Maximizing Your Wardrobe: Work to Casual

Posted on March 10, 2015 by phjiao

Blouses with collars are in trend, both for dressier attire and casual looks. I have purchased a few, in particular the sheer one’s, love those, worn with a tank top underneath. I purchased a few button down tops and a few with zippers, which tend to be more fitted at the waist. As I started seeing more of these blouses in the stores, it reminded me I had a few similar blouses at home in my closet. I usually only wore those shirts as “career blouses” for work. When I got home, I looked in my closet to see which career blouses and collared tops I could wear on weekends for a casual attire, as well as casual Fridays. I realized I had multiple blouses I could easily match with jeans, capri pants, and skirts. On weekends, if I am just running errands, I usually wear ballerina flats or sandals. If we have dinner plans, I simply change my shoes to heals and voila, dress up the look. Continue reading →

No Worry Jeans

Posted on January 18, 2015 by phjiao

Jeans are a staple item in my closet. I am enjoying the trend of colorful & print jeans. Initially, when skinny jeans were introduced (a few years ago), I hesitated to get them because I felt boot cut jeans were more flattering on my body type, and I had many of them. Now, I am embracing my curves, thighs and all, and wearing skinny jeans. I used to consider jeans an investment in my closet. The kind of clothing article I can wear for many years and used to spend hundreds of dollars on designer jeans. I still have those jeans in my closet, but am not wearing most of them currently because they are not skinny jeans or boy cut.

About a year ago, on a trip, I ventured into H&M and found out their skinny jeans are inexpensive ($10 – $30), of course I bought two. A few months later, while shopping with my sister, we went to Forever21 and they also sell inexpensive ($7 – $20) skinny jeans, I got two. The only disadvantage I find with these jeans is that they won’t last years because they tend to fade quicker with washes than designer jeans. But, depending on how often you wear them (& wash them), they can last up to a year or more. I still wear those skinny jeans from H&M around the house. The jeans from Forever21 faded less and are a bit higher on the hips, which is more comfortable for me (due to my curves). This November, I was out shopping with my niece and bought three skinny jeans at Forever 21, gray, black, and dark denim. I have worn them a ton and look forward to wearing them into the spring and summer….hopefully next fall as well. But, at $10 per jeans, I might just go buy another pair in the fall. I call these jeans “no worry jeans” the price is so inexpensive, making them accessible to buy….and a staple in my closet. I think I wear them at least once a week, if not more.

As with any jeans, you can dress them up or keep the look casual. On this occasion, I added a light top, with boots and accessorized it for a day out with my hubby. I have also worn this look to work on a casual Friday, just add a business jacket.

Do you have a favorite brand of jeans? Have you purchased jeans at Forever21 or H&M?

Hugs,

Paola

Photos & ESPAÑOL oprima en “Read More”. Continue reading →

Floral Spring

Posted on April 30, 2014 by phjiao

Hi friends,

Spring is in the air! You can see it in the gardens with the blooming gardens and all the gorgeous colors! I like spring, it brings easter, longer days and warmer weather! The longer days are ideal for outdoor activities and one of my favorite activities, long walks!

This spring, floral print is everywhere! I got this skirt recently and was looking forward to wearing it, I paired it with a champagne blouse, pink belt, and nude suede shoes. The necklace was a purchase I made at Forever21 and just couldn’t seem to find the right outfit to wear it with, until this day!

Hope you like the look!

Do you have any floral print clothing, shoes, or accessories? Do you like this floral print trend? What is your favorite thing about spring?

Hugs,

Paola

Skirt: Ann Taylor; Blouse: Forever21; Belt: Banana Republic; Shoes: Cathy Jean; Necklace: Forever 21

Jazzing Up the Black Jacket

Posted on April 9, 2014 by phjiao

Hi friends,

Black is one of my favorite colors to wear! It is easy to match an goes with practically everything…and, it’s slimming! Black never goes out of style, plus you can wear it year round. My closet includes at least one item in black for each category: shoes, sandals, boots, tennis shoes, belts, scarves, pashminas, gloves, hats, jewelry, and of course all types of clothing and undergarments! I have lots of black pants, skirts, and cardigan sweaters (I take one of them practically on every trip). The most common shoe color in my closet is black. My favorite jacket is a black leather one. So, you get the idea….I love wearing black!

