TBMD

I'd like to give two shout-outs for today's look. 1) Gap for providing the inspiration outfit which I copied straight down to the bottom layer and switching it up only slightly with different colors/patterns. 2) Jean for sharing her leopard flats find. I wear flats quite often so I'm always happy to add new pairs to the rotation. I couldn't pinpoint why leopard printed ballet/round-toe flats, sneakers, pointy flats, and the like didn't call out to me until I saw this smoking slipper version. Just waiting for the right combination to come along, I guess.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I took a recent summer outfit, added a military jacket, then swapped out flip-flops for ankle suede boots. Instant outfit transformation and perfect for fall.

As evidenced by my recent summer sales haul, I've become somewhat of an outerwear snob. I wouldn't say in the monetary/brand sense necessarily (though it does seem that way), but rather I'm more willing to spend money on jackets and coats because they can pull together an outfit the same way that a purse or pair of shoes can. Unlike clothing which are often layered underneath, outerwear is highly visible. I've accepted that I'm a purse and shoe snob, but haven't come to fully accept my fate regarding outerwear yet. Tick tock, it's only a matter of time...

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I've been really enjoying the weather lately. It's chilly enough to start diving into my jacket stash but not too cold to put away the shorts and skirts yet. Hooray for this transitional period between summer and fall -- hope y'all are here to stay for awhile!

A business casual outfit to kick off the new work week. Hope you have a good one!

Today's outfit is a little different. Deviating from my usual girly/preppy/casual mix and inspired by a Madewell ad, I was able to choose similar pieces from my closet to recreate what I'd dub my wannabe-effortlessly-cool outfit -- keyword being wannabe.

I follow a pretty simple blogging formula: choose an outfit to wear in the morning, take photos sometime during the day when I'm out and about, then blog about it soon after.

Today's look is a bit different. I never actually stepped foot outside my front door with this outfit on. One, I'd look silly wearing this outfit to work. Two, I was experimenting with different bottoms to pair the top with and couldn't find a combination I liked. Too short. Not long enough. Then it hit me; why not try it with my wedding dress? It's been hanging in the corner of my closet ever since my wedding day 2+ years ago, untouched until now. The dress has the flowy, girly look I was going for and it's a maxi length. Another bonus is the strapless neckline, which means I can also try wearing the top in an off-the-shoulder look. (Note to self: wear the top lower next time so there isn't a noticeable gap between the top and the dress.) I wasn't sure about this outfit initially, but the more I look at the photos, the more I'm warming up to it.

I'd be curious to hear what you did (or plan to do) with your wedding dress after the big day? My cousin suggested that if I dye my dress, it'd be easier to wear again in the future. I haven't ruled that option out, but I also haven't been pro-active in doing anything else about it either. Now if I have a semi-dressy party to attend, this outfit may just see the light of day!

In my world, tees and jeans are a combination that never gets old. Play with colors and/or change up accessories, and I could probably have enough blog content to last me a long while. But... that would get boring pretty fast, so I'll just sneak in these posts every now and then. Today's color inspiration comes from Piperlime's styling of the "Furthest Thing Coat" by The Fifth Label. Orange clutch, blue suede pumps, gray top -- check, check, and check!

I bought my Everlane swing trench jacket back in April of this year. I only wore it a handful of times before putting it away until fall. In the middle of the summer, I received an email from the Everlane team saying that while the trench I bought is water-resistant, it isn't as water-resistant as they'd like. They've fixed the problem and is sending me a new one free of charge. Wait, what?! This kind of customer service is unheard of! I was completely.blown.away. I already valued Everlane's business approach, but standing behind their products like this? I'm a customer for life.

So now I have two almost-identical swing trenches in my possession. From what I can see, the only difference between the two is the color. The current trench is one very slight shade darker than the previous version. Everything else remained the same -- black buttons, material used (fairly wrinkle prone), lined in the sleeves only, nice craftsmanship.

For reference (not included in my April post), size XS measures approximately: 14" shoulder-to shoulder, 24" sleeve length, 27.5" collar-to-hem along the back.

Along with the sage green color, the 2.0 release of the swing trench also comes in navy and tan.

I was looking through archived photos the other night when I realized a whole year had passed since I've made a compilation post. I'm rectifying that today with 10 outfits featuring the same mustard yellow pleated top.

Due to its lack of sleeves, I mainly wore the top from late spring all the way to early fall. So for three seasons, I was able to transition the top between work to weekend and casual to semi-dressy outfits. That's pretty versatile, I'd have to say.

My LOFT top is from last year, but this season's version (extra 40% off w/code FALLSTYLE!) looks to be the same as mine, aside from the front pleats. For other similar tops, try: Equipment, H&M, LOFT, Max Mara, Modcloth, and Shoptiques.

On our wedding day, DH and I carved our initials on a wooden railing of our favorite alcove along the Potomac River. 2+ years later, we strolled back to the same spot [see 4th + 9th photos] only to discover that parts of the railing had been replaced with new pieces of wood! Noooo... so much for everlasting memories.

Photo thanks to DH!

Just a quick post today. Have a great weekend, everyone!

My maxi dress is a couple inches too long, but I'm too cheap for a hem job that likely costs more than what I paid for the dress. So as a quick and easy DIY fix, I pull up the skirt portion, tighten the drawstring waist, then fold over excess fabric. I normally "secure" the waist (to prolong gravity from weighing down the fabric) by adding a belt or knotting the hem of a top. A third method that I've recently re-discovered is to simply tie a shirt around my waist. This brings back flashbacks of wearing fanny packs on childhood vacations but hiding them underneath a tied sweatshirt around the waist due to embarrassment. I find a tied top to be more comfortable than a belt because fabric is stretchier than leather. As a bonus, it's another way to accessorize because I have plenty of shirts to choose from.

There's something about this polo and shorts combo that makes me feel like I'm about to go to work at a country club. Perhaps it's the crest emblem? Maybe it's the cream color with navy? I wish I had an amusing backstory to tie the outfit to a particular experience, but since I don't, I'll throw out a random thought instead. One of these days, I will cross driving a golf cart off my bucket list. I hope it doesn't involve playing golf because I can't hit a ball off the tee to save my life.

Today's look required accessorizing only in the practical sense. A denim jacket to stay warm from AC blasts, a handbag to tote around necessities, and shoes because I can't go around barefoot.

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!