Hooks the Look

Would You, Could You? Sequins, A Utility Jacket, And Pops Of Red

Did I catch you off guard with this sequin/utility/red ensemble? Have you ever seen an outfit and asked yourself “would I ever wear that?” and then thought “how could I put that look together?”  Fashion inspirations can come from expected sources like a magazine, a store display, or social media. They can also be found in unexpected places like a sunset, or desert landscape, or a plate of food.  Sometimes it might just be the heap of cast-offs in your closet.

True confession, I’m not clever enough to have put this look together on my own. Further on down I’ll tell you about the source of my inspiration. You will see though, that I’ve put my own spin on it. Best of all, this outfit came together with pieces I already had in my closet and have shared in previous posts.

I’ll start with my sequin skirt. She usually pops up closer to the holiday season which you can see in Sequins: One Skirt, Three Looks, Ivory And Bronze: Color My World, and Embellished Booties: Floral Trends. The skirt was a surprise find about four years ago at Target of all places. The color of the sequins is bronze and the fabric behind them is gray.

This beauty is probably going with me to FierceCon LA 2019 next month. Are you a woman at mid-life or beyond who’s looking for an opportunity to explore new friendships, ideas, and/or collaborations? Want to learn more about yourself and what you are capable of creating? If you’ve answered yes to either or both of these questions, I encourage you to click on the FierceCon LA 2019 link above to get all of the details on this worthwhile event.

Back to the outfit. The boots were also a surprise find (sort of) at Target about a year ago. I’d seen them on a previous visit but on this fine day, they literally greeted me as I walked into the store.  Sitting on top of the display rack in front of me, they grabbed my attention and would not let go. So after a quick check for the correct size, into the shopping cart they went.  I’ve even worn them to work once or twice.  My cross-body purse was a thrift store find ($3?).  There is no label or logo identifying the brand but it appears to be leather and is in really good condition.  It’s the perfect size for the essentials; my wallet, smartphone, lip gloss, keys, and sunglasses. My utility jacket made an appearance in a post back in January 2017 (pre-gray days).

My inspiration for this sequin/utility/red combination was none other than the Old Fashion Guru herself. If you’re not following her on Instagram, you simply must correct that oversight RIGHT NOW! Go ahead, I’ll wait.

The caption in her post reads “I didn’t want to think about the F word, but shopping in St Tropez yesterday made me realize that straw bags and anklets are giving way to sparkle, military green and red for fall! Are you ready???”

When her post came through in my feed, my thoughts in this order were:

Heck ya I’m ready for Fall
Hmm, I’ve got a skirt like that
and I have a similar jacket
red boots, yes to that too.
I NEED to do a post on this.

As I’ve already said, I took a couple of liberties with this inspiration.  First with my description of the look and then in my styling of it. Sparkle and military green, sequins and utility jacket … tomato/potato. LOL My skirt and jacket are nearly the same as in the photo and my cross-body purse is red but the boots are noticeably different. My wardrobe is lacking in the red cowboy boot department … whatev, I’m working on it.  Besides that detail, I rather like how it turned out. Please excuse me a moment, I simply must fluff my hair.

Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link up for this week. My featured blogger from last week’s link-up is Jennifer from Effortlessly Sophisticated. She is an advocate for avoiding fast fashion and in her post, Jennifer explains why she no longer buys polyester. I totally agree that natural fibers and materials are better choices for style and comfort.

We can be inspired in many of the things we do. I acknowledge that “would you, could you” is not a unique blogging concept and a whole host of other bloggers have their own versions. In my posts, I will not only share the inspiration but also how I’ve used it to create my own interpretation.  When have you been inspired and how have you used that inspiration to create a version that reflects your tastes and personality?

Let’s connect! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, love, pin … all options are available and waiting for you. I look forward to hearing from you. And don’t forget to add a post or two to the link-up.

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17 Comments

  1. Marilee Judith Gramith

    Those last couple of shots are a TREASURE!!

  2. shelbeeontheedge1

    Rena, this is a brilliant combination even if you don’t come up with it on your own…it totally has your own spin on it! I love the contrast of sequins with military elements Very, very cool!

    Shelbee
    http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com

    • Rena Post Author

      Thank you, Shelbee. I’m so glad that you like my spin on this combination.

  3. Jodie

    Gosh I love this SO much. I don’t know how, but I’m going to recreate this too. Can’t wait to see you at FierceCon.
    XOXO
    Jodie

    • Rena Post Author

      Jodie, I’m looking forward to seeing your recreation of this combination and to seeing you at FierceCon.

    • Rena Post Author

      Thank you, Grace. I had hoped to convey a little bit of whimsy in the photos.

  8. jess jannenga

    Hi Rena!
    Hope you are doing well. I wish I would have seen those booties a year ago! I love the pointed toe, sock boots style and the heel seems reasonable! They look great with the olive/brown ensemble. I also love that you found inspo and decided to recreate a look- the sequined skirt is unexpected but so stylish with the military jacket. Looks great!
    thanks for linking!
    jess xx
    http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com

    • Rena Post Author

      Jess, I am well and I hope you are, too. My red booties get worn only occasionally but they really make a statement when they are.