Outfit of the Day

So it's cold in Boston--per usual--and as always, I am in denial.  Perpetual denial.  This is what I wore today.  It is currently 46 degrees outside.  Denial!

Sweater: J Crew (about three years ago), shirt: Stradivarius in Spain, skirt: J Crew factory Accordion Pleat Mini in Dahlia, tights: Hue, boots: Frye Carmen Harness Short.  Apologies for the horrible lighting, we have the sad energy-saving bulbs that don't really make light.

The skirt was originally $70, and I got it for $30 on sale.  Yay!  I love the cheerful fuchsia color of the skirt.  I'm usually a 4 in J Crew factory skirts, but I went up a size because I wanted the silhouette of the skirt to be more of an a-line.  The waist is elastic, making it super comfy, and easy to wear both higher and lower on the waist.  The skirt has two deep pockets, and it's a wool/poly blend.  It has the warmth of wool but isn't too thick or itchy.  Overall I really love it--it's sold out, but J Crew factory currently has 30% off everything and free shipping!

I paired it with a white, 3/4 sleeve shirt I got in Spain.  Since the skirt is such a statement color, I wanted to keep the top neutral.  The sweater is a marled black and white knit with a shawl collar that's really cozy and warm.  I like that it tones down the girliness of the skirt a bit.  The short boots add a little of a rustic, casual twist.

Speaking of shoes, I am constantly struggling to find shoes that I like that aren't sandals or boots.  Literally all of my shoes are sandals or boots.  No flats, no sneakers (aside from gym shoes).  I used to have a pair of Topsiders, but they aren't really me, and I'm definitely not a ballet flat or a Converse person.  I stumbled across this pair of suede tuxedo loafers from DV, and I think I need them.  They're on sale for $62.99 from Zappos right now.  They also come in black, which I'd probably buy, but how cute is the pink?!  I want them.  I like that they're a little retro, a little men's smoking jacket-esque, and very practical.

Image via zappos.com.

Back to School Shopping

I've had very possibly way too much free time this summer, so I've been thinking a lot about what I want my fall school uniform to be.  For class, I like pieces that are easy to wear and easy to style different ways, but still pack a style punch.  I've been feeling a very Ali Mcgraw in Love Story, early 1970's vibe lately.  I'm thinking that this fall is going to be a lot of pencil mini skirts, 3/4 length sleeved tops and sweaters, long necklaces, and warm red leather boots.  Here are some of the pieces I've bought so far:

J. Crew Ink-Dip Popover, $72 at jcrew.com, Tippi Sweater in Colorblock Stripe, $95 at jcrew.com: I actually got this J. Crew shirt in Light Lilac (which is really more of a cool blush pink) but the neon pink picture was a lot cuter.  It's a popover, so it's like a button-up but the buttons stop about halfway down the front of the shirt, which makes it a lot easier to tuck into things.  This shirt is a very light, actually pretty transparent, cotton, with army pockets on the chest.  It feels very retro safari/men's shirt, which I love.  I got a 6 (I normally wear a small in J. Crew shirts) because I wanted it a little blousy and I wanted to be sure it would fit across my chest without pulling.  So is this shirt worth $72?  Eh.  It has a nice cut and comes in lovely colors, but it is a very thin cotton button-up for almost $75, so I'm not entirely convinced, but it is adorable partially tucked into a high-waisted denim mini.  I am in love with this Tippi sweater.  The cut is perfect, with the slightly opened up crewneck, the slim body, and the 3/4 sleeves.  It's wool, so it's nice and warm, but it's still a relatively thin sweater, so it's very fall appropriate.  It comes in solid colors, but I thought this colorblocked version, with the navy/white/camel/sky blue/grey was really cute and fun, and would go with a wide range of outfits.

Garment-dyed Denim Mini, on sale for $39.99 at jcrew.com, J. Crew Factory Classic Corduroy Mini, on sale for $29.50 at jcrew.com:  I don't actually have this skirt, I have a J. Crew factory skirt in coral-orange that's basically the same, but this pink is adorable, if impratical (it also comes in a mildly more practical kelly green).  The corduroy mini is absolutely fantastic.  I vary between a 4 and a 6 in J. Crew skirts, and got a 6 in this because it doesn't have a lot of stretch.  It hits just below the waist, is short enough to be a mini but not so short as to be indecent, has lots of pockets, and comes in a pretty, rich navy.  I like corduroy in small, sleek doses, and this one is on major sale!  Pencil minis like these have become my new staple pieces.  They basically go with any top, can be easily dressed up or down, and are both flattering and easy to move around in.  Now I have one in orange and one in navy, so I have the warm and cool ends of the color wheel down.

