Aida ~

WIW 05.07-11 No denim week edition

May 12, 2012

When Angie asked a couple weeks ago about how often we wear denim, my answer was 5-7 days a week; she then mentioned giving up denim for a week, and I decided to take up the challenge! I found half of it easy... the bottom half! Not wearing jeans was surprisingly easy especially as they're a huge part of my fairly casual style, but not wearing my denim shirt or jacket was really tough. Since these outfits were a bit dressier for me overall, I noticed that I accessorized much more simply than normal and went for my bold orange lip color nearly every day. I am so pleased with how this experiment went that I'm going to shoot for 3-4 days denim a week from here out!

And actually, looking back over my outfits, I haven't worn denim since last Wednesday so I did make it over a week! /pats self on the back

  1. Monday; worn to run errands, the dentist, and work. New dress, opted for simple styling. The dress is jersey so it was perfectly comfy for the dentist. Also, super warm this day!
  2. Tuesday; worn to work and to the local typography pub gathering. I got these awesome cropped pants at the swap (Anna, I'm guessing these were yours?), and this is probably as sporty as you'll ever see me :) Hubby _hated_ this outfit, but I quite liked it.
  3. Wednesday; worn to work. Debuting the Neon Necklace! I thought it'd be fun to do a tonal look with it. I haven't worn these trousers much since getting them last fall, and I have no idea why. They are far more comfortable than jeans! Needless to say my black jeans are now on hiatus until fall.
  4. Thursday; worn to the post office, work, then out to dinner. Debuting the Neon Bracelet. Wanted to wear something soft with these wide legs, but struggled. I think this turned out OK but I did not feel super in it.
  5. Friday; worn to work, to the salon, and off for date night. New skirt! I know my style journey is currently taking me to softer dressing, but this pencil skirt is toooooo fun and I love love love it. And overall the vibe still feels pretty soft to me since my blouse is soft, and the print is watercolor-y. Also painted my nails nude/peach, the darker 3 nails are a polish I made myself :)

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

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Posted in the What I Wore category
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26 Comments

  • Angie replied 11 years ago

    Have to run but had to quickly chime in and say KILLER week, Aida! It's not hard leaving off the denim, is it?

    You score a big fat neon glowing 11 out of 10, for the challenge :)

  • Transcona Shannon replied 11 years ago

    These are all fantastic! I don't know how you do it, week after week. I'm crazy about your blouse in #3 - may I ask what brand it is? And your skirt in #5 is stunning! It's an interesting challenge going without denim - I could definitely manage it during the work day but evenings would be really difficult. Well done!

  • Kiwichik replied 11 years ago

    Love your non denim week. Love the neon accessories in 3 & 4. My eye was immeitely atracted to the skirt in 5 - very flattering on you but I think my fav is 4 with thw wide leg pants.

  • annagybe replied 11 years ago

    Those are my pants! Awesome! They were recommended by Angie at one point but I think I only wore them once or twice. I think this is one of your best weeks in a long while.

  • Sveta replied 11 years ago

    I love the whole week, Aida! Isn't it fun to do something different from what you are usually doing and find out you like it?
    My absolute favorite is the last one. I need this amazing skirt in my life ASAP! I agree: the print and colors make it "soft" even though it is a pencil. I also love how you paired it with flats - perfect!

  • Jonesy replied 11 years ago

    Aida, holy cow, what a fantastic week!! I never thought of myself as anti-denim but I think this is my favorite week of yours evah :)! That striped dress with the blue blazer! Those black silky cargo pants with the jacket and pumps (hubby is all wrong on this one)! The neon and olive! The stripes and orange jacket with the perfectly fitting taupe pants! The pretty pencil with the dramatic ponytail and black blouse and flats!

    Whew, what a week, woman. I should mention that I was inspired by your new neon so I happened to be at AT and they happened to have one neon necklace left (different shape than yours) and they happened to be having a 30% off sale....so I bought it!

  • ManidipaM replied 11 years ago

    Go Team Wear: Neon! :-D Also, FABULOUS slouchy shorts there! Seems just the other day you suggested slouchy shorts for Anna's trip, and here you are wearing hers!

    I'm loving the soft-dressing Aida. Even *her* outfits are pretty high-contrast and sometimes quite sharply tailored (pencil skirt, whose print I actually read as soft both for colour and content), which keeps things balanced and interesting, and unexpected.

  • Kyle replied 11 years ago

    Oh, hubby, I must disagree in the strongest terms possible. Oufit 2 is just fantastic. It has total wow factor. The first and last outfits are also great. The flats with pencil skirt really work for you, Aida.

  • Makrame replied 11 years ago

    I like everything but the jackets (in #1 and #4) and the shirt in #3 are my favorites. Did you say you were struggling with not wearing a denim shirt or jacket? Seems like you did splendidly without any denim tops!

  • Beth Ann replied 11 years ago

    Wonderful week, Aida. Challenges seem to highlight your amazing creativity. Must know where you found the dress in #1!

  • qfbrenda replied 11 years ago

    Sorry but [hiding under a rock] I'm not a huge fan of #2 either, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the rest! Does that help make up for it? :P

  • Amy replied 11 years ago

    You are blowing me away with your WIW's recently. I think 2 is divine. All of your outfits have a fresh, creative edge to them, which I really admire!

  • rae replied 11 years ago

    Ooh, killer dress in #1! And the neon necklace is just as fab as I imagined. You are not missing the jeans, I bet. :)

  • AJ replied 11 years ago

    Ooohhh, so much to admire and learn from these outfits, Aida!

    Luv the whole outfit in #1. Where is the dress from? Even though the heels make my arches hurt from looking at them, they are making this outfit rock!

