This post is dedicated to a very good friend of mine, who is about to welcome a new family member! With #2 due in about 4 weeks, she is preparing for what she’ll wear when her body is in a non-pregnant state.
She recently emailed me, pondering what store to live by when she’s ready to shop. Ironically, I got a catalog for her store of choice the same week she inquired about it…and I have something different in mind.
Enter, Land’s End. In my experience, most everything has been comfortable, well-made and they have been adding bits and pieces of design to compete “up.” They also cater nicely to a wide variety of sizes (some categories have more items than others) – regular, petite, petite plus, plus and tall. The value (quality for price) is strong and they offer most items in a number of different colors.
Most importantly, however, I believe this line of clothing will help her meet key objectives:
- Comfort
- A range of items for different needs
- A little style and a lot of color (for clarification purposes, this is my addition to her list)
The following outfits – all put together with products being sold right now at Land’s End – are my recommendations based on what she told me her wardrobe needs are.
And in case you’re wondering, I am not conducting an infomercial or being paid for this post…
1) ERRANDS
The items above, including a simple color palette, can be mixed and matched to create countless outfits. The jeans and sweaters are for cooler days and evenings and the scarf adds some texture, color and interest.
Yes – I would pair the brown flats or blue sandals with any of the bottoms or tops shown, and, yes, I would pair the navy or coral sweater with nay of the tops or bottoms!
These outfits are great for:
- The grocery store, library, post office and Target
- Doctor appointments
- School pick-up and drop-off
- Morning coffee with the neighborhood girls
Left: scoop layering tee, boyfriend jeans, ruffle cardigan, cotton knit scarf, ballet flat
Middle: ruffle collar polo, poplin cargo pants
Right: stripe t-shirt, 7″ chino shorts, cotton cardigan, cotton knit scarf, medium terrain sandals
2) OCCASIONS
These outfits use some of the same pieces from the Errands category and are slightly dressier. The pants on the left are striped and would work with any of the top combos shown.
A white denim on top or bottom is a dressier take on denim and the structured lightweight denim capris are a more dressy take on a capri.
The metallic gold flip-flop and/or knit scarf dress these outfits down while the patent yellow croc flats with the beaded necklace dress them up.
These outfits can take my friend to any of the following:
- Volunteering at school
- Church
- Bunco
- Book club
- Dinner club
- Brunch
Left: cotton cardigan, wide leg pincord pants, silk cotton ruffle shell, cotton knit scarf, faux croc flats
Middle: ruffle cardigan, scoop layering tee, boot cut jeans
Right: jean jacket, lightweight denim capris, ruffle collar polo, 36″ beaded necklace, leather flip-flops
3) EVENTS
Living in a smaller city is less demanding in terms of style…but that does not mean all sense of style should be sacrificed or ignored.
A white dress for summer is crisp, refreshing and breezy and can be paired with the navy sweater and patent yellow flats to dress it up or the coral sweater and brown flats for a slightly more casual take.
The patterned skirt (I believe it’s a chrysanthemum pattern) is navy and can be paired with either sweater or shoe as well. Personally, I might adjust the hem slightly to be at the knee instead of right below the knee for a more flattering silhouette.
Lastly, the navy wrap dress pairs well with the coral sweater and brown flats with a nice horn necklace to break up the solids.
These pieces work for date nights. They could also be worn for any of the occasions listed under #2.
Left: cotton dress, ruffle cardigan, 36″ beaded necklace, faux croc flats
Middle: ruffle cardigan, scoop layering tee, pattern skirt
Right: modal wrap dress, cotton cardigan, horn link necklace, ballet flat
4) MISCELLANEOUS
To address a few additional needs, and to showcase how comprehensive Land’s End is, I wanted to include several items that were not specifically on the list, but should be considered.
First, an outfit I KNOW will get a lot of use, a casual athletic ensemble. The blue shoes and the coral top definitely coordinate.
I really like this rain jacket because of the cinched waist and the bright color – perfect for every day and dressier events.
The reusable tote bag is on here to a) remind you to reuse and b) because it has a cute color/pattern combo.
Lastly, my friend needs a new bathing suit. For anyone looking to hide a little something, I definitely believe a one-piece is more flattering than a skirted two-piece. I have tried on so many tankinis with skirts and they never do me justice. This swimsuit, in purple, has a great strap design on the back and a skirted/ruched front to minimize attention at the midsection and I’ve selected a straw hat for an elegant way to protect light skin.
Shop these items: half-zip pullover, sport pants, terrain ballet shoes, rain jacket, market tote, all-over control tunic swimsuit, straw hat
Thirty-something items later, this is an extensive spring-to-summer wardrobe to help inspire what pieces to consider and how to coordinate colors and pieces into outfits.
If you need help getting your closet ready for spring to summer, Fabuliss specializes in putting outfits together – from your closet or from the store. Contact me at hello@fabuliss.com for more information!
P.S. Land’s End also has a specialty line – Land’s End Canvas – that showcases taking style a step further while maintaining a classic, simple approach. My only bias against this line is that it is currently offered in regular sizes.
Fabuliss, Minneapolis/St. Paul Image Consulting 