Find Your Fit: Francie Wears the Lyford Top

Hello, lovelies!

Today it is my turn to show you how I will wear the fabulous J. McLaughlin black Lyford top. I’m such a fan of wrap tops! They are flattering on all body shapes, even for people like me who often feel like nothing fits, and they can be easily adjusted for a custom fit. A regular-size wrap top will usually work on a variety of heights (hello, my fellow petite friends) and waist lengths (yes, there are tall women who are short waisted). In addition to having all the benefits of a wrap top, this Lyford fabric is amazing. I didn’t think J.McLaughlin could come up with another fabric as great as their Catalina Cloth, which has long been one of my favorites for travel because it does not wrinkle, but they have met that bar with the Lyford.

Tina has already given away one of my secrets: I almost never wear black. When I first met her, Tina told me (nicely!) that black was not the most flattering color for me. I gave it up cold turkey and now have fewer than five items of black non-athletic clothing in my wardrobe. If I wear black anywhere near my face, I break it up with a fabric or accessory in another color.

To the Office: Wearing the Black Lyford Top

Francie wears the Lyford Top

Here I'm wearing the black Lyford top with a caramel-colored leather jacket and black knit skirt. The jacket keeps me from just having black against my face. I was skeptical when Tina first told me a leather jacket was a wardrobe essential, but I’ve worn the heck out of this one. It is a few years old (best Nordstrom Anniversary Sale purchase ever), but I’ve found a couple of similar styles for Style Vault members, including one that comes in petite sizes and another that is a vegan leather at a great price.

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Some of you detail-obsessed types like me are noticing that the skirt I’m wearing here is not made from the same fabric as the Lyford wrap top. It’s actually ideal to mix fabrics in the same color rather than trying to match them. A seamed pencil skirt is a great year-round piece, and I’ve found one for Style Vault members that comes in regular and petite sizes as well as three great colors (black, navy, and tan).

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To keep this work look from being boring, I’ve added one of my favorite pairs of shoes: animal print wedges. These shoes are a great way to add some pattern to my wardrobe, which has a lot of solids, and they go with so many colors. I wear these wedges with everything from dresses to jeans. I think these are such a great piece for you to have that I’ve put three animal print shoe options in the Style Vault.

Wearing Black When It Isn’t Your Best Color

Even though black isn’t my best color, there are times when I’m going to wear it. My black trench coat is one of my travel essentials (packing posts coming soon, I promise! Subscribe here to make sure you see them!), and occasionally there is a black item of clothing that is too perfect to pass up, like this Lyford top. Even if black isn’t your best color, you may still have a lot of it in your closet that you want to wear. Not to worry, it can be done. You just need to break up the black around your face.

Here I’ve paired the Lyford top with a sparkly scarf, which not only breaks up the black around my face, but also gives the top a dressier look. I’ve added some sparkly earrings to pull out the shimmer in the scarf. Style Vault members, I found a similar scarf for you. And don’t think you can only wear a scarf like this at night, the shimmer is subtle enough that it is fine for daytime as well.

Have you heard that Style Vault members can get 15% off this great black Lyford top? If you like this style but either don’t want it in black or think it is so wonderful you want multiple colors, it also comes in beautiful ruby and sky options (note the exclusive Style Vault discount only applies to black). If you’re not a Style Vault member yet, the discount on this top is a good reason to join!

And if you haven’t signed up to get my blog posts yet, I hope you will today. I’ve been working on lots of great posts for you! From being hard to fit to packing for travel to the finishing touches, such as great jewelry and skin, I’ve got you covered.

Francie

P.S. Five women who wear five different sizes (XS to L) and have a variety of styles all wore this top. If you haven’t seen how the others styled it, check out their posts now.

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