Wardrobe Hack... (pants edition)

The universe really knows how to teach a lesson. I'm a firm believer in the idea that the universe teaches us lessons and if we don't listen it will continue to teach us the lesson a little louder every time until we get it. This particular lesson I think I got on the first try.

So I just wrote a post where I advised planning your holiday outfits ahead of time. Which I sort of did. I had the outfit planned out. But I waited until the last minute to pull out the white pants I planned to wear, only to find that they were dirty. UGH! SO I ran them to the dry cleaner on Wed afternoon so I could pick them up Friday afternoon to wear Friday evening. Perfect timing right?

I guess the universe had something else in mind. Well, I went to pick up my pants on Friday only to be told that they were sent back to the cleaners because the bottom of one of the pant legs was dirty so they would be back on Monday. MONDAY! ugh. So for all my planning, I'm standing in front of my closet at 3:30pm trying to figure out what to wear that evening. And you might think that I have plenty of time to figure it out but really I have 5 minutes before my kids start screaming for me and I have to run downstairs to a crazy household and will only have about 30 minutes when the babysitter shows up to get dressed, put on makeup and fix my hair. It's not enough time. It's never enough time.

So what is a girl to do? I certainly had plenty of other options in my wardrobe but I had my heart set on those pants. You know the feeling. Well, it just happens that I have another pair of off-white pants in my closet. They are an older pair and a couple sizes too big (hence the new pants). Well, I put them on thinking maybe I could figure out a way to make them work. They didn't look too bad. The biggest problem is that the waist is now too big. If I could somehow make the waist smaller and get the pants to stay up the rest of them wouldn't look so bad. So you might wonder how I did this?

This is how:

Yes, safety pins on both sides of my pants. Somehow they managed to hold my pants up without creating a ripple effect on my pant leg. I have to admit that I have had jeans hemmed due to the fact that the waist is too big but they fit everywhere else. My seamstress does this by sewing the sides of my jeans. So long as I'm wearing a top that cover the top of my jeans, I'm good to go. The same is true here. My top was long enough to cover the safety pins. Problem solved!

So if you find yourself in need of a quick fix to adjust a pair of pants that you may have been planning to wear...be creative! Sometimes at the last minute things don't fit the way we hoped... no matter what we do to try and prepare. Keep safely pins handy. Double sided tape can also help to adjust a quick hem. Don't despair. Do your best. Wear what makes you feel strong, confident and happy!

Dressing the "in between"... for the Holidays

It’s that time of year… holiday parties and get togethers require you to pull together a couple cute outfits to wear. When it’s an office Christmas party with a cocktail dress code…  pull out that trusty LBD. But what about the Christmas party with the other parents at your kids’ school? Or the cocktail party that you host for your nearest and dearest friends? It’s those in between occasions that require something nicer than jeans and your favorite Christmas sweater. But that LBD would be overdressed.  It’s the "in between" where I think we struggle most. For guys, it’s pants and a button down or a nice sweater and they are done! If they’re feeling really up to it they might wear a sport coat. For us ladies, there are a lot more options and that’s not always a good thing. Some of us work better with less options. Too many choices and we get overwhelmed… right?

So first things first: Since we do have some options here, it means that instead of having to rush out and buy something, you probably have something already in your wardrobe that will work. Dress pants? A skirt? A shirt/shift/sweater dress? Any of these options could work… and most likely you have one of them in your closet.

Need inspiration? Here’s an idea!

I love winter white... off-white, ivory, whatever you call it, I love it. Now I realize this color may not work with everyone's complexion. If you feel it's not for you, maybe try it on the bottom instead of the top. For those looking for an alternative to white, you can try this with navy bottoms. Wear a color on top that compliment s your skin tone, add a pop of color and you’re off and running!

In this case, I used my coat as my pop of color. However any accessory can be used to add a great pop... shoes, a bag or a piece of jewelry.

If you're interested in these pieces the top and bottoms are available for purchase: (1) J.Crew Margot Top (2) Ann Taylor Devin Flannel Trousers

The open toe pumps are Cole Haan and the coat is Banana Republic (both are older pieces that I have had for years). Alternative Options that are available now:  Banana Republic Melton Wool Classic Peacoat & Jessica Simpson Josette Pumps in Nude

Photography credit for this post: Beth O'Brien Photography