outfits

More Summer-Fall Neutral Fab

September 15, 2016

Hello! While Labor Day is come and gone (and I’m still wearing white jeans…and probably a white blazer for a little while longer!) the weather here has been warm so I am very much in season transition mode. No sweaters here (yet)! And navy continues to be my go to neutral as we venture in to September. I really want to get back in to sharing outfits for those of you who aren’t on Instagram so for those of you who follow me on Instagram, these are a bit of a repeat, but here are some of my favorites from the end of summer/early fall.

This first outfit is something you could wear in to September. I knew these J.Crew Factory Suede D’Orsay Tassel flats had to be mine as soon as I saw them at the store! I started out with the shoes, and was thinking about the camel Regent blazer that is on it’s way to me, and remembered I had this skirt. I tried the shell first minus the blazer but it wasn’t quite right so I added the navy cotton blazer to break up the lighter colors and the necklace was the finishing touch. Definitely a preppy vibe but this outfit was an example of putting neutrals together in a way that was a new combination for me. And all of these are items you can currently find at J.Crew or are classic enough that you may have other alternatives in your closet. I’ll be keeping this color story in mind heading in to fall with wool pants or a double serge wool pencil skirt – or navy pants/skirt and a camel blazer. These shoes will be on repeat through the fall and winter I’m sure! These items are all true to size, I take my usual size 12 in the skirt/blazer, a large in the shell and a 9.5 in the flats (they JUST fit – they’re definitely a tad snug out of the gate).

Blazer: J.Crew / Shell: J.Crew / Skirt: J.Crew / Necklace: J.Crew / Shoes: J.Crew Factory

Next up, a classic black/white combination. And STRIPES of course. This ruffle-sleeve top found it’s way to me several weeks ago but I just finally pulled it out to wear it last week and now that I’ve gone and gotten properly fitted for a bra (more about that in another post), this top fit me even better and I’m looking forward to wearing it more this fall. The pants are the cotton version of the Banana Republic Avery crop pants which are my new love at Banana Republic. These run true to size and are great for those of us who are curvy on bottom!

Top: J.Crew (limited sizes in black/white – also in blue/white) / Pants: Banana Republic (link to wool version) / Shoes: J.Crew (old, similar here)

Next up are two semi-summery look but the blazers can be swapped out for a more season appropriate one come fall. Shirting stripes and leopard are one of my favorite combinations and one I keep coming back to over and over again.

Blazer: J.Crew / Pants: Banana Republic (old, similar here) / Blouse: J.Crew (old) / Shoes: J.Crew

Blouse: J.Crew / Pants: J.Crew / Blazer: J.Crew / Loafers: J.Crew (old, similar here) /Watch: Michael Kors

Lastly, speaking of navy, I have been all about the black and navy pairing. Black and navy and black and brown always used to be such a faux pas, but now it seems to be everywhere and I can’t get enough. I’m not really much of a brown wearer but I am all about the navy and black. I’ve also had this J.Crew factory boyfriend blazer in my closet for months and thought it was a tad too big – I decided to roll the sleeves on it and I find that it balances out the relaxed nature of the blazer. This dress is a shift dress from last summer at J.Crew and the pearls of course are on regular rotation.

Dress: J.Crew (old, similar dress from Banana Republic here) / Blazer: J.Crew Factory (old, similar here) / Shoes: J.Crew / Necklace: J.Crew / Watch: Michael Kors

Well, I spoke too soon, because it took me a few days to write this post and this morning the weather seems to have turned (cue my seasonal cold!) I’m excited to check out the new fall arrivals at J.Crew and Banana Republic and start to switch out my fall clothes! I feel a bit of a closet purge coming on as well so we’ll see how that goes. For now, thanks for stopping by and would love to hear how you’re getting ready for fall!

Summer Neutrals

August 11, 2016

Hi! Long time no post…a sunny, beautiful summer has meant not so much blogging! While I am looking forward to fall, I am trying not to rush these beautiful summer days. I am looking forward to fun new fall clothes at J.Crew! As I was looking through my Instagram feed earlier this week, I realized that I’ve kept to a fairly neutral palette these last few weeks. I have definitely hit that point in the summer where I’m all about the ease of an outfit and dresses seem to be on constant rotation. It has been steamy in my neck of the woods but I also have to dress for the unpredictable air conditioning of my office (read: layers!) This is a little bit of a copy and paste action, but I thought I’d share some of my neutral summer work looks from the past few weeks. They’re easy pairings and some good go-to combinations when you’re stuck on what to wear in the morning.

