Yeah right. Like I'll wear this all day.

So in theory, this is what I wore today:

Blazer (LOFT); Blouse (LOFT Factory); Jeans (LOFT); Necklace (LOFT); Pumps (J. Crew Mona via eBay)

In actuality, I'm sitting at my desk, still in the flats I wore to walk to work, without the jacket. I sort of knew that the jacket was never going to make it the whole day.  Meh.

This shirt I bought at LOFT Outlet awhile back because my husband liked it.  I didn't really need it.  It was cute, but I didn't really look at it twice.  But when my husband suggested it, I was so taken aback that he expressed an opinion about an item of clothing, I bought it on the spot.  Next time he'll know better than to express his thoughts.

I like my subtle pattern mixing here -- the pin stripe jacket, the bright floral print, and the leopard print pumps.  I think that because the jacket and shoes are more or less neutral, it sort of all goes together.  the easiest way to mix patterns is if you keep the proportions of the prints different -- a small repeat and a large repeat.  It also helps if one of them is neutral.

This is probably more reflective of what I actually wore today:

I won this bag from the Brightside Project and added the seafoam polka dot scarf from ModCloth to jazz it up.  More pattern mixing.  This is probably a bit too much going on, but I needed a big bag since I'm going to Charleston this weekend.  I'm not bringing anything but this bag on the plane, so I needed it to hold a bunch of stuff.

And this is what I see when I look at myself:

Sort of an interesting shot, don't you think?  Look how tiny my feet look! And it makes me look so tall!  I think I'm going add this shot to the daily photo lineup.

I'm late! I'm late!

This morning, I pulled the age-old Rookie Mistake-- hitting "off" instead of "snooze."  I have never showered and gotten ready so fast in my life! My hair looks awful, but such is life.  I had planned to wear something else, but since I didn't have time to steam it, I went with this.

Gingham shirt (GAP kids); Skirt (J. Crew Factory); Studded belt (J. Crew); bangles (ebay, H&M); necklace (LOFT), Cap to pumps (Ivanka Trump)

Plus, I haven't worn purple in awhile, and I felt like it was due up on the color chart rotation.

This gingham shirt is actually a boys GAP kids shirt.  It's a little boxy (I probs should have gone down a size), but when it's tucked into a skirt, you can't tell.  I really wanted a black gingham shirt, but couldn't find one anywhere that was under $70 (at the time it was really just J. Crew that had one).  Seeing as how I was not going to pay that much, I widened my search.  Yay for being miniature!  This shirt was only $25.  It's surprisingly well made and the sleeves fit me when they're rolled down (they're not too long).  The hardest part about this shirt is buttoning backwards.  I think when I get my sewing machine back from storage, I'll skim the sides a little bit.  Do you ever buy things in the kids section?

I wore this with pearls because I wanted to mix the more masculine gingham with something feminine. If I wasn't so rushed, I would have layered on more pearls.  As it is, I think this is okay.

Wearing my Ivanka Trump cap toe again (worn here and here).  Are you sick of them?  I lurv them!

Pro tip:  I really wanted this studded belt when I saw it in the J. Crew catalog, but they're always a bit pricey.  Wait awhile.  J. Crew belts always go on sale.  I don't think I've ever wanted a belt and then not gotten it at $14.99 + extra 30% off whenever they do their sales. J. Crew has the best belts -- great colors and details that you really can't get elsewhere and usually leather (not plastic).

Citron and Orange

Another inspired by look!  Today, I copied Ruby Girl:

I liked that pop of tangerine against the citron, balanced out with the neutral white. I also like how that little bit of black grounds the look.  On one of those home design shows (I think the old Trading Spaces when it was still good) mentioned once that you should always have a little touch of black in a room to ground it.  I rarely wear black, but now I see that the rule works for clothing too.  Maybe I should start putting touches of black into my outfit choices.

Here's my version:

Silk top (Ann Taylor, old); Skirt (LOFT, recent); Necklace (BaubleBar); Belt (Target); Shoes (Ann Taylor Perfect Platform Pumps  On sale!)

I just noticed, and I think I wear this citron color a lot.  In the last two weeks, I've now worn this color three times (as a sweater here and as a skirt here)!  I must really like it!

