casual style

Wide leg pants for spring 2016

April 7, 2016 in General Fashion tagged banana republic / casual style / givenchy / outfits / spring 2016 by Bay Area Fashionista

Pictured: Sunglasses: Chanel / Earrings: Kendra Scott / Lipstick: c/o Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Rosa / Tee: Banana Republic (love this tee, have it in blue too!) / Necklace: Kendra Scott / Pants: Banana Republic / Handbag: Givenchy / Bracelets: JCrew (old, similar here) / Ring: 2Bandits / Nail Polish: Gucci Dark Anemone / Shoes: Topshop

Wide leg pants for spring is a huge trend in fashion right now. Since I am 5’4″ tall, I am always squeemish about wearing wide leg pants. They tend to make me look short and stout. Despite this fact, I love how they look. There is a certain effortless vibe wide leg pants give off, and I am drawn to anything effortless.

When I saw these wide leg pants for spring from Banana Republic with vertical stripes, I thought the stripes might offset the wide leg, and not make me look short and stout. I was almost right!

I tried on these pants with both flat shoes, and tall heels. I found with flats, I look short and stout. Ugh! When I paired the pants with high heel platforms, the pants were balanced out, and voila; I look normal again! Yay! I found wide leg pants for spring I can actually wear!

One of the things I love about Banana Republic, is that they offer petite, and short pants. My height is on the border for petite clothing, which means petite pants do not always fit properly because my waist is long, and my legs are short. With Banana Republic’s short pant option, I can find the proper rise, and leg length, without having to have the pants altered. Love that!

I have been wearing my striped, wide leg pants for spring with a tee, and heels, but they can be styled so many other ways. For meetings or the office, they can be paired with a blazer, or crisp shirt. On colder days, they can be paired with a light sweater, and jacket. I’m looking forward to wearing these striped wide legs pants for spring in many different ways throughout the season.

Have you tried the wide leg pants trend? What do you think of the trend?

Lace trench coat and pink for spring

March 22, 2016 in General Fashion tagged casual style / denim / lace / mansur gavriel / outfits / spring 2016 by Bay Area Fashionista

Pictured: Sunglasses: Chanel / Earrings: Kendra Scott / Lipstick: c/o Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Rosa / Blouse: Banana Republic / Lace trench coat: Express (last seen here) / Handbag: Mansur Gavriel / Ring: Kenda Scott / Nail Polish: Chanel Roubachka / Jeans: Gap / Boots: Sam Edelman

This lace trench coat! I originally purchased this lace trench coat for spring at the end of January to wear in New York for fashion week. It has since become the perfect trench coat to wear this spring season!

We took these photos while it was lightly raining outside, you may spot water drops on the camera lens, and this lace trench coat was the perfect weight. The lace is over a lightweight black liner which adds just the right amount of warmth on a mild, unsettled spring day.

The temperatures this month have been hovering in the 50’s and 60’s. This lace trench coat has been the perfect topper to tee shirts, and this long sleeve blouse, during mild weather. Although I would not wear a lace trench coat during heavy rain, it performs fine during light rain, or fog mist. I love it!

I have worn my lace trench coat over skirts, a black dress, and my favorite casual spring outfit; flares and a top! I love how it spices up a pair of basic flare jeans, and a pink blouse. The lace trench coat really makes the outfit; otherwise, it’s just jeans and blouse.

Lace has never been a fabric I have been drawn to. I always used to associate it with pajamas and lingerie; or as an accent on formal wear. When lace became a popular fabric for everything from shoes to coats to dresses a few years ago, I started to take note. This is the first season I have broken out of my comfort zone, and purchased a lace piece of clothing! I am so glad I did!

I am looking forward to wearing this lace trench coat more, and more, during the spring season; and on foggy summer days! What are your thoughts on wearing lace pieces casually this spring?

Outfit details:

Chloe Jodie camera bag review

March 11, 2016 in General Fashion / Handbags tagged casual fashion / casual style / chloe / handbag reviews / reviews / shoulder bags / spring 2016 by Bay Area Fashionista

Chloe Jodie camera bag in navy blue suede for spring 2016

The Chloe Jodie handbag is the ultra cute, and casual, camera style bag first revealed on the spring 2016 Chloe runway. This cute little bag offers style, function, and sassy, casual style. Love it!

Denim, athleisure, and military are all hot casual trends for the spring season. With a trend towards casual attire, comes the need for a trend towards casual handbags. The Chloe Jodie meets that need with it’s camera styling, chain detail, small tassel, and overall look. It is the perfect handbag to grab-and-go on a daily basis.

Although small in stature, the Chloe Jodie is big on style. This handbag offers one main, large interior compartment which has a slim pocket on the back. The exterior offers three pockets; one of which is covered by the flap closure in the front, and two on the sides which have their own flap closures. These pockets are handy for storing small items you may want to grab without fiddling with the main compartment. The bag is very user-friendly!

I purchased the suede Chloe Jodie for spring since I don’t really own a full suede bag. I have a couple of bags with suede on them, but the main body of those bags is smooth leather. The Chloe Jodie is full suede; I love the soft feel, and casual look, this gives the handbag.

The Chloe Jodie looks great with denim, summer shorts, casual skirts, flared pants, wrap dresses, casual mini skirts, casual maxi skirts, and athleisure ensembles. I love how this handbag elevates an otherwise casual, everyday look into something fabulous. It is perfect for turning jeans, a tee shirt, and flip flops into something special. It really is perfect for hot summer days; and weekends in general.

The interior capacity is small. The Chloe Jodie can hold a wallet, lipstick, keys, and iPhone with a little bit of room to spare. I can put my glasses in the bag, as long as they are not in their case. The case will not fit. The front pocket is perfect for receipts, or any folded paper I want to bring with me, or keep. I haven’t used the side pockets, but they seem perfect for holding gum, chapstick, or any small items I do not want getting lost inside the main compartment of the bag. The slim pocket can be used for the iPhone, or for a passport, folded paper etc.

This is a great bag for casual days when I don’t need to carry a lot of things with me. It has become my casual go-to bag!

The strap on the Chloe Jodie offers a split between chain and leather. The leather, or in my case suede, portion of the strap is on top; flanked by a chain strap on the sides. This is really comfortable to wear and the strap stays put on my shoulder without sliding off. Love that!

As far as weight goes, the Chloe Jodie is lightweight when empty, so when I add items into the purse, it is still a comfortable weight, and feels fairly light. It is a lighter bag than the Faye. I would compare it’s weight to the Drew.

The Chloe Jodie is a new handbag style from Chloe for the spring 2016 season. This beautiful, casual handbag is showing longevity, and will be a part of Chloe’s ongoing collection. It is the ideal casual handbag; especially with the move towards casual trends for fall such as altheleisure, moto, western, and the continuing 1970s influence.

I am looking forward to wearing my Chloe Jodie camera bag for many seasons to come! I rate the Chloe Jodie handbag five out of five stars!

You can find the Chloe Jodie online here, here, and here.

Chloe Jodie online:

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