Pix-Elated

51 Comments

• Deborah replied 7 years ago

  Oooh Suz, I think this outfit is just beautiful.  I love the structure of the gilet and the softness of the print on the blouse.  I think perhaps the showing of a little skin at the ankle does seem to balance your hair and the lighter background of the shirt.  Stunning outfit and I don't think I will every tire of seeing you in that fab gilet.

• Bijou replied 7 years ago

  I loved seeing your outfits with the gilet before, but this one is even better. You look casually elegant, I can see the wildcard gilet becoming a new wardrobe workhorse. If I looked this good in anything, I would have a hard time not wearing it continually!  I hope Angie can give you some cold weather footwear suggestions. Do you have any light coloured boots to try?

• Style Fan replied 7 years ago

  Suz this is absolutely gorgeous.  I like the tailored look of the gilet with the jeans.  I see what you mean about the sliver of skin showing with the gilet.  The gilet is such a strong piece that having some skin showing balances it out.  I am interested in hearing what Angie says about this.

• replied 7 years ago

  Suz -- this works so perfectly.  I agree with Bijou.  I would want to wear this outfit every single day.  

• Summer replied 7 years ago

  Fabulous, Suz!  The flash of skin and the silver shoes work beautifully.  You have such a good eye.
  Looking forward to seeing what Angie has to say.

• Staysfit replied 7 years ago

  Suz, this looks great. I have some thoughts about adjusting for temperature. I wore mine over a sleeveless silk blouse for the first outing. I thought I would be too warm in long sleeves. I think it helped with the mix of indoor and outdoor temperature issues. I wonder about a cotton or even linen top? Maybe a little less insulating but still provides coverage. The other thing I like to do is roll my sleeves to expose more arm. I am not sure this helps with temperature, but perhaps it provides more structure/skin exposure. The shoes are a puzzle. I look forward to hear what Angie says about that. Also, I think some pics would help because maybe what you are not liking looks fine. Kind of like me in the pink J Crew lady coat.

• Aquamarine replied 7 years ago

  You look smashing. I am imagining it's a perfect outfit for a book launch (not that I would know!). No help with the cold weather footwear options. I am struggling myself with styling cropped trousers for cold weather. Everything I imagine will look good never seems to do so. Maybe my eye needs to adjust. Could that be your issue?

• Windchime replied 7 years ago

  I love this, Suz! It might be my favorite of the gilet outfits you've shown us. (and it might be nudging me toward finding my own long vest)

  I had the same thought as Staysfit about rolling up the sleeves of your blouse. I can't bear long sleeves when it's warm and humid.

  The silver shoes are fab with this outfit. Hmm...I wonder how silver or white ankle boots would look?

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  Windchime, Bijou --- I have been having the same thought -- that maybe I need a lighter ankle boot to make this work with booties. Hmmm. And Aquamarine, you might be right, too, that it's a question of the eye adjusting. Or simply a reflection of my overall preference for outfits that show a bit of skin (and the unfortunate reality that I live in a place where that is a dangerous option for 6 to 8 months a year!)
  
  Staysfit, you might also be right that it actually looked better than I thought with the dark booties. I did try a version with dark booties and a solid dark blouse but it just altogether felt too dark then -- I far preferred that with the Okalas. 

  I did have my sleeves scrunched up but not as far as elbows -- it's hard to tell in the photo because I did it selfie style rather than with my DSL which was not set up. 

  Summer, Sterling, Style Fan, Deb -- thank you! It was such fun to finally get this piece out for a whirl. I feel it will become a workhorse once I get the support act in motion and it also will have very long closet longevity. 

• UmmLila (Lisa) replied 7 years ago

  You look amazing and so perfect for the event you've described. I love the pattern of the blouse you chose and the silver shoes are perfect. I am liking the idea of white or silver boots for winter (just think, they won't show salt).

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  Hahaha, Lisa, yes, that is the sound of a fellow northerner chortling over her coffee. Way to justify the purchase of a few more booties!! 

• replied 7 years ago

  Your outfit is great. I like the combination of elements.
  I just wonder if it's not cold enough yet for your eye to adjust to full skin coverage? For me, we are in shoe weather now, not boot weather.

  Or maybe it's the imbalance of the lightweight top and the heavy bottom? Maybe switching the top to a sweater will make you more amenable to boots on the bottom?

• Nadya replied 7 years ago

  Deborah's response made me wonder if a cold-weather substitute for a hint of skin could be bit of white or silver? Like a silver cuff bracelet, or white bangles? 

• Mirjana replied 7 years ago

  Absolutely gorgeous outfit, you look really fantastic, love so much gilet.

• JAileen replied 7 years ago

  You look great! How will you wear this? With a long coat over it? The shoes look wonderful with it. For colder weather, would silver boots work?

