Nifty & Thrifty

Yesterday I was able to go out…. BY MYSELF!  If you’re a mom you know what a rarity this is and I took full advantage.  Besides the trip to the grocery store, which was my excuse to get out in the first place, I went thrifting!  I needed to clean out their mason jars as we are gathering things to can with in the not so distant future.  As I was wandering around the store this skirt caught my eye:

I love it.  My initial thought about this skirt (the thought that I have every time I find a piece of clothing) was first: will I wear it? Yes.  Second: do I have things to pair it with?  Heck Yes!  This skirt is so versatile!  For two dollars I bought a piece of clothing that will be put to great use.  So as I went to take photos of it I thought it would be great to show some of the options this skirt has for styling.

 (top left: top-f21 $5, belt-f21 $4, earrings-payless $2, shoes- (Jessica Simpsons) Ross-$12 top right: shade shirt-downeast outfitters $12, lace crop top f21 $15, shoes-thrifted $3 bottom: top-downeast outfitters $24, shoes- urban outfitters $8, earrings- thrifted (clip ons;))

So, about the first outfit, I went with something tight for the top.  I love that it lets the skirt be the fullest and shows off the cinch at the waist line giving me a very feminine look. And don't you just die over that bow in the back?! The heels add even more sophistication to this look, I think it's quite sexy!

The second outfit has one of my favorite effects. I paired the skirt with a tight undershirt shirt and topped it off with a cropped top.  Then I used the belt to draw attention to that smaller middle area.  (When you do this you have to make sure that there is enough room between the bottom and the top to show the pretty waist line)  You get a curvy effect mixed in with straight giving you more comfort because nothing is really that tight. And let me just say that this lace crop top from f21 has become a staple in my wardrobe! If you don't have one, get one!

The third look is this looser fitting top tucked into the skirt. (My ribs are sticking out in this picture because I needed to shimmy the skirt down, but give me a break, I was changing into outfits and darting between my camera and the wall because at this point my remote's battery went out;P.) Even though I paired a skirt that is loose and gathered with a loose fitting shirt it worked.  The reason? Because this shirt it is a poly blend cotton.  This means it has a little stretch in it, keeping it from being too limp at the waist line, or gathering to create bulk.  Instead it gives a stretched gather, therefore keeping the shape small and curvy.  

So go and have fun with an item in your wardrobe and see how many ways you can pair it, you'd be surprised at the variety of looks you get!