Hello and welcome to my third look as Catherines Style Ambassador for May!  I've previously shown you a beachy chevron maxi dress and a warm weather-ready black and white ensemble with a splash of citrusy yellow.  This week's look is summer perfection with two seasonally fabulous trends - capris of all kinds and vibrantly hued tops!  These trends speak volumes to me because I tend to live in this kind of look for a majority of the summer.  "Cute and casual with a bit of sparkle" is the name of my game.  Catherines' Summer Collection consists of tops in many, many silhouettes, patterns, and beautiful colors, as well as capris with cuff embellishments and cute details in denim and bright summer colors.

Source: Catherines


I knew the moment I tried this outfit on that it was so "me".  Like I said, this casual style is typical of what I wear on a normal day in the warmer months.  And the weather has been quite lovely in the Pacific Northwest in the last week or so.  I took to the park to frolic in my new outfit and enjoy the gorgeous weather.


Let's start with the Kindred Spirit Top.  Of course the gorgeous combination of vibrant turquoise and purple, with little hints of fuchsia, drew me in first thing.  The layered colors are a bit tie-dye, a bit painterly. A medallion print is on both the front and back of the upper portion of the top.  The faux-henley neckline is open but conservative, so no need to layer an extra tank underneath for modesty.  I also love the little rhinestone accents across the neckline and bust area.  It adds that extra little touch of sparkle that I crave.  The fabric is a smooth, lighter weight polyester but doesn't feel stifling.  It feels stretchy and breathable like a t-shirt.  I am wearing a 2X in this top and find the length to be perfect for my 5'9" frame, with a slight hi-low hem.  I also love that this top is cut a bit wider at the hips so I have room to move without worrying about it being too clingy.  If you are smaller in the bust like me, you may have a little bit of extra room up top.  Still, I feel like this top flattered my chest just fine and the armholes are not massive or baggy in the event you go sleeveless.


The top is cute with or without the shrug, but sometimes I require the arm coverage.  I chose to pair the Harborside Shrug (in dark turquoise) with this top to frame the bright colors and give me that coverage.  It's a longer shrug that hits me right above my natural waist.  The fabric is lightweight, stretchy, and soft.  It has enough weight to it that allows it to hang well on your body and stays in place on the bust and shoulders well; but it is lightweight enough to be a breezy over-piece in the summer.  Ribbing along the outer portion of the sleeve and down the back give some texture and interest.  The short sleeves are a little longer and hit me at the elbow, which I love.  This is my perfect sleeve length.  Because this shrug is open front and has a slight dolman sleeve, I sized down to a 1X.  The sleeves are stretchy enough that  it fits the width of my upper arms just fine.  They don't ride up or move around as I wear it.  I find this characteristic really depends on the fabric, so test them out a bit when you try them on.

A rare moment of sleeveless action!  It felt quite freeing to feel the cool breeze on my arms. I'm definitely becoming more confident in baring the arms and not over-thinking it.  :-)


Let's not leave me pants-less and discuss these cute capris!  The Criss-Cross Capris are named for the embellished cuffs decorated with a criss-cross pattern of silvery thread with little silver studs.  Catherines has quite a few embellished cuff capris this season that feature rhinestones, studs, ribbon, etc.  They are really cute!  It was hard to decide which pair I wanted the most.  If embellishments aren't your thing, there are still lots of denim styles to choose from, as well as colored cargo capris and more streamlined styles in fun colors.  (My other favorite was the Ripstop Capri in turquoise.)

I decided to go with the Criss-Cross Capris in the end because the cuff decor is cute and sparkly, but subtle enough to go with lots of different tops.  The medium wash color is something different for me too.  I usually opt for darker denim no matter what.  Not that these are that light....I think they are a great mix of a medium wash that leans toward a darker hue.  Whatever you want to call it, I love the way it looks. I am wearing a 24W and find the fit to be perfect.  The fabric is soft and stretchy and oh so comfortable.  As stretchy as they are, I was worried they were going to be all stretched out at the end of the day, but they have held their shape very well.  That always excites me!  These capris also have elastic inserts at the back, which help them fit better and be extra comfy.  Again, this was something that bothered me before I tried them on because I tend to poo-poo elastic waists.  No more, y'all!  They are comfy and cute, two adjectives that can really exist together.  That elastic really does help the jeans fit to your curves better.  If Dr. Seuss were here, I am sure he would tell you "Those who mind (the elastic waist) don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."



In the case of accessories, I kept it colorful and sparkly. (Shocker! lol)  The Shine Hoop Earrings are also from Catherines, a purchase that was set in stone as soon as I saw how truly sparkly they are in person.  I am a sucker for shiny hoops.  My bracelets are both gifts - one is a beaded turquoise number made by a family member, and one is a thyroid cancer awareness bracelet my sister bought for me when I was diagnosed.  The sparkly, fuchsia boat shoes are casual but add a pop of color.  There is a hint of fuchsia amidst the purple in the top, so it was a no-brainer.


As I said earlier, Sean and I went to the park to enjoy the weather.  We set up our croquet set for the first time in years.  It was fun playing and relaxing, plus this scenery!  I am in love with that dreamy, romantic tree!


Kindred Spirit Top - c/o Catherines
Criss-Cross Capri - c/o Catherines
Harborside Shrug in Dark Turquoise - c/o Catherines
Shine Hoop Earrings - c/o Catherines
Bahama Sparkle Suede Boat Shoe - Sperry Top-Sider