Ankara in Autumn

I recently seized an opportunity to wear my custom made ankara skirt again, originally worn here.

Don't you just love wearing your favorite pieces again and again? 

I chuckle to myself whenever I read about a non-celebrity saying that they only wear their clothing pieces one time. Why do I chuckle? Because, I personally ENJOY wearing my clothing multiple times, and restyling my looks! I don't purchase clothing that I have no interest in wearing more than once, unless it's a bridesmaid dress...

Dressing is something that makes me feel happy, something that I anticipate and look forward to. My husband teases me that he knows when I really love a new purchase, because I will wear it at least three times in a row! That would be true of the shoes in today's post. 

I had been looking for the perfect pair of navy pumps, and when these arrived in the mail and I tried them on, I was elated! They are in fact excellently made, and fit my feet like a tight, yet comfortable, leather glove.

Sunnies: Betsey Johnson (worn all the time, everywhere)

Striped sweater: Nordstrom

Ankara skirt: Custom made (also worn here)

Navy blue stilettos: Victoria's Secret online (recently worn here)

Tote: Coach (it's been a staple since this summer)

Now it's your turn, do you look forward to wearing your clothes over and over again?

Thrift Store Score: Plaid & Stripes

Plaid has been a staple of the Fall season for years. It transcends the “trend” category, and rests comfortably as a solid Fall fashion “classic”. I often style my plaid pieces in a feminine way, click here and here for examples. When I spotted this dress at a suburban thrift shop while traveling this summer, I knew that I simply had to add it to my collection.
Now by itself, it may not look like much; But after it has been embellished, “My Oh My”!

So one evening as we prepared to get ready for an engagement, SoCal temperatures dipped into the 70’s. I was ecstatic with the cool-down (we’ve had a mega-mild Fall season so far) and immediately headed to my wardrobe to see what concoction I could pull together, in the name of “Fall Fashion”. Wahlah, herein lies the final result.
For the night air I wore my red blazer on, and once we arrived to our destination I wore it draped over my shoulders.

I love the bright tomato hue of this blazer! However, I must say, the true star of this installment of #ThriftStoreScore is my dress, which I purchased for a whopping 97 cents!!! Click here for previous ThriftStoreScore posts, and scroll down.

Call it Plaid, or call it Tartan, this pattern is here to stay and I love it!

Wool Blazer: Vintage, thrifted (also worn here)

Pinstripe Blouse: Vintage, thrifted (worn here)

Plaid Dress: Vintage, thrifted

Belt: Kate Spade (worn here)

Tote: Coach (see here and here)

Leather stilettos: Victoria’s Secret Online Store

P.S. My apologies for the dim pictures, we had the worst lighting (I don't use a fancy camera as of yet) and it was already dark outside :(

Citron in the City

So my friend Thamarr over at MusingsOfaCurvyLady reached out to me to join up and rock one of Eloquii’s newest midi skirts, the citron yellow laser cut midi. I felt a smidge apprehensive about trying out this skirt! Nonetheless, I threw caution to the wind and decided to have a go at it.

I was pleasantly rewarded with a BOGO offer =) which I happily took full advantage of (stay tuned for that post).

Ladies, let me tell you: this skirt is gobs of fun on overload! I am so happy that I ordered it!!! 
Whenever I purchase something new, the ever present question, "What will I wear it with?" comes to the surface. My first thought went to this abstract print tank, which has been sitting patiently in my closet (never worn). I had the sneaking suspicion that it would match the citron of the skirt exactly. Wouldn’t you know it, I was dead on!

Next in, an added matching statement necklace provided just a touch of contrast (previously worn here). Yet, I was craving more “umph”. After searching through my bracelet birdcage (literally a decorative birdcage) I decided on three rhinestone bracelets for a rocker-chic feel, harmonious with my up-do ;)

Finally, what shoes and purse to wear with it? I have a number of grey and silver sandals, but since I was heading out to an event that would require a bit of walking, comfort was a necessary consideration. I decided to wear my grey wedge sneakers. My handbag was an easy pick, it’s my favorite grey one. Wahlah, hubby and I hit the door :)

Well fellow Style Lovers, you won't believe how many compliments I received on this look at the event; It made me even more excited to share it with you!

Don't forget to visit all of my blogger babes doting on this citron hottie right along with me:


Thamarr- MusingsOfaCurvyLady
Sandra- LapecosaPreciosa
Georgette- GrownAndCurvyWoman

Aviator sunnies: Tahari

Statement necklace: Saks Off Fifth (worn here)

Tank: Calvin Klein

Skirt:Eloquii

Bangles: Zara & Nordstrom

Sneaker wedges: Steve Madden (worn here)

Handbag: Michael Kors (worn here)

Exhibit Three | Sangria

Remember when: I mentioned that I recently discovered a number of Sangria (the top color forecast for Fall) colored dresses (click here and here) in my wardrobe? Well, may I present Exhibit Number Three?!