I added an animal print belt from Target to sorta pull my browns and blacks together. I originally had on animal print pumps, but it was way too much.  Edit, edit, edit!  I was going to wear a white skirt, but I'm holding off on wearing the one I just bought from Ann Taylor.  I feel like I have a white skirt already, but can't find it (it may be in our house in Charleston. I'm going down there this weekend, so I'll take a peek around).  I thought the light khaki still worked, though.  I thought it may look odd with the bright white of my necklace, but the ties of it are also khaki, so I feel like it all evens out.

The necklace is from BaubleBar.  Cute, isn't it?!

They had an all orange one, which I would have preferred, but this combo orange-white was the only one on sale.  Good enough for me!  I've seen versions of this around.  The original was from Anthropologie back in the day in a turquoise:

Anthropologie Stormy Seas Necklace

It was incredibly expensive and sold out fast.  I got my version from BaubleBar for $20 during one of their flash sales.  Free shipping, so it was a great deal!  It also comes in a few other colors, including one that is very similar to the Anthro one:

They're normally $38.  Be warned, they're a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be.  The original Anthro one was pretty big as well.  A bunch of etsy sellers also have their versions of the necklace (Eclectic Ornaments and Party by Nicole).  I'm sure you can find others.  I even found a crafter who made one!  I think I'm going to try making one for myself soon.  Easy peasy!

I have this necklace too from Francesca's Collection.  The drops are much smaller.

(See it on me here).  The chain was too long for my liking.  The drops would have fallen to the middle of my chest, so I removed a bunch of links.  I'm much happier with it now.

Do any of you have this necklace or something similar?  How do you wear it?

A little bored

I have to confess, I'm a bit bored with my closet right now. I'm gearing up to do the 30X30 challenge next week, and I've told myself not to wear those items that I've reserved for the challenge.  Problem is, all my cute new stuff is in that pile!  I purposefully put things in there that I've bought but haven't worn yet.  I kinda want to wear my new Kate Spade skirt, but I'm holding off on it just in case I decide to return it (doubt that). Anyway, I hope you don't mind, but you may get a somewhat uninspired set of looks this week.  Like this one for instance:

Dress (LOFT Scuba Dress from last season); striped belt (LOFT); seafoam silk tank (J. Crew Factory) Shoes (J. Crew Mona); striped bracelet (LOFT)

I didn't realize I had so many flyaways until I looked at this picture!  Note to self: check hair.  Ugh, I changed clothes like 10 times this morning. I could not decide what to wear. I wasn't totally comfortable in this dress. I felt fat.  I bought it many moons ago when I was a bit smaller.  I just really need to get back down to fighting weight again!  I originally wanted to do this backwards and wear striped shoes and a seafoam belt, but my striped shoes are peep toes and my pedicure is a hot mess.  Going to need to wait on those.

Do you ever feel uninspired by your closet?  What do you do to get yourself out of a fashion rut?

Still in a heatwave

I'd be lying if I didn't say that my outfit choice this morning was not hugely motivated by trying to wear the least amount of clothing possible without being naked.

Shirt (Talbots, on sale here!); Skirt (Ann Taylor), Belt (Ann Taylor); Shoes (Ann Taylor Perfect Pumps in Porcini, similar; similar); necklace (J. Crew Factory)

I'm also wearing this necklace from J. Crew factory, which was a gift from my best friend.  I love pirates, and am always on the lookout for something that's "subtle pirate."  Right on, Robin!

I was inspired by J's Everyday Fashion who in turn was inspired by a J. Crew ad styling their version of this top:

I originally had it styled with a red belt as an ode to the J. Crew ad's red shoes and handbag, but I felt a bit too patriotic, particularly since it's so close to Independence Day.  Maybe next time...


This shirt from Talbots is an extremely light weight material and was the most "breathable" thing I could find in my closet.  I just checked the weather report, though, and perhaps I was a bit too hasty in wearing this today, because it's only going to get hotter.  On Friday, it's going to be 99 degrees!  I think I'm going to wear my coconut bra and grass skirt to work.


This skirt is a bit short, particularly for work. I usually wear it in the winter with tights.  If I had nicer legs, I would probably feel more comfortable with it, but meh.  I like to cover my knees because I think they look like Kaiser buns.

My knees. Photo courtesy of Love of Pure and Sincere

I bought this shirt because it was a cheap dupe of J. Crew's wildcat blouse.  J. Crew's version was really expensive (it was silk) and sold out in about 10 seconds:

The background of the Talbot's version is a bit more grey while the J. Crew one is a more warm beige, but overall, I think it gives the same "look."  The Talbot's version is also a button up.  Either way, I paid $32 for mine, instead of the $150 J. Crew was asking.


