To My Friend, Jennifer

To the lovely Jennifer--

Thank you for the lovely blog post asking for my thoughts.  Here they are!

Hang in there my friend!  I have been there, done that, and it is so easy to get stuck in a rut--and it will happen again.  My closet is full of that--there is the cardigan incident of '05, the button front shirt incident of '06, and the babydoll/loose top incident of '07.  See, I know.   The first step is realizing that are stuck in that rut.  The next is evaluate what exactly what it is that you are lacking.  You did--different tops.  What do we do now?  We shop.

I have been to BCS and realize the lack of retail options.  That stinks.  How you do it is beyond me, but kudos for attempting the local search.  This is going to take some commitment and a drive into The Woodlands or getting really friendly with your internet connection. 

We are in that time of the year where retailers are rolling out early fall.  Things are getting to be light-weight long sleeves, layering pieces, and light jackets.  So we are kind of seasonless at the moment.  Here lately, I have been loving Loft (formerly Ann Taylor Loft) and have found a few things that I think would be lovely on you.  Some of them are classic pieces, some are conservative, some are a tad trendy, but not too trendy, and a jacket piece.

I put in a classic button front shirt because it is just that, classic.  I like them in white, but love them in black even more.  Left out or in, you are good to go.  Dress it up or dress it down, you can do that too.  Don't like the way it is pulling across your chest, leave a few buttons undone and wear a tank under it.  It will still look beautiful.

I put in a smattering of sleeveless shells too.  I am loving the neckline detail on some things that are out there right now--as long as it is in control (there is some scary stuff out there).  I don't see if going away anytime soon either.   Wear them by itself, wear it with a cardi or jacket, just wear them.  Layers are a good thing, especially when it is so hot outside, but freezing cold in the building where most of your time is spent.

And jackets. A girl needs a good lightweight jacket or two in your wardrobe. It does not really matter what you put under it as the jacket is really your top.

Tees, tees, and more tees.  They are everywhere right now...but for the love of Pete, please stop buying the banded bottoms.  It should like you have enough of those.  Get a basic tee--round neck, crew, or V neck in the basic colors for layering, by itself, or whatever, and call it a day.  Your whole wardrobe does NOT need to be knit.

Everything that I have mentioned will go well with all colors of pants, and yes, even denim. One of the trends I am liking in denim right now is rolling up your pants in an exaggerated cuff to make them almost capri pants. It makes your jeans more versatile, but at the same time, keeping you cooler. It will look great with flops, ballet flats, or yes, even the beloved high heels. :) I still can not wrap my head around the skinny jean because you pretty much have to be a size 6 or smaller for them to look good on you, but whatever. If you have the thighs to support this (which I so do not), I love the tucking your jeans into tall boots for the fall. I adore this look but alas, can not pull it off.

A lot of times, it is all about the way it is styled.  Yes, styled.  You can take a classic boring cardigan, but layer it with a cute shell and there you go.  And yes, top it off with a long necklace if the shell is plain (no detail around the neckline or crazy rouching).  I am a big fan of pearls--elegant, timeless, and you can get them not at all stodgy, but trendy looking.  I also have a "gold" circle necklace that is long and goes with a ton of stuff too.

Let's go to shape talk.  Yes, I know that in general, we do not want to hear this as women, but tucking in your shirt is not a bad thing.  It truly does give you shape, and when you belt it with your pants, you will look incredibly polished and put together.  And it takes 15 seconds to do, not hours.  Even better, to give things more of a shape, belt it.  See how the cardigan in the picture below is belted (not pulled tight to where you are a crazy hour glass shape), you can do that...I love the look more on longer cardigans though.

Those are my thoughts....if you have a particular place in mind, I let me know and I will peruse the site and see what I can suggest. 

Lots of love...and my favorite, happy shopping.  :)

More LOFT...