I hate being called “trendy”, but the Spring/Summer 2012 brights trend of coral and neons is one I couldn’t resist. This gauzy split back shirt is one of the best impulse buys I’ve snapped up in a long time. And of course, my leopard wedge heels make their regularly scheduled appearance.

{ Architecture of an Outfit } Spring Brights, Stripes, Leopard Wedge Heels, Mom Pants and Silver Armswag

Spring Summer 2012 is all about neons and ultra vibrant hues, more so than it was last year. If wearing brights head to toe is too much for you, like it can be for me, you can always just wear one prominent color and keep the rest muted or neutral. A blouse or tee like this one can be a bit edgy, despite the floaty, ethereal fly away back, for the exact reason of all the skin. For the office, layer a striped or solid tank underneath to keep it appropriate. Then ground the breeziness with a half-tuck into pleated trousers.

I kept it playful by cuffing my mom-pants and contrasting the stripes and punch of the neon coral with my leopard wedges. Finally, I finished it with silver mismatched earrings and mixed metal armswag.

OUTFIT ARCHITECTURE / DETAILS
TOP: Fly away coral shirt, Mahina Maui (LOCAL:)
TANK: Striped Tank, Target
BELT: Snakeskin skinny belt, Banana Republic
TROUSERS: Pleated slim trousers, Victoria’s Secret
HEELS: Leopard wedge heels, Aldo Shoes
EARRINGS: Silver Fan Earrings, random boutique; silver costume “Chanel” C earring, Incognito Boutique, Royal Oak, Michigan
WATCH: Black polka dot watch, random Detroit boutique
RINGS: Silver puzzle ring, JewelMint; stackable spike rings, Noir Jewelry
BANGLES: Vintage, Alex and Ani

ALTERNATIVES / WHERE TO BUY
TOP: Coral open back top, Sparkle & Fade via UO; Coral chiffon sleeveless top, Nordstrom; Sheer coral fly away back top, Target.
TANK: Striped tank, American Apparel.
BELT: Snakeskin belt, Michael Kors.
TROUSERS: Soft pleated trousers, Karen Millen; grey pleated slim trousers.
HEELS: Leopard wedge heels, Steve Madden (almost exact same).
EARRINGS: Silver leaf dangle earrings.
WATCH: Polka dot gold watch, Betsey Johnson.
RINGS: Silver puzzle pieces ring, JewelMint (must subscribe to buy); stackable spike rings, Noir Jewelry.
BANGLES: Silver and pave bangles; Gold wire bangles.

Max the Bear wanted to do an Outfit of the Day shot as well, to show off his summer cut.

I’ve been seeing Moloka‘i, Lana‘i these early mornings, beyond the gold haze of dawn shining through my window… and sometimes wreathed by clouds, almost lilac in the distance, I can faintly see Mau‘i’s Haleakala Volcano above the glimmering Pacific and neighbor islands. It’s a magical time in my life. The thing is… it’s just regular life. And I’ve just learned to see it in a better, happier way.

I’m normally an angry, irritable person. I used to proudly refer to myself as GrumpyPants or AngryPants. But I’m learning to and need to let that go. Life is too short to let anger control me. In the grand scheme of life, everything that makes me angry are just anxieties that never, ever come to fruition. People sometimes suck. Life throws bad things at you. Storms may rage, but you can always adjust the sails to find calmer seas. The control rests in your hands. It all starts with me.

I sincerely hope your days are amazing and your weeks are short, sweet and golden.

Me ke aloha ~ With love, Xx
Mae

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