for #pantslife. 

But as more women wore them as pants, the industry followed.  Leggings quickly became an athleisure staple – they were stretchy, bendable, and didn’t fall down like classic workout pants.  They were also a lot more flattering than sweats of the past, and made workouts like yoga, pilates, and running easier than other athleisure could.  The problem: athletic leggings looked just that.  Athletic.  They were thicker, sure, to solve the problems that come with a lot of bending, stretching, and wear and tear, but they weren’t necessarily cute.  And cute leggings, like much else that is cute, were still not good enough. 

So I staunchly held out on the “leggings can’t be pants” hill, convinced I would die on it.  For many, many years, I hoped along with articles in fashion magazines and op-ed pieces alike, that the legging trend would die.  Even as I started wearing them more with outfits (always like tights with a skirt or shorts over them) and they grew to be a staple in my own wardrobe, I continued to tut tut those who wore them as pants. 

Another pair of pants that are definitely just leggings!

The realization was a slow one – I’ve always been stubborn about my fashion choices – but it came in drips.  I would read an article here and there, extolling the brilliance of leggings as pants.  I started to recognize the problems with telling women what they can and can’t wear, especially in the face of men being allowed pretty much whatever.  I realized that I honestly envied women who were out at Target or casually walking through the airport in the comfortable stretchy fabrics of leggings alone, without the extra constraints of a skirt or dress. 

The big turn came one busy Saturday filled with social engagements. Our first event was mostly walking around so I’d worn a beautiful skirt that fits perfect when standing, but quickly grows uncomfortable while sitting since it has an unforgiving waistband. When we got home, and prepared for our next activity (board games – sitting only) I realized I didn’t want to fully change clothes. So I wrestled and wrought in my mind, looking in the mirror and bending over and asking my husband “can you see my underwear” and finally laid on the bed extolling my fears to my helpless lover. 

“I can’t just wear them as pants, can I?  I don’t understand why it’s fine if other people do it, but I just can’t!” 

Me, lying on the bed, wallowing

Oliver, being the man that he is, quickly assessed the root of my fears. We discussed how initially they were meant to be tights, but they’ve evolved from that. And if the leggings themselves can evolve, can’t my opinion of them, and my use for them?  So, bravely, for games that evening I wore my leggings as pants for the first time. Admittedly in the comfort of my own home, among friends who I knew wouldn’t care (or likely wouldn’t notice), but you’ve got to start somewhere, right?

Now that you have the background – we can get to the heart of the issue.  Should leggings be worn as pants?  And I have to say, yes.  Not only are the standards in the industry different (now even cheap Amazon or Old Navy leggings call out “full coverage” and “thick, not see through fabric”).  Not to mention the comfort: quality leggings that fit right are second to none on comfort levels.  In bleak winter mornings, I’m much more liable to reach for a pair of cozy leggings than any of my jeans.  Throughout the day I find my whole body is more comfortable wearing the stretch fabric instead of unforgiving denim, plus I’m not nearly as sweaty or smelly or chafed… 
That’s the thing about leggings – they’re just so damn functional.  

They are also extremely accessible: now that they are in the lexicon of style for good, there are plenty of cute, reliable options out there for anyone, on any budget.  I’m even seeing more and more curvy and larger sizes from regular brands, and brands that cater to larger sizing jumping into the market. 

These were actually sold as leggings but here they are being pants!

Leggings are workhorses without being inconvenient.  They are breathable, they are soft, and they are warm.  They allow freedom of movement while creating a cute silhouette that is almost ubiquitously flattering.

Naysayers be naysaying, but I’m going to work on getting over my own fears and hangups because at the end of the day, they make me feel better, and isn’t that what fashion is all about? 

#ootd: Fall Layers

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FINALLY FALL. Oliver and I have decided that the fall version of me is by far the best version of me, especially when it comes to clothing. Layering in dusty fun colors and interesting patterns is what I’m built to do, and I adore it. This outfit is a prime example.

These pants are amazing – and definitely the foundation of the outfit. With the embroidered flowers down the sides, I really like to showcase them which I did here by color blocking in the same fall color story. This scarf is made of dreams; I literally found it on the side of the road and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since. The sweater I found while thrifting as well as the mustard yellow top. The colors just made sense, and the layers are all warm enough that I was fine going to work in 50 degree weather and coming home in 75 degree weather. Each layer could be easily shed or added to keep me the right temperature without suffering loss of joy or integrity as a whole.

Scarf: A fluffy warm layer, I throw this scarf into just about every fall outfit because it easily adds warmth without becoming a problem. It worked here, despite being patterned, because it’s a neutral black and white.

