Sensibly Styled » Banana Republic

Color Wednesday: Turquoise

Emily — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:08:11 +0000

I think that turquoise is one of those great colors that is so likable that it’s hard to overdose on turquoise. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t like turquoise? What’s not to like? It’s cheerful and bright, it’s just perfect for summer, and I bet it’s a color that flatters just about everyone.

I’m a little obsessed with the belt and necklaces here, as well as that floral tee. I don’t know how those gathered sleeves would look on me, but I think I’m going to give it a shot. It reminds me (in a good way) of a top I would have worn in the fourth grade. Sometimes this 80’s trend happening right now can get a little ugly, like a redo of the worst the 80’s had to offer. But I can appreciate some of the good that the 80’s brought us, namely a bright floral print. Remember bodysuits? I can distinctly remember wearing floral bodysuits with ruffled skirts in elementary school.

How about you? Are you on board with the 80’s? And am I guessing correctly, is turquoise a universally loved color?

striped tee, cardigan, beaded belt, ring, necklace, shirt, swimsuit, floral tee, swim wrap, skirt, necklace, tankini top, bikini bottom, swimsuit, earrings, skirt

Color Wednesday: Bright White

Emily — Wed, 12 May 2010 12:33:22 +0000

As the weather gets warmer, nothing seems more breezy than bright white. I love white in the summertime, and it’s a great neutral to pair with gold, floral prints, nautical stripes…anything, really! I love the Shabby Apple dress in the top right and think it would make such a great bridesmaid dress. I’ve seen (although not very often) weddings where the bride has her bridesmaids in white, too, and I think it’s just beautiful. Imagine a summer wedding with the bride in a beautiful white dress and her bridesmaids in sweet white dresses…it would be so lovely. Quick! Is anyone getting married soon? Take this idea and run with it! Oh, and don’t forget Emersonmade flowers, the men could all have a small white bloom on their black tuxedos. Now that would look great. Seriously, I need to plan weddings for a living. I could dream this stuff up all day.

cardigan, blouse (plus-size), blazer, necklace, dress, trousers, short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, dress, blazer (plus-size)

Color Wednesday: Spring Greens

Emily — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:20:00 +0000

I’ve had my eye on that cute short-sleeve jacket from Shade Clothing (bottom left) for a little while now, so a light spring green color came to mind this week. I’m definitely feeling the freshness of green lately. Oh, by the way, you know that these Color Wednesday boards are just a big round-up of lovely things all in the same color, right? I was thinking about it this morning and wouldn’t want someone to think I’m implying that green chino trousers would look great with a striped green cardigan, green earrings, and green espadrille wedges. Yikes, that’s a lot of green! These are just fun options to consider adding to your wardrobe to liven it up with some color, but color when it’s all matchy-matchy looks kind of silly, no? What do you think?

striped cardigan, button down shirt, floral skirt, cardigan, earrings, v-neck tee, dress, skirt, slingback flats, pants, knit dress, lightweight jacket, slingback wedges, espadrille wedges

Color Wednesday: Coral

Emily — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:43:24 +0000

I love coral, although I usually refer to it as “salmon pink” because my husband has a rad thrift store shirt that is very clearly pink but he calls it salmon. Anyway, this is a great spring color. I love it paired with gray, tiffany blue, or with red in a monochromatic look. I’m a little obsessed with that wrap cardigan at the bottom, and I’m A LOT obsessed with Emersonmade’s crazy awesome flowers. Maybe the perfect Mother’s Day gift? What’s your favorite?

swimsuit, maternity dress, wrap dress, scoop-neck dress, thong sandals, wedge sandals, cardigan wrap, sunglasses, scarf, espadrilles, swimsuit, wrap cardigan, boyfriend cardigan, necklace, printed heels, blazer, ruffled jacket, flats, flower pin

Color Wednesday: Navy

Emily — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:00:46 +0000

For most of my life I hated the color navy. I thought it was just about the most boring, nondescript color ever. Lately, however, I’ve been warming up to the idea and find myself drawn to navy clothes quite often. It’s a perfect neutral, and pairs itself so well with tons of great colors.
Want to add more color to your wardrobe? Use navy as a neutral base and then add pops of color. Ballerina pink and bubble gum pink look great with navy, as do lime, a soft tangerine or salmon color, and golden yellow. For example, look at the pretty tank with the floral collar. The coral rose just pops right out at you and then later you notice the navy top. I like that.

