a little casual glamour

striped tee, cropped flares

I love a juxtaposition of casual and glam elements, and am happy that the old strictures about maintaining a consistent level of formality within an outfit no longer need apply. Boyfriend jeans with pumps, a velvet blazer with a tee, distressed with refined…I find it very freeing, and a shortcut to making a simple outfit look both fun and modern.

sunglasses | necklace | necklace | tee | sweater | jeans (similar style) |
bracelet (similar) | bag | shoes 

French Kande necklace

The acorn necklace is from J.Crew, and is a few years old now. The gold color is wearing off of the chain, but it’s such a fun piece I can’t bear to let it go. The Mont St. Michele medallion necklace is from French Kande, and gets the “Plays Well With Others” award for its ease of layering with other pieces.

gold shoes, cropped jeans

A little glamour can be an instant mood lifter. Try adding a pair of brazenly metallic shoes to your casual outfits, and see how snazzy it makes you feel. I’m sensing that metallic footwear will be widely available for Spring, and you should be able to find some good options at all price points and in a variety of styles. I’ve included a few below.

Do you incorporate a little Casual Glamour into your daytime looks?

Linked up: My Refined Style, Visible Monday

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62 Comments

    1. Suzanne, thank you! I think it’s one of those “rules were meant to be broken” silhouettes! Aren’t we often told as petite women that we need to keep our top layers at hip level? But in reality the length creates a nice vertical line.

  1. If the chain gets too bad on your acorn necklace you can always move the acorns to a new chain to freshen it up. But I tend to be a fearless modifier of wardrobe and accessories and give friends the horrors all the time.

  2. I am a regular reader but generally don’t comment – but I wanted to say that your haircut is just great – very flattering and modern without being merely trendy.

  3. Casual glamour…that’s you to a tee, Sue. Love the new shoes. And those sunglasses with your new “do.” Recently was shopping in Montreal…where the look is casual parka… with a soupcon of glamour:) Such a great city.

  4. Love the long jacket! It’s fun to put together casual glamour looks; one of my favorites is combining a velvet jacket with jeans.

  5. You look so chic and lovely, Susan! Okay, so I am thinking of those Gucci loafers more and more (and more)…but I wonder if I should be practical and go with the brown suede (not sure if that’s the right description) that you modeled a week or two ago or with these amazing metallic beauties?! What would you recommend as my budget only allows one pair? And yes, I love to infuse a little glam in my day to day look as well, whether it’s a piece jewelry or a rich lipstick color 🙂

    1. Henny, thank you! That’s a tough question to answer. If you’re at all inclined toward the gold, I’d probably choose those first as I understand they’re selling out. But circle back for the suede ones later. 😉

    2. Hi Henny,

      A girl at work today (I work in an office in NL) wore an all black outfit and then these super shiny gold sneakers! Was soooooo cool, really.
      Anyway, metallics are actually a neutral don’t ya know:) (I hope this justifies it for you)
      Brown is a neutral also but not like gold, just my opinion, but I think brown loafers would look awful with a black outfit, but gold you could wear as a neutral bit of fun to back drop any color outfit.
      Go for the Gold!

      1. thanks Melissa, I actually did go for the gold! I just received the same loafers that Susan has here today and i LOVE them. Will definitely be wearing them with lots of outfits. Who knew gold shoes could be so versatile?

    1. TNMA, yes, I couldn’t choose between the two and now my wallet is on serious lockdown for the foreseeable future!

    1. Frances, thanks so much! I remember how put-together and glamorous the Roman women seemed to me. And the men!! So impeccably dressed.

  6. Love ***most*** of this outfit…..long cardigan, striped top, and French Kande! I seriously doubt that my eye will ever evolve to liking the short flared pants and blocky heeled shoes, though.

    1. Hi Jill Ann, thanks! Usually it takes my eye a while to adjust to new silhouettes too, but for some reason these appealed to me right off the bat. But we all like different things and that’s what keeps it interesting.