Sweater: This green acrylic sweater from Mexico (brand unknown) is quickly becoming one of my favorite thrift store finds of all time. It’s warm without being itchy, and the slight balloon in the sleeves makes it an easy layer to throw on top. I chose it here because of the forest green hue and cable texture – perfect for those #fallvibes.

Ribbed T-Shirt: A mustard yellow top from H&M (thrifted) that I think will be a fall fixture. It’s quite thin but still long sleeved which makes it perfect for layering. The cut is slightly cropped, so it doesn’t work in every instance, but I love the color and the texture of the ribbing. I fixed the cropped issue in this case by adding a red tank top underneath. Quick Note: usually I tuck in my tank tops because it’s warmer, and they aren’t really part of the outfit. However, the tucked tank in this situation made the crop top style of the t-shirt look like it didn’t fit. I left the tank untucked to keep it looking intentional instead of unfortunate.

Pants: A Kut from the Kloth classic, these embroidered pants are always the star of any show. When I wear them, I always use them as a base for the outfit, since they will upstage anything else.

Shoes: I kept it simple and casual with my brick red Converse, a classic sneaker that manages to be stylish, casual, and comfortable in one neat package. These make a lot of showings both for fall and at Christmastime where they are particularly festive feeling.

Accessories: Since the rest of the outfit was a lot I kept the accessories simple. My faux wood sunglasses, simple gold stud tree earrings, and (though you can’t see them) green fox socks. I have a small grey scrunchie holding up my hair.

#ootd: She’s a Pirate!

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When I asked Oliver what I should wear on Monday, he proudly exclaimed, “oh you should dress like a pirate!” It was certainly on theme for the planned Monday activity of building characters for the new pirate roleplaying game that Oliver has been working on. Of course that meant that pirates were on his mind.

Tasked with dress-like-a-pirate-but-for-work-though I turned to a blouse that I picked out from Zara a while back which is so much fun. With the flowy sleeves, excessive ruffles, neck tie, and fish pattern, it was giving me all sorts of pirate vibes. From there I picked my skinny pants with leather accents, and some leather shoes that are 17th century style (minus the buckles). For my chilly office I put my blazer on top, but outside this outfit was perfectly comfortable to survive Seattle’s “last vestige of summer” heatwave.

Also this blouse is amazing, and I should definitely wear it more often.

Blouse: This is from the Zara Basics line, which is such a misnomer for this anything-but-basic blouse. I love the flowy sleeves and the looser fit which played so nicely in the late summer breeze. I adore this necktie too – being attached to the shirt, it doesn’t move around or get lost. It’s long enough and just the right weight of cloth to make the perfect floppy bow. I started here for my pirate outfit, then worked my way out.

Pants: A great thrift store find, these pants from Paige will likely show up in many future outfits. I adore that they are basically thick legging material but made to look like pants – comfort and style! The leather accents are amazing, and add the right kind of edge to almost any outfit. This edge made them a perfect choice for the pirate theme.

Shoes: These are a pair I picked up from Clarks a while ago on sale. Living in Seattle, a lot of my shoe quests now focus around “but are they waterproof” and these certainly fit the bill. They are well constructed leather, and definitely built to last, so they are perfect for dressier events in the rainy season. I picked them here because they have an essence of modern 17th century about them with the short, stocky heel and the pointier toe.

Accessories: This outfit was a lot so I kept my accessories super simple with my diva sunglasses (the little bits of gold, and the flamboyant shape screamed pirate to me) as well as some circular gold dangle earrings that reminded me of coins.

#ootd: Sailor Moon

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This outfit garnered a lot of comments throughout the day.

“Wow, so princessy!” “Makes me think of the 50s.” “Very modern witch.”

Honestly, I really liked this outfit, which made every comment feel like a compliment. I started with the Sailor Moon baseball t-shirt, and built the outfit up from there. The skirt for a little starry sky sparkle, the belt with its moon theme, the shiny star sneakers, and then my blazer to give it a final touch. I enjoyed the monochrome feel of this outfit – it’s a lot of black, but in a good way. And there are still lots of interesting parts to break it up.

The outfit definitely had issues though. The skirt is one that I purchased which I probably shouldn’t have because it’s a bit too big. And the belt is definitely too small – halfway through the day I had to take it off because I was struggling to breathe. My blazer ended up being too warm on this muggy Seattle day. It was definitely a lesson in “looks cute, but not wearable.” However, I do plan to recreate it either with different pieces or at a different time of the year, and I’ll still count this as a success because it’s so darn cute.