Navy is also a great color to use when you’re sick of wearing black, but want the chicness of black. That navy pump is a perfect replacement for all the times when you’d probably wear your good ol’ black pumps, but want something just a little more interesting.

clockwise from top left:
loose cardigan, necklace, dress, sweatshirt, yoga pants, blouse, scarf, belt, swimsuit, silk pullover, pumps, shawl cardigan, floral tank

Banana Republic ‘Black Wrap Dress’

Natalie — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:24:47 +0000

This dress is dreamy…

At Banana Republic for $120.00 (yikes)

Great Spring Look!

Natalie — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:03:43 +0000

My friend Jessica just sent me the links to the clothes in this outfit! And I LOVE them! Jessica should really be the one running this blog because she seriously dresses super cute all the time. Me on the other hand… I’m all talk Thanks for the outfit Jess! (She sent me more outfits that you will be seeing throughout this week and next)

Gathered Cowl Dress at Banana Republic for $98.00 (coupon code to get 25% off BRSAVE25 – ends today!)

Cropped Cardigan at Old Navy for $19.50

Rumer peep-toe high heel huarache at Banana Republic for $120.00

Summer’s Thanksgiving Outfit

Natalie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:31:42 +0000

Summer from Eliza Magazine’s Thanksgiving outfit! (Isn’t it SO cute!) Thanks Summer!

I never pass up an excuse to wear a dress. For Thanksgiving I want something that looks festive, but also a fabric that is comfortable and giving (I love those mashed potatoes). This Spiced Cider Dress (modcloth) is the perfect combo. I would pair this golden hued dress with a complimentary jewel toned tight in blueberry, chocolate or purple. Running around in the kitchen, flats are the only choice, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be dazzling. Check out Banana Republic’s Nora bejeweled flat (bananarepublic). To top off the outfit I would accessories with gold’s, like these stunning Guilt earrings (twisted-silver). Here are a few more things to be thankful for.

Mandy V’s Wish list:

Natalie — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:11:06 +0000

Our reader Mandy had this posted on her blog. So I asked if we could post it! So here are some fun finds from Mandy!

Cuffed Cardigan at Gap for $44.50

Women’s Classic-Rise Boot-Cut Cords at Old Navy on sale for $20.00

Fitted non-iron shirt at Banana Republic on sale for $34.99

Braided corsage t-shirt at Gap for $29.50

Regine Cardigan at Anthropologie for $198.00 (although I have to admit that the one I am eyeing now is the ”gentle current” cardigan, so lovely.)

Speckled blouse in plum at Anthropologie for $98.00

Joe’s Jeans ‘The Muse’ High Waist Bootcut Stretch Jeans (Ashley) at Nordstrom for $178.00 (my friend has these and she looks FABULOUS in them…they are my motivation to lose the baby weight…hence the hefty price tag)

Lorraine DressLorraine dress in blue at Delias for $44.50

Alyssa Shirt DressAlyssa dress in brown at Delias for $44.50

Back To School, Teacher Style

Natalie — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:09:47 +0000

Hi there-
I love your ensembles and am looking for “Back to School” attire for ME as I am a teacher. I teach 10 year olds, so I don’t need crawl-on-the-floor friendly pieces. I find a lot of appropriate dresses and skirts, but have a hard time completing my looks with pants. I can wear denim trousers or jeans once a week, but need some cute alternatives. Also, comfy but fashionable shoes are a must. I’m on my feet all day. I don’t want to look like a “teacher” or like a college kid. I just want to look fabulous-please help!

Natalie’s Outfit (for Natalie…):

Alright Natalie, I have a lot of stuff for you here! All of the tanks are meant to go under the cardigans below. I wanted to put a white tank on there… but it wouldn’t show up so that is where the peach tank comes in. (Imagine it white) I love mixing cardigans with tanks because it allows you to use more colors. Also I love when shoes can add a pop of color to your outfit. Those red shoes are awesome and would look good with ANY of those cardigans. I am also showing you three pairs of slacks. None of which are jeans (obviously) but I think throwing a nice pair of slacks into the mix is nice too. However, any of these tops will pair great with trouser jeans.

