Happy holidays/New Year's, everybody! Since the year is coming to an end, I thought I'd share one of my favorite things that I bought this year. I've been (and still am) firmly in the leggings are not pants camp. HOWEVER (now is when I eat my words), I normally stick to skirts and dresses out of personal preference, but sometimes you just need to wear pants. I'm completely over jeans at this point--they're never comfortable, they never fit me correctly, and they just aren't really my style. In search of non-legging, non-jean pants, I stumbled across these J. Crew Pixie Pants, which are incidentally the exact same as the J. Crew Factory Ponte Pants (which are a good $30 cheaper on sale right now). The only differences between the two are that the Pixie pants have a zipper in the back, whereas the Ponte zipper is on the side, and the Pixie pants come in grey, black, and navy, whereas the Ponte pants only come in navy and black. I picked up a pair of the Ponte pants a few months ago, and I have been wearing them ALL THE TIME.
The Ponte pants are a rayon/nylon/spandex blend, which basically feels like a thick stretch jersey. One of the things that I hate about leggings-as-pants as that they are so thin--they don't hide underwear lines (or even underwear color often!), and they stretch out and sag. The Ponte pants are thicker, so they hide everything, and they don't stretch out at all. They have a thick high waistband, which doesn't cut into my stomach, and a zipper on the side. At J. Crew I'm often between a 4 and a 6 in bottoms, and since these have stretch I went for the 4, which fits perfectly.
I like to wear these with my Frye Jane boots (they would also be cute with flats, but that's not really my cup of tea) and either a sweater or a cute top. What I really love about these, aside from the fact that they're super comfortable, is that they're so basic I can wear them with just about anything. You can style them preppy, like in the photo above, or you can throw on boots, a tee, and a leather jacket and take them in a more edgy direction.
I really recommend these! I was a little skeptical at first, but I've ended up wearing them multiple times a week ever since I got them. They've held up really well, and I might even get a second pair in the navy! I wish they made these in more fun colors--I could totally go for a burgundy or a hunter green.
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.
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.
