Trousers with Loft! Are you a Marisa or a Julie?

Y’all know I’m a super casual gal.  I most often feature outfits with jeans, because that’s what I wear most days.  Jeans.  And leggings.  And the occasional skinny cargo pant.  😉

If you’re a regular reader, you know that once a month my sister pops over here and does a WORK WEAR post.  She works in the HR department for a hospital chain, so she dresses in office appropriate attire ever day…and she looks DARLING while doing it I might add.  🙂

Well, today I’m partnering with LOFT, and I’m  going to be kicking it up a notch with my personal style.  THAT’S RIGHT, LADIES!  I’m going to be wearing pants today.  And not just any pants.  TROUSERS! #yep #imfancy

Although I most often wear jeans in my everyday life, every so often the occasion does arise where I need to wear something nicer.  Sometimes I wear a dress (although dresses are sometimes tricky for me), but more often I reach for a nice pair of pants.  And if I’m reaching for pants, you can pretty much guarantee that they are Marisa pants from LOFT (more on that in a minute).

If in an office environment, you really need to check out LOFT.  (In fact, I’ve received countless e-mails since starting the blog from young professionals who said they had never shopped at LOFT before reading my blog, and now it’s where they get all of their office clothes!)  Here’s the deal, tons of my clothes are from LOFT, and they are great at casual wear.  But they SHINE in business appropriate attire at affordable prices.  SHINE I TELL YA.  In fact, almost every single one of Conner’s WORK WEAR posts feature items from LOFT.  And what’s really great is that a lot of the blouses and sweaters I feature from LOFT in my casual looks can easily be paired with a nice pair of pants (vs. my usual jeans) to create a nice outfit for the office.

Here’s what you need to know:  LOFT pants are amazing.  Once you find the type of pant that fits you best (the Julie or the Marisa), pant shopping will be a dang breeze for you!  They have tons of different lengths, cuts, colors, styles, etc. in each type of pant, and in order to find your best fit, all you really have to determine if you are a Julie or a Marisa, and it’s totally easy to do.

MARISA GALS:  Ladies that are straight up and down  (with not much curve) tend to love the Marisa pants.  These pants are designed for women with hips that are proportionate to their waist.  I fit into this category.  I am always a Marisa.  I’ve heard that there are some that can wear both, but not me.  I’m 100% a Marisa and have been ever since LOFT introduced the Marisa pant. My mom and sister are Marisa gals too.

JULIE GALS:  Ladies that are a little curvy tend to love the Julie pants.  Julie pants are great for the ladies that often complain of pants that fit in the waist and are too tight through the hips, or for those that say they have go up a size up to accommodate their hips, which usually makes the waist too large.

Now here’s what’s extra wonderful…most of their pants come in petite, regular, and tall.  All of you super petite and tall ladies should be high-fiving each other right now!  I’m telling you, find what type of pants you are, and then you will be able to order pants online without a second thought because you will know that you are always a “Marisa petite 2” or a “Julie tall 8.”   At 5’4″, I always get the regular pants at LOFT.  I sometimes wear a petite in dresses at LOFT, but never pants.  Now, my legs are long for my frame, but I always go for the regulars.

When picking up a pair of pants at LOFT, I typically gravitate towards their skinny ankle pants (and I’ll show you some of those in a minute), but I decided to go out of my comfort zone a bit and I picked up a pair of their wider leg trouser pants!  And you know what?  I loved them!  They gave me the same effect that a great boot cut jean gives me, and they made me look taller and skinnier than I actually am!  YES, M’AM!!!!!  For size reference, I’m wearing a Regular 4 in the trousers.