Dress: J.Crew / Cardigan: Tory Burch / Necklace: J.Crew / Shoes: J.Crew (old), similar here / Watch: Michael Kors

This J.Crew Factory dress has lukewarm reviews online but I grabbed it for less than $30 (there’s still a full size run online). I took my regular size 12 and I did have it altered to let the hem out to get me another 1.5″ or so in the length. Paired with a navy cotton blazer and gold flats, it is work appropriate. I would also pair it with the J.Crew Corsica Wedges (which I am still waiting to go on sale!)

Dress: J.Crew Factory / Blazer: J.Crew / Shoes: J.Crew (old), similar here

These Tory Burch cardigans are on constant rotation for me all year – even on sale, they’re a bit pricy, but I have been able to grab these on sale and my price per wear on them is so low at this point, they’ve been worth the money. They run a tad on the small size so the larger of my two sizes (Large) works for me in these. I took my usual size in the striped dress (12).

Dress: J.Crew / Cardigan: Tory Burch / Sandals: Ann Taylor (old, similar here) / Necklace: J.Crew (old, similar here) / Watch: Michael Kors

Another place I’ve had a lot of luck with dresses this summer is Banana Republic. Their sales have been pretty solid – running 40/50% off sale on a regular basis and I like their easy online returns. I picked this dress up on store and was thrilled with how flattering it is – I took a 12 and no need for Spanx – what more do you want?!

Dress: Banana Republic / Blazer: J.Crew / Shoes: J.Crew / Necklace: J.Crew (old, linked to similar style)

Next up, one of my go to weekend styles – with my new favorite Adidas sneakers and a striped dress (one of many in my closet!) I sized down a full size in the sneakers from my usual size and I took a large in this dress.

Dress: J.Crew / Sneakers: Adidas (via Nordstrom) / Purse: J.Crew

So, there you have it, some of my recent summer work outfits and a weekend outfit as well. When in doubt – stick with neutrals! Stay tuned for early fall J.Crew arrivals – hoping to get to the store next week and try on new goodies! Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting.

Work to Weekend Stripes

January 18, 2016

I’ve had every intention of posting a work week outfit round up and have not had the time! Hopefully once work settles down a little bit, I can get in to a more regular posting schedule. And next week we have new J.Crew arrivals which will hopefully mean some try-ons!

It’s no secret that I am a bit stripesick…I have my fair share of striped t-shirts and turtlenecks, and sweaters…I can’t seem to get enough. Here’s a few of my outfits from last week – two work outfits and a weekend outfit!

First up…a work day outfit.

Sweater: J.Crew Tippi in Colorblock Stripe (old) / Blazer: J.Crew Tipped Hacking Blazer / Pants: J.Crew Wool Cafe Capri (similar here and here) / Shoes: J.Crew Calf Hair Everly Pumps

And my Friday work outfit. I purchased the J.Crew Collins Patent Loafers in Bright Cerise last week and was thrilled to find they were more of a lipstick red than an orangey-red as the name would suggest. I paired them with stripes and a chunky grey cardigan both for work and going out for dinner/drinks with family on the weekend.

Sweater: Banana Republic (old, similar here) / Turtleneck: J.Crew Tissue Turtleneck / Pants: J.Crew Paley Pants in Italian Stretch Wool / Shoes: J.Crew Collins Patent Loafers / Lipstick: Stila Liquid Lipstick in Fiery

Saturday rolled around and I had to wear the loafers again! So I did a not too creative switch up for with jeans, a different striped shirt (I started with a tee and ended up with another turtleneck) and a different grey cardigan (yeah, it’s probably not necessary that I have two similar grey sweaters but I liked the longer length of this J.Crew one for wearing with my Pixie pants.

Sweater: J.Crew Open Cardigan Sweater / Turtleneck: Old Navy (old, similar: here) / Jeans: J.Crew Reid Jeans / Shoes: J.Crew Collins Patent Loafers

And a close up of the shoes…because they’re gorgeous!

Not a very verbose post but it’s a peek in to a few outfits from the last few days! I’ll get up and running on the work wardrobe roundup soon. So, how about you? Are you stripesick or can you resist all things striped? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

Work to Weekend Fair Isle

January 13, 2016

So I admit, I’ve had a thing for fair isle lately. So much so, that last weekend I wore it two out of three days of the weekend (yeah, let’s consider Friday night the weekend). Being that our winter waited until January to show up, I’ve been a little slow on my sweater game this year. My latest sweater purchases have been of the fair isle variety and after receiving the J.Crew Fair Isle Crew Neck Sweater in ivory, I knew I could wear it to work on a chilly Friday.

