Luxe Embroidered Boots and Velvet Jacket

Even if you like to dress casually, it’s easy to pull in a couple of luxurious pieces to upscale your outfit and make you feel fabulous. Here are two beautiful things I just bought: elegant, classy, and right on trend!

I love the classic look of an impeccably tailored jacket worn with jeans or leggings. This stunning velvet jacket pushes all the right buttons for me.

Velvet is trending, and you are going to see a lot of it this fall. This particular jacket is by Theory. They call it their power jacket, and that is exactly how you feel when you slip this baby on.

It’s been a long time since I wore a jacket with strong shoulders like this (hello 1980’s), and I must say I like the crisp look and feel, not to mention how a structured shoulder makes the rest of your body look so sleek.

My jacket looks red in some of these photos, but it is actually more of electric pink. Here’s a similar jacket.

Did you notice what else I bought? I treated myself to these breathtaking Kate Spade rose embroidered boots that I have been eyeing forever. I think they really pop against the all black, and their feel goes so well with the luxe velvet jacket.

Here’s a closer look at these embroidered boots. They’re a work of art! I’d be happy just to put them on a shelf and look at them all day, but I’m making myself wear them all the time, so I really get my money’s worth. ( Don’t you hate when we buy clothes and then don’t wear them?)

Let me walk you through what’s behind this look. Both velvet and embroidery are part of what everyone is calling the Russian Doll trend….lots of velvet, embroidery, dark florals, plenty of red, black, luxurious details.

I’ve taken a couple of these Russian elements and mixed them with a classic black column of color. Have you heard me talk about that before? If not, a column of color is simply a dressing trick.

To create a column of color, you wear black head to toe (in this case, a top and leggings). Then, you put a jacket, or long vest, a coat, or something like that in a bright or light color over top of the dark column.

The contrast between the long, lean line of black and the outside color running alongside it creates a visual illusion that will make you look taller and slimmer. Movie stars use this trick ALL the time.

So you see, you look relaxed but dressed up at the same time, and with my 40+ lifestyle I find I require that combo a lot.

Here’s one last look without the jacket. It looks good this way too.