This week we have something new on Ways to Wear, I’m showing one of my awesome readers a few Ways to Wear a dress she recently bought.  Chandra, of ChanDeereGreen, has mentioned that bold prints aren’t normally a fashion choice she wears, so she went out on a limb when she bought this dress.  I know that bold prints can be really hard to remix, so I asked if she would like some styling points in a Ways to Wear post and she was more than happy to see how I would style it for different seasons and occasions.

Summer Work Remix by rochelleapproved featuring fringed shawls

Here area 4 ways to wear this dress for work.  I’ve shown one way to style it per season.  For summer a lightweight scarf (pick a color from one of the hues of the print) and nude heels (or flats) create just enough of a professional look for warm summer months.  Throw on a few silvery pieces of jewelry to complete the look.

Autumn Work Remix by rochelleapproved featuring print dresses

Autumn is the perfect time of year for warm brown tones, like these heeled oxfords and the belt.  Try a navy cardigan (with the belt over it) to pull this bright print into the colder months.  Gold jewelry keep the look warm and perfect for fall.

Winter Work Remix by rochelleapproved featuring high heel boots

A tall pair of boots and a structured blazer ground this dress for the chilliest time of year.  Choose a scarf color from the darker hues in the dress to keep the look winter appropriate.  A slim watch is all that is really needed to complete the look.

 
Spring Work Remix by rochelleapproved featuring leather flats

Once again working with the tones in the dress find a bright spring colored cardigan, and pair it with berry colored ballet flats.  To keep the look from being too sweet add some black accessories.

Public Speaking Event by rochelleapproved featuring wide belts

Bold printed dresses can be really hard to remix, as they are a more memorable look than solids.  However, wearing different pieces over them can help with remixing.  A berry colored button up tucked under and belted with a bold obi belt at the waist will create a whole new look.  Yellow wedges and bangles will wrap the whole look together into a pulled together, and completely different outfit.

Wedding or Ladies Event Remix by rochelleapproved featuring print dresses

Neutrals are awesome, but sometimes it is fun to throw a color into the mix that isn’t in the original print.  The green belt and sandals work with the summery colors and pattern of the dress and the green pulls out the periwinkle tones in the dress.  To keep from overdosing on color and patterns a neutral cardigan and jewelry are advised.

Casual Remix by rochelleapproved featuring a fedora hat

Last, but not least I wanted to include a casual remix for this dress.  Pretty dresses shouldn’t be used only for the fancier occations in life.  Jean jackets instantly add a casual vibe and flat brown sandals are easy to walk in, but look a lot nicer than flip flops.  Add a fedora (or any other straw hat) to complete the look (bonus points for the flower on it!)

Now I want to know, have you been struggling with a piece of clothing that you would like me to style?  And, of course, which of these ways to wear is your favorite?

outfit details: worn for small group on
neccklace: forever 21
sweater: liz claiborne, thrifted
bracelet: camera strap, altered
shorts: target, gifted
sandals: walmart

I’m back!  Thank you so much for sticking with me while I took a much needed blogging break.  Taking a break helped me not feel so pressured to post as many times per week.  This blog is for fun, and that many posts was just too stressful.  Thanks to feeling less pressure, there will be a few things that are going to change around here, and the biggest change is that Ways to Wear will be the only weekly feature.  Something Old, Something New will still be here, but every other week instead of weekly.  I highly doubt that I will be able to keep my opinion to myself, so I’ll review products in posts when I find ones that I really like.  

This sweater was another random thrift store find.  I look at pieces like this sweater as challenges.  It isn’t exactly my typical kind of sweater, and in fact took me a little while to figure out how to style it so that it didn’t look too preppy.  A little black did the trick to tone down the sweater and create a look that is actually my style.

One project I’ve been working on while taking a break from this blog is starting another blog.  My new blog is a photography blog, where I’m finally sharing some of the photographs I have taken over the years. If you would like to check it out it is http://srochellephoto.wordpress.com/.
Let me know what you think of how I styled my preppy sweater!

Hey everyone, I’m going to be taking a break from blogging for at least the next week.  I am working on getting over a virus and just need a break from it.  When I come back which feature would you like more to see continued?  Rochelle Reviews, Ways to Wear or Something New, Something Old?  Let me know and have a great week and Happy 4th of July!

outfit details: worn for running errands on June 9, 2011.
earrings: forever 21 (they are owls too!)
tank: weaver’s girl via consignment
cuff: ??? via pike place market
jeans: guess via anna banana’s
sandals: payless

This little owl statue is probably my favorite thing we have bought in Okinawan, to date.  We were wandering around a flea market out in town and a man was selling a few owls, but most of them were mainly made with white shells.  The second I saw the little black owl I knew he would be coming home with us!  I adore how unique it is, and even though we lived near the beach in North Carolina I have never seen an owl statue made of shells before.  (I may or may not have hugged it the rest of the time we were wandering around the flea market, for protection of course!)

This outfit elicited one of the most interesting responses I have ever gotten.  I was at a hardware store on base and the clerk asked how long I had been on island.  I responded that we’d been here for a month and a half and he looked a little puzzled.  Then he motioned to me and said that the UV rays have been pretty intense lately, and I was quite pale.  Yep, that’s me… I’m the glowingly pale one, even after we’ve been having “intense UV rays”.  At least I know my sunscreen is working very well!

James and I have been looking into trying more vegetarian dishes as it is incredibly warm and muggy.  I am fine with just warming up a bowl of mixed veggies and calling it a meal, but James prefers for it to at least resemble a main dish.  So if you have a favorite vegetarian dish let me know!  (And let me know what you think of my little owl statue!)