Disclaimer: I didn't buy this all at one time because I am a poor grad student and that would be insane, but I got all of this in the last month or so, largely on sale (yay!).
Madewell Afternoon Dress, $98 at madewell.com, J. Crew Collection Cashmere Plaited Sweater, $129.99 at jcrew.com: I am a huge fan of dresses like this, that are very simple with classic shapes in comfy fabrics and fun colors. Why? Because you can wear them so many ways! I put a blazer over it and wore it to work, but I can also wear it with a pair of wedges and some fun statement jewelry for a night out, or with a cozy sweater and a pair of boots around for errands. However, I am the most excited about this sweater. I've loved this silhouette that J. Crew has been doing in all cashmere for a long time, with the French girl sweatshirt-chic vibe, but those sweaters run about $250. This one was a magical sale find for $45. TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS DOWN FROM THE ORIGINAL PRICE. INSANE. Granted, pink stripes is not the world's most practical color choice, but it's really cute (and much more neon in person), it's a cozy, flattering fit, and I think I can wear it a ton of ways.
J. Crew Button-front Dress in Linen, $138 at jcrew.com: This is the kind of dress that I saw online and I saw in-store, and I thought it looked kind of blah and dumpy. But then it was on super sale ($45!), so I tried it on (it also comes in an adorable black and white print that I think is sold out online). I got this in a 6, as it's a heavy linen blend with no stretch, so it seemed safer to size up. It's much shorter on me than on the model, and I like to wear it with the top two buttons undone and the sides pushed back so it's more of a v-neck. What I really like about this dress is that it's really well made--it has a lining, bra keeps, deep pockets, etc--and it has a shape that's pretty universally flattering. The wide, full skirt would be great for adding the illusion of curves if you have narrower hips but also has lots of room for my ridiculously wide hip bones. The top fits my chest really well, which is great for me, and the waist is also fairly fitted, which is also great for me. However if you have a large ribcage, this may not be for you, as the torso is fitted and has no stretch. My absolute favorite thing about this dress, however, is that it manages to look like something Sophia Loren would have worn while also still being modern. It's a perfect warm-weather sundress.
J. Crew Drapey Elbow-Sleeve Tee, $39.50 at jcrew.com, J. Crew A-line Ponté Dress, $128 at jcrew.com: I have this weird thing with t-shirts where I accumulate a lot of basic tees, realize I have no blouses or nice tops, end up trading in all my tees for blouses, then realizing I have no tees, and the vicious cycle continues. I wanted a basic tee to wear with my colorful minis and my legging-pants, and this J. Crew version fits the bill. It comes in a bunch of colors, was 25% off today, and has a fit that is the perfect combination of slouchy-casual and slightly sexy. I got this pink dress for work (wohooo unpaid internships) and for $45 as well! I got it in a 6, and I really like it. It's a good length, short enough to be flattering but long enough for an office, the v-neck is flattering without being scandalous, and the combination of the fitted waist and a-line skirt is both comfy and flattering. I just realized that this is the third pink dress I've bought in the last few months. I have a problem.
Tell me about your shopping adventures! What have you bought lately?
Images via jcrew.com, madewell.com.
I am really weird when it comes to shoes. Mainly in that I have very expensive taste with a very non-expensive budget, which makes me sad, so I just don't buy shoes often. In my attempts to actually buy shoes (I was honestly that California girl in the Rainbow sandals for an embarassingly long time), I try to save up and then splurge a bit once or a year or so on a pair of Fryes--and then wear them to pieces. My current Fryes in rotation are the Frye Jane's in Redwood, which are just the most beautiful boots, and these Vera Hikers in brown that I got for Christmas (thanks mom!).
The reason I wanted these boots was that I like the versatility I get from having a pair of short and a pair of tall boots. My last pair of short boots was more on the cowboy side, and I wanted to try something a bit more rustic and a bit less western without getting these, which basically everyone at my school has.
I love, love, love these boots. They look like a retro hiking boot, but the oversize tongue, upturned toe, and the 2 inch heel give them a bit of a modern, edgy twist. I've gotten so many compliments on them already! Some of my Fryes have taken weeks to break in properly, but these I could wear easily right out of the box. They have a rubber sole for traction, which is perfect, and are easily to get on and off with the laces. I can wear these all day without my feet getting tired or annoyed.
I like to pair these with tights and nubby men's socks. The simple, slightly old school feel of these boots means that they can work with lots of different outfits and styles--I like these with a little leather jacket and a cute little dress because they can ground even the girliest of dresses, but they're also cute with a colorful mini and a sweater. Overall, I really recommend these. They aren't cheap, but they're the best combination of timeless and on trend, and you can absolutely feel the quality.
ALSO! If you live somewhere snowy and cold, totally get these instead. They come shearling lined! I think they're so cute, and they would be SO WARM AND COMFY.
Image via countryoutfitters.com, zappos.com.
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.
