stila bella

Sweater Weather

September 19, 2016 by jessica 8 Comments

September is by far my favorite month with the crisp morning air that turns into warm summer-like temperatures by day’s end, the abundance of pumpkin spiced everything (although I can’t get on board with the overly sweet Starbucks #PSL), and an excuse to finally don a sweater. (It always comes back to the clothes, doesn’t it?) I’ve been obsessed with this mini sweater dress from Tobi since its arrival. It’s the perfect thing for chillier mornings that doesn’t leave me overheated by day’s end, and it’s appropriate for work. In fact, this is probably the best example of my typical office attire that I’ve ever posted on the blog. I’m a one-trick pony with a dress, flats, and a pendant!

You can save 50% off your first purchase at Tobi by signing up for their email list. (You should get a pop-up window when you click through.) Here’s a link to the dress I’m wearing. One word of caution: you’ll want to wear a half-slip underneath. The knit isn’t very tight and you can see the shape of your legs if you’re back lit. Just something to keep in mind if you’re going to wear it to work like I’m planning to. The black maxi dress I wore last week is also from Tobi and it’s part of their 50% off dress sale through Sept. 21 with code DRDR. I sized up for both items.

Dress: c/o Tobi (Get 50% off your first order!)
Necklace: c/o Gerard Yosca
Shoes: Tory Burch (these navy loafers are adorable)
Bag: Tory Burch (love this season’s version)
Bracelet: Hermes
Rings: c/o Julie Vos (also love this one), Monica Vinader, Lulu Frost
Sunglasses: Karen Walker c/o Shopbop
Lips: Stila “Bella”

Cult Gaia Ark Bag

June 27, 2016 by jessica 12 Comments

Happy Monday! We had a fun-filled weekend, which is making it especially hard to get back into the swing of things this week. We watched pro golfers at the American Family Championship (a PGA seniors event), went on a 20-mile bike ride (which may have been too much for my second time out this year!), spent a few hours in the pool, enjoyed a doner kebab sausage (a convincing substitute for the real thing, which is impossible to find here) at Madison’s O.S.S., and finally brought this bag on its maiden voyage.

I bought the tote a few months ago, before its popularity led to a sharp price increase. (The large size was $48 last year, I bought it at $58, and now it rings in at $98!). The rising price doesn’t seem to deter fashionistas, given that there’s a wait list to purchase the piece. The bag is a replica of a vintage Japanese picnic basket and I’ve actually come across a few on Etsy. They’re now sold out, but it’s worth keeping an eye on if $98 seems like too much to spend on a wooden, slightly impractical bag. The slats are close enough together where most things won’t fall out, but I still corralled my necessities in a cosmetic case.

Dress: Kohl’s (old; this one is remarkably similar)
Belt: Target
Bag: Cult Gaia
Shoes: Soludos
Sunglasses: Karen Walker c/o Shopbop
Bracelet: c/o Julie Vos
Rings: Monica Vinader (shop her sale), c/o Julie Vos, Lulu Frost
Lips: Stila “Bella”
Nails: YSL “Day Bloomer”

Gingham Girl

March 14, 2016 by jessica 16 Comments

Another week, another dress I’m likely packing for our upcoming trip. (Which is coming up in 24 days, but who’s counting?) I’m completely on the fence about this dress, though. One one hand, it’s incredibly comfortable (so soft!) and easy to pull on for weekend wear. On the other hand, it’s a bit too tomboy for my usual tastes. If you spring for it, it does run true to size and I’d recommend adding a slip underneath for extra coverage when you sit down (the space between the buttons can gap open if you’re not careful).

Dress: Madewell “Courier” Buffalo Check Shirtdress (also here and here)
Purse: Rebecca Minkoff “Mini Affair” (the blue one is half price)
Shoes: Ferragamo “Varina”
Sunglasses: Karen Walker “Number One”
Necklaces: c/o Helen Ficalora, Gorjana (similar)
Rings: Monica Vinader, c/o Julie Vos
Lips: Stila “Bella”
Nails: YSL “Day Bloomer”

Fall Into Spring

March 10, 2016 by jessica 3 Comments

Dress: Banana Republic (old, love this vibrant drop-waist dress)
Coat: Tory Burch (similar)
Purse: Tory Burch (similar, this small bag is also great)
Shoes: Ferragamo
Sunglasses: Karen Walker
Necklace: c/o Gerard Yosca
Nails: YSL “Day Bloomer”
Lips: Stila “Bella”

Earning My Stripes

February 8, 2016 by jessica 19 Comments

I’m usually opposed to buying something at full price from LOFT, but I couldn’t help myself when I tried on this tunic tee on Friday. I actually stopped at the store to try on this skirt and pulled the shirt to wear with it, assuming that it was just another striped shirt and I’d go home without. The skirt fell short of expectations. It didn’t have enough of an a-line shape for my hips and the quality seemed a bit shoddy. This shirt, on the other hand, is amazing. It’s the softest long-sleeve tee I’ve ever worn (as I admitted in this weekend’s Instagram). It runs large, likely due to the tunic-inspired loose silhouette. (I’m usually a size 8 and I went with the small.)

And, in other shopping news, I went ahead and purchased the loafers I mentioned a couple of times over the last few weeks. I wanted a pair of shoes to wear on our Europe trip that weren’t ballet flats, wouldn’t get ruined by rain, and would be versatile enough to wear with pants and dresses. The Louise et Cie loafers fit the bill. There’s a lot going on with them: brogues detailing, metallic patent leather, and tassels. I adore them, though, and they’re incredibly comfortable with a decent amount of padding inside. I wore them for a two-mile walk on Saturday and didn’t end up with sore feet or blisters.