All in all, I really like my outfit today, despite the shortness of the skirt.  What do you think?

Shhhhh

So, don't tell my husband.  I went shopping yesterday.  I started out with high hopes and actually went on a mission to return things.  I had a pile of stuff with tags still on that I decided I didn't need.  Go Chic or Go Home has made me realize just how much I don't need another purple cardigan.  I don't think it's going to stop me from shopping; I'm just going to (hopefully) be a bit more strategic about my shopping.

I returned a skirt to LOFT.  I really liked it, but I already had another hot pink skirt.  I liked the LOFT one better, but obvi don't need 2 of the same skirt.  So, back it went and $30 back to me.

I returned a pair of cropped pants back to Ann Taylor. I was looking to replace a pair that I have that are a bit old, but I hated the way these new ones fit. So, I'm keeping the old ones and sent these ones back.  On my way out, I tried on a white pencil skirt.  I thought I had one, but I think I never got around to finding one I liked in a price point I liked.  White pencil skirts are tough.  I'm usually an 8P at Ann Taylor, and I would have bought the 8P in any other color, but I think white skirts should fit looser.  You never knew.  The skirt is fully lined and in a nice, heavy fabric, so it doesn't show anything.  I'm hoping it doesn't wrinkle horrible.

You can buy it here.  I thought it was 40% off, but the little sign was deceiving and it turns out the orange version and the linen skirt were 40% off and this was not.  I said I was going to hold off, but the sales associate (probably the manager) said she could give me $25 off.  Apparently there was a coupon I didn't know about.  Thanks, sales associate!  All in all, that made it only about $6 more than the 40% off price.  With my return, I spent about $3.

I returned two skirts and a jacket to H&M.  I really liked the jacket, but realized I had something that would do just as well in my closet already.  I really liked the skirt as well, but I tried it in two sizes and it just wasn't working.  The other skirt was just sort of a dumb buy from the kids section and I don't know why I bought it.  So, back to H&M they go.  Instead, I bought this awesome ponte dress for $34.95.  A bit pricey for H&M, but it's really cute. I like that it has sleeves.

I'm going to have to remember to take pictures in the fitting room.  I can wear it as is, but I would prefer it a bit shorter.  My husband's on a trip to our house in Charleston, and I told him to bring my sewing machine up with him.  I am by no means a good sewer, but I can sew a straight line.  I think I should be able to take this up.  Wish me luck!  Even with the purchase, I was still up $40.

Then I went over to TJ Maxx to return a dress.  It was cute, but I bought one I liked better at J. Crew Outlet (even though it was way more expensive).  My TJ Maxx has a Runway (designer) section, and it sort of went alllll downhill for me.  I ended up buying a Kate Spade silk skirt and a Tory Burch tunic.  I was looking at the Tory Burch tunic last week, but they only had an XS.  When I went back yesterday, there was a medium magically on the rack!  I decided the universe was telling me that I needed it.

Emma Pillsbury wore that skirt on a Glee episode.  The tunic was $70 and the skirt was $100, but I convinced them to give me $10 off because there was a slight pull.  HOLY WOAH that's a lot of money for both of those pieces, particularly that tunic.  It's a nice thick cotton with great gold buttons, but wow.  Still $70.

I really want to wear these two together.  I lurv mixing patterns.  With the return, I was down $135 at TJ Maxx.  My justification is that I'm going to return two things to Target -- a dolman sleeved aqua sweater from Target (around $20, sold out online) and:

Merona Double Weave Skirt

My theory is that the Kate Spade skirt has the same "feel" as the Target skirt.  Yes, it is more than 4X more expensive, but the quality is much better, the pattern (to me) is cuter and a lot more work wearable.  And I love Kate Spade.  I thought maybe I need a splurge once in awhile?  With this whole strategic buying kick, I'm going to spend less and buy better quality pieces.  I say that now :)

I also bought a camel/orange stripe sweater that's not available online yet for $20.  It's a dead dupe for this J. Crew one from ages ago.  I'm thinking that with my splurges this weekend, I need to send it back too, even though I really like it.

When all is said and done, I spent around $60 spent this weekend, $40 if I return that sweater (which I may).  I'm going to need to start spreadsheeting and budgeting.  Blogging and Go Chic-ing has really been a big eye opener.

It's a little warm to be wearing either the Tory Burch or the H&M dress, but I will definitely wear the skirt this week.  I'll keep you posted!