Forever 21 Union Jack Raglan Sweater, $22.80 at forever21.com, Frye Jane 14 Stitch boots in Redwood Leather, $328 at zappos.com: I bought this sweater in the middle of the Olympics when my London fever was raging, and I totally love it.  It's a little oversized, has a fun, abstract Union Jack on the front, and is so affordable (if a little itchy) draped over a pencil mini.  These boots are my absolutely my new favorite things.  They are definitely not cheap, but they are so well made.  I'm a little spoiled when it comes to leather boots after years of horseback riding.  My boots need to be able to stand up by themselves, and be 100% made of real leather.  These are made of a thick, gorgeous leather, lined with leather on the inside as well, with a little heel just over 2" and a slightly pointed, turned-up toe.  They have such a '70s feel, the leather is the perfect warm brown color, the insole is nice and squishy, there's great arch support, and basically I want to marry these boots and have their babies. 

  
Is anyone else feeling the 1970's for fall as much as I am?

Images via: jcrew.com, forever21.com, zappos.com.

Cheap, Adorable Screen-printed Tanks? I Say Yes.

I love Etsy, y'all.  I was looking to buy some cute, casual tanks for wearing around the house.  I love the American Apparel tri-blend tanks--we've gotten them for sorority stuff, and they are the comfiest and have a really nice fit.  I was going to buy some of them, when I realized that they were being sold on Etsy, for the same price as at American Apparel, but with adorable screen-printing! Actually, if you factor in the American Apparel shipping vs. the Etsy shipping, it's cheaper to buy them on Etsy.

Anyways, I found the Zen Threads Etsy shop.  They sell a bunch of American Apparel products, tanks, cardigans, hoodies, etc, and home-wares, like towels and such, with a variety of screen-printed designs on them.  You can choose the item color and they give you a few options for the color of the designs, depending on the shirt.

I picked up the California Bear tank in tri-black with yellow ink and the Day of the Dead tank in tri-lemon with white ink.  How cute is that bear?!  And it has a little map of California on it (I'm from California, so this makes me inordinately happy).  I love Day of the Dead related things, so I think the slightly creepy, slightly floral nature of that skull is awesome.  It's just the right balance of morbid and sweet.  I got it in a bright tank with white ink to mitigate the whole, I'm wearing a skull t-shirt factor.

Obviously now I need to buy more of them (I have restraint issues).  If I could pull off the American Apparel pullovers--that shape is the worst on me--I'd totally get the Honey Pullover.  I like the weird bee.  It has a slightly Victorian, taxidermist feel to it.  And I'm dying over the Moose in Snow Shoes tank.  It's a moose!  Wearing snow shoes!

So when I got these in the mail and they were so much cuter than I'd been expecting, I realized that obviously I'd have to wear them out of the house.  At which point my housemate chimed in, "You never wear graphic tees!"  And she was totally right.  I am not a graphic tee kind of person.  But I have to make an exception for these.  They are totally quirky adorable and non-obnoxious.  I've been wearing them partially tucked into a colored denim mini with a little leather jacket.  It feels casual but still polished and summer appropriate.  So yes, I do wear graphic tees!  At least for now.

Outfit of the Day and Zoya

I got a dress from H&M this weekend!  I really like it.  It was like $45, it's fitted through the waist with an a-line skirt, an exposed zipper up the back, no sleeves, and a high-ish neckline.  I'm really feeling higher necklines these days.  This is big for me.  The fabric is thick and stretchy cream with a black lace overlay tacked on top.  It looks really expensive...but it wasn't!  I'm wearing it with a vintage Bergdorf Goodman belt, a Walter jacket, Hue tights and Frye Carmen short boots.

