I previously wore this brocade skirt and raffia heels combination over the summer. That outfit was dressier and more colorful... perfectly summer-y, for lack of a better word. Today's version is fall-like with muted colors and layers. Perhaps due to an abnormally harsh winter last year, I'm not quite ready to let go of summer yet. I hope we have a few more warm days remaining!

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!

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.

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.