Style – Page 73

Windowpane

October 12, 2015 by jessica 19 Comments

Windowpane-Dress-7

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you already know I fell in love with this dress Friday afternoon. I’m so crazy about it, in fact, that I wore it to a baby shower on Saturday and again on Sunday to run a few errands and stop at an open house. It’s technically a tunic and meant to be worn with pants or leggings (pfft…), but I’m 5’7″ and it’s definitely long enough to wear as a dress. (Don’t worry, I double checked by layering my favorite black skirt underneath and the hemlines met.) It’s also the softest sweater dress I have ever worn. The cream and black colorway is sold out online, but our store had the full size run.

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linking up with Rachelle, Jenna, and Caryl

Ruffled

October 7, 2015 by jessica 13 Comments

Well, my hair was curled when I left the house … not so much after a few minutes standing outside in the wind! Oh, well, ’tis the reality of blogging, right? The other reality is that I’ve been wearing this dress at least once a week since purchasing it at the beginning of September. It’s such an easy piece to throw on for those “I have nothing to wear!” days and nothing is as forgiving as an a-line swing dress for “not-so-skinny” days. This is basically how I’ve been wearing it on the weekends (bring on the big jewels!). For work, I usually layer a button-down shirt underneath (love this and this) and slip on my favorite flats.

London Calling

October 5, 2015 by jessica 22 Comments

When I purchase a new item, I know it’s a keeper when I start daydreaming about the places I want to wear it. I’m not talking about everyday locations, like work, or even special occasions, like a wedding. Instead, I find myself itching to book a plane ticket to debut the piece in a different city or country. This coat is destined for London, which isn’t a surprise given that Tory Burch’s inspiration for her 2015 pre-fall collection was the English city circa 1960. Nestled next to the coat in my suitcase would be the ultra comfortable Naturalizer “Jarrett” ankle boots. You already know how much I love flats, but sometimes a standard-issue ballet flat seems a little dull. These ankle boots have just enough attitude to make an outfit more interesting without sacrificing comfort. They run a hair large, which I didn’t mind. I’ll appreciate the extra room for tights and cozy socks once the mercury dips.

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Thanks to Naturalizer for partnering on this post!

Review: JCOS Messenger Bag With Lock

October 1, 2015 by jessica 14 Comments

I recently purchased this JCOS crossbody bag, a knockoff of the ubiquitous Chloe “Drew” bag. Now that I’ve been using it for a month (outfit photos coming soon), I wanted to share my thoughts on the piece for anyone interested in snagging this trendy style for a fraction of the price. (Though, I’m jealous of those who have $1,850 laying around for the original!)

Shipping took a ridiculously long time. I placed my order on July 29. It shipped on Aug. 21 and arrived on Aug. 24.
The quality is fantastic. The leather is thick, the hardware is sturdy, and the stitching is uniform. The metal clasp is attached with screws and, as you’ll see in a photo below, there’s a leather strip under the flap that reinforces the handles.
The clasp didn’t get as scratched as I thought it would over the course of the month.
On the original bag, there’s a turnlock that secures the bag before you slide in the metal bar. That’s not the case here. Sometimes the bar slides out and the bag hangs open. It’s not often enough to be a nuisance and nothing has fallen out when it happens. I’ve found that putting more items in the bag makes it less likely to occur.
The knotted chain at the handles can sometimes undo itself if the bag is tossed around too much. It’s easy to retie.
Of course, there’s the concern about “being inspired by” (::cough::knocking off::cough::) an iconic design. I struggled with this a bit, but decided that it didn’t bother me too much because it doesn’t pretend to be an original and, as I said, I’m in no position to spend almost two grand on the original. You can judge my questionable ethics, though.

Bottom Line: If you’re crazy about the design, but can’t fork out $1,850, go for it. It’s a fun ’70s-inspired saddle bag for fall.

Read My Lips

September 24, 2015 by jessica 7 Comments

You may recall that I featured this mini crossbody bag last week. Normally, I get wrapped up with the idea of a new item, pin it to my private “Buy” Pinterest board, post about it on the blog, and then move on. Not the case here. I couldn’t stop thinking about the pint-sized bag emblazoned with Diane von Furstenberg’s signature lip print. The Nordstrom Rack find barely holds more than a phone, card case, and lipstick, but what more do you really need for an evening out? Better yet, the crossbody strap frees you from searching for bag hooks under the bar.

The background the bag is sitting on is a LOFT skirt from earlier this year, but this Tory Burch one is remarkably similar. You can also shop more of DVF’s iconic kisses below.