  I went to a conference yesterday. I wore my sandal clogs and a light jacket. Due to the AC I wore my jacket the entire time, and my ankles froze. Today I'm planning on wearing booties.

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  In cooler weather I plan to layer my leather jacket or warm cashmere sweaters under it, JAileen. I tried this type of layering and it works great. Of course that wouldn't work in deep winter. I don't have a coat long enough to wear over it but I am eyeing the same Club Monaco coat that interests Angie and wondering if I need it, lol. Or, alternatively, a long elegant trench would work because the gilet layered over cashmere would provide excellent insulation. Would not work in 40 below but would work in a more temperate climate (which I am moving to, probably next year.) 

• Bonnie replied 7 years ago

  It is amazing how the gilet changes a simple top and pant outfit. This looks fab on you and now I want to join the gilet club.

• Angie replied 7 years ago

  Killer to the Power of Killer

  (A little biased, maybe!). 

  Suz, I wear my gilet with booties all the time. In fact, I don't think I have worn it with pumps. (Have worn it with flat loafers and oxfords though). Did you try the outfit on with booties and FLARED or straight crops - not skinnies? And yes, skin does work. Knee-highs are the answer in my life. 

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• Suz replied 7 years ago

  Angie, flared with booties probably would have helped. Thank you. I wanted to wear the slim pants last night for some reason. They're actually more a slim straight than a true skinny but the overall look is very slim. So that's a good point. 

  And see, you have your light booties on. I think I need to order those. :) Just waiting to see if the Bay puts them on sale in the next few days. They often do have a sort of early season footwear sale and I'm pretty sure I'll be one of the only buyers for white booties so can hang on until it happens since we're not quite in full bootie weather here yet. 

• Angie replied 7 years ago

  Good strategy. You have outfit creation homework! 

• Elizabeth P replied 7 years ago

  I think this looks wonderful on you Suz.  (slightly jealous :( ) 

  I hear you on the sliver of skin... I also find it balances how I feel in an outfit, and feel strange without it.  But I do wonder if that's more to do with the fact that the weather is still quite nice, and I CAN show skin, so want to as long as possible.  Light booties will go a long way once the weather changes, I think.  I really enjoy my silver Petty's and my white Israeli ones for the shoulder seasons.

  What about those amazing Ecco booties you referenced a few days ago? Navy snakeskin? 

• Tanya replied 7 years ago

  Ah, this looks gorgeous on you Suz.   Stunning, really.  And I think you need silver booties :)

• Eliza replied 7 years ago

  Love you in the gilet. And fear not the booties. Are you like me in that with cropped pants, narrower ankle booties are appealing? I think we both have the Aquatalia Sweeties and they are feeling different to me paired with crops than full length pants or jeans. Eyes are out for slimmer options. Also, perhaps a more delicate, even silver, shimmery scarf would add the lightness you like as a counterpoint to the weight of the gilet. (On the fly and haven't read other replies, so apologies if redundant.)

• Maneera replied 7 years ago

  GORGEOUS. PERFECTION. I <3 this outfit so much!!!

• Karie replied 7 years ago

  Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  Thank for the kind words, all. 

  Eliza, I do have the Sweeties and love them but think of them as boots, not booties. I was trying with the other Aquatalias (new this year) and the navy snakeskin by Ecco and although both have narrow ankle openings, neither felt right somehow (even when I switched to a darker top. It may just be that my eye still wants to see skin as long as possible, as Elizabeth says. (And, Elizabeth, your gilet is out there...I know it.) 

  Tanya, thanks for enabling....  :)

• Joy replied 7 years ago

  Gorgeous, Suz. I here you on the skin showing but too cold to do. Something balances and makes proportions look right. If everything looks heavy, I like to add more bulk on top...a beanie or other hat or winter scarf. for some reason the extra seems to balance the boots and heaviness at the bottom. Light boots are a good idea to try also. Maybe that's why I like my snake and my bone SE Pettys so much.

• catgirl replied 7 years ago

  Just fabulous, Suz.  I'm imagining how elegant this will be over a turtleneck.

• Sal replied 7 years ago

  It looks very elegant indeed- I love it!!

• Brooklyn replied 7 years ago

  Fabulous Suz. Do you have any short sleeved turtlenecks like this one (I know it's not your favourite colour). I love the gilet with a tee neck and it still shows lots of skin.

• Jaime replied 7 years ago

  You continue to wow me with your key dramatic pieces (I am thinking about the glen plaid culottes, the denim culottes and this - with your hair the crowning glory.) Your style evolution has been a delight to watch Suz - and I think you have reached a new level. I guess I mean that I admire how you keep evaluating where you could have become complacent because you already looked great. (And happy new year to you and your whole family!)

