track pants – the Spiff

The Perfect Pants to Wear Jean Shopping

November 3, 2017 No Comments

ootd, track pants, athleisure, nike shirt, jean jacket, mom life outfit, mom blog, knoxville fashion, west town mall, knoxville fashion, knoxville fashion blogger

Scientific facts about track pants.

Have I ever mentioned how loosely I use the phrase “scientific facts”? No? Okay. Just bare that in mind.

Someone once asked me what is the one thing that I can’t resist the urge to buy. I stood there knowing that there’s something like that but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I walked into my closet and saw about 13 pairs of black pants. And still, nothing came to mind. Huh. Oh well I guess we’ll never know.

Meanwhile, how about these black track pants!?

They’re comfy and baggy and…(brace yourself for another scientific fact) they are the perfect pants to wear when going jean shopping.

It was a hypothesis a couple hours ago, it’s now a FACT. As I was leaving the house to do the dreaded task of finding the exact jeans I had in my head (oh what fun), I came close to donning my regular pair of black workout tights then realized pealing them off and on would not be a welcome addition to my afternoon. Track pants are the answer!

They slide off an on so quickly and when you pair them with a work out shirt they’re sooo very comfy. Oh but don’t leave the house in just that…throw on a structured jacket over the whole thing to appear more polished and purposeful and, heck, just do it so you feel ready to take on the jeans section.

Update on the jeans: I found a pair very close to what I was looking for, for $14. YEAH. That’s why you want to keep reading this blog.

I’ve linked to everything I’m wearing up there – most of which you can find at JCP in West Town Mall!!

Fashion, forever21, jcpenney

Styling Track Pants

August 14, 2015 No Comments

I’m taking a little time off from the blog to enjoy being a mom. But that doesn’t mean the blog will go dark!

Enjoy this post (and these pants) from last summer. I’m still getting use out of them this summer, even while I was pregnant!

The technical name for them is “track pants,” but I like to call them, “the most comfortable thing I’ll slip my legs into all summer.”

With a fun pattern and a silky texture, these pants are exactly what you’ve been looking to add to your summer-wear.

Most of the time they have an elastic waist, making them the perfect “eatin’ pants” for meals where you plan to throw down a lot (I don’t know about you, but I really needed a pair of eating pants that look as sophisticated as these do).

The only downfall to these pants is that they can be tricky to style. With the wrong kind of styling it can look like you forgot to put your real pants on when you woke up this morning.

Heels help these pants look less slouchy and more out-in-public appropriate. And while most of the time in styling, it’s best to pair opposites together (i.e.: slouchy pants, structured top) these pants can handle a little less balance. So a slouchy top like this blue blouse from Forever21 (back in the day) works with the pants because it’s made out of dressier fabric.

If I were to wear these with a white t-shirt, I would probably tuck the front of it into the waist so that my outfit wouldn’t translate, “slouch bucket.”

A long dangly necklace is fun because it adds to the careless feel. I nabbed these pants at JCP, by the way, so if you want to go get your own try them with these styling tips and you’ll be looking so fly (and feeling so comfortable).

Fashion, outfit planning, packing, pattern mixing, west town mall

Pack Like a Pro

April 29, 2015 2 Comments

t-shirt // patterned top // black dress // white blazer // jean jacket // floral pumps // black flats // nike’s // dark skinnies // boyfriend jeans // patterned pants // pink piko top // blue top

Four and a half years ago I started a job that required some travel. In those 4 1/2 years I’ve been schooled on how to pack well.

Last week when packing for a business trip to Indianapolis, I thought it might be a challenge since I’m still learning how to dress with a baby bump. But by making and following these tried and true rules, everything I packed was precisely what I needed…

1. Check the freakin’ weather.

I am amazed by the number of people I go on trips with who don’t check the weather of the city they’re traveling to. You can’t assume they’re having the same weather you are, and it really makes a difference in your comfort level while there. I checked and saw that Indianapolis was going to be waaaay cooler than it was here, so I was sure to pack jackets and a sweater for night time activities. And boy did it pay off – between the cooler temps and the craaaazy wind it was freezing. Check the freakin’ weather.

2. Go through your itinerary to know what you’ll need.

On most trips (even vacation-centered one’s) you have an idea of what you’ll be doing. Business trips especially are pretty planned out. So go through each event and decide what it is you’ll need to wear. If you’re not sure what the level of dress will be, shoot for somewhere in the middle of dressy and casual. This means packing items like blazers and dark jeans. That combination goes well in almost any situation. Something that also goes well is a little black dress. Pack your most versatile LBD (like the one pictured) so that you can wear it with pumps at night, then change to flats and a jean jacket for some sight seeing.