Erhmehgard It's so Hot

We're going through a heat wave in DC.  It's awful.  I lived in Atlanta for 12 years.  It's just as hot (sometimes hotter), more humid, and the summers last longer.  I have no idea how I survived.  It is like too hot for clothes.  I think the A/C units in the ATL are like industrial super grade.  My apartment's unit here is on overdrive and it's still like 81 degrees in here.  It's working hard and cooled things down 20 degrees, but I'm dying.  Our rabbits are dying too -- their wearing chic fur coats.  I think our A/C at the office bit the big one today.  My normally freezing office was H-O-T-T hott.


Anyway -- here's my outfit.  It lasted about 2 minutes in the office.  I didn't wear the blazer on my walk to work.  It was on in the office for about 6 seconds.  Next came the necklace which got heavy and hot against my neck.  I don't think I changed into heels from my walk-to-work flats until around 11:30 when I had to go and see someone.  After that, I just shut my door, put my hair up, rolled up my jeans a bit and just pretended I was in a nice spa where I was sweating out my toxins. It made doc reviewing a bit better.  Sorta.

Blazer (H&M, recent); Tee (H&M, recent); Jeans (LOFT trouser jeans); Shoes (Ann Taylor Perfect Cut-Out pumps, recent and on sale, similar, similar); necklace (H&M, recent, similar in yellow and navy on sale but very pricey)

(sorry about the bad styling on the blazer.  I was rushing and didn't check the picture.  This is it from the H&M website)

I wish I had bought this jacket in every color. I think at one point it also came in orange.  I REALLY wanted that orange, but could only find a 2 in the store. It was a bit prices for H&M  (I think it was $35 or $40), but all in all, not an incredibly expensive blazer. It is fully lined, and the material is a nice, soft jersey. What I love most is that the sleeves FIT! I think it's meant to be a 3/4 length, but on me, that meant it was perfect.  I will definitely be on the lookout to see if it pops up in other colors.

I'm breaking my pink rule, but I think that because I'm wearing a blazer and everything else is a bit more conservative (and it's Friday), it's a bit easier to get away with than on, say, a Monday.  My rule for casual jean Fridays is that if I would generally wear the same outfit on a regular day with navy pants, then it's okay.  The only thing that switches are my pants for jeans.  Others are a lot more casual on Fridays, but I feel more comfortable if I'm a bit more dressed up.  I do tend to break the pink rule on Fridays though.

I think you'll find me wearing this jacket again next week (gasp!) because it's Marionberry Style's Trend of the Month Challenge, and I'm not really happy with my picture taking.  I have one other picture of this outfit, but I have the worst double chin.  I'll show it here just for you guys:

I sorta look loopy. Must be the heat.

Maybe I'll have my husband retake the picture for me.  This may be my submission depending on if I get a chance to restyle!

Pretending to be a professional

I had another day today where I had to look more on the business side of business casual.  My office is business casual, but depending on what practice group you're in, some of it's more business and some of it is heavy on the casual (stuff that I would really only wear on weekends).  And then there's some that no matter what, they will wear a suit.  Even when working on Saturdays.  These are the old school attorneys.

Cream ruffle color blazer (LOFT, old); blue diagonal tiered shell (Ann Taylor Factory); black pencil skirt (J. Crew Factory); pumps (J. Crew Mona in Graphite Turtle via eBay.  I really want the tortoise ones); necklace (ILY Couture)

Particularly since I look so young and am so short, I often have a hard time being taken seriously.  I am often mistaken for an intern instead of an attorney.  Up until a few years ago, I still got carded for Rated R movies.  So, I feel like I have to dress more professionally than some of my other, young colleagues to be taken seriously.  Yes, I could wear black and suits and gray every day, but I think that would kill me.  And yes, some days I am definitely more on the casual side, but I'm doing my best to find that balance between my personal style and having a professional style.  Let's face it-- "business" is not known for being stylish.  Happiness at Mid-life asked this question today: how do you make a work outfit more "you."  It's definitely one I think about a lot and one that my friends ask me about a lot.  As an overall answer, my risks come in color and pattern, not in cut.  You've got to play by some rules, but you can update others.  The more rules you play by, the more liberty you have with stretching others.  While all offices are different, when I dress for work in the morning, here's what I generally do:

1.  When possible, dress in threes.  I used to work at a retail clothing store, and one of our basic rules of thumb was to make sure you had three pieces of clothing on.  Anyone can throw on a t-shirt and jeans, but it's that essential "third piece" that makes clothes look like an outfit (for the record, a dress counts as two -- a skirt and a top).  The third piece can be a scarf or statement necklaces for casual days, but for my professional days, I try to make it a cardigan or a jacket.  Jackets read more professional than cardigans, so I save those for the days when I'm meeting a client or will be around other attorneys who aren't from our office.  I haven't worn a jacket to work in a while -- mostly because today it was 98 degrees.  It was HOT.