Sweater: J.Crew Fair Isle Crew Neck Sweater / Blouse: J.Crew Silk Pocket Blouse / Pants: Banana Republic Drapey Pants / Shoes: J.Crew Contessa Snakeskin Bow Flats (old) / Necklace: J.Crew Pearl Twisted Hammock Necklace / Watch: Michael Kors

I almost didn’t post these photos because these Banana Republic pants are too big on me. It was of those things where I tried them on, thought they looked ok and then when I took photos I realized they were big and as the day went, on, I got increasingly annoyed about how big they were. So yeah, while I love the color and that they have an elastic waist, they’re a size too big. By the time I take photos in the morning it’s too late for me to change without totally losing my mind. But, from a color standpoint, while I think it’s really brown in this sweater and not burgundy, I had an easier time pairing it with burgundy pieces. I have since re-ordered the pants in a smaller size (12) and they are perfect! I love that there’s some pink in this sweater as well. And with it currently being $30 with the sale, it’s a classic piece that I know I will wear for years. I think the sweater runs a tad small, as the large was a perfect fit.

Necklace: J.Crew Pearl Twisted Hammock Necklace / Blazer: J.Crew Tipped Hacking Jacket (old)

After a full week of work, we had a low key Friday evening, walking to a local restaurant for dinner (in chilly, rainy weather) so I switched it up to a vest and flats (flats also being a poor decision with the later rain; luckily it wasn’t so bad). I affectionately call this my Marty McFly vest because…well…you can see why. I also tried this with an ivory vest and liked the look of that as well, but liked the contrast of the burgundy vest.

Jeans: Paige Skyline Ankle Peg Jeans / Flats: Tory Burch Ambrose Flat (similar here) / Vest: J.Crew Shiny Puffer Vest (old)

And lastly, I wore the J.Crew Sequined Fair Isle sweater on Sunday for a family party. I’ve said it before, one of the perks at shopping at primarily one retailer (especially J.Crew) is the uniformity of colors across seasons and the ability to coordinate. This sweater was a PERFECT match with my necklace and shoes, both purchased in the last year. We ended up with more wintery weather later on Sunday so these shoes were strictly for indoor purposes – don’t be fooled, I’m in socks and boots when I venture outside!

Sweater: J.Crew Sequin Fair Isle Sweater / Jeans: J.Crew Vintage Straight Jeans in Old Relic Wash (old) / Necklace: J.Crew Crescent Floral Pendant Necklace (old) / Shoes: J.Crew Jeweled Gemma Flats

Both of these sweaters are on sale right now and the sequin sweater has been popping back regularly in all sizes. Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!

J.Crew Fair Isle Classic Turtleneck Sweater

January 5, 2016

Happy New Year! Sweater weather has finally arrived and it’s back to work after a week and a half off. I’ll be honest, aside from dressing up for the holidays, I didn’t spend a lot of time planning outfits and my go to outfit of the week (which I didn’t photograph) was all J.Crew – Black Shrunken Wool Turtleneck, Black Chelsea Boots, Lookout high-rise jeans, Rib-Stitch Cotton Cardigan (old, similar here), and Excursion Vest.

By this time of the season I’ve usually stocked up on new sweaters but with the milder weather, that hasn’t happened. I did pick up the J.Crew Fair Isle Classic Turtleneck Sweater after the latest price cut. I went with the larger of my two sizes, since it did look like the sweater was on the shorter side, and that was the right call. The turtleneck itself is fitted and the body is looser. I did choose to wear a tank underneath. It wasn’t bad without one, but I did feel it was a little shorter in the back than I would have liked.

20160102_111032_Fotor

Sweater: J.Crew / Jeans: Paige Jimmy Jimmy Skinny Jeans / Boots: J.Crew Chelsea Boots

The sweater is a wool, nylon, cashmere blend and the nylon definitely causes the material to be it not as soft as it could be. I’m not terribly sensitive when it comes to these things and I didn’t find it scratchy per se, but I could see how some people might find it uncomfortable or want to layer long sleeves underneath. The knit is nice and tight though so I didn’t have an issue wearing it with just a tank top. I would have liked it to be a smidge longer but overall, I like the different fair isle design and since I can’t seem to have enough grey sweaters, it’s a keeper for me.

And of course, since it was snowy and blowy last weekend when I wore this outfit, the J.Crew Chateau Parka was the perfect top layer. I bought this coat at the end of last season on sale and tucked it away – I’ve only worn it twice so far with this weather! I do have to say, I wish I had tried it on right away when I bought it because I did go with a 12 in this coat and with the swingy body in the coat, I may have been able to size down to a 10. But it is still a nice coat and kept me warm (even if I was an idiot and wore destructed jeans outside on a really cold day – holes in jeans, not so great in the bitter weather).

