Outfit: Teal Appeal

I've given lots of blog space to Target collaborations, but today I'm going to showcase a piece from Kohl's.  They have a recent line called DesigNation, in which the designer chooses a city for inspiration, and they send the designer out to that city to create the pieces.  The first designer was Narciso Rodriguez, who was inspired by Istanbul, then Derek Lam with Rio, and currently we have Catherine Malandrino and Paris.  These collections are for some reason given less publicity than the Target ones, but the pieces are usually just as nice.  Last year, I bought a swimsuit and two tops from the Derek Lam collection.  This time around, I didn't have much on my wish list because most of the pieces are black and white, which just isn't my style.  I'm a color lover!  I deliberately sought out the pieces with color and am so glad I didn't overlook them!  Like this lovely teal sweater...

I can't seem to get it to photograph right, but it has a wonderful collection of textures, with the raised ribbing contrasting with the pointelle holes.  The ribbed part over the bust is, I'm sure, a strategic decision.  I do have to wear a flesh-toned cami underneath it for modesty, but that's no big deal.  The color is a dark teal, and it matches my super-comfy Cole Haan ballet flats just perfectly!

I also want to take a minute to mention these incredible skinny jeans...they're made by Uniqlo, and they're amazing!  I've never seen my legs looking better, and I feel super-sexy in them.  They're a perfect length (32" inseam - you can choose between that and 34").  I could wear them with heels, flats, or boots.  And they're only $19.90!  The downside is that since they run small in the thigh-to-calf area, I had to size up, and they gap enough at the waist that I can get an entire hand into the waistband.  And while they say they're mid-rise, they're not...the rise in my size is 8 inches, which is technically a low rise.  But they do cover my butt and sit comfortably on my hip bones, and the waist gapping is (A) something I'm very used to, as a curvy chica, and (B) nothing that a little belt can't fix.  Finally, the straight cut is much more forgiving than the tapered cut in the hip-to-knee area, so try out both to see which works for you.

Top: Catherine Malandrino for DesigNation at Kohl's

Jeans: Uniqlo skinny fit straight leg

Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target

Shoes: Maria Sharapova by Cole Haan