Bulls Eye

I don’t think it should come as a shock when I say I love Target.  Doesn’t everybody love Target?  And I get a lot of my clothes from there, as do my kids.  I’ve been a Target clothes shopper for as long as I can remember, actually. And a large amount of it comes from the clearance rack.  I very rarely shop through the main area and instead head straight to the clearance section.  It’s just a habit, I guess.  But I’ve had some seriously good luck by doing that.  And my favorite piece of this outfit was found there.This sleeveless tuxedo jacket was plucked from the clearance rack for $8.  And it’s one of my favorite closet pieces.  In the fall I wear it with a white tank and black leather leggings but I wanted to find a way to wear it in the warmer months, so this is what I did…

The black and white shorts are also from Target.  They’re silky and flowy and elastic waisted and super comfy.  I also paid full price for them (shocking, I know)- $20.  I got them when I was shopping with my mom, which explains why I was in the full price section in the first place.  But I’m so happy I got them!  I’ve worn them a couple of times and have found they’re really fun and easy to pair things with.

 

 

When it came to what top to pair with the vest and the shorts, I immediately thought to add a pop of color.  I thought bright yellow would be nice… but when I tried it all on together, I decided I’d rather go completely black and white from head to toe.  So I instead added this simple cotton black and white striped tank that (again) came from Target- $7.  I liked the idea of mixing patterns with this outfit if I was gonna stay in the black and white zone.  It just made it more interesting to me than a simple white tank.

The shoes are from my girlfriend as a hand-me-down and she has no idea where she got them.  No clue.  We even looked at the faded label and still couldn’t figure it out.  So I’m sorry I can’t help you out there, but I thought they were a perfect match for this outfit.  They’re fun, a little sexy, but simple enough that they don’t make too much of a bold statement on their own.

And since I stayed black and white from head to toe… I decided I earned a bright orange clutch.  This one comes from FiFi’s Fine Resale and has no label so again, can’t tell you where to find another.  It’s vinyl, with magnet closures and I’ve used it a ton.  It folds over to close so it actually has a lot more room than it appears to have.

 

Accessory-wise I went gold.  I love gold with black and white.  It pops more than silver.  And the black sunglasses are by Dazed n Confused, but I didn’t buy ’em.  I found ’em.  And when no one claimed ’em, they became mine.  They’re just simple black plastic glasses that I find myself wearing a lot.  And they paired perfectly with the outfit.

 

I pulled my hair back in a simple, messy pony to keep it casual…

The gold earrings and necklace come from Forever 21.  Each were around $5.  The black ring comes from Charming Charlie… in their mark-down basket at the register- $5.  The gold metal cuff comes from a vacation boutique- $7, and the elastic gold bands come as a hand-me-down from a friend.

I took this outfit from day to evening.  I went to see a documentary, then out for drinks and dinner.  I love finding outfits that can easily transition like that.  I would even wear this to a cocktail party, daytime shopping with girlfriends… it’s pretty versatile.

And fun.

This is just a fun outfit.  And maybe this same thing exists in a catalog or in a fashion magazine, and that’s awesome if it does.  But I just happen to like the fact that I put this whole thing together with hardly any money at all, and it sat in a red shopping cart along with my cotton balls and paper towels.  I got a ton of compliments on it when I wore it out, and when I told them it all came from Target, the shock on people’s faces kinda made my day.  It just goes to show you that, again, you don’t need a lot of money or fancy labels to look pulled together.

All you need is a little creativity, humility and the hungry desire to dance to your own tune.