  7. You have no idea how influenced I am by your style! You’re my “style doppelganger”, if there is such a thing!

  8. I remember when we were kids if we wore floods we were beat up…. so I just can’t do it or like them, would bring back bad memories of my youth being picked on and beat up.
    That being said I can do that with a pair of skinnies, then it is a totally different story, but is just ain’t right on boot cut or flared, I can’t get my head around it.

    Everything else I love love on you and again the hair is fab!

    1. Melissa, thanks! For some reason when I began seeing these cropped styles they appealed to me right away, perhaps because of the association with Carolyn Bessette Kennedy whose style I always admired.

  9. LOVE this look on you. Was that a dig from Rose, at the very top? I am offended on your behalf if it was, I think you look seriously gorgeous and glamorous and this is the PERFECT amount of accessories! BTW, any chance you would consider going to the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique on North Rodeo Drive to check out their high jewelry exhibit? They have the daisy necklace once owned by Liz on view! Pretty (pretty!) please send me a picture of that if you go, I will put it in my sidebar for a month, give you photo credit and link to your blog. I can’t make it out to LA by the show’s end, which is March 2. Think about it, I know you love Liz like I do and that necklace is now privately owned, it is not in the VCA archives! xx

    1. Hi Jill, I rather suspect it was. I find that not reacting to put-downs is the best way to keep them from gaining a toehold. 😉

      I’m SO glad you mentioned the VCA exhibit and yes, I’ll absolutely go and try to get some pictures. It would be thrilling to see some of Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic jewelry in person!

      1. Would love to see the Liz jewelry. We had a Bulgari exhibit here in Houston last year, (or 2 yrs ago?) featuring some fabulous Liz pieces, plus other super awesome celeb pieces, at one of our great museums. Several years ago there was an exhibition of some of Grace Kelly’s clothes and jewels at a jewelry store here. Including her wedding dress, IIRC. I’m not a celebrity worshiper, but these things were so beautiful & classic that they were worth the trip.

  10. Hi Ladies,

    I will jump in on the accessory comment because I can’t resist….
    Some of us look great with more accessories, or some outfits call for more accessories. What we feel best in, we should do. Susan is an accessory kind of girl and if she wasn’t doing her accessories, well heck she would look naked!

    Anyway, I wore a statement necklace this week, and a woman said the outfit is nice but the necklace is too much I wouldn’t wear it, too much bling is not my style. She is French, but let me just say I would never take her style advice, she is not what we consider the elegant French look at all, sorry but it is true. My hubby, who doesn’t like a lot of flash told me that evening that I looked gorgeous and that she just said it because she is jealous because she can’t dress like you.

    So back to this morning, it is Friday, so I wore some black sneakers that have a bit of patent leather and sparkle (just a bit) and black jeans, black turtle neck, black bolero jean jacket, and then the biggest honkin’ statement bling necklace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    For that extra special effect:)
    I also like that idea of American style where things match, down to every last detail. (does anyone remember Geranimals from Sears???)
    I miss that sometimes here, a girl will have on something pretty but not one piece of jewelry, or the bag is their daytime big momma bag with an evening outfit.
    I actually get compliments from other women, they will say things about how I keep an eye on the details, or I look like I take care of myself, or how elegant my outfits are. I know that is down to my American style of things matching right down to my accessories, and also keeping an eye on the details, like if I wear open toe shoes I have a pedicure, I get regular hair trims and take care of my things. Even when I didn’t have money, what bit I had I took care of.

    So Susan, just do your “American thing,” whatever they all want to call it, because you always look nice and well kept, neat and clean and in the end that is all that matters.

    xxx

  11. ‘Tell me your thoughts’…yet when someone provides constructive criticism, there are reactions. Maybe a comment is just an honest opinion….not necessarily a ‘put-down’. If one wants only praise, the tag line should be ‘Please send your compliments’…..

    1. Hi Patrish, I’m always open to constructive feedback. I didn’t find the comment particularly “constructive” but that’s the trouble on the internet sometimes: it’s hard to gauge intent.

  12. Seriously, this is such a sassy, stylish outfit. I love the high/low mix… and have to say I am NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH YOUR NEW GUCCI loafers. WOW. So fun to see what you will do next 🙂