The jacket I am wearing in this outfit is part of a suit, it comes with a black skirt. I decided to jazz it up by mixing it up with red tapered pants, a leopard belt, and a bold gold necklace! The red pants lighten up the outfit and add color to it! Since the jacket is 3/4 length, I wore heels to elongate my legs. I like how the red stitching on the jacket adds a special touch of uniqueness. I wore this outfit to work and a theater performance in the evening. It was so comfortable & fun to wear!

Hope you like the look!

Do you have black clothing & accessories? How do you match them? Do you have a favorite item in black in your closet?

Let’s stay connected – I post almost daily on Facebook:Paola Hernandez-Jiao: Latina Life And Style, hope to see you there as well! Leave your comments or let me know what other looks you’d like to see or topics you’d like me to cover.

Hugs,

Paola

The outfit can be worn with the jacket closed.

Or, with the jacket open, which is how I chose to wear it during the day.

The leopard belts adds an additional touch of style to the outfit, don’t you think? I wear this belt often, it was definitely a good purchase!

Jacket: Kasper (Macy’s); Pants: Calvin Klein (Macy’s); Tank Top: Zara; Shoes: Nine West; Belt: Ann Taylor; Necklace: Forever21; Jewelry/Gold Necklace: Lolita’s Designs; Bracelets: Coach & Forever21

The Vest Suit

Posted on April 4, 2014 by phjiao

Hi friends,

Before I worked in the television industry, I worked at city hall and in politics. In those positions, I used to wear suits everyday. So, I have quite a few suits in my closet. In part, it was easier to wear a suit everyday because I just chose one from the closet and matched the blouse, shoes and necklace. It was a more conservative work environment and I dressed the part. Plus, back then I was younger than everyone in the room (by 10 – 20 years), so I thought suits made me look older and more professional.

Now, I work in the television industry and can be more creative with my outfits, and sometimes wear business casual attire. It’s fun, but sometimes it takes more time to select my outfit for the day, and decide what I will mix and match. I seldomly wear two piece suits, let alone three piece suits. I do wear my suit jackets, but match them with other skirts or pants. Since the weather has been chilly, I have been pulling out some of my suits. Luckily, they still fit, ha!

I pulled this three piece, brown pin stripe suit from the closet and decided to find a fun way to match it. I matched it with a bright green pin striped collared shirt from H&M. Years ago, I would wear it with a white or pink shirt, now I am experimenting more with bright colors and contrasts. I like the look and felt more dressed up than usual for work, yet stylish because of the bright green shirt and I only wore the vest throughout the day, not the jacket.

I matched it with green heels, these are beauties, and gold tone accessories. The hair style is an updo, to enhance the shirt collar 😉

So, if you buy suits, try to buy the best quality your wallet will permit and a basic style, trust me, you will be able to wear them for years. And, if you have suits in the closet you haven’t worn in a while, pull them out, and mix and match them with fun tops, belts and accessories….let your personal style shine through!

Hope you like the look!

Do you wear suits often? How do you mix and match your suits to make your personal style shine?

Hugs,

Paola

Suit: Jones New York ; Shirt: H&M; Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger (got them at Macy’s); Necklace: Forever21; Bracelets: Coach (gold tone), others Forever21

Photos by: Lola Raggio

Leopard Inspiration

Posted on March 20, 2014 by phjiao

Sometimes, there are fashions that are new or come back that I am just not too crazy about, or I feel are just not for me. The leopard print is one of them. I like it, but in moderation. I have a few leopard scarves, belts, and shoes, but that is about it. This is my first leopard blouse! Can you believe it?

