May 2017 Fab Outfit Roundup & Summer Wardrobe Challenge

Hello! Somehow another month has gone by and we are past the Memorial Day holiday and “officially” at the start of summer. We had a chilly first part of the month here but spring pushed through and we were able to enjoy our fair share of sunshine as well. May also kicked off the season of birthday parties, various family milestones, and friends visiting from out of town. In addition to posting my monthly outfit favorites, I am also going to outline my summer wardrobe “challenge”. But let’s get to the favorites for May first. I’m including some work outfits as well as some weekend outfits this around.

This first outfit I wore for my nephew’s First Communion Mass and party. It ended up being pretty chilly that day so I added a white blazer and later a denim jacket at the party (didn’t want to risk spills on the blazer) to combat the cold. My toes stayed bare though in the sandals. I am a complete jumpsuit convert and this silk jumpsuit is such an easy throw on and go piece. The jumpsuit is unfortunately sold out and the sandals I found on Poshmark recently (they’re J.Crew from a few years ago) but I did link some similar pieces to get the same type of look.

Jumpsuit: J.Crew (sold out, another here, here, or here) / Sandals: J.Crew (similar style here) / Necklace: J.Crew (sold out, similar here)

Read More

Early Spring Fab Workstyle Roundup

Hello! Spring is officially here and as I am working to get back in to a more regular posting schedule. I thought I would share some of my favorite work outfits for the month of April. First up, is a polka dot dress that I think will be a centerpiece of my spring and summer work wardrobe. I was torn between the dress and the skirt but I have a fair amount of pencil skirts and I liked the layering options for the dress, whether it be with a blazer or button down underneath the dress. I could keep it more toned down with neutral shoes, but…why would I do that? My first thought was to give the dress a kick of color with a pair of hot pink pumps and a coordinating J.Crew inspired fan necklace from a few summers ago. For the office, I added a navy blazer with gold buttons.

And, how perfect is this mural as a backdrop for the outfit? I (finally) recruited a few friends to help me take some photos around our beautiful city over the weekend and plan on making it a more regular thing. I have gotten so used to doing my photos “on the go” in the morning and sticking to Instagram which subsequently means that the blog gets somewhat neglected if I’m not re-posting my Instagram mirror shots or doing J.Crew try-ons.  I’ve been wanting to incorporate other photos in to my posting schedule and give the blog more love so this was a good way to help set that up. I think I’ll still re-post prior Instagram content for these monthly posts but I’ll be trying some new things over the next few weeks and trying to get more “on the spot” outfit photos on the weekends when I tend to slack! So…bear with me and I welcome your feedback. Read More

Runway Fab

Hi! I know it’s been a while, and don’t fear, there are J.Crew new arrival photos coming soon. I’ve been in major brainstorm mode when it comes to the blog, so watch for some fun additions and changes coming soon. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few photos and my look from the Buffalo State College Runway 10.0 fashion show last night. My good friends Emily and Holly at Lace & Day invited me to join them for the evening and I immediately accepted the invitation. I could write a whole post about how much I love these two women and how they helped change the way I look and feel in my clothing (for the better). If you live in Buffalo…go visit them. Trust me. I’m somewhat ashamed to say this was the first local fashion event I’ve attended but I don’t intend for it to be my last.

Shirt: J.Crew / Skirt: J.Crew (sold out, similar here ) / Shoes: Nine West / Necklace: J.Crew (sold out, similar here and here) / Bag: Banana Republic (sold out, similar here, here and here) / Lipstick: Christian Louboutin (similar Bite Beauty lipstick)

Naturally, as soon as I said yes to the invitation, my next thought was, what to wear?! Since I’m still transitioning the majority of my closet, I went straight in to online shopping mode. And well…let’s face it. Even if I had a full closet, I probably would have gone in to shopping mode. I was poking around the J.Crew website and saw this skirt in the sale section with only my size available and well…the rest is history. The website photo showed it with a light blue top and beige/black shoes. I knew I had nude colored sandals and I had a button down chambray shirt that would work for a blue shirt. A statement necklace and some red lipstick would finish off the look.

Read More

November Fab Workstyle Roundup

Hi! As promised, I’m trying to get back in to a regular rotation of posting some of my daily outfits. We had a mostly mild November with some colder weather blowing in this past weekend. Before we turned the clocks back, it was increasingly hard to drag myself out of bed in the morning, so planning my outfits in advance when possible really helps my getting ready time in the morning. First up, is an outfit that I put together starting with these Banana Republic Avery pants, which are my new favorite pant. These pants have a slim leg but a more generous hip area, while still fitting my waist.

photogrid_1479318705268

Pants: Banana Republic / Shirt: Banana Republic Factory (old, similar here) / Blazer: J.Crew / Shoes: J.Crew (old, similar here) / Watch: Michael Kors / Lipstick: Stila Liquid Lipstick

When I ordered these pants, I also ordered a camel cashmere turtleneck and I’ve had the camel/orchid combination in my head since I received my items in the mail. I’ve done a pairing similar to this in the past with my older J.Crew wool café capris in a similar color that don’t fit me anymore. I love mixing leopard and pinstripes and with the pink it all just sort of worked. Not sure how that happens some day, but if it feels good, I go with it.

