Trending 9.14.16

Oh. Em. Gee! My trending report today is ALL about the 10 tops you need in your life right now. Prepare to swoon, all!

[1.0] This striped and lace beauty.
J. Crew is doing everything right this season. This top incorporates stripes, the color red, scallops and lace in one piece. Wait for a sale (sign up for J. Crew emails), and swoop this baby up! Paired with jeans, you have a perfect weekend look.

[2.0] This mock-neck blush top.
It's romantic and flowy. There are ruffles and stripes. What could be better? Hellloooooo! The mock-neck is so on trend right now. Pair it with black trousers for work or dark denim for date night.

[3.0] This cream mock-neck chevron lightweight sweater.
This is all you need in your life for cooler temps. Rock that mockneck, fashionista! Pair her with a pop of color pant (my fave, the Winnie from J. Crew Factory!).

[4.0] This colorblock top.
Pair this with skinny khakis, rolled at the bottom. Pop on your favorite brown ankle booties, and you're ready for a day at work. I love the color scheme of this shirt! It's very Domer-esque (go Irish!).

[5.0] Meet your next party top!
The Merlot color would look amazing with this skirt from J. Crew (in black) for your next weekend night out! Express's sales are out of this world, too.

[6.0] Scallops to stand alone or wear under a cardigan!
I know I've raved about this one before, but now B-Rep has added a blush pink version! You need this. Your closet will thank you, and your coworkers will compliment you :)

[7.0] Flutter sleeves are another trend you won't want to miss.
How cute is that pattern, too? Pair that with a black, high-waisted pencil skirt for the office. Adorbs!

[8.0] A long sleeve version of the bell-sleeve look.
Loving this blush color that AT has rolled out. It's a perfect tone for fall! Pair this with ankle pants for work (and a patent leather black pump). It's so polished. The pindots are such a nice detail.

[9.0] This top that's a trickster.
From the front, you see a gray tee shirt. But turn around, and you see the piece de la resistance! That back! Mixed media is such a hit this fall. You'll need a comfy and cute top to pick out your pumpkins & mums over the weekend, while sipping on your PSL. Hahaha. #ImBasic

[10.0] This flamingo pink blazer.
Okay, okay-- hear me out.  I know this isn't technically a "top", but, you still need to check it out! It is a statement piece, for sure. Watch J. Crew for sales-- it's way too pricey currently. However, isn't she lovely!?! MAJOR swoonage is happening over here in Geneva.



What pieces are you coveting lately? I can't get over this mockneck look and bell-sleeves. It's so 70s and so fabulous!
xxoo
Mary

Glitter is My Favorite Color

There is nothing that makes me happier than a fully glittered shoe, pant, skirt, top, purse or cell phone case. 

Actually, fully glittered ANYTHING pretty much makes my day. (Shout out to my girl, Julie, who loves all things glitter as much as I do! Pictured below at her bachelorette party!).

Find Julie's sequin and tulle dress, here. 

I never thought it was possible to wear a fully sequined shirt to work until I gave it a spin last year. I wore this J. Crew sequined top (pictured below) with a nice pair of Gap khaki pants and a chambray collared shirt underneath. I knew I had nailed my outfit when my sweet coworker and BFF, Sarah, told me that it was "her favorite outfit I'd ever worn." SHE knows her stuff, so this was a huge compliment.

Here is a fabulous alternative (from Banana Republic) to my older J. Crew Factory shirt.

Also, can we please talk about this amazing (pictured below) fully-sequined bronze blazer from B-rep? I am so impressed by the current Banana pieces for the holiday season!

I recently became obsessed with finding these glitter Ann Taylor gold pants (below). I blame Maria for this (haha), but they really are beautiful. However, there was no sign of them at the Naperville or Geneva Ann Taylor, and they were totally sold out online. I was so sad!

[Addendum: I was just searching again while editing my post, and I see that Ann Taylor has one size left in the sequin pants! See them here! Sadly,  not my size, but maybe they're yours!]

Until, however, my dear friend, Jamie, came to the rescue. She'd seen similar ones at Target back home in Ohio and picked up a pair for me.  The best part about a sequined pant or skirt is that all you need on top is a plain shirt. It can be plain black (to contrast the gold or silver) or white to embrace a "winter white" look.

Here is a phenomenal option of sequin leggings from Nordstroms.

The Target ones are not available online, but you can find them in the junior's section of your local store. 

I have also been totally melting for these fully sequined skirts.

These two are under $50 from Mindy Mae's Market, an online boutique that has amazing deals and trends. I have purchased two idiom tee shirts (gifts for my sis and bestie) from MMM, and the shipping is extremely fast and FREE!

Check out the great $49.99 price tag on this gold stunner.

Shop this beauty, here.

My dear friend, Mandy, sent me these great skirts from Banana the other day.

I foresee many a NYE being celebrated in this one!

Currently, Banana Republic has a 40% off sale happening! Scoop this up for December 31!

This bronze sequined skirt looks perfect with a cozy, chunky sweater. 

It is demure enough in this bronze color to be worn to work. 

J. Crew Factory never lets me down. This gorgeous skirt is $70 currently and available online. 

If you don't know if you could be as daring as fully sequined pieces, I challenge you to add in a little sparkle in a more subtle way. I wear this skirt (below) so often! It is about 3 years old, but J. Crew Factory just re-released another design of it, here. 

Julie, Alison and me! 

This pleated skirt with a ruffle is another fantastic alternative to fully sequined. You can step cautiously into the realm of sparkle with this one.

Add a statement necklace to your simple top (crisp, collared shirts or chambray work wonders paired with sequins, too), and you have the perfect outfit!

My advice for fully sequined skirts is to stay at pencil fit and knee length to avoid looking to "clubby."  I, for one, can no longer rock my fully sequined Express mini skirts of my days at Fever or Tao Night Club in Vegas :-)  Plus, it adds class and sparkle simultaneously to your look.


How do you incorporate sequins into your clothing regime?
xxoo
Mary