I wore this look around town on a Fall-like day here in SoCal. 
Too bad I didn't think to take a couple of pictures before my dress wrinkled ;)

Anywho, I had a yearning to pull out my denim jacket for the first time this year. The cool evening temperatures made this the perfect opportunity. 
It feels oh so good to experience a genuine cool down, and I plan to take full advantage of it. 

Thanks for stopping by and commenting below!
Xx

Sunnies: Betsey Johnson

Denim jacket: Michael Kors

Dress: Donna Ricco

Handbag: Vintage, thrifted (worn here)

Boots: Unisa

Uniform

Recently while driving back from a meeting through a busy business district, I noticed that out of the sea of people rushing from one place to another, the colors that dominated the scene were black, navy blue, and brown.

This gave me cause to reflect on how much I genuinely appreciate the variety of colors and styles offered by those in the online blogging community!

I never have a reason to crave seeing creative, colorful ensembles for long - all I have to do is scroll through my Instagram feed (Click here, @InMyJoi), and wa-lah, my fashion desires are instantly satisfied =) Yes, because of the blogging community, I realize that I am not on an island by myself in my LOVE of colour!

Nonetheless, despite the vast array of delectable colors, there is just something about a simple, classic, crisp ensemble - it appeals to the eye. Today's post features my take on an old favorite, the classic uniform (click to see more black & white ensembles here and here).

Sunnies: Betsey Johnson

White shirt: Banana Republic

Tie: Borrowed from my husband’s closet

Cigarette pants: Lord & Taylor

Shoes: Tildon (worn here and here)

Clutch: Kate Spade

A Second Take in Sangria

Hey Style Lovers! I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful weekend! I had a good weekend, and actually feel ready for a new week beginning tomorrow. I’m back in another Sangria dress for today’s post (click here to see previous post); I just love how this color looks against my skin tone. 

I took a quick count, and who knew: I actually have 5 dresses that fall into the Wine/Sangria color category! This color is projected as a top runner for this Fall, I am completely HERE and so ready for it!

Now this dress is quite versatile in my opinion, it can easily be dressed up or down. Since I was feeling casual this time around I added two favorite fall accessories: legwarmers and a light scarf. 

On the day that I wore this look, temperatures drifted into the 70s (Fahrenheit) and I felt delightfully comfortable. 

Sunnies: Forever 21

Dress: Adrianna Papell

Scarf: Thrifted

Bangles: Amrita Singh

Legwarmers: Loehmann’s

Baby Jane’s: Aerosoles

Handbag: Michael Kors (also worn here)

Until next time Beauties!
X

30PlusStyle: Animal Instinct

The 30PlusStyle Collaboration (www.facebook.com/30plusstyle) is back on the scene (for previous posts click here) and today we’re flashing our animal instincts. We had the option to choose from animal prints, leather, fur and or all of the above!

A few weeks ago I debuted 3 looks in leopard print (click here, here, and here), which solidified my decision that today's post would not contain leopard print ;) 

Warm temperatures have returned to SoCal (despite the fact that it’s now mid-October), so warm that it is simply unthinkable to slip into a fur or anything remotely like it, no matter how much I would like to, because I heart all things FUR.

Hoodie- Jones New York| Moto Jacket-Jones New York (worn here)| Jean-Not Your Daughter’s (worn here)| Booties-Chinese Laundry

As a believer that the color white can be worn successfully all year around, white jeans were an easy pick. I immediately thought to pair them with this zebra print hoodie that I purchased a few years back. 

Next I added my lightweight fabric and faux leather motorcycle jacket as a topper for night temps. 

Now, I’m generally not a hoodie type of woman, but there was something about this one that struck me as feminine, fun. I love the way that it’s made, and the easy drape of the knit.

Usually I opt to wear it with a black knit skirt. Pairing it with white this go round was a fresh and welcome change.

This ensemble was perfect for date night, and my husband was especially a fan of the peep-toe booties =)

Check out all of the #30PlusStyleBloggers T O D A Y:

www.mode-plus.com

www.grownandcurvywoman.com

www.pumpsandstudz.blogspot.com

www.thejenesaisquoi.blogspot.com

www.prettypluspep.blogspot.com

If you’re a Blogger and would like to join us for a future #30plusstyle post please send an email to: 30plusstylecollab@gmail.com. Please be sure to include your blog's URL! Click here if you'd like to see previous #30PlusStyle posts. 

Don't forget to join me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InMyJoi1

Have a great weekend Style Lovers!

