Gingham Ankle Pants in Black and Ivory

Happy Friday, everyone! I do hope spring is blooming forth in your neck of the woods and you have the opportunity to get out and enjoy some of the color this weekend. I’m savoring my last few days in Georgia, where we’ve enjoyed some warm sunshine and blue skies finally. My day in Madison, Georgia, with an old and dear friend was especially beautiful. (If you’re ever in Georgia and looking for a quaint, historic town to linger in for a day, check out Madison.) And today I’m sharing with you the black gingham ankle pants and pink sweater I wore that day.

These black and ivory gingham Chatham ankle pants feel like a well-fitted glove for your legs. They have a side zipper with button and only back welt pockets, creating smooth lines at the waist. They’re made of a bi-stretch cotton that moves with you, but doesn’t stretch out as you wear them. Here’s another pair to check from Nordstrom and yet another from Loft.

As I was driving home from Madison, I stopped in a clothing store for just a few minutes and ran into a woman wearing these same pants. She had paired hers with a solid black sweater and looked current and beautiful. But I chose to top mine with a big splash of bright pink in this Bonnie Bows Crewneck Sweater from Talbots. It also comes in cherry tomato, black and white, and they still have it in most sizes as far as I can see.

The back of the sweater is where the charm is. It has a keyhole opening at the top with a simple column of feminine same fabric bows down the center. Sweet, but not syrupy. My 83-year-old mom said she thought it would look to young on her. Hmm. Maybe. But I think the key is pairing it with pants that are smart and sharp. What do you think? The sweater is a 70/30 cotton/modal blend and can be hand washed and air dried flat.

I grounded my trendy ensemble with a pair of strappy black leather sandals with a current wedge heel. I have a thing for feminine, strappy sandals, and I’m really expecting to get a lot of wear out of these black ones. They also come in a navy, green, sand, cherry tomato, metallic gold and silver. And they’re 30% off right now. These sandals may look delicate, but I’ve owned similar strappy sandals from Talbots before and have gotten several years of hard wear out of them.

This black and gold tassel pendant is on trend and classy. I like that the stripes are a nice contrast to the checks in my gingham pants. Mixing contrasting patterns in even bolder ways is really in right now, but just a touch of contrast does enough for me, thank you very much. The tassel pendant is also marked down 30% right now.

I can honestly say I like everything about this black and ivory gingham and solid pink ensemble. I’ve already worn it out to lunch with my mom, to stroll around Madison with a dear friend and to brunch with my daughter. I feel “dressed” but comfortable and casual in it.

Here’s to a great weekend ladies! Let me know what favorite finds you’ve found for the spring. And if you have any fashion dilemmas or questions you’d like for me to research, let me know. I’m no expert, but I love to find answers.

Be sure to check out the shopping widget below to shop this look. Thanks so much for dropping in today. You make me happy!

I’m linking up with Jo-Lynne Shane’s Fashion Friday link-up and with Cheryl at Northwest Mountain Living & Style. Be sure to check out the other great looks!

Blessed for My Day

This week at my other website I posted about what we can do when our character has been maligned by false accusations or slander. I know that’s a heavy topic, but it happens. And we need to know who will come to our defense. Here’s what I learned: God’s job is to defend my character; my job is to demonstrate God’s character.

The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. ~ Exodus 14:14