2.  No bare shoulders.  A lot of the women attorneys I work with, young and old, wear bare shoulders.  Because they're a little further along in their careers, I feel like they have a bit more license; however, even their sleeveless pieces are fairly conservative and generally black.  I haven't braved the sleeveless thing yet, but I may try it if this heatwave keeps on up.  In most large law firms, this is a definite no no.  Know your office. Plus, I don't really like my arms, so I try not to bare them.

3.  Closed toe, closed back shoes.  This is another "know your office" kind of rule.  Some offices are probably okay with peep toes or sling backs.  My office may be one of them.  Nevertheless, I haven't noticed many of either.  I definitely haven't seen any peep toe sling backs or heeled sandals at the office.  I just bought a pair of Zara heels.  I haven't decided if these are work appropriate, but I may brave them on Fridays or if I'm wearing slacks.

Every now and again, I wear peep toes, but I try to avoid them.  I was once told by a female attorney a long time ago that if she ever saw a woman wearing peep toes, she always thought that attorney wanted to marry a lawyer, not be one.  I realize rules have changed and this is no longer the case, but it stuck with me.

Notice how I don't say anything about color.  If the shape of the shoe is conservative, I feel like I've earned my points and can go crazy with color.

4.  Shoes should have hidden platforms of no more than an inch.  I have a pair of nude pumps with a visable 1/2 inch platform. I actually don't know why I bought them.  I got sort of convinced by the friend I was with and her mother that it was okay.  It probably is, but I still regret it.  If it were a higher platform, I probably would not have bought them.  I really feel strongly about not having huge platforms. I'm really short, so I feel like I get away with it a little more, but platform shoes read just a bit to casual and weekend to me.  They don't feel professional at all.  Do you ever see Michelle Obama or Kate Middleton wearing 2 inch platform heels?  No.  You don't.  Kate wears some high heels, and some do have a platform, but if you notice, none of them are more than an inch and they're always hidden.  This is a rule that feel really strongly about, and from here on out will never break it.

Ann Taylor hidden platform perfect pump -- these are high and may not be appropriate for everyone, but notice the closed toe, closed back, and the hidden platform.  These shoes are in a regular rotation.  I also think that because they're black (as opposed to hot pink), I can get away the higher heel.

4.  Try to avoid pink.  This is a tough one for me since I love pink.  However, I think it reads as a very girly and young color, two things I'm trying to avoid.  I still wear it when I feel like it, but I definitely don't wear it every day.  There was this girl in law school that only wore pink.  We called her the pink smurf.  Everything about her was pink -- sweaters, laptop cover, key protector, phone, shoes.  Everything was in slightly different shade.  I get that it's her signature color, but it was hard to take her seriously.  When I feel like I've been on my best behavior or I know I won't really be seeing anyone, I give myself license to wear pink.  And on Fridays.  I'm about to break the rule tomorrow since tomorrow I'll be wearing pink.

I have a fabulous pair of hot pink pumps, but I haven't worn them yet. I probably won't for a long, long while.  They're very Barbie.  If I wear them to work, they'll be with pants so I can tone them down a little.  The overall shape of these are very similar to the black Ann Taylor's above, but because the shape of the shoe is not conservative with the high platform, I don't think I've necessarily earned the right to wear the hot pink.

5.  Never underestimate the power of a good accessory.  I love wearing statement necklaces to beef up an otherwise boring outfit.  I think this is what makes things a bit more modern and stylish.  I often thing of statement necklaces as my completer third piece.  I love wearing loads of colors at once, but this color block trend (that I lurv) is hard to wear for work.  So, my deference to the trend I hope lasts forever is bringing it in in my accessories.  For instance, on the weekends, I wouldn't hesitate to wear a bright neon yellow top with a cobalt skirt.  I really couldn't do that in the office, no matter how conservative the actual pieces are.  To make it work appropriate, I brought in that cobalt blue, then a dash of the neon yellow, and toned it all down with neutrals.  The more bright the color, the more neutrals you need.

