Better Basics

 

One of the surprising things I've found about doing this insane thing of taking photos of myself and posting them on the internet is that I've had to look some of my style choices and realize that how I actually looked wasn't the same as what I imagined in my head. A simple black and white basics look from last week is a good example of this. It wasn't disastrous, but I certainly didn't look my best. The biggest issue was a pair of black cropped pants that were a little too tight, a little too short, and no longer quite as black as they used to be. I'd been wearing them  regularly and pretending they were OK, but seeing photos of them up on the screen made me realize it was time for them to go. They're now sitting atop my donate pile waiting for my next trip to Goodwill.

This black and white outfit is so much better. It's a little less basic -- stripes instead of solid white on top, and the addition of a teal statement necklace -- but what really makes it better are the pants. These are the Dannie Pant from J.Crew, which is sold out in almost every size now but which I hope they will bring back this fall or winter. They fit so much better, the longer length is  much more flattering than the old ones, and they're actually black. Plus, they have a cool zipper detail in the back which, though I didn't get a photo, has gotten me more compliments than I'd like to admit (because they mean that the complimenters were definitely looking at my behind). Which is all to say, one of the lessons I'm learning from blogging is, it's all about the basics.

pants: J.Crew [yeah, pretty much totally sold out] | sweater: LOFT | necklace: Fossil [thrifted] | shoes: Banana Republic

 Oh, and the shoes have sweet zipper details too. Aren't they great! Also, are everyone's feet so veiny?

What I've Really Been Wearing All Summer

I mean, yes, I've worn other things this summer, including all the daily outfits I've posted. But every weekend, from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, this has been my staple outfit. I've worn it for drinks on the porch, out to dinner with friends, and after changing out of a wet bathing suit on trips to the beach. Occasionally I've added a cardigan or floppy hat as circumstances have dictated, but the black maxi dress, silver pendant, and shades combo has stood me in good stead. And yes, I have worn it with either black Reef flip-flops or black Chacos. These may not be the most fashionable footwear choices, but I sure do love 'em. And I buy them in black so that they look "elegant."

dress: Old Navy [sold out online] | sandals: Chacos [exact] | necklace: Dina Varano [her website] | sunglasses: LOFT [exact]

Mmm, Jeans

Even though it's been hot and humid recently, I can't stop wearing my jeans. There's something just so delightful about putting on a pair of comfortable jeans. Especially on Friday. Especially with a comfortable t-shirt. Especially with a bit of stripes-and-paisley amateur pattern mixing.

Also, I think this outfit looks great with marigolds.

shirt: J.Crew Factory | jeans: Banana Republic Factory | belt: J.Crew Factory | sandals: Franco Sarto via DSW | pendant: Dina Varano [her website]

Oldies but Goodies

This outfit is made up of items that have managed to escape my recent closet purge despite their advanced age. The blazer is actually the top half of a suit that I bought at a church thrift shop when I was still in college, the belt is a J.Crew outlet find from my first year out of school, and the shoes were saved by the miracle of superglue after one of the the fabric flowers unravelled. And all three of these items were purchased by my mother... thanks mom!

I wore this to bike to campus for an afternoon of reading.

blazer: Banana Republic [thrifted, probably circa late 1990s] | t-shirt: LOFT | belt: J.Crew outlet | jeans: Gap | flats: Target | giraffe charm: gift

Easy

This outfit is about as easy as it gets for summertime: a jersey dress, a tote bag, sandals. I added this yellow belt for a little color and wore my simplest jewelry: my rings and my everyday giraffe necklace.

I wore this for running errands and reading (while laying on the ground under a tree, an activity for which jersey dresses are particularly well-suited).

dress: Ellen Parker | belt: Old Navy | bag: V&A gift shop | sandals: Franco Sarto via DSW | giraffe charm: gift

Gone Fishin'

I recently completed a very large writing project, so lately I've been filling my now utterly empty brain with very interesting questions. One such question was posed by Caroline a few months ago: "What colors would pair well with orange?" Although I don't have a ton of orange, I like wearing it, but I have a long list of colors I won't wear orange with. I won't wear it with black, because I think it looks to halloweeny. I won't wear it with brown, because I think it looks to drab. I won't wear it with blue, because I think it looks like I'm on a collegiate sports team. 

