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.

My trick to wearing too-short tops is to layer a tank underneath, preferably one in a similar color to blend in with the rest of the outfit.

Happy Monday, everyone!

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.

Consecutive days of nice weather meant busting out thinner layers and documenting said outfits. So for the next few posts, outfits on the blog will appear more spring-like than usual.

Happy Monday!

According to my blog postings, I've been wearing pants every day for the last month and a half (!) I don't own many winter skirts and dresses, so the ones I do own will be making repeated appearances when the mood strikes.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Sale alert: Through today 1/13, use code NEWSTYLE and take 35% off at Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Gap + 25% off at Piperlime.

Some recent buys/old favorites include:
- Old Navy military-style jacket - $25.96 (I sized up to a S for a looser fit / outfits: here, here)
- Gap leather loafers - $32.47 (I sized up to 7 but really should have taken my normal sz 6, or at most 6.5 because the leather has stretched / outfits: here, here, here)
- Gap cowlneck sweater - $19.49 - $25.99 (TTS - I'm wearing XS in both gray and black / outfits: here, here, here)
- Gap printed poplin PJ set - $38.97 (TTS - I'm wearing XS / outfit: here)
- Gap broken-in straight khakis - $32.47 (TTS - I'm wearing sz 00 / outfits: here, here, here)
- Banana Republic animal print haircalf skinny belt - $49.50 (TTS - I'm wearing XS / outfit: here)

Also, take 40% off final sale at J.Crew through 1/21 with code FUNSALE.

A few recent buys/old favorites included in the sale:
- Majesty peacoat - $131.99 for colors vintage berry and heather mineral (wearing 00 / outfits: below, here, here)
- Tissue turtleneck tee in heather stripe - $11.99 (wearing XS / outfits: here, here)
- Tissue turtleneck tee - $17.99 (wearing XS in yellow, XXS in red - prefer XS / outfits: here, here, here)
- Etta pumps - $107.99 - $192 (wearing sz 6.5 / review + outfit here)

Happy Monday!

To my dismay, it's been raining on and off all week long. To brighten my mood, I turned to the color side of my wardrobe. Red, blue, and green just so happened to be additive colors -- a term that I didn't learn until today. Actually, right now when I was googling primary and secondary colors *sheepish grin* Hey, learning something new everyday keeps the brain sharp.

Sale alert: Take 40% off everything at LOFT through 10/5 with code SHOP40.

- Pleated tie neck shell - $29.70 (TTS - I'm wearing sz XXS / outfit below; also here, here, here)
- Pamela scalloped Mary Jane pumps - $53.70 (TTS - I'm wearing sz 6 - review / outfits: here, here, here)
- Vaughn t-strap sandals - $14.93 in snakeskin (TTS - I'm wearing sz 6 / outfits: below; also: here, here)

I'm considering placing an order for the following: jewel embellished sweatshirt ($32.70 - similar to J.Crew's), colorblocked collar blouse ($29.70), halter neck maxi dress ($58.80).


Now that my hair is shorter, I can't just tie it back in a ponytail when I'm on 3rd/4th day hair. I've been using dry shampoo in-between washes (great time saver for lazy people). Still, nothing beats good ol' regular shampoo with water to rinse out the greasiness. Then there's the option of hats (which for some reason I didn't think to wear more often). I used to treat hats as more of an accessory than for practical purposes. No more! They're great for hiding day(s) old hair.

Today's outfit is a casual look comprised of my favs: stripes, blue & orange, and flats. Happy Monday!

Posts on the blog have been sporadic as of late. Shrugs. Life happens. At the start of this week, I vowed to try my hardest to blog everyday. It's only Tuesday and I'm slacking. Well, the day isn't technically over until midnight, right? So with 2.5 hrs to go, a new outfit post!

I figured the navy stripes on my top would be dark enough that I can get away with wearing black pumps. But whether due to the lighting or the blue bag (or a combination of both), the black pumps turned out to be such a glaring contrast in photos. Perhaps I should've worn another neutral color instead? Nude pumps? Snakeskin pumps?

Casual meets dressy is the theme for today's outfit. I'm not one to buy duplicates often, but I couldn't resist this Saint James x J.Crew striped tee from recent sales. I've gotten so many wears out of the green/navy version from last season that I figured a classic navy on white pairing would be even more versatile. Luckily the sizing of this year's remained the same, but unfortunately the material is not as soft.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

These linen pants are still getting a lot of love. At the frequent rate I'm wearing white bottoms (along with white skirts and white shorts), the hunt for white skinny jeans has slowed somewhat. Thanks for all the suggestions I've received. I've yet to give them all a try but have passed on some that just didn't work.

See Tam in a much more put-together look of a navy/green striped top with white pants.

Have you ever bought a piece of clothing that is so soft to the touch that you can't bear to wash it? I have, and it's this blue & green striped cotton tee that I know would change in texture after laundering. I probably wore it 8-10 times before finally giving in. To prolong wears between washing, I treat it like outerwear and try to avoid direct contact on skin as much as possible (especially the armpit area). I'd wear it with a tissue-thin tank with sleeves underneath. I'd also avoid wearing it to places where smells stick onto clothing and skin (ie: greasy restaurants). Do you employ any tactics to make clothing last?

Sometimes I feel silly wearing green and red together, like in late summer. But not so right now! I better take advantage of the holiday season as much as I can.

Have a good Wednesday!

It's just my luck to have the camera capture me mid-shot looking like I forgot how to stand/walk/pose in flats after wearing heels for consecutive days *facepalm* On the upside, the awkwardness inspired the perfect pun for today's blog post title.

Have a good weekend!

I had planned on leaving home in just this green top with fuchsia pants... until I started feeling a little bit self-conscious. I added an extra navy blazer for its dark neutral color (which helps tone down the overall brightness), and because the blue matches the stripes on the tee. Then did I feel more like myself.

Happy Election Day, voters!

Now that fall is in the air, I'm looking forward to... the heat being turned on at work, gaining an hour of sleep when daylight savings time ends, a new season of TV shows, and getting a haircut (doesn't really have anything to do with fall, just I'm long overdue). But most of all, watching the leaves change color is the best part about fall.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

I go through a mental checklist when deciding on a location to take outfit photos:

1) Is there an object nearby so I can manually focus and set the camera? Open fields won't do.

2a) Does the spot have shade or is the sky overcast? Much preferred option. I find photos to have the prettiest bokeh background when I'm standing in the shade but the sun is shining bright behind me (example). Camera settings also seem to be easier to configure.
2b) Where is the sun in relation to the camera? With my back to the sun results in soft, glowy photos (example). Facing the sun usually washes out details. I have the most trouble with camera settings on this one.

3) Is the background pretty? Will the outfit clash with/blend into the background? Usually don't realize the latter happened until after the fact.

4) Will my shoes be able to handle the terrain? No to heels on sinkable surfaces, untreated leather on grass.

5) Are there a lot of people around? Depending on how self-conscious I'm feeling that day, I may or may not want to answer potential questions.

1 is a must. The object today is a log lying to the left of my foot. 2b and 3 are usually an either-or. Today's photo is the perfect example of having chosen 3 over 2b. Pretty background, but unfortunately I was facing the sun which completely washed out the details of the jacket. Sorry about that.

Have a great weekend, everyone!