Friday Favorites: Classic Midi

 TGIF! It's been a packed week with fun, work and lots of organizing! We've had some rainy days and I've been tackling all the closets, cabinets and drawers so that when school starts we and our home are ready.

With the start of school comes all kinds of social occasions: meet the teacher, PTA, bible study and gathering with friends that I know I've missed all Summer.

A neutral midi dress is a versatile piece that is flattering and easy to layer and style.

Causal - sandals or sneakers with denim jacket or cardigan

Dressy - heels, bold jewelry with a small handbag

Fall - booties, sweater or leather jacket

Here are some pretty neutral midi dresses ...

HIGH NECK

also in brown & red - great price!

MOCK NECK

in white & brown

SCOOP NECK

ZIP FRONT

7 colors

V-NECK

COLLARED

ordered! love the navy

Dress Beautifully in a Midi Dress

XOXO Sarah Louise

Pretty in Python

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I hope your day is filled with lots of love 💕

I truly meant to post this yesterday but my sister and niece came over to visit and our whole day was filled with fun watching the girls play and catching up because her family has had the flu :(.

Snakes are the scariest creatures ever! But I'm obsessed with the print of their skin. Odd I know!  I may even like it more than leopard - shocking!  I find snake print to be fierce, modern and just chic.  It's not as common as leopard and is typically lighter with more white tones (my favorite).

I have a handbag, a few pairs of shoes and garments in snake.  Probably plenty haha

I found this dress way outside my box.  I don't typically shop at this store but was walking through the wing of the mall I don't typically go to for a gift and saw a section of snake printed pieces and went it.  While I wouldn't call this dress a high quality piece it's better than I thought it would be.
It goes to prove you don't have to spend a lot of money to achieve the look and style that you want.

Now, I still stand by my belief that your closet should be quality over quantity and it's best to invest in forever/classic pieces.

I promise if you incorporate snake print into your wardrobe you will feel confident and look chic!

Note: this belt is not attached (something I prefer) but I didn't swap it out for this look like I normally do.  I didn't want to interrupt the print and since it's a midi dress I wanted to keep the long continuity of the vertical print in hopes to make me look longer.

Snake Dress & Here | Pumps & Similar | Earrings | Similar Handbag |

Dress Beautifully in Python Print

XOXO Sarah Louise

Dot Dot Dot

Hey gals, so I feel like the blog has seriously been a "..." situation.  Like who knows when she'll post again ... sigh I try but if it makes you feel any better I truly am living my best life over here!

I spend my days with baby girl, friends, family basically enjoying all the best life has to offer.  And while there are moments where I miss the corporate hustle this maternity leave break beats any accomplishment made in the office. #TRUTH

I do have good intentions to post, Vivian Louise is sleeping through the night every night and I'm starting to get a routine and increase productivity but I will stop it all and soak up the snuggles because babies don't keep!

So for this outfit I mixed a classic polka dot blouse with the come back of beige.  I typically don't go for polka dots but I love this version because the base is white (favorite) and the dots are huge making a bolder statement. It's also sleeveless, my go-to, with ruffles for extra femininity and button front so nursing friendly (I can't believe that's my first thoughts when looking at clothes these days).

Remember back in the day when khaki was the 'IT' neutral? We all had khaki pants, just admit it.  Well, while I don't believe in bringing those back (go for a pair of chinos in olive, blue or blush) this beige skirt is far from boring.  It's a flattering fit, comfortable, with pockets and crazy affordable.

Pair it with tees and saturated colors and its a piece you can wear from work to weekend.

Polka Dot Blouse ||  Beige Skirt  ||  Similar Pumps  ||  Similar Handbag  ||

Dress Beautifully in Dots

XOXO Sarah Louise

Black & Camel

I love the color combination of black and camel.  They're rich neutrals.  I must admit I've never worn so much black in my whole life as I have being pregnant.  First, it's available (maternity options are limited) and second it's slimming/concealing so I'm going with it.

I purchased this vest over the Summer at the Nordstrom anniversary sale and knew it would be great this winter being pregnant to layer.  I officially can not button my coats and have only worn them twice.  Baby girl is a heater!

I really like long vests because they're basically a one size fits all and they make me feel tall (hard to do at 5'2").  They're professional for work and chic with a pair of distressed jeans on the weekends.

Note:  I have to apologize for these not-so-sharp pics - we didn't shoot these at our normal late afternoon time and with bright lighting didn't get the settings right but you get the point.

Oh I almost forgot about these earrings!  They've been on my wish list and I pulled the trigger on Cyber Monday.  I absolutely LOVE them!!!

