yay, niva's turn!

niva, once you've completed your challenge, your list is:

1. rosebudrmm
2. april
3. shiny
4. ana
5. kari
6. planetamy
7. inge
8. happylife
9. lwc

random.org is the number generator to use. have fun!

This is actually a pretty interesting challenge--take something very conservative and predictable and make it interesting! Nice thinking.

:-D thanks Tarzy, you are making me blush! A "perfect" white top is exactly what is on my next "to buy" list :-D I do have a few though and thankfully a good pair of black trousers. Accessorizing is my Achilles heel, so hope I do good there. After all you setting the bar so high, I'm nervous!

Maya, I know! So far it has always been my most uninspired outfit, I hope I can put a twist on it.

Ok! So sorry for the delay Tarzy. I had unexpected visitors and a minor family emergency to deal with this week. Finally got some time this weekend after running all planned errands.

Here's my outfit:
http://s273.photobucket.com/al.....G_3112.jpg

Accessories:
http://s273.photobucket.com/al.....G_3119.jpg
http://s273.photobucket.com/al.....G_3120.jpg

(Sorry for the streaky mirror)

I'm not sure if this outfit counts as smart casual. Try as I might I couldn't find any colors in my wardrobe to build this outfit, leaving me to rely on one of the very few accessories with color that I did have. I really really wish I had a white or yellow bag and grey shoes to go with the outfit. How did I do Tara?

Niva, you look awesome! I love how the yellow jewelry and pretty but crisp white shirt make the outfit look so fresh. Tara is right on about you looking stunning in white.

Thanks Kari :-) I love how these challenges are challenging me to think out of the box. I would have never thought to wear a black and white outfit this way!

I really like this outfit, it has a lot of interesting details. It looks like the shoes have sort of texture as well, very nice!

I really like how you paired the crisp, white blouse with the soft gray sweater and then incorporated yellow accents. You look beautiful and sophisticated. A great work outfit!

Looks lovely Niva

Great outfit, Niva! I would say you handled the challenge with flying colors. Love the detailing around the neckline of your blouse. And the yellow accessories are so fresh!

KILLER. You did it, Vani :0)

Smashing deluxe, darling! So pretty and always polished. Yellow, dove grey and white is a flop proof combination. I absolutely adore that bracelet! I want it. Love Boi's bottom in the distance, too. So cute.

And the high standard of the challenges continues.....

okay, white is SO your color, and i love white, gray and yellow together! you totally knocked this one out of the park!!

i can hardly believe how well this challenge is shaping up! *sniffle*

Oh, FABULOUS job! (And how I miss my ON gray sweater; it was so versatile and felt so cozy and polished at the same time!) The mix of yellow and gray with the b&w is perfect, but I am also really drawn to the ruffles on the white blouse; it adds a wonderful shot of whimsy and femininity to the traditional shite button-down.

Good job!

Niva,
You do look gorgeous, I love all of the outfit, the yellow and grey is a winning combo. The textures that you chose are simple and sophisticated. Well done!!

Thanks so much for the wonderful words of encouragement ladies! You just made my Monday blues completely go away :-D

Angie, Wow ((hugs)) thank you!!! That combination is all inspiration from you and your blog. I was having a bit of a hard time coming up with something different and, as always, turned to your blog posts for inspiration. And there it was! http://youlookfab.com/2009/04/.....g-neutral/
You can so have that bracelet! It is an Indian anklet bracelet turned wrist bracelet with beads from the earrings that came with the necklace. I found the earrings a little tacky to wear on their own the way they came.

hanna, If you could, please imagine me reaching out and hugging you http://media.funlol.com/content/hugbear.gif
With the amazing challenges you have been coming up with and doing such an excellent job of organizing, I have been forced to re- evaluate my wardrobe from many perspectives to come up with fresh wearable outfits. I cannot thank you enough for that.

Kristen, thank you! I am sure you meant to say white and not shite, but you made me LOL this Monday morning and I thank you for that :-D

My inspiration from this challenge? The beautiful color combo I discovered (white, dove grey and yellow) and one of these shoes is going to be mine soon :-)
http://youlookfab.com/2009/04/.....or-spring/

I am also motivated now to invest in a tripod and a good mirror. My pictures are always so blurry, sheesh.

Yay Niva! You look great. I was so afraid that I've given you a bad challenge, but you really made it work! I LOVE the grey and yellow combo.

One of the things I love about this series is that, for me anyway, it helped me see what might be missing from my wardrobe, so I can make my future shopping more productive. But you already had the yellow accessories! Is this something you might wear to work, in place of your normal jeans outfits?

Tara, I have to thank you for helping me build an outfit that is completely different, for me, and completely wearable! I had the yellow accessories but somehow never got around to incorporating them in an outfit as I own no clothes in yellow. Will I wear this to work? You betcha! Today I have on a little more casual version of this outfit - black walk shorts, split neck ribbed white tank and strappy sandals, with the grey cardi and yellow accessories. Love it! I even got the thumbs up from a sleepy husband, without my asking :-D

Vani - you look lovely. The white literally makes you glow. And I love your bracelet. What a great idea to convert anklets and earrings to a bracelet. I need to that too now that you've shared your idea. I have a couple of really pretty silver Indian anklets that I rarely wear.

Thank you Sihaya :-) Do try that with your anklets. Perhaps with some fab beads from etsy? While growing up I remember we used to join two anklets at the clasps to make a chain and attach a dangly earring as a pendant. Works much better when the charms are not little bells though, because of the all tinkling noise when you move he he

I really like the grey with the yellow accessories. I definitely think the outfit qualifies as smart casual.

What kind of dog do you have in the background? :)

OMG! Bwahahahaha.

Yes, Niva, that was definitely a typo. I love WHITE button-downs. :)

Niva, I actually really like this outfit (I say actually because I normally find this combination of items boring). It's very quiet, but when you get up close there are all kinds of interesting details and the colors are lovely.

Lovely colour combinations Niva! Really like the subtle interesting details: cute necklace, ruffled shirt etc. Polished AND interesting - yay!!!

Ana - Thank you! That fellow who's bottom you see back there is Boi and he's a mixed breed German Shepherd. Not as tall and long haired as a pure bred though, and that works well for me :-D

Maya, I'm glad you like it! Quiet is the word for this outfit, except for the yellow and the ruffles. Everything else I had just seemed so brazen on white and the white tops by themselves where so uninteresting. I've actually made this a pet project of mine now, to try and make as many interesting B&W smart casual outfits as I can using accessories I have (so few) and will buy in the future.

Tam, thank you!!! I fell in love with this combo after Angie posted about it. I am glad I got a chance to exercise it :-)