Friday, September 15, 2017

Leggings or Jeans and a Tote Bag Trick

Styling A Checkered Shirt

When I decided to do a photo shoot of this checkered shirt on the blog, the plan was to style it with leggings as you see above. However, after taking several photos and looking at them I decided....no, maybe not, this is not a good look. I felt that the shirt didn't come down quite far enough to hide the top of my legs and I felt that the look was unflattering. Luckily, in this photo, I am holding the clutch bag strategically, so my upper leg is covered. So, I changed my plans and my clothing.


At least, I changed part of my clothing. Instead of leggings I went with skinny jeans and added tennis shoes and my new tote bag. More on the tote bag later. 


Since the shirt doesn't have the length of a tunic it needs the structure of a heavier pant in my opinion. I like this look better on me. I also decided to belt the shirt to emphasize my waist. It's a very casual look, especially with the tennis shoes, but even though it is casual, the look is still polished. I really like this shirt and have been wearing it like crazy. I also bought the shirt in a pink/tan check pattern. 


Now, let me share my tote bag trick. For awhile I have been trying to move to smaller purses that don't hang off my shoulder causing pain. Those shoulder bags can get really heavy and hurt, especially if I am walking around with the purse on my shoulder while I shop or run errands! The problem was, though, that the smaller purses/clutches didn't have room to carry all my things. What to do?


So, I simply carry a smaller purse/clutch that I toss into the tote bag with the other things I need such as my snacks, hairbrush, book to read, water bottle, etc. The tote bag stays in the car and I can remove the smaller purse to carry with me into stores for shopping. I'm loving this solution and I have a variety of totes in various colors that I use for this purpose. Problem solved!

Checkered pattern shirts seem to be trending this season. Have you jumped on board with one? And have you tried carrying a tote? Hope you will chime in and share your thoughts. I love hearing from you!

*By the way, after writing this post, I was trying to figure out which term to use....checkered, checked or plaid for the shirt. I discovered all could be used fairly interchangeably, although the size of the pattern might need to be more uniform to say plaid. Just an interesting tidbit!

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Linking With:

Marilyn's Treats-Over the Moon

3 comments:

Sharon said...

I absolutely love your checkered shirt. You look comfortable and stylish at the same time! I am going to borrow your idea for your tote bag. I tend to forget and take a regular shoulder handbag when I shop. It isn't long until I am trying to carry it a different way because of its weight and discomfort. I think I will be more aware before heading out to shop now that I've read how you use a tote bag.

Debbie Styles Life said...

Thanks, Sharon. The tote bag trick works well for me!

Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond said...

Hi Debbie thanks for linking up and I love the look! I also want one of those totes - just the right size for me. Thanks for sharing and linking up with us at #overthemoon link party. Have a great week!