I think green works great, though. Maybe not hunter green, because I think it looks a little huntery... but lime green has managed to escape my taboo list. And the assistant at our local pharmacy agreed, complimenting me on my bold color combo not once but twice -- once when I dropped a prescription off in the morning, and again when I picked it up in the afternoon. So green it is!

I wore this to run errands, think deep thoughts, and NOT write for the first time in months. It was awesome! I'll miss the cold, empty library soon, but I'm enjoying a few days off.

shirt: J.Crew outlet | shorts: Banana Republic outlet | belt: American Eagle [ancient... we're talking high school] | bag: J.Crew outlet | shoes: Franco Sarto via DSW | sunglasses: LOFT | earrings: Target 

Strawberry Season

This outfit is brought to you by seasonal produce. I was so inspired by the strawberries and rhubarb I was slicing this morning (for this seasonally appropriate treat) that I went with a strawberry colored scarf and strawberry colored shoes. Upon further reflection and color comparison (see below), the scarf is just pink, not the delicious light red of a strawberry, and the shoes are definitely raspberry. It will be raspberry season soon, and I will probably trot out this exact same outfit then, but right now I'm really digging strawberries. And, of course, a simple jersey dress snazzed up with some colorful shoes and accessories, which works for any season.

I wore this to read and run errands.

dress: Target | scarf: Gap | shoes: Target | bracelet: street vendor | pink pearls: gift

Business Casual

Seriously, I'm loving my new sneaks. I have decided that they are incredibly elegant and that they go with everything. Including this pencil skirt. This outfit is half business, half casual.

I wore this for work, errands, and dinner with friends.

shirt: J.Crew | skirt: LOFT | bag: J.Crew outlet | shoes: DSW

Put a Bird on It

When I saw this commercial for Portlandia, it hit a little close to home. Looking around my living room right now, I see framed prints of birds, a bird statuette, and three bird-printed pillows, not to mention a decorative bird cage and a paperweight shaped like a duck. My first thought upon seeing the commercial was, I better cool it. I probably don't need a bird on everything. But you know what? I like birds. They're pretty and they make other things pretty. So I'm embracing my desire to put a bird on it, whatever it is. And here is the wonderful if somewhat pathetic result: an outfit with not one but two bird-printed fabrics. I bought the tote bag a for a few pounds at the Victoria and Albert Museum in order to lug stuff around London when I broke my leather tote. The dress is a slightly more recent addition from the Banana Republic outlet. And by the way, the birds love hanging out with the giraffe charm I'm wearing as a necklace. Do I go overboard with critters? Perhaps, but I'm not sorry. 

I wore this for a trip to the beach (and a beachside pizza parlor)! It's still too cold to swim, but it was an absolutely beautiful day.

dress: Banana Republic outlet | tote: V&A Museum Shop | hat: sidewalk stall in Brooklyn | sunglasses: LOFT | giraffe charm: gift from my best friend | belt: Old Navy | shoes: Franco Sarto via DSW

My New Kicks

Ostensibly, these new shoes are workout gear. For a few months now I've been lifting weights barefoot. I kick off my running shoes (which are bad for weightlifting because they have a compressible sole) and wander around the weight room in my stocking feet. I've gotten a few weird looks, but I'm pretty unselfconscious about this kind of thing so I don't really mind. Even so, I decided this week that it was probably time to upgrade to shoes. Fancy, I know. I picked up a pair of Converse All-Stars because they're a cheap, dependable lifting shoe... and also they're pretty fly. See how they kind of glow?

