Today’s Outfit Idea: New Year, New Two-Piece Belted Skirt Suit with Layered Cami

All right, all you ladies who push your style aside because you’re too dang busy just trying to get your kids or your partner or yourself out the door in the morning – the Fastionista is here to ease your style fear.

Happy New Year to all! May 2012 bring you happiness, success, and oodles of style. Although I’ve been loving a little holiday time off, I’m also anxious to get back to work (if only to show off the new clothes Santa left for me under the tree). I think it’s appropriate to get back into the swing of things in full-on professional mode, so here’s what’s in my closet today:

· Black Skirt Suit: This suit has a few elements that really amp up the fem factor: first of all, the jacket of my suit is not only a tailored fit with princess seaming, but it’s belted to achieve that feminine silhouette style. This streamlined look can be achieved by belting cardigans, trench coats, or any blazer with princess seaming. Then, the A-line cut of the skirt, along with pleating, continues the classic look–and since the pleat is “open,” I won’t get the bulgies when I sit (“closed” pleats, which often appear at the hip or thigh of pants, are almost never a woman’s BFF).

· Neon Blue Cami: For spring/summer 2012, we have either end of the color palette spectrum to choose from: pastels and neons are both en vogue. Of course, any color works with a neutral, so as long as all my colors match in weight (pastels with pastels, neons with neons, etc.) really I can use anything as a layering piece for under my suit. For me, brighter is better, so I’m going with a neon blue cami that sports horizontal pleats—not only do these complement the vertical pleats in my skirt, but all the pleating I’ve got going on creates inherent pattern and texturing in the fabric, giving a few boosts of visual interest to my look.

· Accessories: Since the majority of my outfit is black, I want to use my accessories to add a bit more color and, of course, some shine. So I’ll start by tying a lightweight purple-and-blue paisley scarf around my neck—the blue matches my cami and the purple complements it. A silver cuff bracelet with a cut-out design and a silver twist ring bring that shine in nicely, while keeping in trend with the chunkier jewelry look.

· Purse: Normally I like mixing my metals, but today I’m going to carry my purple tote that has silver fixtures. I don’t want to turn visual interest into a visual carnival by going overboard with too many stylistic elements incorporated into the same ensemble. Sometimes it’s okay to be matchy-matchy.

· SHOES!: A heavier bootie works well with the season and with the heavier suit design (more material equals a heavier look, and this suit has plenty o’ material with its pleats and longer jacket). And black faux suede goes perfectly with my classy look.

Voila! There you have it: great fashion fast. And you, gorgeous lady, are ready to take on the world, Fastionista Style!

This New Year, if your style is something you’ve been putting on the back burner, I urge you to make a resolution to put yourself first for a change. There are very few things we have control over in life, but one of them is how we dress—believe it or not, how we look can make a huge difference in how we feel about our everyday ups and downs. Most of us need to deal with those things in life we may not want to deal with, whether it’s part of a job (or our whole job), or running errands, or family/social obligations – whatever. And sometimes it seems that the last thing we have time for is making ourselves “pretty.” Sometimes "pretty" even seems frivolous. But if you need to update your wardrobe, and find quality pieces that flatter your figure and make you feel happy, the New Year is the perfect time to do it. Trust me – your style is a major way you can make every day feel special, and if you feel special, and confident, it will help you in your job, your family life, everything. Happy New Year!