What I really like about this dress is one, that it's so comfy but it looks really put together, and two, it's really easy to style differently.  I tried to make it a little more modern with the sassy boots and leather jacket, but I could also take it in a more '50s direction with a fitted little cardigan and some peep-toe heels. Here's a close-up of the fabric!  And in terms of Zoya, they have a tooonnnn of great promos right now--if you do their 'Share the Love' and sign-up for a new account through your old account (google it, I'm terrible at explaining) then you get 1 free polish and free shipping if you buy two polishes...aka buy 2 get one free and free shipping, which is excellent.  I got (left to right) Wednesday, Dree, and Lara.  I'm wearing Dree right now, and it is a fab dusty olive green.

Outfit of the Day: Madewell

So yesterday I did this thing were I went out and I bought clothes...and it was so great.  I LOVE SHOPPING, GUYS.  I love it.


ANYWAYS.  I got an adorable little lace, '50s dress from H&M that I will probably put pictures up of next week, and in the meantime I have an outfit of the day for y'all.  (Notice the excellent lighting and high-quality camera-work.  Jokes).  I'm wearing a Madewell sweaterdress, Hue brown tights, a vintage belt, and Frye Melissa button boots.

So the story with this dress.  I hate sweaterdresses.  They scare me.  They are generally so not flattering, with the thick, clingy knit fabric.  This one, however, is a nice balance of warm but not bulky fabric and a close, but not clingy fit.  Horizontal stripes also usually scare me, but I think the thickness of the stripes and their cream/coral palette makes them feel fun and fresh.  It has a flattering v-neck and thin stripes on the sleeve cuffs with little buttons down the back, and it's really comfy and I love it.  I'm not a preppy girl at ALL, but I really like this with tights and equestrian boots.  It feels very clean and classic.


AND IT WAS $20.  It was on sale at Madewell for $30 in store, and then it was on double sale!  For $20, it was a total steal, especially since I think it can be dressed up or down nicely, and work for class or work.

I'm in love...with a skirt

I miss my camera. Don't get me wrong, my iPhone has a nice camera.  For a phone.  Wahhhhh.  Anyways, I finally got my conical wand from Ulta in the mail.  FINALLY!!!!  I've been stalking in via UPS for days now.  I much prefer my hair wavy/curly to straight, so I was extremely excited to play with my new toy.  Here's my second attempt with it.  Happy bouncy hair!  I'll have a real review of it up next week.  Back to the main event: this new Madewell Tweed Belltoll Skirt, $98 at madewell.com.  I was casually online shopping a few weeks ago, and I came across this skirt.  I've been looking for a good daytime skirt for months now.  I have an hourglass-shaped body, so when I add a lot of volume to my bottom half, like an a-line skirt, I start to look really bottom heavy.  I really look best in a pencil skirt, but I'm not comfortable running around in a pencil skirt for errands and to class on a daily basis--it's not all that comfortable and I'm curvy enough that it looks too over-the-top for class.

That's why I fell in love with the shape of this skirt!  It's like an a-line skirt and a pencil skirt had a baby.  It hits at the low waist, has a bell shape, and has a few soft pleats at the waist with adorable little pockets in the front.  It's in a nice, thick grey/black/white tweed fabric with a generous hem and a black lining.  I bought this on Monday, and I've worn it every day since.  It's that great!  The shape is lean enough that it's flattering, but it's not so fitted that I'm constantly self-conscious about my stomach whenever I eat anything.  The color palette makes it easy to wear with just about any colored top, and the tweed and structured shape have a fun, retro feel that I really love, but the length makes it modern.  It's really easy to dress up or down, too--the tweed can transition from day to night really easily.  Anyways, the skirt is Madewell, the shoes are from Maripaz (like the Spanish Payless), the top is from Stradivarius (Spanish again), the necklace is vintage, the watch/bracelet is La Mer Collections, and the bag is from Etui.

Mama's Got a New Bag

When I was in London, I popped into the Topshop at Oxford and happened across a whole display of these gorgeous, handmade leather bags from Etui.  I couldn't find much on the internet about Etui, but the tag on my bag says they make 'Vintage Inspired Leather Bags'.  They had a toooon of bags at Topshop, little pouches, wallets, big totes, and I grabbed this medium-sized clutch/shoulder bag.