I wore them with a casual dress for a very easy, very comfortable outfit on this hot, rainy day to run errands and read.

sneaks: Converse All-Stars via DSW [if you don't already have a pair, you can get them anywhere, I know, but here's a link] | dress: Blue Heaven via Marshalls

Simple

I have always avoided maxi dresses because of my height. I was worried they'd overwhelm me, making me look even shorter, and besides they were always too long. But they just look so comfortable and easy that I decided to try one. I figured that an unadorned solid black dress would be simple enough that it wouldn't make me look even shorter. This dress is a petite -- ordered online from Old Navy -- so it's not too long. Since it's so simple, I can style it many different ways, and since its so easy and comfortable I probably will! 

I wore this for a marathon formatting session on Microsoft Word. Blerg. At least I was comfortable.

dress: Old Navy [exact] | cardigan: Target | necklace: Fossil [thrifted] | sunglasses: LOFT | purse: Francesca | sandals: Franco Sarto via DSW

Thrifting!

The point of this whole blogging enterprise is to help me build a wardrobe that makes sense, so that I can get dressed, even look professional and put together, without tearing my hair out every morning. A big part of that is getting rid of stuff that is hindering rather than helping. Stuff that doesn't fit right, stuff that I can't quite make work, stuff that doesn't make me feel like me. So I recently sold some clothes at the local consignment shop and donated what they wouldn't take. I got rid of shirts, sweaters, and dresses that are in colors I don't wear very often -- blues & purples -- as well as some duplicates -- I probably don't need three navy wrap dresses. 

In order to reward myself for this heroic closet cleaning exercise, I got some new clothes! They were from the shop where I consigned my stuff, so the net cost was about eleven bucks. And I'm thrilled with what I got in exchange, especially these tomato red pants that are a cotton replica of my tomato red wool pants. I love the wool version for winter, and I can always find some way to wear them, so I have no doubts that the cotton version will get lots of play this spring and summer.

I wore this out to lunch with my husband and his mom and then parking myself on the couch to work on revisions.

jean jacket: Target [same] | tee: Banana Republic | belt: Gap | pants: JC Penny [thrifted] | scarf: who knows! [thrifted] | bag: Gap | shoes: Clarks

My New Favorite Skirt

My new favorite skirt....

...is a dress!

I have been wanting to try a midi skirt for a while (since I started dreaming about spring two months ago). My Evernote shopping list, which I have started using to keep me honest in my shopping adventures, I wrote "midi skirt, full, print, casual" and whiled away free minutes searching the interwebs for something that fit that description. But everything I found wasn't right... too tight, too formal, too made of polyester (which I've been trying to avoid), to expensive for a style I didn't even know if I would like.

But then, inspired by the insistence in this book (which I've been reading obsessively) that I can style a dress as a skirt and by the fact that I LOVE the bottom half this dress, which I bought on clearance from Urban Outfitters a few years ago even though the top half is less than flattering, I did something I never would have even considered: I made if into a skirt! The skirt is full, so I simply folded the top underneath and used a belt to smooth things out. And it's perfect! I love the colors, yellow, teal, and white against a navy. I love the bais cut, which means it moves beautifully. And it has pockets!

I wore this for a weekend trip with my husband's family. And plan to wear it every weekend hereafter.

dress (styled at skirt): Urban Outfitters | shirt: Banana Republic | sunglasses: LOFT | necklace: Fossil [thrifted] | belt: American Eagle [ancient] | shoes: Guess via T.J. Maxx

A Few of My Favorite Things

I adore every single piece of clothing I am wearing today. I love the stripey sweater. I love the lime shorts, even if they're rumpled. I love the green-and-yellow necklace. I love the gold shoes and belt. I love the Russian sage, which though it is not a piece of clothing inspired this outfit. I noticed the purple flowers yesterday and immediately knew, first of all, that I wanted to use them as a background for an outfit photo and second, that they would look great with my lime green shorts. And I was right! I'm phenomenally pleased with myself.

I wore this for a day of writing, writing, writing.

sweater: LOFT | shorts: Banana Republic factory | necklace: Target | belt: J.Crew factory | shoes: Lindsay Phillips | shades: LOFT