The third piece of clothing I am going to talk about today is a piece that some women just skip right over when building their wardrobes from scratch.  I know that I don't have too much variety of this one piece, but I am working on trying to find the right style for my body type. 

I have a love/hate relationship with skirts.  I love my maxi skirts!  I love pencil skirts, but fear I am too short for them.  I do not like super-short skirts as the backs of my thighs have seen better days and I really don't want to torture anyone else with that.  I also have a thing for leopard print and polka dot print skirts, so you have been warned before you go and check out the Pinterest board. 

I will be the first to admit that I do not actively seek out different types of skirts to wear other than maxi skirts.  It's a comfort thing.  I like how I can style maxi's and they work well with my body.  The great thing about today's wardrobe staple is that it isn't the kind of skirts you have in your closet, it's the color and the print.

Here's what you should have in your closet in the way of skirts: 

• 1 neutral colored skirt
• 1 solid colored skirt in another neutral or a secondary color
• 1-2 printed skirts 

That's not too hard is it?  

Find what types of skirts work best for you and then make sure you have the color and prints covered and you will be good to go in the skirt department of your wardrobe! 

Neutral Colored Skirt

Much like pants and tops, you need to have a neutral colored skirt (or two) in your wardrobe.  Remember that neutral colors are black, white, grey, and tan respectively.  Length is up to you, but I always say to make sure you are comfortable in what you are wearing.  Here's a fun way to style a black skirt: 

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Solid Colored Skirt in Neutral OR Secondary Color

The choice you make here really depends on what your life is like.  Work all day in a business setting?  You may want to grab another neutral colored skirt.  If your work place is open to color, then find a skirt in your fave color and rock it.  Don't work but run around with the kiddos all day?  Get what you want! 

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Patterned Skirts

There are so many patterns out right now to choose from that you are bound to find something you love and that looks good on you.  Go with what speaks to you.  I love polka dots, but they have to be small to medium sized dots.  I am not fond of the ginormous ones.  They do nothing for me.  I also like small floral prints, leopard print (duh), and skinny diagonal stripes like the skirt I bought here.

source And that is the skinny on skirts!  Start small at first and then build up to those bolder prints and colors.  As you have seen here today (and as you will see on the Pinterest board) there are many ways to style skirts. They are a great piece to have in your wardrobe and they come in an array of colors and prints, so you can't really go wrong with them.  Check out some of the other styles on our Pinterest board below and tell me your thoughts on skirts in the comments!

This post is linked up at:

Here I am-finally getting around to writing this next wardrobe staples post on pants.  A couple of weeks ago we talked about tops and, I must say, you all responded to it much better than I had anticipated, so, thank you!  Keep sharing and spreading the word!  It's working, ya'll!

So, anyway...pants.  Despite the summer-like temps here lately in the Midwest, I am still going to talk about them because they are a necessity.  I know-you are probably like, "How hard is it to buy pants?  You just get them."  Oh no, my loves.  You do not just go get a pair of pants....you get a wardrobe staple.

Let me break this down for you: 

Pants

• Jeans in a medium to dark wash
• One pair of neutral colored pants (black, tan, grey, etc.)
• Either another pair of neutral colored pants OR a pair of pants in a secondary color

Jeans

Gotta have at least a pair of jeans in your wardrobe.  I prefer dark jeans simply because I think they make me look thinner and more seems to go with them color wise.  There are a plethora (ha-see what I did there?) of ways to wear dark jeans, but my fave way to style them is like this: 

This will take you to the pin.

Neutral Colored Pants

I like to refer to these as "interview pants."  Back in the day, I had about five or six pairs of these.  In black.  Different styles, mind you, but all the same color.  Try to break it up a bit.  If you already have black, pick you up a grey pair or a tan pair.  It doesn't hurt.  You would be surprised what you can do with grey and tan pants. 

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Pair of Neutral or Secondary Colored Pants

This is where you can get a little expressive with yourself if you would like.  Try on some colored bottoms.  I love the maroon, teal, and plum skinny jeans I see all the time.  However, I am not running to try on skinny jeans, so, I opt for leggings.  Comfy, stylish, and cute?  I'm in!

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I took the time to load up our Pinterest board with some style ideas for you to get the creative juices flowing like I did the last time.  You will see that at the end of the post.

