Tweed it up right

Now that it is becoming fall this is a fabric you really can not afford to avoid!!! Tweed is a really interesting fabric to me... mainly because I am a textiles nerd. Tweed has been around since 1846 and has gone through many cycles in popularity. For those of you who really pride your self in being British then pat yourself on the back because British Tweed is the most popular!!! Tweed originated as a functional fabric used for working the fields or riding bikes in :), as opposed to silk charmuese which was made for lingerie and fancier dresses.

As if you didn't love Ms. Coco already you should now!!! She is one of the first designers who used menswear for women's clothing. This translation included suits and viola TWEED!!! Tweed is made mostly using unfinished wool (one reason why it can be itchy). Tweed is classified as fiber dyed because well the individual fibers are dyed first then spun into thread and then woven together; this is how the heathered look is accomplished. Because of the fabrication of tweed it can easily be matched with a large variety of clothing.

Fortunately for us living right now tweed is everywhere on everything like shoes, headbands, pencil skirts, jackets, purses... the list goes on and on. Another awesome thing about tweed is the multitude of available colors J Crew alone has 31 different articles of clothing with tweed fabric in it. Anthro also has several tweed garments. Almost everywhere you will look will have this cozy fall fabric

Ok so you are probably wondering well how do I wear this heavy fabric? Well my answer is by pairing it with something unexpected like a tweed jacket over a flowing sheer blouse with trouser cut jeans. Or by pairing a tweed skirt with a plaid button down with a cardi over it. And if you are super bold try a sequin blouse (or tank) with tweed paper bag waist pants. It is so easy to contrast tweed with any silky garment to balance out the rough texture. I also suggest buying a neutral tweed along with a feminine color tweed... that way you can wear your tweed with anything!!!

Thank you Ralph Lauren and co for showing us so many tweed pairings like velvet, chiffon and suede with tweed!!! Of course we always can depend on Karl to bring us some lovely tweed as well

Pencil me in with a skirt ;)

I think the office staple has just recently become one of my favorite style of skirt thanks to the curve hugging ability. Somehow a pencil skirt just makes me feel more comfortable and confident when I need that extra kick. This particular style fits and hugs your hips and tapers a bit in at the knee to create a lovely hourglass shape. I have been able to wear a pencil skirt for almost every occasion.

For Easter Sunday I paired a purple tweed pencil skirt with this great grey silk top I have. It looked fabulous and made my figure look amazing. I paired a denim pencil skirt with a chambray button down tucked into it with a gold belt for work. And for my job interview paired a brown linen pencil skirt with my floral button down and topped off with contrasting cardigan.

I love wearing pencil skirts mainly because they end just under the knee, usually, and allow my calf muscles to show off for a bit. I always try to do a few dozen heel raises before walking out the door in a pencil skirt. I just love all the different pencil skirts available out there!!!

The main thing to remember about a pencil skirt is you want fitted not skin tight. To look professional you should know when your clothing fits and when it is too tight or too loose. A pencil skirt is a perfect time to talk about that. The seams should line up straight down the sides not pulling toward the back or pulling crooked down your leg. Also a pencil skirt shouldn't be able to twist all the way around when you are walking. Because this skirt is so basic it is vital that it fits properly. Another plus for the pencil skirt is that all ages can wear them and look fabulous in them. Take that mini skirt!!!