Thrift Store Score: Teatime Teal

I wore today’s look a few weeks back, but I hesitated about actually blogging it. I really like the hat, the ribbon on it matches seamlessly with my dress. Yet for some reason or another, I wasn’t too happy about how the pictures turned out (Note: This is a frequent occurrence-LOL!).  I took time to truly think things out, including how I personally feel about the importance of embracing one's physical flaws. As a result, I decided to release my apprehensions and to blog this look.

I’ve had this vintage dress for a number of years, it was first introduced to the blog here. 

It’s a beautiful hue of teal, and versatile for year round wear in my climate. I’m amazed by how many vintage dresses still have incredibly deep, rich color after all these years!

The hat is a newer addition to my wardrobe, scored at a thrift shoppe during one of my recent trips back to Detroit. 

Tip-> I find that vintage straw hats tend to fit snug on my head (I'm thinking it's because I have a big head & thick hair). To loosen them up a bit, for the first wear, I pull my hair back snugly in a bun, and make sure it's almost soaking wet. The water seeps through to the straw, and that seems to stretch it out a bit.

Normally I wear this dress with heels, but as I mentioned in another blog post I broke one of my toes earlier this Summer, and on days when I know I’ll be doing quite a bit of walking it is imperative for me to wear comfortable, flat shoes.

Now I don’t need an excuse to carry any of my bright colored bags, but since my Kate Spade handbag is such a similar color, I decided to shoot for monochrome and to carry it with this ensemble.

All in all, the hat and dress are totally categorized as #thriftstorescore (s) in my book, with the grand total for both being less than $15.00!

Hat: Vintage
Necklace: H&M
Dress: Vintage, also worn here
Sandals: Kate Spade, Saturday
Handbag: Kate Spade, also worn here

30PlusStyle:The $30 Challenge, Mad for Plaid

The #30PlusStyle Collaboration (www.facebook.com/30plusstyle) returns today with a budget friendly post: Mad for Plaid! PSA: Women do not have to compromise their budget to stay on trend and to look great!

First off, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our Guest Blogger Gaëlle-Vanessa, the Creator of French Curves!!!

Plaid or tartan, is a classic staple and wool variations naturally resonate with cooler seasons. Inquiring minds want to know: What exactly is the difference between plaid and tartan? Here's what I gathered from dictionary.com: "Generally, we think of tartan as the name for the cloth and plaid as the name for the particular pattern, but the words are often used interchangeably so that tartan can mean any checkered pattern and plaid can mean any checkered fabric".
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's move on with today's post!

Fall is officially underway here in the States, which means in my mind that it's time to break out the Plaid =) Red and black tartan is everywhere around us, but how often do you cross paths with colorful plaid combinations?

I'll give you one guess at where I picked up this beaut of a maxi skirt!

Sunnies: Betsey Johnson, $10 (also worn here)

Shirt: Jones New York, $5

Skirt: Vintage, $6

Clutch: Vintage, $2

Shoes:Tildon-excluded from budget friendly portion (also worn here)

Don't forget to pop over and visit our special Guest Blogger, Gaëlle Vanessa: http://thecurvyandcurlycloset.com/

And of course all of the #30PlusStyleBloggers today:

www.grownandcurvywoman.com

www.mode-plus.com

www.pumpsandstudz.blogspot.com

www.thejenesaisquoi.blogspot.com

www.prettypluspep.blogspot.com

If you’re a Blogger and would like to join us for a future #30plusstyle post please email us at: 30plusstylecollab@gmail.com. Please be sure to include your blog's URL! Click here if you'd like to see previous #30PlusStyle posts. 

And last but not least: Join me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/InMyJoi1

Three Times for the Count: Leopard Print | Take 3

Happy Saturday Style Lovers!
Today’s post marks the finale of this week’s series featuring leopard print! To see Take 1 click here and or Take 2, click here. I mentioned in the first post (Take 1) of the series that previously I shied away from wearing full on leopard print, let alone a head to toe look as featured in Take 2. Yes, I was happy to save ‘The Call of the Wild’ for accessories and not much more. 

Today’s weekend ready look features one leopard print accessory, with a spin! If you feel somewhat hesitant about wearing a full on leopard look, try stepping outside of your comfort zone by wearing an improvised leopard print accessory ;) Side note: I love how opaque this pair of tights is! They really have the feel of a legging and are not sheer at all =)

P.S. 
Join me on Facebook Loves! -> https://www.facebook.com/InMyJoi1

Have a great weekend!

Sunnies: Los Angles Fashion District

Silk blouse: Ralph Lauren (worn here)

Tulip skirt: JS Collections

Opaque tights: Betsey Johnson

Heels: Calvin Klein (also worn here and here)