Read More

Fab Black Friday Style – Sponsored by the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, USA

Hi! I can hardly believe that we’re staring down the Thanksgiving holiday next week. While in the past few years we’ve started seeing Christmas decorations in the stores before Halloween; for me, the Christmas holiday season starts with Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday. I have a love hate relationship with Black Friday. For years, I worked retail and that inevitably meant working the day after Thanksgiving. So I was always at the mall, whether I wanted to be or not. And I was there, so I always ended up doing a little shopping! In the years that followed my stint in retail, I wasn’t up with the early birds to go shopping on Black Friday but I inevitably found myself at the mall later in the day or at some point in the weekend catching up with out of town friends for drinks while scoping out the deals.

ann-outfit1-option2For years, the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls has been in my regular shopping rotation. In many cases, they had (and still have) stores that you couldn’t find at the local malls, such as Kate Spade, Burberry, Cole Haan and Saks Off Fifth. Scoping out the designer deals at Saks Off Fifth was always a worthy way to spend a few hours of shopping and I have scored numerous deals over the years that I’m always excited to share with others. I’m a big online shopper mostly due to my schedule but if I have a day off from work, hitting up the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls is almost always on my shopping agenda. And ever since they’ve remodeled and added on new stores (and parking!) I am even more inclined to make a trip.

Inevitably, I was thrilled (and a little overwhelmed!) to be asked to partner with the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls to showcase some holiday looks that can be found at their stores. As someone who spends most of their week in business casual clothing, I tend to stick to a fairly classic weekend uniform. During the fall or winter, if I’m shopping or heading out with my husband or girlfriends after a long week at work – I’m almost always in jeans, a blouse or sweater with a cute jacket and boots. I had grand intentions of trying out new stores but in case you can’t tell from my past blogging – I’m a bit of a creature of habit. A walk through Saks Off Fifth and I found myself a perfect Thanksgiving weekend outfit. Paige jeans? Check. Cute chunky sleeveless cashmere sweater? Check. Fabulous quilted leather jacket? Check. A beautiful handbag and some heeled booties to finish of the look? Check and check.

img_0893

Outfit Details (all c/o Saks Off Fifth) – Jacket: Badgley Mischka Eloise Quilted Leather Jacket ($259.99) / Sweater: Saks Fifth Avenue Cashmere Sleeveless Turtleneck ($89.99) / Jeans: Paige Skyline Bootcut Jeans in Sonya Wash ($79.99) / Boots: French Connection Monay Booties ($89.99) / Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs Tote in Dark Wine ($299.99)

I am all about a neutral weekend outfit with a kick of color via my handbag. I would be carrying this color handbag even if it wasn’t an “it” color. Denim wise, Paige jeans have been my go to for a few years now. They’re comfortable, they have the coveted stretch and they are flattering on my curvy figure. I have several pairs of their straight leg jeans and I am thrilled to see the bootcut trend come back in the last few years to add those to the rotation. And I hardly ever pay full retail for these jeans. Saks Off Fifth has a fantastic selection of current designer denim for a fraction of what you’ll pay elsewhere. I’m a solid 31 in most Paige jeans these days (usually wear a 12 on bottom). I got a bit of side-eye from the hubs on this sweater. Why would you wear a sleeveless turtleneck? What’s the point? Well, I’m someone who usually gets pretty warm when I’m shopping or out with friends so for me, it’s the perfect layer under a jacket but I’m still warm in cashmere if I decide to shed my jacket.  I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and the selection of Saks’ own brand of cashmere and I will be paying closer attention to their items as I add sweaters to my wardrobe.

A polished leather jacket and heels pull the outfit together for me. Not unlike designer denim, a leather jacket can be an investment, and this is another item that I refuse to pay full retail for when I have a full designer collection at my disposal at stores like Saks Off Fifth. They carry more classic styles like this as well as edgier moto bomber styles (believe me – I had trouble deciding which jacket to choose!) Shoe wise – where do I begin? The shoe section is always my first visit at Off Fifth and I almost always find something that needs to come home with me. Heels were essential with the bootcut jeans and since I can hide some socks inside a pair of booties – it’s a no brainer.