I’ve seen leopard clothing and accessories everywhere and like how it looks on others, it just seems a bit much for me. I tend to lean more towards classic styles and solids, with a touch or two of print (nothing too crazy on the print either). Maybe it is because I work in the television industry and solids look better on-air, or maybe because I know for the most part that solids make one look thinner (unless you wear certain stripes that give the illusion of being thinner). I do like seeing leopard prints on other women. In my opinion, it is beautiful and bold if you accessorize it correctly and don’t over do it. Just a touch of leopard print, maybe a purse, shoes, belt, scarf, and either the skirt, pants or blouse (not everything together at once though, in my opinion).

A few weeks ago, I was out shopping with Lola after one of our speed walks downtown and bought this blouse. I liked the print and particularly that it is easy to care for since it is a polyester blend (dry cleaning and ironing are not required). Lola also liked it and that convinced me to go out of my comfort zone and buy it. To keep it simple, I wore it with a black skirt and accessorized it with a gold necklace.

Recently, during a visit to my hair dresser, she was wearing a short black skirt with booties, she looked stylish and classy. After about an hour, I noticed she was wearing black pantyhose. That is probably what made her whole outfit look classy for work, versus sexy (which is fine if that is the look she was going for – and could easily change into after work for a “night out” look). So, I decided to wear my booties and black pantyhose with this outfit.

I felt like a million bucks that day, stylish, yet not too over the top in leopard print.

What is your opinion on wearing leopard print? Do you own any leopard print items? What are they? How do you match and accessorize them?

Hugs,

Paola

Blouse: Forever21; Skirt: Ann Taylor; Belt: Versace; Booties: Nine West; Necklace: Forever21; Bracelets: Coach & Forever21

ESPANOL:

Aveces hay modas nuevas o que regresan las cuales no me enloquecen, o simplemente siento que no son para mi. El estampado de leopardo es uno de ellos. Me gusta, pero en moderación. Tengo algunos artículos con estampado de leopardo, como mascadas y cintos, pero nada mas. Esta es mi primer blusa con estampado de leopardo! Lo pueden creer?

Veo el estampado de leopardo en todos lados y me gusta como se ve, solo que me parece mucho estampado para mi. Yo tiendo a usar mas los estilos clásicos y sin estampado, quizás con un toque o detalle de estampado, pero mas bien uso colores sólidos. Quizás sea porque trabajo en la industria de la televisión y los colores sólidos son mejores para grabaciones, o quizás porque se que los colores sólidos hacen que uno se vea mas delgado. Si me gusta ver ropa con estampado de leopardo en otras mujeres, es bonito y fuerte a la vez, si lo combinas adecuadamente, sin los excesos. Quizás solo un toque de estampado de leopardo, quizás la bolsa, zapatos, una mascada, cinto, o ya sea una falda o blusa, pero no todo junto a la misma vez.

Hace unas semanas andaba de compras y me medí esta blusa. Me gusto el tamaño del estampado y que el material es facil de cuidar ya que es una combinación con poliéster (que no requiere de limpiaduria o mucho planchado). Aunque este estampado no es mi estilo normal, decidi salir de mi zona de costumbre y la compre! Para mantener el estilo sencillo y no caer en el exceso, me combine la blusa con una falda negra y accesorios dorados.

Recientemente, durante una visita a mi estilista, ella traía puesta una fada negra corta con botinas, se veía moderna y con estilo. Después de como una hora, note que traía puestas unas pantimedias negras. Las pantimedias hacían que su atuendo se viera apropiado para el trabajo, en lugar de verse demasiado sexy. No tiene nada de malo verse sexy, si ese es el estilo que ella estaba procurando, pero se que esa no era el propósito para su atuendo. Tenia anos que yo no usaba pantimedias, pero decidí ponermelas con las botinas para este atuendo.

Me sentí muy cómoda con este atuendo, moderna y con estilo!

Que te parece este atuendo? Cual es tu opinión sobre el estampado de leopardo? Tienes artículos con este estampado? Cuales son, zapatos o ropa? Como los combinas?

