FashionHap: Catch-ups - Cathy, Pt. 2

I said there'd more Cathy, soooo: more Cathy!
First up is a styling that inevitably makes the fashionista in my brain jump up and down and clap: femme-meets-rocker. Cathy tops a gorgeous bodycon lace mini dress, done in black, with a leather moto jacket. I always ALWYS love the punch that this kind of genre contrast creates. The tough gets a dose of beauty and the femme gets a shot of edge. It's just yummy! Also fun is the way Cathy brings in a touch of beige via her bag. The black and beige pairing is an iconic color combo and with beige/nude/blush tones being the literally rage that they are right now, this was a fab way and time to do this pairing.
She goes trendily chic with her look, choosing a navy dress in the scalding hot off-shoulder style. This is a minimalist version of the silhouette that foregoes any embellishment. Cathy finishes is it with black pointy pumps, a classy but unexciting choice that requires all the drama of this dress's neckline to keep the look from nudging into bland territory. I'd have loved to see her add one more special detail - fancy hair, a bright lip, statement earrings.
One more in the dress pantheon: this lovely ivory mini that makes wonderful use of chiffon and lace. As per her usual, Cathy has kept the styling quite minimal here, but you could have a lot of fun with a piece like this, dressing it down with a biker jacket (as she did above), giving it a hint of bohemericana with a denim  topper, or going 90's grunge-girl with black sneakers.
We got a look at some of Cathy's more casual style in this shot from her visit to the Alamo. She noted on Instagram how hard she worked to get her shoes into this snap and I'm so glad she did! The bold embellishments on this Western-style ankle boots add just right touch of panache to her black monochrome combo. Of note: she re-uses the moto jacket from Look #1 in a much more laidback rendition, demonstrating how versatile a classic piece always is.

She takes on the jumpsuit trend next, with this strawberry red strapless number. I love her in this shade as much as I've loved her in bright blue, which is making me think Cathy is another lady who has the knack for rocking strong colors. I also love the sophistication of the bare-shoulder silhouette. The slim leg gives the whole piece a streamlined feel, which works nicely with the attention-getting color. She completes the look with attractive nude sandals that recede against the boldness of her main item.
She then pairs a black mockneck top with the studded leather statement skirt we've previously raved over. The mini naturally takes all the focus of this look. My favorite part is that she chose to finish it with metallic pumps, instead of the expected black. The gold reflects the metal in the skirt and ramps up the styling considerably, which thrills me because even with a skirt this glam, this monochrome look could easily cross into yawn territory, particularly because she's re-using the piece in such a similar to its previous outings.
She reaches for lace again with this navy-over-nude dress. Nude lining can come off looking trashy if it's not done right, but this is a flawless example of how it should be used. The light lining highlights the pretty pattern of the lace, rather than making it appear that there's nothing below. I LOVE the addition of the lace edging at the hem and bodice - it makes the piece feel even more feminine! The dress also touches on the high side-slit trend and acquits itself nicely, coming off more flirty than overt.
After seeing Cathy so often in dresses, I got a mini-shock from seeing this outfit, but I like the way she uses her down jacket here. Down has become so much more refined and less bulky lately and many pieces are designed with princess seaming at the waist which gives you that crucial curve. There's nothing to beat it for warmth and, unless you really push it to extremes, a well-made piece will last for years (my father has one that is literally as old as I am that I periodically steal). Cathy's deep blue toned piece is a dark-enough-to-be-practical but still pretty choice for gray winter days. Her polka dot shirt beneath is cute and fun too!
The dresses make a return for her next two outfits. I'm wild over the first one! The minimalist cutout sheath is the classic blank canvas but Cathy really gives it a pop with these wicked fabulous aqua pumps! I'm so in love with bright shoes (well, any excuse to collect shoes actually is fine, but whatever). Using bright shoes to wake up a neutral outfit is one of my all-time favorite fashion avenues to traipse down and I love seeing Cathy do it as much as I love doing it myself. When your shoes makes such a strong statement, you don't have to say much else! :)
We conclude our Cathython with another blue dress (have I put forth the theory yet that it's one of her favorite shades?). This one is quite similar to some of the others we've seen from here: simple silhouette, side-slit detail. In this case, the halter neckline provides a slight twist and I love that she threw in the curve ball of metallic pumps instead of the can't-get-away-from-them nude (or black). Everything is right about this look except that it doesn't take any risks. I don't necessarily mind that a lot, but I have a lot of faith in Cathy's style chops at this point and I wouldn't mind seeing her stretch out a tad more.