I also wanted to take a moment to kind of apologize for my hiatus last week.  The weather was so great last week that I felt compelled to enjoy the sunshine.  I spent most of the time playing with L, reading, and working on the yard.  It was great!  Did I miss blogging?  Yes, but, I needed the break.  It was nice to recharge, but hopefully now I will be back to my regularly scheduled blogging program.






This post is linked up at:

Tops.  Ah yes, tops.  Of course they are a staple, right?  We gotta have 'em to keep the girls covered.  Tops are great, but do you know what kind of tops you should have in your wardrobe?  No?  Good. Then you won't be bored reading this post. :)

I used to just buy tops.  Whatever I liked and fit, I bought it.  So, I usually wound up with a bunch of tops I could only wear for one particular occasion.  That's never good because then you say, "I have nothing to wear!" and you end up buying a new outfit that is suitable for the occasion that you never wear again.  

When you shop, be mindful of what you are looking at and what other occasions you can wear the particular piece to.  That is the biggest rule I have when I shop now.  Always ask yourself where else you can wear it to or what else in your closet will it work with.  You save money that way and you save yourself some tears, trust me.

To tame ourselves, I discovered six different tops that you should have in your wardrobe before you go top crazy again:

• Basic white tee
• 1-2 neutral colored tops
• 2-4 solid colored tops in colors that look good on YOU
• 2-4 patterned tops in patterns YOU love
• Chambray shirt
• White button down

I will briefly explain each piece, and at the end of the post, you can go check out the How to Style Wardrobe Staples board on Pinterest I created just for this series so you can see how to style things and get the creative juices flowing.

BASIC WHITE TEE (BWT)

Find you a nice, white, basic tee that you can pair with a denim jacket, a blazer, or a cardigan. BWTs look great with jeans, skirts, and sometimes, you can even throw them over dresses. You can even add scarves and statement necklaces for fun touch. The sky is the limit with BWTs. Go get you one! Now!

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NEUTRAL TOPS

For starters, when I talk about neutrals, I'm talking about the colors black, grey, white, and shades of brown running from dark brown to beige. You need one or two of these in your wardrobe. I usually buy black, white, and grey tees and tanks. Neutral tops are good for layering or they can be worn alone with some fun accessories.

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SOLID COLORED TOPS 

Solid colored tops are great for adding some color to an outfit.  Got a black pants suit?  Dress that baby up with a blue or purple top!  Or yellow!  Or red!  Got a patterned skirt?  Throw some color on top! Whatever suits your fancy, dress those boring 'ole outfits up with some color!  You want 2-4 solid colored tops that YOU feel good in.  Confidence is a big key in fashion.  You have to feel confident in what you are wearing and, only then, can you rock any outfit you choose. 

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How many ladies can say they are confidant in their wardrobe staples?  Do you have all the basics covered or are you like me and are severely lacking in that department?  Or maybe you just read those last two sentences and thought,"What are wardrobe staples?  Basics?  Like underwear??"

No, no, I'm not talking about your bikini briefs-I'm talking about the basic pieces that every woman should have in her wardrobe that can be paired with almost anything in your closet to create outfits. I know, I didn't know about all of this hubbub either until I started doing some research on Pinterest.  Lo and behold there is a whole world out there for wardrobe staples!  The things we learn on Pinterest.....

Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to be showing you what you should have in your closet as the foundation for your wardrobe.  Notice how I just got all crazy with the text edits on 'foundation', yea, there's a reason for that.  These wardrobe staples are what you build outfits from.  I like to look at staples as starter pieces when building an outfit.  Once you have these pieces in your closet, getting dressed will become a whole lot easier.

There are six sections I will be covering:

• Tops
• Pants
• Skirts
• Dresses
• Completer Pieces 
• Accessories (shoes, belts, bags, etc.) 

choice 1 || choice 2 (more colors available) || choice 3 And here's how I found some of them styled via Pinterest

As most of you know, our road trip to Arkansas was for a wedding, so that meant I had to style myself and L in clothes that would be comfortable, nice, and offer warmth since it is still chilly here in the Midwest.

L's was easy-leggings and a tunic from Target.  I also found these shoes for her to wear.  She will be able to wear the outfit and the shoes well into early summer so I did good there.