It was 56 pounds, so around $80? It's a thick burgundy-red leather with crocodile stamping.  It has a nice sheen to it and a bit of a vintage finish--it looks a bit lived in, which I really like.  It's about 12"x4" and an envelope style, so the top flap folds over and closes at that magnetic snap you can see in the first picture.  The shoulder chain (which is pretty long, it hits me at the hip) snaps on at those little rivets you can see on the left, so it's removable if I want to wear it as a clutch.  The inside of the bag is a plain black nylon-ish fabric, with a small zipped side pocket (the zipper pull is a little heart--too adorable).

I've always been wary of these little shoulder bags because I tend to carry a ton of stuff around with me.  But on the other hand, my shoulder is always killing me because of that, so downsizing is definitely a positive for my back.  I can fit a surprisingly amount of stuff in this bag though: my phone, sunglasses, keys, touch-up makeup (powder, brush, lip balm, lipstick/gloss, eyeliner), credit cards/cash/license, etc.  


Overall I totally love this.  I've never really had a bag in a color before, so that's fun for me.  It's a vampy sort of color, so it's fun but not so bright that I can't wear it with a lot of clothes.  I love the texture of the crocodile stamping and how it makes my bag feel more upscale, and the size is perfect for me.  I have no complaints!  So if you're ever in London (or on eBay), definitely look into Etui's bags.

Outfit of the Day!

So I've done a little bit of shopping here in Spain.  Not a lot--trying to practice that whole self-restraint thing.  It's going pretty well, except where baked goods and Diet Coke are concerned (as usual).  Anyways, I've picked up a skirt, a dress, two tops, and a pair of shoes (for about 75 euro! not bad, huh...).


Here's the dress I got (no full-length mirror in Espana, sadly).  It's from a store called Sfera and it was about 22 Euros-ish.  It's a scarlet chiffon-weight dress with little white polka dots, tank sleeves, smocking at the waist and a bow tie at the v-neck.  The belt is vintage and the leather jacket is from Wilson.

I really, really like this dress.  It has a very Alps-y feel to me for some reason (probably the Swiss dots), and I love the sweetness of the ruffles and the bow, especially against the toughness of a leather jacket.


And I might even be getting a little better at this hair curling thing!  Now I'm just waiting to go back to the States so I can buy a curling iron like a big girl and stop using my straightener.


Besitos!

Spain Style

I'm still alive!  Sorry for the lack of updates (yes, mom, I am still alive), but crazy schedule + spotty internet does not lend itself to lots of blog updates.  But I am trying to get on top of it, I swear.

In terms of life updates, I am still getting mocked all around for speaking Spanish like a Mexican (apparently it's a problem in my grammar class) and I'm traveling all over!  So far I have trips planned to Cadiz, Granada, Ireland, London, Paris, Bologna, Germany, Portugal and Austria.  Busy busy busy but excited to get to go to some new places.  I start class next week, so that should be pretty interesting.

So, clothes.  I'm noticing that the trends in Spain (right now at least) are less colorful/floral and more neutral.  There are seems to be less structure/clean lines and more draping--which could be related to the fact that it's a million degrees here.  Today I wore an outfit just like this.  The tank was the same but a burnt pinkish-red instead of purple (the picture is evading me) and it was that exact skirt.  I saw 'Friends with Benefits' before I left and something about Mila Kunis' pencil/mini skirt-based daytime outfits stuck with me.  I'm running out of clean clothes so I decided to recreate one using a skirt I normally wear out at night (yay, repurposing).  So I had the black shirt and then the reddish tank on top and loose, but I tucked a tiny bit of the hem of the tank into the waist of the skirt (in just one spot).  It's hard to describe, but it highlights the high waist of the skirt and creates this pretty draping effect because the rest of the hem of the shirt hangs down.

Then I wore these Frye boots and a leather jacket I have that's pretty similar to the Veda one pictured here.  The leather jacket adds a little structure and some edge (you can never have too much edge!  Jk, you totally can, but I still love it).  I like the boots with this outfit because they make it a little more casual since they're basically gussied up cowboy boots, but the little heel keeps it all sassy.  I throw on some antique necklaces on top and overall was very happy with the look.  I'd do a photo for y'all, but I actually have no full length--or even remotely full-length--mirrors here.  Boo.