Stretch Wool Bootcut Pants at Calvin Klein on sale for $49.00

Wide Waistband Pants at Calvin Klein on sale for $34.00

Classiques Entier® ‘Phantom Mélange’ Pants at Nordstrom on sale for $99.90

Classiques Entier® ‘Bella Lana’ Open Front Cardigan at Nordstrom on sale for $89.90

Susina® Raised Seam Cardigan (Juniors) at Nordstrom on sale for $28.90

Plenty by Tracy Reese Appliqué Cardigan at Nordstrom for $174.00

Toni Crochet Yoke Tank at Delias on sale for $22.50

Scattered Petals Tank at JCrew for $88.00

Textured Ruffle Blouse from Charlotte Russe now on sale for $8.99!

Tama from Steve Madden for $69.95

Me Too ‘Limit’ Ruffle Ballet Flat at Nordstrom on sale for $59.90

Jessica Simpson ‘Edison’ Flat at Nordstrom for $68.95

Emily’s outfits for Natalie:

Hi Natalie! I’ve worked as a reading teacher at an elementary school before, so I know a little bit about how it is to wake up and have about 30 minutes to get yourself pulled together for a day on your feet. Comfort is KEY! My best advice is to buy the most comfortable slacks you can find (which for me are usually wide leg trousers), easy tops that you won’t have to fuss with, simple skirts, and comfortable dresses. I would keep your clothes in simple colors so you can mix and match tops with your skirts and slacks, but use accessories to liven up your outfits. Jewelry at Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe is so inexpensive and right on trend. And, of course, a belt and/or a scarf is always a simple way to add interest and style. Lastly, the shoes that I picked for you are both Born shoes. I bought my first pair of red Born Mary-Jane flats in 2002 and then just replaced them with a new pair a few months ago. I’d say seven years of wearing them everywhere is getting my money’s worth! They are so comfortable and you’ll find yourself wearing them all the time. I wear my red flats with everything! And I would definitely invest in the boots for the days when you want to wear a skirt but you don’t want to shave your legs. For that purpose alone, I’d say they’re worth it. Have a great school year! clockwise from top left:

Khakis, Old Navy, $12.99-19.00 (a simple pair of slacks in tons of fun colors)

Trousers, Anthropologie, $118.00 (click the link to see the back of these super-cute trousers. I love them!)

Pencil Skirt, Banana Republic, $59.50

Denim Pencil Skirt, Gap, $54.50

Red Dress, Shabby Apple, $62.00

Gray Jersey Dress, Old Navy, $24.50

Faux-Wrap Dress, Shabby Apple, $55.00

Pintuck Collared Dress, Shabby Apple, $78.00

Patterned Scarf, Fossil, $17.99

Fashion Belts (in red or gold), Old Navy, $14.50

Chiffon Blouse, Forever 21, $11.50

Ruffled Top, Forever 21, $17.80

Red Mary-Janes, Zappos, $98.95

Black Boots, Born, $170.00

Ashley’s Outfit:

Everything on here can be mixed and matched! The tops can be worn alone or with the belt, or better yet with the cardigan and the belt! The Chandelier earrings and ring will coordinate well with everything. Chandelier earrings are great because they instantly dress up any outfit, and they add a lot of style! Have fun shopping!!!

Love, Ashley
Banded Cardigan at Mod Bod for $38.95.

Pencil Skirt at Mod Bod for $44.95.

Colored Denim Pencil Skirt at Gap for $54.50.

215 Martin Classic Grey Trouser Pant at Banana Republic for $98.00.

Dahlia Floral Chiffon Top at Forever 21 for $17.80.

Solid Ruffle Top on sale at Aeropostale for $19.99.

AK Ann Klein Flats on sale at Piperlime for $69.99.

BCBGIRLS Flats at Piperlime for $79.00

Stud Quad Braid Wide Belt at Forever 21 for $8.80.

Wrapped Faux Pearl Ring at Forever 21 for $4.80.

Filigree Chandelier Earrings at Charlotte Russe for $4.00. (Free Shipping!)