TBMD

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.

The more I re-wear items from my closet, the less I have to write about. Even when I am wearing new pieces for the first time, I still find myself at a loss of words sometimes. Perhaps this is just an excuse to ramble less and post more photos. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

I have even less to say than usual, so I hope everyone is enjoying this long holiday weekend!

An abnormal day two weeks ago with a high of 60 meant I could wear what I love most, layers upon layers. Okay, so I went a little way overboard... with a tank, tee, wrap, scarf, and jacket. All on the top half :) This may be my last chance to wear fall clothing, so you bet I made the most of it!

Are you missing your cold-weather gear yet?

It seems like I'm always late to the party because I've been wanting a turquoise or coral necklace for awhile now -- and summer's over! When I saw this Amrita Singh Nello necklace in coral haze (currently sold here) at an ok price on eBay, I decided to go for it. The stones aren't overwhelming, but still adds wonderful color to any outfit. While I would have preferred a lobster clasp, this necklace uses a toggle clasp for closure. It seems sturdy enough and I had no problems throughout the day. One annoyance I have is the bottom 3 stones would sometimes flip inside out. It's no biggie to adjust (when I realize this is happening), but may have been caused by the necklace getting caught at the top of my shirt. All in all, I'm happy to have bought this necklace and can see myself wearing it year-round. What piece of jewelry is on your wishlist this holiday season?

Today's outfit is another sash-related post once again inspired by Chole @ the chloe conspiracy. Hands down, she has got to be the queen of accessorizing!

I know Uggs are a no-no depending on who you ask, but they are just so darn comfy. I wear it most weekends (ok, sometimes for work too =P) because being practical is more important than looking good. All I'll say is, don't knock it 'til you've tried it!

I'm a firm believer that black goes with everything... yep, even browns :) (Not a fashion faux-pas in my book!)

A lazy weekend outfit with a touch of girliness is what I wore today. At first I wore the Merona necklace as a bracelet and topped it off with a bow. But after awhile, the layers that I wrapped around my hand started to get uneven... so it started to look a bit awkward. So much for me trying to be creative :P

I love my Alternative Apparel pima wrap in the color dirt (how appropos, huh? :P) It's thin enough for spring/summer days and warm enough in the fall.

First way of wearing it (pictured left), it actually sort of "looks" like a wrap :) I simply hooked the ends through the side belt loops, and voila! Second way (pictured right), simply let it hang open like a cardigan. There you have it, two different ways of wearing a versatile wrap.