I’ll admit, the jeans got swapped out later in the day when the sun went down and I had to run more errands after meeting up with some girlfriends for lunch.

Lastly, another look from the week – nothing new, just some pieces that I am reaching for over and over again. I have rediscovered my love for my J.Crew Pixie Pants and seem to be reaching for them on the weekend more than jeans.

Sweater: Old Navy (old, link to similar)/ Pants: J.Crew Pixie Pants / Shirt: J.Crew End On End Button Down (old, link to similar) / Vest: J.Crew Factory Quilted Vest / Boots: Tory Burch

Have you been buying less winter clothing with the lack of winter temperatures? Holding out for good sales? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting. I’ll be back to posting about work clothes soon!

Feeling Festive

December 17, 2015

In addition to weekend holiday parties, it is also the week of work related holiday activities – potluck, lunches, dinner…basically all things food related! At work I actually do work for two different teams so I end up getting double duty on the work holiday festivities. This year, everything fell within a few days of each other. First, I had potluck at work followed by dinner so I wanted a work appropriate outfit that could take me right on to dinner. I had ordered the J.Crew Drapey Silk V-Neck blouse in Belvedere Red to pair with my J.Crew Elsie Plaid D’Orsay Pumps but my blouse did not arrive in time for my dinner so I had to come up with another option.

I ended up going with the trusty white and cream combination again, wearing a statement bracelet, simple necklaces and the Tartan Plaid Elsie pumps. While I liked the outfit, I do think these plaid shoes need to be paired with ankle pants to show them off. I also amazed myself getting through a whole day of eating and drinking with these winter white pants on. And holy cow did my feet hurt after a day in these shoes. I have the Glossy Elsie D’Orsay Pumps and they are so comfortable – I have comfortably gone all day at work on to evening activities in these shoes and I was disappointed to find the plaid shoes didn’t prove the same.

Sweater: J.Crew Cashmere Cascade Sweater (old), Pants: J.Crew Collection Wide Leg Trousers, Shoes: J.Crew Plaid Elsie Pumps with Obi Bow, Bracelet: J.Crew Crystal Rosette Bracelet, Watch: Michael Kors, Necklaces: Rocksbox

I seem to never be able to get my lipstick and my necklaces in one photo so here’s a photo of my red lipstick. Darker red lipstick is my comfort zone, so doing the bright cherry holiday red is something new for me. I went with the Stila Liquid Lipstick in Fiery and even with a day of eating, only needed minimal touchups.

Lipstick: Stila, Necklaces: Rocksbox, Sweater: J.Crew Cashmere Cascade Sweater

I got home from dinner to find the red silk blouse waiting for me so of course it was time to wear it for the holiday lunch I had the next day! The red was sold out in a lot of sizes in this blouse and I have a size 12 in the blush color but I tried the 10 Tall in the red blouse and it is also a great fit. I have longer arms so the sleeves go right to the end of my wrist but they aren’t too long and I am always ok with a little extra length. I didn’t find it to be smaller through the body than the size 12 so I will have to keep this in mind for future purchases. At first I was leaning towards a paisley pair of J.Crew pumps that I found on eBay last fall, the Collection Falsetto Silk Printed Pumps (which are amazingly VERY comfortable. Then I thought, ok, I can do one more day in these uncomfortable plaid shoes. Then I couldn’t decide which to wear.

Blouse: J.Crew Drapey Silk V-Neck Blouse, Pants: Banana Republic Harper Boy Crop Pants, Coat: J.Crew Double-Cloth Lady Day Coat, Necklace: J.Crew Crystal Rosette Necklace, Lipstick: Stila Liquid Lipstick in Fiery

So I put some red lipstick on while I decided, added my J.Crew Lady Day Coat in Oasis Green that I got for a song a few years ago and I think this may be the epitome of a festive holiday outfit for me.

A close up because why not??

As I said, I usually tend to go towards the more garnet shade of red so surprisingly when the holidays roll around I don’t have a lot of cherry red in my closet. This blouse is a great addition to my closet and I think it may make another appearance on Christmas Eve. And update – I gave the plaid shoes another spin with stockings on and they were much more comfortable which is a big relief! I think wearing them barefoot made them rub more on my feet which is no good!

PhotoGrid_1450364338645

Blouse: J.Crew, Necklace: J.Crew, Lipstick: Stila

So, how are you dressing for holiday work events? Which of the shoes do you like best with the red blouse? Would love to hear what you think and thanks for visiting!