How to Wear and Mix Plaids

Plaid is everywhere this season.  Flannel shirts were very popular last season, but this season plaids have escalated to the top for the most popular print.  Don't believe me?  Take a trip to your local mall:  you will see every store inundated with plaids!  Plaid shirts, plaid dresses, plaid pants, plaid ponchos, plaid, plaid, plaid.

I spent a few hours at my local mall last week trying on various plaid items.  Like everyone else, I've fallen in love with the comfort and coziness of this print.  I tried on numerous plaid items;  and I found that not everything plaid worked for me.  I really wanted a plaid shirt dress.  I found one that looked great on a hanger, but when I put in on my body it looked like I was wearing my pajamas.  

I found that the color of the plaid item often determined if the item worked for me or not.  Lighter, pastel-colored plaids tend to look more pajama-like.  Prints that were too red came across farm-ish or looking like a lumber jack.  And I also couldn't determine if a plaid item would work for me just by looking at in on a hanger.  I really had to try it on!

So when I finally found this plaid shirt at J.C. Penney, I was hesitant to get too excited before I tried it on.  It isn't flannel.  It is made of a polyester/georgette material.  It is over sized, with a dropped shoulder,  and, my favorite part: it is super long!  It covers my butt!  Yeah! I'm always looking for tops that cover my butt so I can wear them with leggings and tall boots.  But they are super hard to find, and I usually just end up wearing short dresses as tunics.

 I really fell in love with this top.  It was so comfortable, and I thought I would get a lot of wear out of it all winter long.  My only complaint is that they didn't have my usual size, so I had to buy a bigger size. It could be a tad smaller on me, but I wasn't willing to pass this up, so I bought it anyway.

 Originally I planned on wearing this top with black faux leather leggings, but on this day I chose grey skinny jeans instead.  It is so versatile, because of the style and color, that I think I could wear it with just about anything.

Because the top is so big and baggy, I wore something tighter or more form fitting on my bottom.   That is why I chose skinny jeans.

The top is a little on the sheer side, so I added a tank underneath.  There are buttons on the neckline, so if I didn't want the tank to show, I'd have the option of buttoning it up.

To keep the outfit from looking too relaxed like I just stepped outside in my p.j.s,  I wore great dressy booties, a pretty black and white butterfly necklace (made it myself), and I carried a chic bucket bag (old, Express).

I also bought new booties on this shopping trip.  I know.  I have a problem.  I think I own five pairs of black boots now, and I don't know how many black shoes!  BUT, most of my black booties are either heels that I can't walk long distances in, or flats.  I wanted a pair of booties that had a heel, so they looked dressier, but I could still walk in them.  And these booties were the answer to my prayers!  The heel is thick and chunky, so I have my lift, but I can walk in comfort with them for hours!

They are by Liz Claiborne, sold at JCP!  And as always, I got a great deal on them.

The booties were originally $100, and were on sale for $59.00.  I had $15.00 rewards points on my JCP account, plus I had a $10.00 coupon on my phone, so I got them for $36.00!  Not bad, eh?

With fall being a transitional season, the mornings are colder than the daytime temperatures.  It was only 50 degrees when I left my home in the morning, so I started the day with a black vest (last season JCP) and a black and grey plaid scarf.

Many people wouldn't think of wearing two plaid items in one outfit, but it works because the plaids are in the same color range.

By mid-morning the scarf and vest came off for the temperatures rose to 72 degrees.

I did think the plaid print and over-sized style of the shirt added a few pounds to my frame; but keeping the lower half of my body "skinny" with tight fitting jeans helped.  

The shirt is also available in red if your interested.  I chose this color because I already own a red flannel shirt.

Have a great day!  Amy

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