On a makeup related note, I've been dying to pick up some Spanish makeup here, but there don't seem to be any Spanish makeup brands, at least that I can find??  All I've seen here is marked up makeup from the UK and the States, like $16 CoverGirl mascara (that must be a joke).  So I've been loving my Coastal Scents Metal Mania palette.  It was about $20 on the Coastal Scents website, and has 88 metallic shadows, mostly neutrals.  I love it because the shadows are pretty high quality for the price and since there are so many it's keeping my cravings for new shadows at bay--for now.  Also, I've been living off Nutella.  Unrelated, I know, but I'm struggling with not eating in my dorm dining hall and not wanting to spend a lot of money on groceries to cook for myself.  It's been lots of cheese and bread and apples with Nutella (which I'm eating right now.  Shocker).  Someone force me to feed myself nutrients.

That's all for now.  Besos de Espana!

Images via stylehive.com, loveinpink88blogspot.com.

Forever 21 Steal

So I'm supposed to be keeping myself from buying anything until I got to Spain next week so that, you know, I can buy clothes in Spain.  Well, when it comes to self-restraint, I am TERRIBLE.  I went shopping today.  But hey, I was practical!  Kinda.  Here's one of my favorite things I got:


Forever 21 Ruffle Trimmed Woven Dress, $17.80 at forever21.com: This Forever 21 dress comes in a bright, coral/petal pink, a blush pink (not on the website) and a teal/turquoise blue.  I got the bright pink and the blue because when they're less than $18 a pop, you can get all your favorite colors!  It's a rayon dress, so it has a nice drape but has to be hand-washed, and has an elasticized waist with a ruffle around the front and the back of the neckline.

Dress: Forever 21, boots: Frye, belt: vintage, jewelry: Tiffanys.  I really like this little dress!  It's lightweight, easy to style around, and very comfy.  I think the shape is pretty flattering for most body shapes because it floats over the hips/butt without clinging or adding too much volume, and the ruffle fills out the chest area.  If you're like me and have enough going on in that area, the ruffle can still help balance you out if you're a little bottom heavy, like me.  This dress is also adorable with a little leather jacket, or you can go a sweeter route and add a cardigan.

Images via forever21.com.

Outfit of the Day!

So here's what I wore to work today (I had a nicely buttoned-up cardigan on top, I'm not that ridiculous), and I got creeped on excessively on the way home.  So it must be a good outfit!  Jk.  Kinda.


Dress: Forever21, belt: vintage, boots: Frye, sunglasses: Ray-Ban.

The print on this dress is really fun.  My belt is doing weird things.  And no, I did not wear those sunglasses inside.  I'm not crazy.  I am really feeling sundresses and cowboyish boots, though, which I'm sure surprises no one.  Apparently I secretly want to be Taylor Swift (I bet that doesn't surprise anyone either).


So that's that.  Sorry I've failed at blogging this week.  My iPhoto got all kinds of messed up when I switched computers, so I haven't been able to upload pictures :( but I think I fixed it!  I think.

Modern Wayfarers

So I bought myself a birthday present.  I'm really good at doing that.  In fact, I do it year-round.  Aha.  Anyways, I got myself some Ray-Ban sunglasses, and they finally came, so of course I had to take pictures of myself wearing them and making silly faces and blog about it.


#1: see, we're doing pretty well, I'm making a normal face (which I totally struggle with that close to a mirror).  #2: I can't resist the urge to make silly fish faces.  Ever.  Cute.  I know.

These are the Modern Wayfarers from Ray-Ban in brown.  Now, I've had bad luck with Ray-Bans.  My aviators fell apart, and my Wayfarers were always way too big, and also fell apart.  But Shopbop has a great return policy and free shipping, so I took the plunge.  They're a sturdy plastic frame with gradient lenses.  What I loved right off the bat is that these fit very firmly on my face.  They aren't slipping off.  I could probably go running in them.  They're a nice, warm dark brown, which I find a lot more flattering than black.

My favorite part, though, is the shape.  They're an updated Wayfarer, meaning that they're a slightly larger lens with a more rectangular shape instead of the usual circular.  Plus they go out more at the temples for a slight cat-eye effect, which I love (so sassy!).  I think the more rectangular frames are much more flattering on my rounder face.  They still have the iconic Wayfarer look, but with a bit of a Jackie O twist.  Overall I'm super pleased with this purchase.  I've been wearing them every day, and have gotten a ton of compliments.