6.  Break a few rules.  These are the rules I try to stick by, but I definitely break them a lot.  Sometimes I just get sick of following the rules.

In general, I think that if took a black and white picture of me, I'd probably be among the more conservatively dressed.  It's definitely the bright colors that take me out of that realm.  I'm from the South, and noone would bat an eyelash at the bright colors.  Now that I'm slightly more north, people notice.  However, the cuts of everything I wear generally is not flashy.

Heat and Wrinkles

Please ignore the massive wrinkles in this skirt. I love it, but the fabric is a cotton stretch sateen, and we all know how badly that is for wrinkles.  I swear I steamed it, but something happened in the 10 minutes it took between then and when I took this picture.  In full disclosure, I have to admit that I also didn't do a very good job of steaming to begin with.  I was rushed and tired and just couldn't be bothered.

Chambray shirt (H&M, fairly old); Skirt (J. Crew Factory); Belt (J. Crew); Shoes (J. Crew Mona, similar); Bracelets and watch (Target , recent and Loft); Necklace (Francesca's Collection, altered to make the length shorter)

I'm trying out new poses, so don't judge. I'm trying to figure out something that works.  I got the skirt at J. Crew outlet a little while back.  I love me some polka dots.  I was close to buying a skirt for 2X as much at regular J. Crew at the same time, but resisted the urge.  About the only thing I liked about that skirt was the fabric.  The fit wasn't great and it probably wasn't worth the money.  The very next day, I took a trip up to the outlets near my parents and found this skirt.  SOLD!

I meant to wear this outfit with an emerald green belt.  I don't know what happened.  I was up late last night watching the Olympics (really.  Until 2AM.  I watch an inordinate amount of Olympics every 2 weeks), and I just totes forgot that this was my plan.  Pretend I'm wearing this belt:

Forever 21

Way cuter, right?

On a side note, it was so hot and humid when I walked outside today that I felt like I walked into a wall.  Glad I wore this lightweight chambray.

Lunches and Dinners

I had a hard time deciding what to wear this AM.  I had to go to both a lunch and a dinner awards thingy (which also meant that I got nothing done today because my flow kept getting interrupted).  Anyway, I had no clue what to wear.  I should have checked, but I didn't know if this was going to be a suits thing or a business casual thing.  I decided that a black jacket and relatively modest colors were in order.  I'm glad I went with the black jacket.  Many people were wearing full suits, including all the men from the group I was with.  The women were somewhat more casual, but I would have looked out of place in just a sweater.  I also realized that it's hard to be stylish when you're trying to be on your best, conservative behavior.

Blazer (LOFT, really old); gray chambray shirt (Kohls?  I have no idea.  It's ancient); skirt (Nordstrom, Halogen Seamed Pencil Skirt); necklace (Talbots); Shoes (Ivanka Trump Gurdia)

I was inspired by this photo of Tiffani Amber Thiessen.  Remember her?  Saved by the Bell hottie of yore.

I think I was fairly successful at channeling this outfit.  She's wearing a tiny polka dot shirt (which I don't own), but I thought it read a fairly light gray.  This shirt is actually white with a gray/black weave to it, so I think it gives it the same feel.  Plus, the toe cap of these shoes are black patent, just like her clutch.

Let me tell you a few things about this outfit.  I'm wearing 3 of my pieces in my closet.  The necklace is from Talbots from ages ago.

I bought it super on sale. I think it was around $15, originally priced at some ridonc high price.  There was an additional percent off that day and I think I had a coupon as well.  I love that it's assymetrical.  I think it makes it more interesting.  I have to say that I hardly ever wear it, but I wish I wore it more.  I wear a lot of color near my face and rarely wear blacks or grays.  I just don't look good in black.  This necklace is tough to wear with anything other than black/gray/cream/white.  All colors I rarely wear.  I'm going to have to put it in a much more regular rotation, though.  Maybe when it starts getting to be closer to Fall/Winter and I'm less prone to wearing jewel tones.

The skirt is called the "Seamed Pencil Skirt" and it's Nordstrom's house brand, Halogen.

