fall floral

My Uniform on “Nothing-To-Wear” Days

November 20, 2017 by jessica 2 Comments

No matter how over-stuffed my closet is, those “I have nothing to wear” days always seem to pop up. And I suspect many of you are in the same boat. Of course it’s not about a lack of clothing; it’s about not having the right clothes that fit the person you want to be that day. Over the years, I’ve realized that I reach for an iteration of this outfit on those days: skinny jeans, flats, and a patterned blouse. It’s a no-fuss outfit that I can wear to my casual office or out on the weekend, and opting for a blouse in an eye-catching pattern keeps it from being too boring. I spotted this blouse at LOFT last weekend and fell in love with the pretty eyelet detail, the ’70s-inspired colors, and the ruffled trim — and for $30, it was a no-brainer for my next nothing-to-wear moment which happened to be the very next day! If you’re looking to order it online, go with your usual LOFT size and order a size down to try, too. I went with my typical size small at the brand and it’s still roomy.

LOFT blouse | Gap jeans | Ferragamo flats (similar budget-friendly version) | Banana Republic bag (old; similar) | BaubleBar earrings (hot pink and pale pink are both on sale here)

Moody Floral

October 24, 2016 by jessica 9 Comments

Between the Old Navy dress I wore here, the Joie dress I recently purchased, and this budget-friendly number, I can’t stop adding dark floral dresses to my fall wardrobe. It’s just so darn easy to throw one on with a pair of ballet flats and feel pulled together. And, if we’re being honest, it’s that kind of simplicity I’m aching for right now. After a heavy workload over the last couple of months, I’m finally able to put the stress behind me and really enjoy carefree autumn days starting with this week’s road trip. We’re heading to Louisville on Thursday for a couple of nights and then continuing to Nashville on Saturday. Judging by the forecast, it looks like the Joie dress is going to be the perfect thing for Tennessee’s summer-like temperatures!

Dress: c/o SheIn
Bag: Tory Burch (old, also love this)
Sunglasses: Prada
Shoes: Ferragamo c/o Shopbop
Necklace: c/o Julie Vos (similar)
Rings: c/o Julie Vos

Linking Up: Still Being Molly + Lipgloss and Crayons, Pink Sole, More Pieces of Me, Fizz and Frosting, Style Nudge, Not Dead Yet Style, Claire Justine

Dark Floral

October 3, 2016 by jessica 9 Comments

As you’ve probably gathered, I’m not much of an Old Navy shopper. By in large, I think the quality of the garments is too low even for the price and the thought put into designs is lacking. However, there are times when Old Navy does it right: insanely affordable denim, basic t-shirts, and this dress. Prints are a hard thing for a discounted retailer to pull off, which is why I typically go with solid colors if I’m shopping for inexpensive duds, but Old Navy nails it with this multi-colored floral dress. The variety of flowers and colors in the pattern make it look more expensive than it is, unlike the other two-color prints for this dress that look cheap.

As with any low-cost apparel, pairing it with luxe accessories elevates the look. I went with my go-to Ferragamo flats and a DVF clutch. Both of these have high price tags, but the cost per wear makes it worthwhile. I normally wore out a pair of black flats in the $100-150 range within a year. The Ferragamo pair still looks brand new. I’ll have them resoled when they start to look worn. The clutch is one of my absolute favorite accessories. I splurged on it a couple of years ago and haven’t had a desire to buy another black clutch since. The classic shape won’t go out of style and it’s large enough for all of your essentials.

Dress: Old Navy
Shoes: Ferragamo
Clutch: Diane von Furstenberg (hands down my favorite clutch)
Sunglasses: Prada
Rings: Monica Vinader, c/o Julie Vos (similar), Melanie Auld (love this)
Lips: Stila “Bella”

Falling for Floral

August 8, 2016 by jessica 10 Comments

I spotted this shirt dress Thursday morning and hesitated to purchase the online-only item. I wasn’t sure what size I’d need and I didn’t have enough “ride-along items” to qualify for free shipping. As luck would have it, my final meeting of the day on Thursday was next to the local LOFT store where I spotted this piece hanging by its lonesome. It was a size small, which I would never had started with in the fitting room had a full size run been available, but it miraculously fit. It was obviously meant to be. 😉 I love the three-quarter length sleeves and the muted color palette, which make the dress a perfect summer-to-fall transitional piece.

And then, since I was on a sartorial lucky streak, I noticed that this Cynthia Rowley dress that I purchased last week is now available at an even steeper discount and headed to the store for a price adjustment. I haven’t featured the Cynthia Rowley dress on the blog yet. If you decide to order it, choose a size to fit your bust. The body of the dress is a wide, swing shape, so that’s not much of a concern for fit. (I ended up choosing a size 6.) The dress is absolutely gorgeous and well made.

Dress: LOFT (go down a size)
Bag: Tory Burch (similar here and here)
Sandals: Ann Taylor (true to size)
Necklace: c/o Julie Vos
Rings: c/o Julie Vos (exact and love this one), Lulu Frost
Sunglasses: Karen Walker c/o Shopbop

Flower Child

September 21, 2015 by jessica 20 Comments

I can’t begin to tell you how much I adore this Zara dress. I love the flirty length, the bell sleeves, and the muted color palette that makes it perfect for warm fall days. I bought it when we were in Georgetown a few weeks ago and wore it the very next day (a sure sign of a great purchase). Now that I’m home with full access to my jewelry collection, I’ve been pairing it with a long pendant similar to this.

Dress: Zara | Bag: Tory Burch (old, love this) | Sandals: Steve Madden (old, similar) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker c/o Shopbop | Rings: c/o Julie Vos (similar), Lulu Frost

***
linking up with Rachelle, Jenna, and Caryl