Whatever your shopping desires, the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls has you covered. Are your Thanksgiving festivities wrapped up early and you’re looking for something to do that evening ? If you’re looking to beat the crowd, you can hit up the Fashionably Late Black Friday Event at the mall which starts at 8 PM on Thanksgiving evening and runs until 2AM. Will you be in a turkey and wine haze with your family or friends on Thanksgiving and want the full Black Friday experience the next morning? The mall opens at 6AM and is open until 9PM on Friday. Several stores, including Banana Republic Factory and Kate Spade will be open all evening. Saks Off Fifth even has early Black Friday sales going on and you can see any of the current sales at the mall here.

To get you kick started on your holiday shopping, I will be hosting a giveaway for a $50 Fashion Outlets Visa® gift card redeemable at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, USA. Stay tuned to Facebook and my Instagram page for details.

So, are you a Black Friday shopper or do you prefer to shop online? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting! Thank you to the Fashion Outlets for hosting me and stay tuned for another holiday party look featuring the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls!

signature

 

October Fab Workstyle Roundup

Hi! I really want to try and get better at posting some of my work week and weekend outfits in addition to daily posting on Instagram. Here’s some of my favorite outfits from October. We spent a week on vacation so most of the outfits are from the past few weeks and the weather has gone from being mild to downright chilly! While I still love my colors, I am still finding myself leaning towards a more neutral palette and burgundy is still a favorite fall color for me.

First up, some Halloween colors and layers. Yes, it was cold enough for a winter coat this week. I bought this sweater last year but am still seeing the style around at various retailers this year and I hadn’t thought of styling it with dress pants until I saw some styling ideas at Banana Republic. Plus, with my new properly fitting bras, the ribbing in the sweater didn’t make me look huge in the chest area. I still felt like the sweater and pants was missing something so I added a suiting vest and the loafers finished off the menswear inspired look.

photogrid_1477484459412

Sweater: J.Crew (old, similar from Banana Republic here) / Pants: J.Crew (old) / Loafers: J.Crew (old, similar here and here ) / Coat: J.Crew / Vest: J.Crew (similar at Nordstrom here)

Next up is a neutral inspired outfit featuring one of my favorite fall purchases – the J.Crew Regent Blazer. I had been looking for a camel blazer, as the one I owned before was not the right shade for me. I love the shape of this blazer and while the collar is designed to wear standing up, you can still fold it down. I actually started with the shoes on this outfit and build the outfit from there. A grey sweater with polka dots was a little more interesting than a plain grey sweater and the shoes and necklace pulled it all together. When in doubt, my go to pants are the Banana Republic Sloan pants. They’re comfortable, slim fit but still professional enough for work.

photogrid_1477078325523

Blazer: J.Crew (similar here) / Pants: Banana Republic / Sweater: J.Crew (old, similar here, here and here) / Shoes: J.Crew / Watch: Michele

Next up is a monochrome look I wore to work on Friday for an all day division meeting we had. I wanted to be polished and put together with a little flair via the necklace and gold buttons on the jacket but still stay in muted colors. This is another Regent Blazer from J.Crew but an older one from last year. I paired it with a grey sweater underneath, wider leg full length pants and suede heels. While I love wearing ankle length slimmer pants I also like pulling out the full length pants now and then especially when it’s a little colder out. I might usually pick silver to pair with grey since they’re similar tones but with the gold buttons I went with gold jewelry.

photogrid_1477660384154

Blazer: J.Crew (old, similar here and here)/ Sweater: J.Crew / Necklace: J.Crew / Watch: Michael Kors / Pants: J.Crew (old, similar here and here/ Shoes: J.Crew

Last up, a few outfits featuring my go to Sam Edelman booties this season. I received these as a gift last Christmas and am just pulling them out this fall for the first time. I want them in every color! They are incredibly comfortable and are great with jeans on the weekend or for a business casual work look. Since I’m sharing work looks, I’ll stick with how I’ve styled these for work. My blouse is an older J.Crew piece that I found recently via a J.Crew swap/sale and I admittedly have only worn it a few times because I have trouble styling it. Coincidentally, I also have trouble pairing this Tory Burch cardigan for some reason. I think because it’s a on the sheer side you can only pair it well with sleeveless blouses but I started with the blouse and matching pants and then tried the ivory cardigan, necklace and finished up with the booties.

photogrid_1477312970935

 Cardigan: Tory Burch / Blouse: J.Crew (old, similar here) / Pants: Banana Republic (old, similar here)/ Booties: Sam Edelman / Necklace: J.Crew / Watch: Michael Kors

This oxford blue top was a recent purchase and I love how it pairs with a navy or darker plaid blazer. I like that the pleated collar on this blouse stays put and it’s a fun way to dress up a suit if I were going to wear it with a more formal suit. Once again, I’ve paired the top and blazer with a pair of Banana Republic Sloan Pants.

photogrid_1476880545263

Blazer: J.Crew Factory (old, similar here) / Blouse: J.Crew / Pants: Banana Republic / Booties: Sam Edelman

Hopefully you liked seeing a snippet of my recent work outfits. I would love to hear what you think of them and thanks for visiting!

signature