Casual Friday

Easy, breezy, beautiful (do I have to designate rights to that?)

Simple and straightforward as this is, in my opinion, some people can't seem to pull it off. Take every single person on What Not To Wear for example.........The palette is all neutral, which looks good on everyone I think (even the pale), but stands out by its cohesiveness rather than bright color or pattern (I haven't abandoned color or patterns, don't get the wrong idea here).

So people, people, people, please take a lesson from Stacy and Clinton and experience things that "go" but not "match." The tricky part about this, i.e. an all neutral palette, is that you need to break up the monotony and pump up the visual interest by 1) choosing neutrals that differ by shade so that each color stands out and 2) varying the texture of the items you're wearing. Everything from the tank to the shoes are varying shades of brown, from the light, sandy tone of the bag to the faded, smoky chocolate of the jacket, and everything has a different texture: smooth, leather pumps--woven belt--quilted bag--soft, wavy cotton tank. The crisp, tailored jacket keeps it smart and fresh. Jeans are a staple, they're like pajamas here in Texas, we wear them at all times....That is one of the few stereotypes about Texans I will support. TTFN

Tank: Ruched Neck Slub Sleeveless Top (barely brown), NYandCompany.com, 24.95

Jacket: Thrill Seeker Jacket, Modcloth.com, 59.99

Jeans: Calvin Klein Jeans, Ultimate Bootcut Jeans, Cobalt Wash, Macys.com, 40.99

Bag: Big Buddha London, Piperlime.com, 95

Belt: Braided Bold Buckle Belt, NYandCompany.com, 17.46 

Heels: Lyons pump, BananaRepublic.Gap.com, 120

Necklace: Love birds on Branch, Necklace, Golden, Etsy.com, 21