Blazer: This is another Ross find. The brand is 89th + Madison, and it’s a true gem. I cannot tell you the last time I had a good blazer that fits as well as this one does and is still comfortable. I don’t often give into the “Five Items You Must Have” advice train, but I certainly feel a good blazer deserves a place in most closets. I added it last to this outfit to round it out and make it a little more professional.

T-Shirt: The place where the outfit began is this lovely Sailor Moon t-shirt that I found in some online store (brand is Canvas… whatever that means?). I personally like to represent my nerdier side in ways that are a little more subtle. If a Sailor Moon fan looked closer at this print, they would see all the wands, necklaces, and devices that the scouts use throughout the series represented. But to anyone else, it’s just a pretty design. You can’t see the sleeves here but they are 3/4 sleeves in white.

Skirt: Another A New Day find from Target. As mentioned above, it’s a smidge too big for me, so I don’t get as much wear out of this lovely, swishy skirt as I would like to. I love the sparkle from the rhinestones, and the volume the skirt has. Also – being the paragon of comfort that I am – the elastic waistband speaks to my soul. Pretty and comfortable? A win. I paired it here because it felt like a starry sky to go with my sailor scout theme.

Shoes: I got these as a free option from Just Fab. While I don’t have a great opinion of Just Fab as a whole, these sneakers are really awesome and I do wear them with a lot of my outfits. They are pretty comfortable but don’t breathe very well so I tend to save them for cooler days. I picked them for this outfit because of the star pattern (in white, hard to see in pictures) and the shiny pink base (very Sailor Moon).

Accessories: I feel like the belt is a real winner in this outfit, and I will definitely work to find a really good replacement for it as it’s officially too small. The black velvet with the shiny gold half moon is perfect for the essence of Sailor Moon I was shooting for. A black scrunchy and some pink striped star earrings close out the look.

#ootd: Flower Pants

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According to Oliver, this outfit is a quintessential example of my style, and I’m inclined to agree with him. I have a hard time wearing this sweater at any other time of year because it’s too warm for summer and too thin for winter, but it’s perfect for the fall transition. These flower pants are amazing as well – comfortable but still nice enough to count as official work pants (not that my office cares – it’s pretty casual – but I could wear them to a marketing event or some such).

Red and black is always a good pairing for me; I kind of blame my high school for training me into this (red and black were our school colors, and I had a lot of school spirit) but in all honesty I have always gravitated toward this color pairing. It feels cool and chic to me for… reasons.

This outfit is also proof that I’m a proud pattern mixer – though the black and white stripes are minimal enough that they still give the spotlight to the pants.

Sweater: This is an American Living sweater that I picked up at Ross ages ago (probably high school?) and have had for a long time. I appreciate the interesting neckline that this sweater has, and the cool striped sleeves have always appealed to me. I wish it was a bit thicker, but that’s neither here nor there at this point. I chose it because it adds interest without taking away from the pants.

Pants: Definitely what I built this outfit around. I love this floral print from H&M and they are almost magic pants – my friend bought the same pair and they fit her great too even though she is built quite a bit different. These colors also play well in both summer and fall, making the pants pretty versatile.

Shoes: I have no idea what brand these are; bought them a few years ago in a small mall store in Del Rio, TX that has since closed down. I’ve also worn them a lot – they are quite comfortable, and super breathable so perfect for summer – and worn away any sort of label. I liked the casual oxford style to tie in the business-y pants and the casual sweater.

Accessories: I picked the Willy Wonka sunglasses because they add some funky flair to the outfit, along with my gold and peridot flower earrings and my favorite mustache necklace.

#ootd: Minimalist Sweater

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I put this sweater on today as a test. This is the first time I’ve worn it in over a year, and I decided I either needed to wear it or get rid of it. Honestly – I’m still on the fence. While I like the minimalist or European vibes I get from the sweater, it’s not a very warm fabric (which makes it really only good for summer here) and I have a hard time pairing it with anything other than these pants and this pair of shoes. On the other hand, it is quite comfortable, and I think it looks really nice so…

Maybe it will live to see another year.

This is one of my prime examples of playing with color using something called ‘color blocking’ where you combine multiple different colors from a similar palette but only use them in one block or segment of space. In this case the red necklace, navy blue and grey sweater, green pants, and brown shoes all each hold their own color space. It’s a really fun concept and a great way to play with color if it’s not your forte. I will eventually do a whole post on color and patterns that will go more into depth for those that want to learn my ways.

Sweater: This is a Liz Claiborne sweater that I picked up, gosh, years ago. I used to have another one from this set, but I got rid of it. This one however has stuck around and I think for a few reasons: – it’s comfortable – it’s classy – I love a 3/4 sleeve. I used this sweater as the foundation for the outfit.