Black Dress  ||  Vest & Coat  ||  Tights  ||  Pumps  ||  Earrings  || Handbag & Similar  ||

Dress Beautifully in Black & Camel

XOXO Sarah Louise

Friday 5: Mauve & Moss

TGIF! It's the first weekend in March and gals, it's going to be a good one! Mr is off of work which NEVER happens.  In fact the last time he had a Saturday night off was back in October but that's just how working in the ER goes.  It actually encourages us to make the most of our moments together. We still get in date nights they're just random and honestly I kinda like it :) But it is challenge when we want to spend time with our friends so we quickly made plans for a double date with some of our favorites! #cheers 

I love mixing colors, especially the unexpected.  While I love some bold shades it's nice to go a little softer.  Pink and green are the ultimate preppy pairing when done in the bright hues.  Take these same colors and slide them down the scale and you get a lighter more dusty vibe.  But don't worry there's nothing dull about this combo.  In fact it's sophisticated and more on the neutral side. 

These colors not only go well together but they pop next others like navy, ivory, camel, purple and of course stripes! Stripes go with everything. 

I've rounded up some pieces that will pair beautifully ...

Mauve:  Pant  -  Jacket  -  Ruffle Top  -  Pleated Skirt  -  Sandal

Moss:   Ruffle Top  -  Flounce Skirt  -  Pant  -  Bell Sleeve Jacket  -  Sandal 

Dress Beautifully in Mauve & Moss

XOXO Sarah Louise

Charcoal

Charcoal jeans are my favorite addition this Fall.  They still go with everything your standard blue jeans go with because grey is a neutral.  Think about how you style your grey trousers for the office, the same color pairings apply but in a more casual way.

One of my struggles with traditional blue jeans is that styled with dark blue tops/sweaters your look becomes monochromatic and the prettiness of the top/sweater can get lost in the sea of blue.

Charcoal jeans will show off those blues and for that matter all colors.  Go light or dark the sky's the limit.  Grey is one of those soft neutrals that adds freshness to a look.  It also add an edgy element/vibe.  After wearing these grey jeans, 2 of my gal pals have now added them to their closets. They're a great fit, wash and price point.

I went with the classic black and white palette.  Since Fall temps can literally swing 50 degrees throughout the day, a sleeveless sweater is a nice balance of warmth.  Now, these over the knee boots have been front and center the past few posts #sorrynotsorry.  To say I love them is an understatement.  They're a soft black suede, fit my legs like a glove and have cute ties in the back to hold them in place.  But the Best part is the gold block heel! Swoon!
These shine with style and comfort.

One of my sweet readers and gal pals requested for me to show you how to wear these over the knee boots with pants.  I'm all about it as my inventory of hemlines that fall above the knee is limited. Just keepin it classy.

There's a method here gals ....

- Opt for skinny snug jeans or riding pants
- Thin ankle socks
- Fold the boots down (if there is no zipper) and place your foot into the boots
- Fold the boots up and over your pants similar to how you would put on tights

This will eliminate the struggle of shoving/bunching that happens when stepping into the boots from the top as your pants come up too.

This season add some variety to your denim with charcoal jeans and chicness to your look with over the knee boots.

Charcoal Jeans & Similar & Here || Sleeveless Sweater & Similar & Here || 

Over the Knee Boots || Handbag & Similar || 

Dress Beautifully in Charcoal Jeans

XOXO Sarah Louise

Long Vest

Long layers aren't just for your hair style.  Adding long layers to your wardrobe is not only modern and chic it's quite functional and flattering.  I find that longer skimming pieces elongate the body, creating a lean silhouette.  While the sleeveless aspect allows for movement and ease of layering over  an array of garments.

Think of this long vest as a blazer when it comes to styling.  It has the sharpness of suiting but easily paired with jeans and tees for a casual look.

I kept this outfit neutral with a nude camisole and black trousers.

Long Vest & Similar & Here & Here || Black Trousers & Similar & Here ||  

Camisole || Bangle || Heels & Here || 

Dress Beautifully in a Long Vest

XOXO Sarah Louise

Licorice & Whiskey

When it comes to brown I'm all about the lighter and richer shades, most often referred to as cognac or whiskey.  They're warm and smooth as Mr likes to say.

I find it common to pair neutrals with colors but how refreshing to go all neutral.  Typically I style my neutrals on the lighter side with ivory and tan but with Fall right around the corner I'm craving darker hues and cooler temps!

I eyed this skirt for a few weeks in the store and when a sale promotion rolled around I scooped it up!  I love the color and touch of luster in the fabric.  While the length is slightly longer, hitting right below the knee the vertical buttons down the front create a long line on the body.
Note: These buttons are 'faux' / nonfunctioning so no worries on puckering or pulling when you sit!
Midi lengths can evoke a fear of shortening for most gals.  Keep the hem no longer than the top of your calf and the waist high and you'll find your lower body will actually appear longer.

I challenged myself to incorporate more black into my wardrobe.  That's a big stretch outside my comfort zone as it's the color I wear the very least. This skirt was the perfect piece to pair with black.

Take a break from the rainbow and style your next look with browns and black.

Top: Brooks Brothers & Similar || Skirt: Ann Taylor & Similar & Here || Pumps: Nine West ||

Gold Bangle: J Crew || Handbag: Prada & Similar || 

Dress Beautifully in Black & Brown

XOXO Sarah Louise