 As for me, I started planning my outfit back in March when I snatched up those maxi skirts from Target.  I wanted to be comfortable, yet still look nice for a wedding that was a laid-back affair.  I spent some time browsing Pinterest and decided that a banded top and a cardigan would work for what I was going for and I came up with this:

Please excuse basically everything about this photo. Just concentrate on the outfit, not it's surroundings. Ha! Top: JCPenney Cardigan: Target Maxi Skirt: Target Flip Flops (not seen): Old Navy This post is linked up with the ladies over at the Trend Spin link up.

Alright, so we've talked about denim jackets, striped dresses, and harem pants. That leaves just two items left in this series: the classic white jacket/blazer and the (weirdly) named flippy skirt.  Because I am in the market for a couple of blazers, I thought that I could just combine all my browsing into useful information to share with all of you.

So, we know that black blazers were all the rage in the fall/winter.  Well, now you need a white one to go with that black one.  Here's what I have found lately:

h&m || forever 21 || target  I am leaning more towards the Forever 21 blazer.  I like the cut because it will still look okay on my short-torso'd body and I've always been a fan of two-button blazers.  I also like the faux pockets.  I think that adds a bit of character to a plain piece such as this. I always like to go to Pinterest and hunt down style ideas on the pieces I talk about.  It is easier for me to see how something is styled and then put my own spin on it, than to just think of something from scratch.  Very rarely do I come up with an outfit off the top of my head.  I'm usually always inspired by something I have seen and then I take it and run with it.  I believe that is the beauty in finding our own style: to be so inspired by something that we wish to recreate it in a way that suits ourselves as an individual.  Okay, so, you know I'm going to show you what I've been pinning, right? Browse my board and get I N S P I R E D! This wraps up my posts for the week since I will be out of town for a wedding!  Please be sure to follow me on Instagram (@lifenleopard) to see a sneak peak of what I wore to the wedding, how we entertained ourselves, and how well L fairs on a six hour road trip.   Then, come back here Monday to hear ALL about it! Have a great rest of the week and a fabulous weekend!

Target got all of my money in March, I can't even lie.  I bought all you see here in the first two weeks of March.  The last two weeks, I didn't buy anything.  I was too sick (and then, the kiddo) to even care about my wardrobe for the last two weeks. I am hoping April is better and I can really start getting my wardrobe amped up for Spring and Summer.

I am finally getting around to writing this post!  This week has been horrible!  It started out with me having a sore throat on Sunday morning and progressively getting worse until Wednesday morning when I could breathe through my nose again.  Then, L got sick.  She woke up Wednesday morning with that horrible barking cough that usually means croup.  This time, though, it's an upper respiratory infection.  She seems to be on the mend and now The Hubbs is feeling puny!  Lord help this mama!

So, anyway, here I am to write this post for you all and then I will go back to swigging Robitussin every four hours for this horrendous cough and spraying Lysol over every surface of my house.  The cat's are going to be pissed.

Today's key piece is something that you probably won't see me in.  I'm just not one for pants unless they are wide-legged, black, dress pants.  Seriously.  I call those my "teacher pants."  Express used to make an Editor pant (anyone else remember that?) that I just adored.  I wore them all the time when I taught.  They were so comfortable.  Anyway, I digress...(It's the Robitussin...)

The key piece that InStyle says is one to have in your closet for Spring is the Harem Pant.  Yes, yes....the Harem. Pant.

choice 1 || choice 2

They don't look bad, I just don't think they would do much for me and my curves. The tapered legs turn me off big time.  However, as I was searching around for harem pants, I did find that they can be styled casually, dressed up for work, and dressed up more for evening.  So, they are a pretty versatile pant and would be a great closet staple, if you can pull them off.

I took the liberty of pinning several ideas to my Fashion: Style Ideas board on Pinterest for you guys to look through.  You will find a lot of stuff on there!  If you like what you see, well then just, follow me! :)








That's all for today!  If you haven't liked the new Facebook page yet, you need to do that now!  The widget on the right hand side of the blog has been updated or you can just click here and then click "LIKE"!  Thanks guys!  Have a great weekend and see you next week!  Oh, and remember!  If you like what you see, please share it with your friends!  Share, tweet, and pin to your hearts content! :)

Last week I started this short series in hopes to give my readers a more budget-friendly approach to looking stylish.  I know how I feel when I see something I like in a magazine, only to be completely disappointed by the price tag.  I have always searched out budget pieces, but to those who may have to cut back a little bit or are starting over again wardrobe wise (like me)-this is definitely a series that is for you.