When DH saw my outfit:

Him: You look like a pilgrim about to colonize America.
Me: *blink* 
Me: *blink*
Me: Bwahahaha

Enough said.

A reader recently asked for styling ideas regarding this gray crop top. Being the go with the flow type of person that I am, I had plans to go through every dress shirt in my possession before thinking about what else I could wear the crop top with. She expected more from me, so... challenge accepted!

For today's look, I layered the gray crop top over a flowy cami. I experimented with the cami tucked into the waistband of my pants, but that just made me look like I had a black patch over my stomach (note to self: wear the crop top by itself next time). Therefore, I just left the cami untucked for that relaxed look, which worked well with the drapey trousers.

Please excuse the quality of today's photos. I thought I had taken decent pics, but the dark colors all sort of blended together when viewed on my monitor. I ended up brightening the photos a lot to differentiate the colors... and even then I'm not sure they're coming across clearly. I'm wearing a gray wool coat, dark purple long-sleeve tee with a black vest, gray pants, purple gloves, black purse, and rose gold metallic wedges.

Sale alert at Ann Taylor:
Extra 70% off sale styles until Mon. 1/26 at 3am EST with code FLASH70.
Extra 65% off sale styles after Mon. 1/26 at 3am EST with code FLASH65.
40% off full-priced styles until Tues. 1/27 at 3am EST (no code needed).

Recent buys include:
- Striped mock neck sweater - $15 - $17.50 w/code (torso TTS, arms run small - I went up a size and am wearing XS / outfits: here, here, here)
- Ponte skinny ankle pants - $58.80 (TTS - I'm wearing 00 / outfits: here, here, here)
- Jewel neck long sleeve tee - $9 - $10.50 w/code (runs a bit small - I'm wearing sz XS / outfit: here)

Other picks: $136.80 trench cape (love my light pink version); $76.80 Kylie suede pumps (love and wear my blue suede pumps an awful lot); $23.70 twisted ring (my cross ring is probably my most worn piece of jewelry ever); $22.50 - $26.25 w/code chambray oversized shirt (can't ever go wrong with chambray, especially in a longer length).

One of the reasons I gravitated towards this particular no-fuss black parka was for its versatility. It works well with a casual outfit and also looks great with business casual attire. The two outfits below are essentially the same with a few key pieces swapped out. I felt chambray and plaid shirts are both fairly casual, but the black/cream plaid pattern is in the same monochromatic color family as the rest of the "work" outfit (minus the shoes). Jeans for the weekend and black pants for work are obvious choices. Same for the brightly colored rain boots vs. metallic wedges. Knit gloves were chosen for the casual outfit, while for the work version I upgraded to a more "luxurious" pair of leather gloves.

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!

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

The post title says it all -- the 3 P's that perfectly sum up today's feminine outfit.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I don't own many any "work" dresses -- ones in an appropriate length and style that fit in most offices -- because there just hasn't been a need for one in my life. There's still no need, but now I'm upping my tally to one after falling in love with this Ann Taylor jeweled neck tweed dress (now on sale for $60!) For reference, I'm wearing size 00, my usual AT size.

The lightweight tweed material and short sleeves make it a perfect warm weather work dress. The jeweled neckline means one less accessory to mull over in the mornings because I already look put-together. I also like how the dress is chameleon-like -- is it black or is it navy? It depends on the lighting, which opens up even more color pairing options to choose from. (Shades of) red is the color du jour.

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.

I heart this striped dress, even though it can look like a shapeless muumuu from certain angles, or as my DH teasingly calls it, my pregnancy dress (nope, no bun in the oven). I prefer to wear this dress belted, but that shortens the length, so I usually end up wearing flats. For today's look, I wanted to wear low heels, so that meant letting the dress hang naturally for maximum coverage (which on second thought seems laughable because the dress is kinda short to begin with). Regardless, it's what I felt most comfortable in, so bring on the pregnancy rumors.

I don't have anything to say today, so hope you have a great Tuesday!

Continuing with the pink (and red) theme from the last post, even though Valentine's Day is long behind us. I keep all my clutches in their respective dust bags on a high shelf when not in use, so sometimes I forget their existence. Shame on me. The Jenny Yuen clutch I'm carrying today was one of my earliest purchases when I first became interested in bags. I remember she and Rebecca Minkoff were up-and-comers around the same time. Unfortunately I don't think JY is in business any longer. I miss her clean designs and use of high quality materials. Note to self: must remember to reach for this pink clutch more often now that spring's right around the corner!