This first look with these trousers could be worn to the office, or even to a more casual holiday party!  The sweater has sheer sleeves with little pin dots and is so pretty in person.  I felt better with a black cami underneath it because the sweater material was rather thin, but the sleeves make the top! For size reference, I’m wearing a small in the top.  Pair it with black pumps and a simple pendant necklace, and you’re good to go!

pin dot sweater / faceted stone locket necklace / red trousers /

I also thought it would be fun to put together a look that would be great for a fancier holiday party!  The red is gorgeous and perfect for holiday attire, and the black lace really fancies the outfit up!  A lace top and pants is pretty much my go to for a fancy party.  I generally feel so much more comfortable in pants than a dress, and the lace is such a nice touch.

For size reference, I’m wearing a small in the top (and it does require a cami).  The top is an absolutely gorgeous modern lace, and can be dressed up or down.  I think it would also look great with skinny black pants and heels…and it would look just as good with jeans and booties as well!

geometric lace top / red trousers / pave chandelier earrings

And for a more casual look……HOW FLIPPING CUTE IS THIS REINDEER SWEATER!  I took off my high heels and opted for a taupe suede heeled bootie for this look.

Y’ALL!  THIS SWEATER.  I usually think holiday sweaters are cheesy, but not this one!  It is incredibly soft and has just the right amount of holiday cheer.  For size reference, I’m wearing a small in the sweater.

reindeer sweater / red trousers

And I couldn’t help showing you the sweater with jeans too. These are the modern slit skinny jeans, and they are stretchy and awesome without any distressing (for those of you that are just plain tired of distressed jeans).  I’m wearing a 27R in the jeans and a small in the sweater.

Make sure you click over to see the sweater on the site.  The lights have a hint of sparkly thread in them, and they spill over on to the back of the sweater!  Such a fun touch!  This is going to be perfect for me to wear to Carter’s Christmas party at school.  I’ll also love wearing it when I’m out and about Christmas shopping!

reindeer sweater / earrings / jeans

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In addition to the wider leg pants above,  I thought I would also show you some fun outfits that I put together with some Marisa pants that were already in my closet.  I bought these navy ankle skinnies sometime last year and they are very versatile.  I’m wearing a 4 Regular in the pants, and a medium in the top (but I need a small).

split tie sleeve top /faceted stone locket necklace / navy trousers

And here’s the cinnamon sweater I highlighted last week with jeans (on the left).  On the right I’ve paired it with the navy pants for an office look!  For size reference, I’m wearing a small in the sweater and a 27R in the pants.

office look:  cinnamon slit mock neck sweater /stone pendant necklace (on right) / navy pants

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My black Marisa pants are 5 years old.  In fact, I have 2 different sizes of them in my closet because as y’all know, my weight tends to go up and down throughout the year.  😉 Well, these black Marisa pants are a wardrobe staple that I think everybody should have.  I’ve dressed them up for holiday parties, I’ve worn them to meetings, and I’ve worn them to funerals.  They are just a great basic pant to have in your closet.

For the first look I paired them with a blouse that is perfect for a Christmas party!  The color is stunning, and the little pleats and velvet details are gorgeous.  For size reference, I’m wearing a medium in the top, but I need a small.  I’m wearing a 27R in the pants.

velvet trimmed shirred blouse / earrings / black ankle pants

And here are the same pants with a blouse more appropriate for an office environment.  I think this blouse would also look great with grey pants as well as blue jeans.  For size reference, I’m wearing a small in the blouse.  The smocked detail on the chest and the sleeves is so delicate and pretty.

smocked blouse / earrings / black ankle pants

And to jog your memory, here are a couple of pictures of Conner in her Marisa pants!

Her red pants on the right are no longer available. / micro checked pants on right

Here are all of the tops I featured in today’s post:

Here are the 3 pairs of pants that I featured on me in today’s post:

And here are some other pants that have caught my eye! If you are a Marisa girl (straight up and down with not a lot of curve), here are some great pants to choose from:

And if you are more of  Julie (a bit curvy through the hips), here are some for you:

I hope this post today was helpful and that you are going to immediately try a pair of pants for yourself.  And if you already are a fan of LOFT pants, please leave in the comments if you are a Marisa or a Julie!  🙂

A huge THANK YOU to LOFT for sponsoring this post!

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