Polo shirt

Ah, the polo shirt, great for business casual, keeping oneself looking conservative yet comfortable and somewhat sporty. But it's tricky to make the polo shirt look "fashionable." All my life, I wear my polo shirts with khaki pants or cargo shorts, making me look like I work in a technology store, or trying to be an old retired lady who plays golf on the weekends (luckily, I do not wear a visor).

Well, I finally learned the trick to making the classic polo look more posh, thanks to the classic fashion queen...Audrey Hepburn!

I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time the other day, and was inspired by her polo with pencil skirt outfit at the stripper bar scene, nonetheless. 

Here's some personal tips I will try to remember when buying or wearing polos:

1. Stay away from candy colors. Black is always the best choice. 

2. The more buttons, the better.

3. Fit should not be too tight (to avoid the bunches and lumps from stretchy tee material)

4. Pair with a statement bottom (ie. sequins, ruffles, hip-hugging skirts, etc...) 

Here's me trying my own advice:

1. Featuring U.S. Polo Assn. classic fit polo shirt in black: I love the quality of this smooth 100% cotton, which is cool to the touch.
2. I appreciate the white (contrasting) buttons and longer placket for more femininity. Also turning up the collar makes it more interesting.
3. I'm wearing size S, which is a bit loose for skinny ol' me, but the fabric drapes well.
4. My old Kmart Slimfabulous skirt is one of the most statement and hip hugging skirts I own.

Do share how you style your polos in the comments! 

Updated Shopping Limit List

Since August 2012 till now....I've spent around $1134.88+ in clothes/accessories. Holy moly, that total sounds way more than I expected! I really need to focus now, especially since some of the items I ended up not loving anymore :(

Thus, I have devised a list below of the staple items that I absolutely adore and can wear year after year without tiring. If it ain't on this list, don't buy it! 

So here's a new list to help narrow my spending and 'keeping it my style':

BAGS:

Daytime: plum or soft pink, black

Evening clutches: black, gold

Travel: backpack

Extra: red bag, mint bag

SHOES:

See 15 essential shoes list

Extra: something cap-toe

JEWELRY:

Silver hoop earrings

Crystal stud earrings

Patent nude band watch*

TOPS:

Neutral layering tanks

Neutral short-sleeve tees (white, black, taupe, navy, blush, red, black print on white) 

Black long sleeve knits

Cardigans: cream, grey, light brown, goldenrod

Winter flannels: green color tartan plaid (aka. MacLeod of Harris tartan/James Tissot-inspired), black & white buffalo check

Spring button-ups: black or navy & white polka dots, grid print, blue & white stripes

Extra: dalmation print, fun red/white print

PANTS:

Black

Navy

Dark Green

Camel

Brown

Extra: prints (ie. culottes/palazzo) 

SHORTS:

Black, white, and olive

Black bike shorts

DRESSES:

Black

Navy/Blue

Teal/Emerald

Crimson

Ikat/geometric print

Ditsy floral print

OUTERWEAR:

Spring casual: classic denim jacket

Spring casual: orange, sage, or khaki windbreaker (preferably cropped)

Spring fancy: khaki/stone trench coat

Fall fancy: aviator/motorcycle/bomber jacket

Fall/winter casual: layering fleece jacket (black or grey)

Winter casual: light grey or black short jacket

Winter fancy: long black wool coat

Extra: fitted blazer (black)

OTHER ACCESSORIES:

Elbow black leather gloves 

Burgundy leather gloves

HATS:

Summer: wide-brim floppy hat (straw/black)

Fall/spring: pink knit hat

SCARVES:

grey

black-white

pastels

MISC:

Red & white stripes swimwear

Palm print beachwear (here, here, here, and here)

OTHER necessities:

Underwear

Pajamas 

Dri-fit workout pants/shirts

Black tights

Black trouser socks

Everyday socks

Leg warmers

Need to put on my tunnel-vision glasses!

(*asterisk mark = items I'm still trying to find or needing an upgrade)

Jellyfish?

Anthro is having FREE SHIPPING on orders $150+ this weekend with code: LONGWEEKEND 

At first glance, I was super excited about this top because I thought it was jellyfish print, but upon closer inspection, it's actually balloons silhouettes...

....bummer it's not jellyfish, but still a very cute shirt that would be great for work and play!

Float On Tank $88

But if you see a cute jellyfish print anywhere, send it my way! :)

Happy Wee! kend!

J.Crew December 2012 Catalog inspiration

Who here gets giddy when they receive the J.Crew catalog in the mail? I do! My two favorite catalogs in the world are Anthropologie and J. Crew. I have saved many of their catalog clippings for over a decade it seams as my fashion inspiration. I'm glad I now have this blog to share the images I love (instead of piles of faded pages in flimsy folders, cluttering up my space, and a nightmare to rid of when moving). In the new colorful J.Crew December 2012 catalog, I actually gravitated towards the "neutral" palette. It reminded me how much I love wearing cream, dusty grey, and camel in the winter. Too bad I don't live in the cold Midwest anymore, otherwise I would be shopping for shearling, Irish fisherman sweaters, cozy cable-knits, and camel suedette pants!

And here are the pages from J.Crew December 2012 catalog that is the source of my inspiration today: 

The "Gifts for Him" inside the front-flap cover was what initially got me buzzing.

  Why do guys always get the best timeless pieces? This is why we love menswear!

from page 24-25

from page 26-27

hunky guy smiling at you from page 119.

Yes or no for Maxi length coats?

A few weeks ago, I arrived fashionably late to a friend's wedding reception, which lead to an undesirable faraway parking spot and freezing bare legs. Although I had on my toasty J.Crew double-cloth thinsulate lady day coat covering my short dress, it only gave warmth from knee up. I never wear tights with my cocktail dresses because the colored ones seem to make my legs look shorter and more crooked. As for pantyhose, I've never found one that matched my skin tone. Thus, nothing covered my naked legs and they were painfully cold! I wished and I wished that my coat was longer to cover all. Thus begins the search for a Maxi Coat!

ASOS Belted Midi Coat (bought on sale with discounts ~$122)

Most maxi-length coats I browsed online were at least 50+ inches in length, which seems too long for my 5'1" petite frame, so I tried to be clever in ordering a "midi" length coat in hopes that it turns out to be the right ankle length for me. 

This ASOS coat is actually a pretty soft, somewhat plushy wool. As with most wool (even my J.Crew metro coat), it's a bit itchy on bare skin, but not too bothersome I had worse itchy wool. On a scale of 0-5 for itchiness, I would probably rate this a 2. Because of the length and material, it's also heavier than most coats I own. I thought the batwing-like armholes were interesting...better ventilation and comfort for the pits. Overall fit is loose. I sort of feel like I'm wearing a house robe.

Do you think this coat is too big? Are you a fan of Maxi-length coats? Should I continue the search?