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  Happy New Year to you, too, Jaime -- Mr. Suz is on his way to Israel in a few weeks, by the way....

  Brooklyn, I don't have any short sleeve turtlenecks but I have sleeveless ones. I think a few short sleeved ones might be a good idea -- thank you!

• chewyspaghetti replied 7 years ago

  I love this....where is the shirt from?

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  Thanks, Chris. The shirt is an older Ann Taylor shirt -- I think I got it 3 or 4 years ago? Still in great shape and much beloved. I'm sorry I don't have a Find for it -- it predates the Finds feature and I haven't got around to adding a custom Find. 

• L'Abeille replied 7 years ago

  Suz, I suspect your longing for a hint of skin is your soul rebelling against the months of winter to come. May I suggest you'd get the same visual lightening up effect if you use some light colour(s) in the outfit somewhere. Light coloured booties, sure, but also try it with a white or cream sweater or shirt under the gilet. Your new hair will let you carry off more contrast than your blonde self did.

• Marilyn replied 7 years ago

  Beautiful look, Suz.  And I know exactly how you feel re open footwear.  I like my vest best with open footwear as well.  Maybe it just looks lighter.  I'm not switching to booties until I absolutely have to.

• Vicki replied 7 years ago

  Suz, this is beautiful, and I love it with the silver shoes and think it would look spectacular with the Okalas, too.  May I ask what size you bought? There's a reason.  I bought the only size left, a 4, and while I'm generally a 2, this one seems to fit well.  

  It's so helpful to hear what Angie and the others have said about your gilet.  It's a bit too warm here, at the moment, but I love the way it pulls an outfit together, as you've shown.

  Your version is really lovely.

• Sally replied 7 years ago

  That's a fabulous polished outfit and those shoes are really beautiful.

• Inge replied 7 years ago

  The entire outfit is brilliant, Suz, and the gilet really was made for you, WOW!

• Cococat replied 7 years ago

  I love this Suz and your silver pumps look amazing.

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  Thank you all, and Vicki, the size is 2. I think that is what you would need but it is possible you might work in the 4 as if fits narrowly and I have a smaller bust than you -- so possibly worth a try? 

• RobinF replied 7 years ago

  I love this, the silver shoes work great with it. I hear you on the winter though, we get cold here in MI too and I just can't have bare ankles once it hits the 40's and 50's. I do like this with the skinny jeans as well as Angie's version.

• lyn67 replied 7 years ago

  Wow, your styling here is perfect! &I was going to say  to try metallic or  lighter color for the booties instead of showing skin when colder, but then I saw Angie's answer, spot on! 

• Marilyn replied 7 years ago

  Vicki......I would generally wear a regular size 2 as well.  But, I bought the gillet in a 4 and I don't think I'd want it any smaller.  I'm a 30DD bust, broad shoulders. 

• texstyle replied 7 years ago

  Stunning! It's so fantastic on you, I just love it.

• Vicki replied 7 years ago

  Thank you, Suz and Marilyn; this is most helpful, as I am also a 30DD, however, I have narrow shoulders, but the overall size seems narrow and I was concerned about the length, too, as I'm 5'3".  I know it's not meant to be buttoned, but even so, with the center button closed, it is a narrow fit and that may be because I am an hourglass.

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  Angie sometimes wears hers buttoned and I do also when outdoors in the wind. It's meant to fit loosely enough that it can be buttoned, I think. 

  Vicki I'm only half an inch to an inch taller than you are and seem to be getting away with it at full length. I think Marilyn had her shortened a bit. It's not a difficult alteration. 

• crazyone replied 7 years ago

  Suz, this is marvellous!  Though I don't know that I'd want to wear the gilet on a day that was warm enough for me to wear shoes as open as that.  

  Are you still considering getting yours shortened?

• Suz replied 7 years ago

  C1, I think I'm going to leave it as is for now...how about you? Angie seemed to think it was fine...the only thing is, I don't like it on myself with flats. So if I decide to wear it more with flat shoes I might shorten. 

• Marilyn replied 7 years ago

  Suz and Vicki........Yes, I'm 5' and I shortened mine to just below the knee.  It's an easy alteration and as a sewer I was able to do it myself.
   
  I like the gillet both open and buttoned and the size 4 allows me to layer over a thick sweater, etc. but because it's fitted and tailored it also works with a thin layer underneath.

• crazyone replied 7 years ago

  I'm probably going to leave it as is too, though the fact that I exchanged mine for the $230 one means tailoring could be in the budget--but I don't have a dependable tailor nearby and am not near a Nordstrom's.  I have only worn it with heels myself, though the second wearing involved just a knee high boot of 1.5'' heel.