Un abrazo,

Paola

Diagonal Green

Posted on March 11, 2014 by phjiao

Hi friends,

Hope your week got off to a good start! This week started a little different because I had in interview to host & produce. Most of my shoots are held on Tuesday through Thursday, every once in a while we will shoot on a Friday. Our production crew prefers not to shoot on Mondays because we have multiple meetings at the start of the week and it is also a planning day for them. They also say that when we have a shoot on Monday morning, they spend part of their weekend thinking about the shoot. Hence, it takes some mental time away from enjoying their weekend with family. I agree, the same thing happens to me, but I am still ok with shooting on Mondays.

Anyway, to the outfit. My sister gave me this cute cardigan as one of my Christmas gifts and I still hadn’t worn it. It is so soft & comfortable to wear! Since winter is coming to an end, I decided to wear the sweater before the weather gets too warm. I wore it with a green skirt. To contrast, break the color, and add light, I wore a white tank top underneath and a white belt. I accessorized it with silver, to match the belt buckle. I received many compliments throughout my day, which is always nice!

The skirt seems to be stretching out & feels loose, so I may have to take it to the taylor soon.

Hope you like the look!

Do you have a bright colored skirt? How would you have matched the cardigan? I may also wear it with jeans, navy slacks, or white pants for a more casual look. I did consider wearing it with a red skirt…I may have to try that.

Best wishes for a great week! Make it a good one!

Hugs,

Paola

The weather got a bit warm during the day, so I simply wore the cardigan over my shoulders. I was wearing a smaller white tank top under the white top, to ensure it was thick enough – don’t want any see throughs 😉

Another lis to wear the cardigan over the shoulders and only button the top button.

It isn’t very visible here – I wear small clear rubber bands (for hair) over the end of the belt, to hold it in place and avoid the flap from being loose. It is challenging to find belts that fit around the waist, so I purchased a belt hole puncher and it works wonders! A very useful item!

Here’s how I wore it on the set for today’s interviews:

Cardigan: Merona, Target; Skirt, JCPenney (purchased in San Francisco); Top: Banana Republic; Tank Top: Forever 21 (worn under top); Shoes: Bebe; Belt: Target; Jewelry: Tiffany & Co.

You may also like:

Red Colorblock

Spring Peplum Top

Casual Stripes

Classic Champagne

Posted on February 10, 2014 by phjiao

This champagne blouse has become my go-to blouse. It is a classic style that matches with everything. I love how it feels silky and easily dresses up an outfit. I have worn it with skirts and pants; in the studio to host interviews (it looks good on-camera with my skin tone) and to a first communion celebration. This is a staple item every woman should consider having in her closet – and it never goes out of style! Mine isn’t silk, it is polyester, so it is easy to care for. I have silk clothing, it is delicate and requires dry cleaning. This blouse is practical, I wash it at home and put it in the dryer. It doesn’t even require ironing (as long as I immediately hang it up after removing it from the dryer). The times I wore it, it was tucked in, but it can also be worn untucked – with skinny jeans or a mini skirt. The time I wore it for the first communion, even my brother, who is a super guys-guy type, complimented me on the blouse! He was surprised when I told him how much I paid for it (or should I say, how little) and that it was actually polyester, not silk. It looks so nice that he thought it was an expensive designer silk blouse.

The pencil skirt has a high waist and is made of stretchy material, making it comfortable to wear. Also, got a great deal on the skirt! It reminds me of a Versace print.

I bought this outfit for under $50 (blouse & skirt) at Forever21, purchased on separate days.

The jacket is one of my favorite items, I’ve had it for years. Love that it is light, yet warm enough for chilly days. I’ve been looking for a new similar one, but the one’s I have found are double-breasted and have a belt. I want a single breasted one like this one, without a belt, still haven’t found one. I’ll let you know when I do (or, if you know where I can find one, please share the info in the comments).

By the way, the shoes are what I call “dinner or studio” shoes. Not comfortable for extended wear, but they look great on-camera. I wore them to the studio to host an interview, then changed back into my more comfortable heals afterwards. The nude color is very versatile and elongates your legs!

Do you have a classic white or champagne blouse? When & how did you wear it last? Did you wear it for work or a special occasion, or with jeans for the weekend? Do you have nude heals?

Hugs,

Paola

PS – Another outfit post with this blouse & Summer Outfit in Desert Earth Tones.