3. Pack items that will pull double duty.

For my trip to Indianapolis I had to dress for a nice reception and meetings during the day. For this I packed one pair of heels (I wear a size 10 so my shoes take up a good bit of room). And sure, the safest bet is to go with your black pumps, but I decided to go with a little more flair and packed my patterned pumps. They really jazzed up my striped dress in the evening and added great personality to my black and white pants (like the ones pictured) for meetings during the day (plus they’re some of my most comfortable heels). All of the other shoes I packed were both nice looking and comfortable so I could easily switch them around to different outfits (and comfortably meander downtown).

4. Remember to pack for down time.

One thing I’ve been working on for the past couple of trips is packing for down time. Simple, casual outfits you can wear after hours that are comfortable and appropriate for public viewing really come in handy and are sometimes easily forgotten. A t-shirt like the one pictured (which ironically says, “Nothing to Wear”) is a great way to go. So is the snakeskin patterned shirt that can also pull double duty under the white blazer.

5. Stick with simple colors or patterns for easy mixing.

Notice the only animal print I have up there is in the black and white blouse from Express. Every other pattern is something different. This makes it so that everything can be easily mixed and matched. At a quick glance, I counted 11 outfits that could be made out of the items above. Keep this in mind when packing, and be sure to lay everything out on your bed before packing it. This will allow you to see the big picture and be certain that you can pull multiple outfits together.

Also, try everything on before you pack it away. I know this adds to your to-do list, but it’s better to know that everything fits and looks well while you can still change it instead of in the hotel room when you’re stuck with what you’ve brought.

I hope this helps you with all your spring/summer trips. Conveniently, everything pictured (except the Nike’s) can be found at West Town Mall!

If you need more packing advice, I’ve given plenty. Click here, here, here, here or here (oh and here).

fall, Fashion

My Favorite Fall Pants

September 23, 2014 No Comments

Deep breath. It’s officially fall. And when I say “deep breath” I mean, SCREAM OUT LOUD, IT’S OFFICIALLY FALL!

If I got paid for the number of times I said I love this time of year, I would be richer than Justin Biebers bail bondsman.

I thought the best first-post-of-fall subject would be these tuxedo stripped pants from J. Crew in West Town Mall. I bought them last year and spent a little more than I normally do on pants, but my reasoning was I could wear them all year round. But really, these pants are for fall.

You can tell the moment that you slip into them that they are well made pants. Sturdy, comfortable. I’m a big fan of the length. Ankle pants this time of year are absolutely perfect for balancing out heavier sweaters or blazers that might start to get worn more often. Somehow that extra inch or two of leg showing at the bottom lightens up your whole look and allows you to get away with wearing more winter-esq tops without looking like you’ve dressed for Alaska.

You do have to be careful to not pair these with shrunken pieces like a crop sweater or jacket – that will just make you look like you went through a growth spurt over night.

Something else that’s great about this length is that it really gives your shoes the spotlight. And leopard heels like these really do crave their time in the limelight.

It’s officially fall! Let’s start dressing like it! :-D

Fashion, forever21, jcpenney, summer

I Hope You Didn’t Get Your Dad These Pants

June 16, 2014 No Comments

The technical name for them is “track pants,” but I like to call them, “the most comfortable thing I’ll slip my legs into all summer.”

With a fun pattern and a silky texture, these pants are exactly what you’ve been looking to add to your summer-wear.

Most of the time they have an elastic waist, making them the perfect “eatin’ pants” for meals where you plan to throw down a lot (I don’t know about you, but I really needed a pair of eating pants that look as sophisticated as these do).

The only downfall to these pants is that they can be tricky to style. With the wrong kind of styling it can look like you forgot to put your real pants on when you woke up this morning (am I dancing here, or am I yawning?)

Heels help these pants look less slouchy and more out-in-public appropriate. And while most of the time in styling, it’s best to pair opposites together (i.e.: slouchy pants, structured top) these pants can handle a little less balance. So a slouchy top like this blue blouse from Forever21 (back in the day) works with the pants because it’s made out of dressier fabric.

If I were to wear these with a white t-shirt, I would probably tuck the front of it into the waist so that my outfit wouldn’t translate, “slouch bucket.”

A long dangly necklace is fun because it adds to the boho feel. I nabbed these at JCP, by the way, so if you want to go get your own try them with these styling tips and you’ll be looking so fly (and feeling so comfortable).