Pants: These corduroy pants from Kut from the Kloth are really fabulous. They fit well and are not too warm or too cold (perfect for transitional seasons, but also effective come winter) and I cannot get enough of the forest green color. I have another pair of these in red as well. I wore them here because they fit both the mood and the color scheme of the outfit.

Shoes: I bought these YEARS ago on sale at Forever 21 — I’m pretty sure. They are a solid pair of oxfords and are reasonably comfortable. I struggle with their color of brown though, and do eventually want to upgrade these to a classier, sturdier pair of oxfords. Have any suggestions? Please comment below! Today I thought they tied the outfit together.

Accessories: Along with the lovely red necklace, I’m wearing some sunglasses I found in the Target kids section (my head is tiny), my silver origami bird earrings, and my rabbit watch that I adore and am trying to wear more often!

#ootd: Delicate Flowers

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This was a great work outfit for the mild Seattle summer. The warmer sweater feel of the t-shirt and the comfortable swish of the silk skirt were a perfect pair. I also appreciated the fall vibes – this outfit feels really appropriate in August. It’s not quite ready to give up on summer, but still open to the coming fall.

Playing with colors and patterns meant that the accessories were simple: a lovely black scrunchie (thank goodness these are back in vogue!) and some small silver rabbit earrings.

Also I adore the print on this lovely skirt – a fantastic thrift store find! Not to mention it’s 100% silk so it will have some good lasting power if I take care of it.

T-Shirt: This is an Abercrombie & Fitch thrift store find that I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of. Aside from being the perfect color, I appreciate the softer feel and bit of warmth of the sweater like knit. Though this does make the pocket useless… I wore this shirt because I liked how it matched the flowers.

Skirt: I spotted this in the thrift store and thought “this can’t possibly fit” but I tried it on anyway, and boy was I glad. This Jones New York silk skirt has a great flow to it. It hangs in a way that really accentuates my curves, and overall just feels good. Plus, I love a print that looks like polka dots but is actually something else.

Shoes: You are going to see a lot of these dusty pink sneakers because they are some of my favorites. I love that they are monochrome and leather, which makes sense considering they are Tommy Hilfiger – a leader in classic, simple sneakers. Bonus: they are comfortable even for long periods of walking. I wore them here because I like how they pulled from the lighter pink shade of the flowers, in contrast with the darker red color represented in the t-shirt.

Accessories: I’m wearing my “Diva Dollar Store” sunglasses and my tiny silver rabbit earrings to keep with the delicate, summery feel of the outfit.

#ootd: Beachy Stripes

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I wore this outfit to work and it was perfect. Dressing for work during warmer weather is always difficult for me, because my office is quite cold but I enjoy going on walks on my breaks in the sun. For this reason, layers like cardigans are perfect because I can wear them inside and take them off for a walk.

Work also requires comfort – I spend a lot of my day sitting at a desk. So pants that don’t hurt my waist while sitting are key and these are great. I kept the rest of the outfit fairly simple to highlight the joy of the sweater with matching shoes and simple jewelry.

Cardigan: I found this at the thrift store, and fell. in. love. The vibrant colored stripes are giving me serious “end of summer, start of fall” vibes and I like the way it sits open but still feels warm. I’ve been trying to incorporate more of that pale blue in my wardrobe as well, so it’s a good fit. The fabric is thick enough to hold heat, but also breathable.

T-Shirt: This is “A New Day” from Target – which I adore for basics. All the A New Day brand shirts are comfortable, fitted, super soft, and super stretchy. They have good length so they tuck easily, but also look fine untucked, which I like. For those into V-neck over scoop, they have lots of a different styles.

Jeans: Gloria Vanderbilt (which are AMAZING for a curvy body). I love that these are high waisted, but also fit snugly over my large butt and comfortable around my large calves and thighs. Calves are a huge pants struggle for me, so I tend towards a straighter fit, but Gloria Vanderbilt does have many different styles. If you’re on the hunt for some jeans, and your bottom half is curvy, I highly suggest trying some from this brand. It helps that they are reasonably priced – running around $20 a pair.

Shoes: Ellen Degeneres brand that I found at the thrift store and I’m obsessed. They are super light, which I specifically hunt for in shoes. They are also very comfortable, and made of a breathable fabric perfect for warmer weather. They perfectly match the beachy vibes of the sweater.

Accessories: I’m wearing my sunglasses which we lovingly call my “Willy Wonka Glasses”, a simple necklace on a longer chain with a mint green bear pendant, and my octopus earrings.