I got these from Shopbop because they have fast free shipping and free return shipping.  They come with a Ray-Ban case and a cleaning cloth.

Outfit of the Day (In My Head)

Sorry for not blogging yesterday, y'all.  It was my birthday!  I'm 20.  I feel old.  It's freaking me out not to be a teenager anymore.  Ack.  Anyways, here's what I wish I was wearing today (and what I actually wore at the bottom):

 Cool as Icing Dress, $79.99 at modcloth.com, Ray-Ban Modern Wayfarers, $139 at shopbop.com: Ahhh this is dress is so cute.  It reminds me of a Taylor Swift music video, but less corny.  The cut is extremely flattering--anything fitted through the torso and waist like that will emphasize the smallest part of you, and the slightly flared skirt creates an hourglass silhouette without overemphasizing what's already there.  And then you have the adorable detailing, with the cutout geometric and lace shapes.  It's a bit like those paper Day of the Dead garlands, but wearable.  I'd do a cute little sundress like that one with sassy, big sunglasses.  I actually just got these for myself for my birthday (they should be here in a day or two!  Yipee).  The soft brown of the shades works nicely with the sweetness of the dress.  I really love the shape of these glasses.  It's a little retro-cat-eye/sassy, and has the same classic but modern feel as the original Wayfarers, but the shape isn't as round, so they'll work better on rounder faces.  I have a squareish-oval (squoval?) face, so round sunglasses just make my face look rounder, whereas more rectangular frames like these are more flattering.  The inverse works if you have a really angular face, rounder sunglasses can soften that up.

Club Monaco Harper Braided Belt, $79.99 at shopbop.com, Frye Kara Trapunto T Strap, $159.60 at zappos.com: I belt everything.  I'd add a belt here for some visual contrast.  The skinny belt works because it doesn't detract from or cover-up the intricate detailing at the waist, and the warm brown and homey vibe of the braid go perfectly with the rustic, simple feel of the dress.  Ahhh I also want these shoes.  I can't justify buying them, but aren't they so sweet?  I love the idea of daytime heels.  These feel so sweet and retro with the t-straps and the soft brown leather, but the platform and chunky heel add a bit of sass.  All in all these heels would add a little height and glamour, but still keep the overall vibe down-to-earth.

And here's what I actually wore today: the shirt is from H&M, the skirt is Ann Taylor Loft, the belt is vintage, the necklace is Forever21, and the sandals are Franco Sarto.  Yayyy for work-appropriate outfits.

Images via shopbop.com, zappos.com, modcloth.com.

Currently Loving: My New Pendant Necklace

It's a four-day weekend, y'all.  FOUR DAYS.  And you know what I'm going to be doing?  Sleeping.  Lots of sleep.  I miss sleep.  We haven't hung out in a while.  Anyways, one of the things I'm going to be wearing a lot this weekend is this new tassel pendant necklace I was sent by Spring Street.  I totally love it.


It's a long necklace with a 36" gold chain, an adjustable clasp, a circle covered in geometric crystals, and a large tassel.  It's a very heavy, solid feeling necklace.  You can get it on their website for $45.  I love tassel necklaces.  I bought one a while ago but it fell apart, and I've been meaning to get a new one for a while now.  This one is perfect.  It looks and feels expensive, and has a fun mixture of textures and finishes, with the crystal, black bead, chains, embossed metal, etc, etc.  The chain tassels hang so nicely, and they have great movement, too.  It all has a very exotic feel.  Also I love anything shiny, so...

My favorite way to wear a statement necklace like this one is with a simpler outfit, so that the necklace gets to stand out more and it doesn't all look too busy.  Here I'm wearing it with a Madewell tank, a vintage cardigan, and J. Crew shorts.  You could also wear it with jeans, boots, and a black tee, or with jeans and a white button-down and boots, or it would look adorable with a simple LBD.  You have a lot of different options.

So would I have paid for this?  Yes.  Especially with the discount code I'm about to tell you about!

And for the next 24 hours you can use the code Awkward chic at springstreetdesign.com to get 25% off your order. Yayyyy discount codes!