TBMD

Happy Monday! Cheers to a short work week and a long weekend to look forward to!

I was in London riding the Tube when I saw an extremely petite girl (< 5') board the train wearing a gorgeous floral printed dress. I'd like to think I was being sneaky with my covert glances trying to get a better look, but that's probably because she was too busy concentrating on keeping her balance without holding onto any handrails.

From what I could discern, she was wearing the mini version [left photo below] and it hit her around mid-thigh. Her dress was made of canvas-like material (later learned it was hemp), so the floral print looked like it was painted on. I thought that was so cool and unique. Alas, I knew even if I somehow stumbled across this dress again, it would be much too short on me. My hunch proved to be true when SIL found the mini version when we were in Rome. She's ~5'2" and the dress was borderline indecently short on her. Sigh. The upside was that we now had a brand to go with the dress.
[left] RED Valentino wildflower mini dress ($297 at Valentino store)
[right] RED Valentino wildflower dress ($238 at BG / $357 at Saks / $357 at Valentino store / $595 at Nordstrom / $595 at Shopbop)

A quick google search on RED Valentino returned a longer dress in the same floral print (!) Unfortunately the longer dress was made of cotton instead of hemp, so the print didn't look painted on. It's still pretty in person, just not as cool looking. The cotton fabric also made a slight swish-ing sound which may bother some.

I first tried on the dress in US 0/IT 38 and found it to be super unflattering. It emphasized my bony torso, so I looked like a long rectangle on top, then all of a sudden, the bottom skirt portion poofed out in an unproportionate way. US 2/IT 40 was looser on me everywhere, so the skirt poofiness didn't look as jarring. SIL (who is shorter and curvier than I am) also tried on both sizes but had the opposite results. The smaller size flattered her curves while the larger size made her look stocky due to its boxiness. I wish we had taken comparison photos because I don't think my descriptions are clear enough at highlighting the differences.
I ended up buying the dress at Nordstrom because they price matched Bergdorf's sale price. I read online that the policy is to price match on exact items for sizes that are in stock only. I didn't see any more sz 2 left on BG's site, but figured I'd print out a screenshot and try my luck with a SA at a Nordstrom brick-and-mortar store... and it worked!

When I wore the dress out for the first time, I couldn't help but check myself out whenever I passed by a mirror, lol. So vain, right?! I kept glancing at the pretty print, and think I fall a little more in love with it each time. I'll probably have the bust area taken in by a tailor some time down the road; it's only noticeably baggy when I lean forward.

The same floral print is also available in a skirt ($198 at BG / $223 at NM / $297 at Saks / $297 at Valentino store) and shorts ($210 at Valentino store) versions.

Keeping it simple and casual in both color and item choices today. Have a good one!

I've been watching so much soccer since the World Cup started. For sports I don't care about, I go from being a non-existent fan to a fair-weather fan only during major international tournaments. This year for some reason, I've become so invested, so much so that I'm now one of those crazies who scream when things go right and shout at the TV when things don't. It's only fitting that today's outfit (somewhat) mirrors the colorful World Cup logo.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I'm wearing and using two of my favorite recent purchases today. Quick reviews for each:

1) The AT top has a hint of leather detailing with wonderful draping throughout. I also like the longer length in front. I'm wearing the top in XXS, my usual AT size. It's on the looser side, so size down if in-between sizes. Unfortunately, not many sizes remain online, so definitely check store availability if you're interested.

2) I've been looking for an orange accessory (belt or clutch) for awhile now and love the Claremont perforated clutch from J.Crew. The leather is saffiano-like (so low maintenance), the interior is lined in greige-colored suede (so luxe!), the front clasp is magnetic but sturdy so I haven't had any problems with it opening by itself randomly. I can fit a coin purse, card holder, iPod, dumb phone, lipstick, keys, and my work badge inside. I've actually reached for this clutch every day this week, so expect plenty of outfit posts to follow featuring this summer-y colored clutch.
The perforated rounded plus-sign design bugged me for a long time because it looked so familiar but I couldn't place it. Then it hit me -- it looks a lot like LV's design! (Is there a name for that? I'm not hip to anything LV at all.)

So many cities visited, so much to take in. Every day was a new experience in sensory overload. The immediate and lasting impressions I had of each city were: Loved London. It's a more refined version of the US, and I may actually prefer to live there over any other US city. The accents alone are enough to convince me to move. Disappointed with Paris. The city didn't live up to its "romantic" billing -- perhaps we didn't stay in/visit the right areas? I felt like it was the NYC of Europe -- dirty, smelly, had their share of unsavory characters. LOVED Venice. So charming and picturesque. Its laid-back vibe and slower pace of life meshes well with my personality, so I'm a bit biased there. It was so apparent the passion Italians have for their craft. Rome was my least favorite city of the four. Crowded, aggressive people everywhere. Hated how there were hidden costs in practically every restaurant we ate at.

Just a warning, a ton (compared to the usual) photos ahead.

Today's outfit is inspired by Massimo Dutti's model touting their denim effect blazer. I love the contrast of crisp white jeans with a dark gray blazer and bright shoes. I couldn't channel her effortless cool though -- think I should've worn looser jeans or a longer top instead.

This is my first commitment-free weekend since I've been back. I was all ready to take advantage by sleeping in, watching boatloads of sports, and sitting down to churn out an Europe recap post. Well, #1 didn't turn out as planned (10am is early for me), but will definitely be tackling #2 and #3.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sale alert: Take 40% off almost everything or extra 50% off select sale styles at Ann Taylor.

Closet favorites/recent purchases include:
- Eyelet scarf - $23.70 (outfits: here, here)
- Estate shimmer necklace - $44.99 (outfits: here, here, here)
- Modern classic skinny hinge bangle - $16.80 (outfits: here, here, here)
- Pearlized stone statement necklace - $59.99 (outfits: here, here, here)
- Pave cabochon stretch bracelet - $17.70 (outfits: here, here, here)

Other picks: $70 jeweled neck tweed dress (own and love, just haven't worn on the blog yet - TTS), $40.80 Gemma sandals (gorgeous yellow), $14.99 spritz citrus stone earrings (if only I have pierced ears), $80 jeweled shift dress (very J.Crew-esque).

Even if I wanted to, my office is too cold in the summers for short sleeves, let alone strapless tops/dresses. So a light sweater is pretty much an essential item year-round for me. If I was outside much longer for photos, I'd have been burning up in this outfit. As is, a few quick snaps to choose from meant this awkwardly hunched over pose is the best photo of the batch.

Over the weekend, DH and I went to a friend's wedding at the charming and historic Hollin Hall. The ceremony was held at the outdoor garden -- an intimate setting with the afternoon sun as the perfect backdrop.

Some people keep unique pieces around their coffee table that make for great conversation starters. Me? I wear these shoes out in public and they never fail to garner comments. The most recent being, "Nice shoes. You plan on hurting* someone with those?" To which I responded with maniacal laughter. The guy probably thinks he's gotta steer clear of the crazy girl who works in his building now.

*Substituted for a tamer synonym

I'm letting multiple photos speak for themselves today. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Summer humidity is back in full swing here at the Nation's Capital. That means it's time again to start wearing easy, breezy fabrics, such as this maxi dress. I wore this dress practically every week last summer, so I've since run out of new styling ideas... but that doesn't mean I can't try out different color schemes!

My current state of mind is still in vacation mode, so bear with me as I catch up on life, work, and sleep (not necessarily in that order). Blogging may be sporadic for a bit as I don't have a backlog of outfits queued up (look at me, bringing the British English back to the States!)