casual style

Summer 2023 capsule wardrobe

 in General Fashion  tagged capsule wardrobe / casual style / clothing capsule / outfits / summer 2023 by
summer 2023 capsule wardrobe casual

Casual summer 2023 capsule wardrobe from top left: light wash denim short / navy print top / medium wash denim shorts / black tee / black and white printed pants / v-neck tee / boxy crew neck tee / silver bracelet /

We finally have summer weather! Love that! For the summer 2023 season, I am looking forward to keeping things casual and simple. I updated my shorts wardrobe to include two pairs of denim shorts in different washes and also a fun pair of lightweight pants to wear on foggy days, or when the weather is slightly cooler.

My tees and tops are casual this summer too. I have gravitated towards shades of blue and green for the summer months. Since investment dressing is hot right now, my personal style is in a happy place. I have always been a huge advocate for investment dressing and spicing up a seasonal wardrobe with one or two trendy pieces. This summer, I am forgoing the trendy pieces and sticking to basics.

In addition to shorts and lightweight pants, I have dresses from last summer which will work perfectly again this summer. My dresses are all extremely affordable and priced under $50. When you hear the term “investment dressing” you might think this means purchasing expensive items, it does not. Investment dressing is about sticking to pieces which transcend trends, fit well, and offer good quality. You can find this in affordable clothing! Love that! Here are the pieces from last season and last year I am wearing this summer:

Accessories are understated and classic for the summer season too. Stay tuned for my shoe and handbag capsule wardrobes later this week!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous summer!

XOXO
Cathy

How to keep your jeans from shrinking

 in General Fashion  tagged casual style / denim / outfits / tips by
how to keep your jeans from shrinking

wearing: sunglasses / statement earrings / lilac top / tweed blazer (under $100) / spring nail polish / moon shaped bag / straight leg jeans / lug sole boots /

How many times have you purchased the perfect jeans, with the perfect fit, and the perfect length? Then, you go to wash them, and they shrink! My hand is way up! Thankfully, I have found a solution to the incredibly shrinking jeans; and it isn’t rocket science. Love that!

So, without further ado, here is how to keep your jeans from shrinking. It is quite simple. Although the instructions on the label of your jeans may say warm water is OK, or a low dryer temperature is OK, trust me, it is not. When it comes time to wash your jeans, you should always, without fail, wash them in cold water. The instructions on the jeans will lead you astray; unless they say dry clean only. If that is the case, you have some fancy fabric, and I would not mess with it; take them to the dry cleaners.

After washing your jeans in cold water, never ever, and I mean never ever, throw them in the dryer. Immediately flatten your jeans and hang them to dry. The best way to allow your jeans to dry is to hang them in a place where air can get around them. A shower curtain rod or door hook is typically ideal. You can also drape them over a towel rack; not the rack attached to the wall, the free-standing rack you can move around. I would place the towel rack in the bathtub so the jeans can drip and also get 360 degrees of air.

The downside to air drying your jeans, is that they will be stiff and possibly wrinkled. You can solve this by putting them on for a few minutes and walking around the house. Do a few shallow squats, and voila! Your jeans will be ready to wear.

Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping your jeans from shrinking when you wash them? Please share in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Pop of green on a cold day

 in General Fashion / Jewelry  tagged bottega veneta / casual style / express / lois hill jewelry / outfits / winter 2023 by

Wearing: sunglasses / star necklace c/o Lois Hill (under $100, use code CathyO-20 to save 20%) / black long sleeve tee / black sweater coat / spring nail polish / bracelets c/o Lois Hill (use code CathyO-20 to save 20%) / green shoulder bag / straight leg jeans (under $100) / golden boots /

We had a tiny little glimpse at spring, and then boom! The weather swung back to winter! Thankfully this sweater coat is super cozy and perfect for staying warm when the weather drops into chilly temperatures.

In order to spice up this basic black sweater coat, I added this beautiful silver jewelry and a pop of green. After all, green is predicted to be one of the top three colors of 2023! So, if you like green, this is your year! Love that!

My spring 2023 trend report is coming up very soon, and one of the topics I will discuss is jewelry. As we move towards anonymous handbags, and far away from loud logos, the trends in jewelry are returning to a more classic and investment minded look. This year, it is time to invest in timeless pieces that can be layered or worn alone. Jewelry should transcend trends, and be something you can invest in. You will want to look for pieces that can be worn for years, even decades. Jewelry you can pass down to your children is main goal. Of course, the early 2000’s bling look is currently reserved for dressier, or formal, occasions. This means for our daily jewelry pieces we want casual investment pieces, or investment pieces we can wear with both jeans and our little black dress. This is why I am in love with Lois Hill Jewelry. They have beautiful, crafted pieces you can layer, wear alone, dress up or down, and wear forever. Love that!

In addition to timeless jewelry, the color trends for 2023 are happy and bright. As you know, magenta and shades of red or pink are hot this year. In addition to magenta, red, and pink, we are looking at colors from the orange family and also the green family. I am not a big fan of the orange family, but when it comes to green, I am huge fan! I love green! Since it is still winter, my green handbag is perfect for rocking the green trend. As I shop for spring, I will be keeping my eyes open for more green; and pink. I love pink too!

Stay tuned! My complete spring 2023 trend report is coming up next on the blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy