Three Ways: Grey Silk-Tie Blouse

Editor’s Note: All of the pieces featured in the next three outfits came from my closet.  I’ve owned some of them for years; others are new or newer purchases.  The not-so-awesome photographs were taken by me, and hopefully, if you like this post, I’ll be able to improve my picture-taking skills before the next one.  If this does become a regular feature, it would probably run once per month, maybe twice.  So here you go, Three Ways from Belle’s wardrobe.

Blouse: Silk Bowtie Blouse (Banana Republic, $79.50)

Shoes: Joan & David Darly Sandal ($99, Two Sizes Left)Skirt: Grey Crochet Pencil from COS (bought on eBay, similar $148) Jacket: Zara Collarless Car Coat (old, similar $99) Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Mini-MAC Clutch ($195, has a chain) Bracelet: Banana Republic Pyramid Bracelt (old, similar $79) Rings: Indulgems Lemon Quartz Ring ($100) and Gold and Emerald Band (old, similar $175) Earrings: J.Crew Pearl Studs ($50)

While I may hate the long suit jackets so many women are still wearing, I sometimes wear a long lightweight coat instead of a blazer.  It looks elegant and sophisticated when paired with the charcoal grey, crochet pencil skirt and the dove grey blouse.

The first time I wore this outfit, I wore a low heel.  At some point during the day, I realized that the kittens plus the long jacket was a bit matronly.  So the next time I wore it, I broke out my absolute favorite shoes, the Darly sandals.

The modern shape–a chunky heel with an open toe platform and ankle strap–combined with the avant garde color palette–snakeskin and cognac-colored patent leather–to lift the look tremendously.  And having the bag and the shoes color coordinate brings the whole look together.

The skirt is a dark grey crochet, and without a doubt, one of my better eBay finds.  COS is H&M’s European cousin.  The cuts are more structured and modern than its U.S. counterpart, and much better for women older than 21 or bigger than size 4.

If you want to go searching for a COS find of your own, look on eBay UK.  Most of those girls are happy to ship things across the pond as long as you are willing to pay the cost.

The jacket sleeves are 3/4, so I like to wear my chunky pyramid bracelet and some rings.  If you like the idea of a larger pyramid cuff as opposed to the small ones, check out this Asos bracelet ($14).  I also wear pearl earrings because there’s just something about the way they frame your face when you’re wearing white or ivory.

For the hair, I wear it down and tease the hell out of the crown.  It helps balance out the jacket.  If I put it up, the proportions look off.  For the makeup, I usually paint my nails red (Essie Geranium) and wear the sheer red lip treatment from Fresh.  I also wing the eyeliner a bit to give my eyes some definition.

Blouse: Silk Bowtie Blouse (Banana Republic, $79.50)

Jeans: AG Premier Skinny ($172) Sweater: J.CREW Cashmere Henley (old, similar cardigan $35) Bag: Leopard Flap Clutch (old, similar $260) Shoes: Steve Madden Glitter Oxfords (old, very similar $34 or similar $154) Sunglasses: Ray-Ban Aviators ($145) Bracelet: Gorjana Triple Star Bracelet ($36) Rings: Indulgems Lemon Quartz Ring ($100) and Gold and Emerald Band (old, similar $175)

I’ve mentioned several times how much I love yellow and grey together, but I don’t think I’ve ever spotlighted my love for yellow and leopard together until now.  And this sweater isn’t just yellow, it’s citron–a vibrant, almost abusive, hide the women and children, yellow.

I only own a few pairs of casual shoes, and most of them are tall boots or sandals.  These glitter oxfords are as close to an all-season shoe as I get.  They just add one more bold piece to an already bold ensemble.

Some of the same jewelry as in the first post–the lemon quartz ring and the emerald band–but this time I added one of those delicate chain bracelets from Gorjana.  You could go bigger with the jewelry and wear several gold pieces, but on the weekends, I like to give my wrists a breather.  Besides, the leopard, citron, glitter combo is enough of an onslaught for sleepy D.C.

For the hair, I’ll either wear it up in a wavy, low bun or down with curled ends and some texturizing spray.  For the makeup, I stick with the Essie Geranium for the nails but grab a real red lipstick.  I like M.A.C RubyWoo.

Blouse: Silk Bowtie Blouse (Banana Republic, $79.50)

Skirt: J.CREW Hologram Tweed Skirt ($280) Shoes: Zara Grey Snake Platforms (old, similar $125) Bag: BCBG Flap Chain Clutch (old, similar $125) Bracelet: Banana Republic Pyramid Bracelt (old, similar $79)

My evening attire tends to be very simple and this outfit is no exception.  A white tweed skirt with silver and grey details with the blouse tucked into it and the sleeves rolled up a bit.  I added the high heel to make it a bit sexier, but looking at it again, this is more of a cocktails with the girlfriends look than a first date look.

In a perfect world, this outfit would have had a silver bracelet, silver dangle earrings with a hint of aquamarine and a berry-colored clutch.  But I don’t live in a perfect world, I have to work with what I own.  So I pulled out this ancient BCBG flap chain bag and the pyramid bracelet from before to make the gold hardware on the bag look intentional.  Because when you don’t have exactly the pieces you want, you can make subpar pieces work by finding a unifying element.  It’s not ideal, but it works.

For the hair, I would wear it up in an imperfect, twisted updo.  For the makeup, I’d wear a lot of eye makeup in a palette of greys with dramatic eyeliner.  I’d also wear pink blush and berry lipstick; I like Bobbi Brown Nectar blush and Clinique Colour Surge in Crushed Grape.  I’d also paint my nails with a berry shade like Sparitual Shoot for the Stars.

So there you have it, three outfits from my closet.