I love this color because it's an interesting yellow and reads fairly neutral.  It's not so YELLOW.  Also, I like that it's not a dark mustard either.  The fabric is an awesome ponte material which is essentially spanx in a skirt.  It definitely streamlines your body.  It's also nice and thick, so even after sitting all day, NO WRINKLES.  The side seams are interesting and flattering. Ignore where they appear on me in my photo. I didn't realize it, but my skirt was twisted when I took the photo.  The skirt is also fully lined, which makes clothing last longer since the lining takes all the wear.  This golden raisin color I got about a year ago, but it comes out in great colors.  There's only black right now since Nordstrom is doing their semi annual sale to clear out their inventory.  The price is very reasonable, and at the end of each season, it usually goes on sale for between $25-$35.  They had a beautiful purple-y blue color recently, but I passed on it since I have one from Target in a similar color.  Nordstrom has free shipping both ways, so that's good if you don't have one near you.  I wish they did more colors in petite.  Usually they only do 2-3 of the 6-7 color options in petite.

Last are these shoes from Ivanka Trump ("Gurdia"). I have several Ivanka Trump shoes and they are fabulously comfortable.  The lowest I was able to find the price was from 6pm for $90.

I literally bought this pair 3 times.  I spent ages looking for a pointy cap toe pump.  I wanted the body to be a khaki color, not brown.  Zara had a pair that all the bloggers seemed to have, but it was sold out, and I wasn't particularly fond of the chunky heel.

So, when I saw the Ivanka Trump shoes, I knew they were THE ONE.  They were a bit pricey for what I wanted $120, so I hemmed and hawed over it. After a week of lusting, I decided to pull the trigger, but they were sold out! in every size! everywhere!  I was soooooo bummed.  Nordstrom had one in a 5.5 returned, and I bought them on the off chance they would fit (I'm normally a 6.5, so I didn't have high opes). While they were en route, Zappos restocked, so I bought a pair in my size from them.  After a day or so, amazon also restocked for $40 less ($79.90.  It's back up to $120 now).  FATE, RIGHT?! So then I bought those.  The Nordstrom and the Zappos box went back unopened.  Yes. That's how much I wanted these girls.  I bought them 3 times and was even willing to pay full retail.  It comes in a black, red, white, and gray that I've seen.  There's also a lower-heeled version that comes in other fun colors ("Ivee").  If the taupe came in the higher Gurdia height, I would be all over them!

 I just saw on Zappos that new colors in two of my favorite styles, Pinkish and Amoro, are now available. Now I just need them to go on sale.

Oh. Hello, Monday. We meet again.

Do you ever feel like morning comes just a tad bit earlier than normal?  That's how I felt this morning.  I was also up until 2AM doing who knows what.  Plus it's overcast today.  All in all, not conducive to my getting going this morning.  Sigh.

I was going to wear something else this morning, but the rain sort of threw me for a loop.  I didn't want to wear light colored bottoms in fear that something was going to splash up on me.  I got on my fave blogs and Tara from Mix and Max Fashion sort of inspired me.  I liked her combo of stripes and dots (I'm a sucker for dots).  I liked that the navy in both her top and her skirt sort of pulled everything together.  Here's my take:

Top (LOFT, sold out); Skirt (Target, old); Belt (Forever21); Necklace (Francesca's Collection); Bracelet (LOFT, really old); Shoes (Ann Taylor Perfect Platform Pumps, ON SALE!)

I'm sort of pretending that my navy polo is actually black (or my black skirt is actually navy).  The navy in this polo is sooooooooooo dark, I doubt anyone will notice.  I've found it really hard to pair, actually.  Against black, it looks navy and against navy, it looks black.  Just can't win.  Since I doubt someone is going to walk up to me and look at the spot on my stomach where the two colors meet, I decided to just go with it.

Welcome to my (fashion) life!

I've finally decided to start cataloging my fashion life.  Perhaps I'm a bit inspired by all those other bloggers out there, and perhaps it's an ego-maniacal way for me to assert my influence on YOU!  I have stuff to say, darn it all!  Anyway, here I am.

I work in a fairly conservative industry, and everyone wears various shades of gray and black.  If I wore black and gray every day, I don't think my spirit could handle it.  So I wear COLOR.  I would say I dress pretty conservatively and if you exchanged my color for black and white, I would probably look fairly similar to most other women in my office.  So, here is my effort to try and bring a little color to the conservative.

Plus, I also miss interacting with my friends about shopping and outfits.  I have just moved to a new city, and have very few coworkers that will say, "love that outfit!"  I sit in my office most days, and to be honest I rarely see anyone, so no one notices my effort.  Maybe someone here will notice my effort.  At the very least, I'm putting it out there on the interwebz and it's something beyond me.  A little bit of fashion accountability, I guess, so I don't start backing down to the world of gray and black.

