Today’s Outfit Idea: Pleated Mini Magnificence

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.

The end of this week is going to be chillier and rainy where I am, not to mention we’ll be closing in on Halloween, so I already know my outfits on Thursday and Friday are going to be warmer. So I’m going to take advantage of the gorgeous October sunshine while I can. Here’s what’s in my closet today:

· Multi-Colored Pleated Mini: From New York to Paris this fall, the pleated wool mini is everywhere. If you’re not comfortable in a mini, the A-line, knee-length skirt is a great alternative, and gives the same feel as this type of mini. My mini has a houndstooth pattern with greens and browns, and a little dusty rose thrown in.

· Mock Turtleneck: I’m usually more of a V-neck gal, but there’s no denying that certain styles lend themselves more to crewnecks, or turtlenecks, so I always have at least one or two of these staples on hand. Case in point: today’s collegiate-style mini works perfectly with a turtleneck. My olive-colored mock turtleneck is cropped to the waist, and picks up the green in my mini.

· Brown Suede Jacket: I’m not going to repurpose my jacket today; just use it as the outerwear it was made to be. But I still want to make sure my outfit works in the chillier morning air. Remember: outerwear matters! So I’ll go with a brown suede jacket cropped to the waist, to not only complement the neutrals in my skirt, but also to complement the cut of my cropped turtleneck.

· Accessories: I’ll start with a wide brown headband that has the same houndstooth pattern as my skirt. Then, to incorporate some metallic shine, I’ll wear a gold-plated link watch, and finish with a gold fashion ring that has a sort of swoopy design cut into it (that’s the technical term, by the way: swoopy).

· Purse: The olive green of my satchel bag goes perfectly with my green turtleneck, and to make the outfit even more fashion-forward, I’ll be mixing my metals with the purse’s silver fixtures against my gold jewelry.

· SHOES!: Remember the dusty rose in my skirt? I’m playing off of that with a pair of rose suede flats. I’m wearing a short skirt, so since I don’t necessarily need the extra height, I’m giving my pumps a day off. Plus it’s Monday; any excuse to go easy on my feet, I’ll take it.

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

To pleat or not to pleat? Pleats can be great, especially when they’re used in skirts: the open hemline allows the pleat to billow nicely away from the body. But this is different from pleats in a top or pants, where a hemline close to the body can create a sort of pillow effect and add the bulgies where there shouldn’t be any (at the belly, or around the hips or backside). No one likes the bulgies. So be careful when dealing with pleats and, as always, try things on when shopping!