    Even though the slouchy cropped pants are not my personal cuppa, I think you look FAB in this outfit. It's a soft rocker look that I could picture Gwen Stefani or Rihanna wearing.

    The new neon accessories in 3 and 4 make these outfits shine!

    Luv that skirt in the last pic. I'm saving this in my inspiration file!

  • Kelley replied 11 years ago

    Aida - Wow > I admire every outfit you've pulled together this week, I find the colors and patterns very inspiring. My fav is definitely #5 -- the colors in that skirt are divine!

    But what I couldn't drag my eyes away from are...your hands!!! Really?! Whilst drooling over the skirt in #5 I was pretty sure those were model hands on that skirt. Smooth and utterly feminine. Do you use a special product that you could share?

    Gorgeous! ***clapping my man-hands in delight***

  • lyn67 replied 11 years ago

    Killer week, as always, my faves are nr. 1, 2 and 5! I'm always amazed how you can pull of so many differrent sillouettes and vibes! Really amazed!!!!

  • Mona replied 11 years ago

    You look so stylish and fab as always. I am just head over heels with your new neon necklace and bracelet.

  • teeandcee replied 11 years ago

    Gorgeous as usual and very inspiring and I LOVE those black pants in the second pic!

  • Jjsloane replied 11 years ago

    Great week and good for you on the self imposed no denim challenge. My favorites (besides that glowing necklace with anything) are 2, 4 and 5.

  • Meredith1953 replied 11 years ago

    You look beautiful in each of these outfits! Hubs is way off base not liking the second outfit! Go figure! My hubs casually mentioned he doesn't like my new navy black striped BR wrap dress but too bad for him!

  • Tanya replied 11 years ago

    Wow Aida, what a stellar non-denim week! (I have done one myself and am just about to post it). Everything is fabulous, and I adore #2 and #5. The neon necklace is stunning, I have one in the same shape but made of hammered silver.

  • sarah replied 11 years ago

    Aida, these are all stunning. I love your new dress, and the new necklace is such a winning piece - love that tonal look. I adore that skirt. Where did you get it, if I may ask?

  • Aziraphale replied 11 years ago

    As always, you look stunning, my dear. I can offer no suggestions for improvement!

    Funny that you say the bottom half is easier (leaving off the jeans), because I would have the exact opposite problem. I don't think I have any pants that aren't jeans, except leggings, which probably don't count, and even a good portion of my skirts are denim. But I have no denim jackets. If I were to take up the denim challenge, I'd be wearing a lot of dresses that week. :-)

  • christieanne replied 11 years ago

    I am with lyn67 - this week is a shining example of how you mix silhouettes and colors and shapes and make them your own. One day dress, one day slim black pants, one day wide leg trousers, followed by a bombshell pencil. I don't think you could get stuck in a style rut if you tried. Kudos to you for going a week without denim!

  • CocoLion replied 11 years ago

    Wow, I am so impressed Aida! This is the first time I can't pick out my favorites because ALL of them are my favorites! I don't know where to start.

    You've had a smashing success not only with the non-denim challenge but also with the neon accessories. Maybe it's your complexion and hair, but they are very flattering on you. Since you are young enough, you could even pull off neon clothes!

  • Aida replied 11 years ago

    WOW ladies!! Thank you ALL for all of the wonderful comments, I am floored and humbled! A few item details that many of you requested: Both the SKIRT (#5) and the DRESS (#1) are from Ann Taylor Outlet, purchased a couple weeks ago; they design different stuff for their outlet stores, so you'll only find them there. The dress is a fine jersey, the bust is lined, and it zips up the back. The skirt is cotton (no stretch), polyester lined, and wrinkles by the end of the day :)

    Angie, it was a fun experiment! And very educational, especially in light of my softer style direction. Kind of like a crash course :)

    Shannon, the silk blouse in #3 is from JCrew last year; I don't see it up on their site right now unfortunately.

    Anna, yay I thought those pants were yours! They are super fun, I really like the material and the drape. I think I got a couple other pants of yours, too.

    Jonesy, ooooh how fun! I saw that one at my store too, it's beautiful! Neon buddies :D

    Manidipa, yes I most definitely still like my very high or very low contrast outfit approach. I also definitely need a bit of tailoring somewhere to keep things "soft in a restrained way" as Rae eloquently put it last week.

    Brenda, I can see how #2 wouldn't appeal to everyone and I value your honesty, no need to hide :)

    Lyn67 & Christieanne, I very much enjoy changing up the silhouette and vibe of my outfits throughout the week! It is how I keep myself from rutting for sure. Glad to hear you think it works well :D

    Kelleygirl, well thank you very much for the hand compliment! They are one of my favorite features ^^ Beyond drinking a lot of water/green tea and trying not to smack my hands into stuff (though it happens a lot), my hand care routine is minimal: gentle scrub with St. Ives apricot scrub twice a week in the shower, moisturize with Olay SPF 15 (winter) or SPF 30 (summer) lotion after showering in the morning, moisturize with Aveeno plain no-scent lotion 1-2 times during the day and also once before bed, and Burt's Bees lemon cuticle cream for my nails a couple times a week before bed. And if you wear nail polish, nude shades will elongate your fingers :)

    Elisabeth, I hear you on the issue of which half is harder without denim. At this time last year, I probably would struggle mightily with the bottom half but I have worked at adding more trousers and skirts to my wardrobe. I wanted to push myself to use non-denim bottoms specifically so I just wore the one dress, but more dresses certainly would have been an option.

    Denise, I would love to get a neon blazer or skirt! I am keeping my eye out for the right piece :)

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