I'm going to try and catch up from my first week.  I started taking pictures last week, so I'll just pop them here.

I really like this look.  I'm not positive about the necklace, but I hadn't worn it for awhile, and just popped it on.  Citron/yellow and grey is one of my fave color combos.

Sweater (LOFT, recent, sale); necklace (Target, old); skirt (Kohls, really old and stolen from my mother's closet); Shoes (Nine West)

CASUAL FRIDAY!  I have to admit, I have a hard time with Fridays.  I never really know what to wear.  I know I also look really young, so I have to still keep it very professional.  My thought is, if I would wear the same outfit with black or navy pants and I would still look work-appropriate, then it is okay for Jean Fridays.  I've started back tracking on myself, and I find myself making a few more risks on Fridays.  As a side note, right after I took this picture and was running out the door, I spilled coffee right down the front.  I changed to a similar polka-dot shirt.  I liked this one better, but whatever.  This outfit was also inspired by a Go Chic or Go Homer.

Cardigan (H&M, recent); Striped Tee (H&M, recent); Necklace (unknown.  maybe Francesca's collection?); Jeans (Levis); Pumps (Ivanka Trump, I got these for $80, so do some hunting and find a better deal)

Ugh.  I got married in November and since then, I've gained about 10 pounds.  Just enough for my skirts to not fit well at all.  Everything is TOO TIGHT!  I swear, I don't normally wear clothes this tight; I'm just fat.  And it's not enough to buy a whole new wardrobe... just enough to be annoying.  I am on a plan to lose the weight.  It's tough with this new job, though.  I'm just so sedentary all the time. I didn't realize how much I used to move in my old life.  It's also hard because when I get home, I'm just so tired, and all I want to do is sit and watch Toddlers and Tiaras.

Anyways, I love this top.  It's from Forever 21.  Every now and again, I find the best things from that store.  I know that it will probably fall apart in 2 weeks, but whatever.  This shirt has a great zip back detail.  My hair kept getting caught in it, but that can't be helped (plus it defeats the purpose of having a back detail when your hair covers it up).  Well, lesson learned!

Top (Forever21); Skirt (Ann Taylor, old), Necklace (Kate Spade); Belt (J. Crew, old); Pumps (Ivanka Trump, similar)

This next look is also inspired by a Go Chic or Go Homer.  Pretty successful, huh?!  I was going to wear something animal print, but I totes forgot by the time I walked out the door.  I've had this shirt for forever.  It's starting to get a bit ratty. It's my only plain fuchsia top, but I realized after looking in my closet that I have other tops which I could have worn to recreate this "inspired by" look.  They're both patterned, but they would have worked just as well.  I think this project and my new face site obsession Go Chic or Go Home is really going to help me curate my closet.  Maybe... or maybe it will convince me that I need more clothes.  We'll see :)

Top (Loft, old); Skirt (Banana Republic Factory, old); Shoes (Ann Taylor Perfect Pumps); Necklace (H&M, old).

All I can say here is that I love this outfit.  I love orange and love pattern, so YAY!  I had an unexpected lunch meeting, so part of me wishes I hadn't dresses quite so BRIGHT, but it is what it is.  I had an after work cocktail hour with the alumnae chapter of my sorority, so I wanted to look at least somewhat fun.

Shirt (J. Crew Factory, old); Skirt (J. Crew Factory, old); Necklace (Kate Spade); Shoes (Stuart Weitzman); Belt (J. Crew Factory, recent); Bracelets (from all over)

Meh.  This outfit is okay. I like the colors (woo yellow and gray!), but I felt really bulky in it.  I'm fairly broad shouldered and I have very muscular arms, so I really have to watch.  Either way, that old cardigan is probably my favorite piece in my wardrobe. I ordered it online and it is a size too big. I think it was the first thing I ever bought from J. Crew, so I didn't know my size.  Anyway, I refused to return it because I love it SO MUCH. A few years later, Target came out with a version. If anyone ever reproduces this cardigan, I'm buying another.  I love it.  This pose is also extremely awkward. I'm going to need to learn to pose better.

Oxford Shirt (Lands End Kids, $4.99! recent); Cardigan (J. Crew, old); Jeans (Levis); Shoes (J. Crew Mona); Necklace (stolen from my mother); purse (Kate Spade).

PHEW! That was a long post!  See you tomorrow, internetz!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin