Tastefully Trendy

A life and fashion blog by Sarah Beth

Tag: maroon

My Grown-up Christmas Dress

December 21, 2015 / / Comments Off on My Grown-up Christmas Dress

The other night, I went to a formal Christmas party – which, really, is the best kind of Christmas party – and it was fancy.  I mean, yes, it was formal, so it was fancy in that sense. But, it was also fancy because with my master’s degree, I was one of the least educated people in the room. I would have been intimidated, had I not been wearing this amazing dress (also, everyone was super nice, so it was fine).

I will tell you a secret about this dress, though…it was free. I was given this dress, brand new, because the zipper was broken. But, you know, zippers are easy to fix, so with a little help from my neighborhood seamstress, I had the perfect dress for a formal Christmas party that cost me nothing* (*okay, she didn’t fix it for free.  So, technically, my gown cost $20).

I chose to keep the look simple with classic gold and silver jewelry, and soft gold shoes. The black panel in the middle is actually of my own invention because I need to do a few more crunches before I could wear this dress sans panel…

Btw, slits are pretty hard to get a picture of without pulling an Angelina Jolie, but when I was a kid, I was a little obsessed with slits (they seemed so adult and sultry in a socially-acceptable way), so that picture in the bottom corner is for 8-year old me’s benefit.
1 - formal Christmas partyWas there an element of fashion that captured your attention when you were a kid?  Slits, shoulder pads, stirrups, elbow pads on men’s jackets (with those leather buttons that I always thought looked like crushed junior mints)?  Do you have any of those things in your adult life, or did they fall casualty to adulthood practicalities and changing style?

Twofer Tuesday: Mint Green Tee and Scarves

June 2, 2015 / / Comments Off on Twofer Tuesday: Mint Green Tee and Scarves

This week’s two-fer Tuesday feature my favorite mint green tee, paired with a couple different scarves…and an awkward story.

First, the maxi skirt outfit.

1 - gold maxi, coral scarfThis one is pretty straightforward.  I love mint and gold together, so it was fun to bring out the metallic sheen in my maxi.  And the pretty scarf was a birthday gift, originating from Francesca’s.  I love that store.

Now, for the genie pants.  As you might guess, this is where the awkward story comes in:

1 - genie pants, mint green, scarfI honestly really love these pants, but I could see how they could be an acquired taste.  So, when a girl on the street said, “It takes a special person to pull off those pants”, my first instinct was to thank her.  But, as the words were about to come out of my mouth, I realized she might be insulting me, and I stopped mid-sentence.  I think she also realized how it could have sounded, though, as she quickly followed up with, “You look great!”  I could tell she was sincere, but in case I wasn’t sure, the guy with her told me I looked beautiful, which then led to all of us talking at the same time, everyone assuring everyone else there was no offense…as we’re all crossing different streets.  It was a social interaction disaster.  But, they really are great pants.  I think.

What do you think?  Does it, in fact, take a special person to pull off harem pants, or do just not enough people try?  Would you be more comfortable in look A or B?  And, maybe most importantly, how do you handle awkward interactions?  I may need some lessons!

80 Days of Shoes: Throwback Thursday in Vintage

September 11, 2014 / / Comments Off on 80 Days of Shoes: Throwback Thursday in Vintage

This week was the week of the pleats, apparently.  I’m glad they’re back in style – I like their feminine professional charm.

But first, these shoes.  They’re Nine West, which as we’ve discussed, are just not good shoes for my feet.  Plus, I got them from a discount shoe store, and I’m pretty sure they’re different sizes.  But, a good navy pump is hard to find, so we carry on.

DSC_0741I chose this look for Throwback Thursday because this is what my vintage skirt used to look like:

A lovely, pearl-buttoned potato sack.

However, I liked the pleats and the midi-length of the dress, and it was free (another donation from my sister’s roommate), so I decided to get it altered.  The result is below:

1 - pleated skirt, open weave sweaterI don’t really love how I styled it (or whatever face I’m making in this picture).  I think in the future, I’ll try a jacket (either denim or fitted blazer) and see if I like that better.  If I get really crazy, I might try it with a chunky sweater and boots, but the more I think about, the more that seems like something that looks great in a fashion magazine, but ridiculous in execution.

Any suggestions?  How would you style a midi pleated skirt?

TBT: When I was 3 months younger

March 6, 2014 / / Comments Off on TBT: When I was 3 months younger

Today I am at a career fair for my new job. It’s a bit surreal to be back doing what I had done pretty exclusively for the last 4 years, but from a completely different perspective and with a largely different objective.
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I pulled out the old profesh clothes, dusted off my recruiter shoes, and tried to make myself look both approachable, yet knowledgeable.  Hopefully, I was successful, because I talked to a ton of people and would hate for them to have all been disappointed.

The (professional) little black dress was always my go-to for recruiting, and I wore my teal shoes pretty often (you’d be surprised how much teal goes with) because they are comfortable, but cute and unexpected.  The tights were to keep me warm (although, they are hole-y, so they didn’t keep me THAT warm), but also to add some pizazz.  And, of course I accessorized with products from our store – that’s just good marketing sense (I know marketing – I watch Mad Men).

BTW – the scarf, headband, and shoes all have the teal accent color – that just made the 12-year-old-who-used-to-wear-all-one-color-from-head-to-toe inside of me very happy.

Inspired Look: Autumn Leaves

November 20, 2013 / / Comments Off on Inspired Look: Autumn Leaves

Fall may be almost over (judging by my shivers this morning, it is), but there are still a few leaves left on the trees, and their colors will continue to inspire me until Thursday of next week.  After that, get ready for lots of reds and greens.

This outfit started with the bow in my hair – yes, that one you can barely see.  Surprisingly, I had a little trouble building an outfit around it, but I think I ultimately succeeded.  Most of this outfit is neutral (yes, technically, maroon is a color, but it’s functioning as a neutral).  The yellow belt adds a little pop of color, and the earrings (a gift from my sweet friend Bonnie) tie it together nicely. 

Obviously,since I’m wearing a sheer short sleeve shirt and bare legs, this photo was not taken today.  But, I’m remembering those warmer days with longing.

Skirt: American Eagle, via my sister’s closet
Shirt: the Body Shop
Belt: the Body Shop (this is obviously not my most mature outfit)
Hair Bow: the Dollar Store
Shoes: Payless

IFB

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