TBMD

Fall has since come and gone, but I'm determined to share the few outfits that I did snap during the last few weeks before diving into seasonable winter looks. Up first is a menswear-inspired outfit composed of pretty much every tomboy-ish item from my closet. Long (and aptly named) boyfriend blazer? Check. Loafers in a men's silk tie print? Definitely. A suede bag in colors and a plaid pattern that, in my opinion, tied the whole outfit together.

A month ago, I wore this top and skirt combo with "summer" accessories. As the seasons change, so do the accessories. I probably went a bit overboard piling on all the cognac colors from my closet, but really, who can resist this warm brown color? It's gorgeous and such a great transition color for fall. Not to mention, it pairs wonderfully with navy and white. So, bring on all the cognac!

Never in my life have I worn a pair of jeans that fit perfectly off the rack without any (faux or real) alterations whatsoever. Until today! Boyfriend jeans don't count because they're meant to be baggy. In the past, I always got the length hemmed or simply folded any excess fabric over/under to shorten the hem. Most of the time, the fit is fine around the waist and hips. The minute I tried on these J.Crew jeans, I finally understood why women rush out to stock up once they've found their holy grail of jeans. Nothing makes you feel more confident than a pair of perfectly-fitting jeans. This was also the first time I tried high-waisted jeans, and... I'm smacking myself for dismissing them in favor of low-waisted jeans for years. But, better late than never, right?

Details are what makes an outfit fun. The striped top and cap-toe shoes are bold and bright. Upon closer inspection, what I really love are the pom poms and twilly scarf. The pom poms came with the top, so it's not like I spent painstaking time sewing each one on. But the twilly scarf tied around the purse handle? Definitely an amateur job as I started over like five times... and parts still ended up lumpy. I really love how a patterned scarf easily tones down the formal-ness of the purse. Practice makes perfect, and I will be trying this look on other purses!

A quick preface before diving into today's post: there will be lots of fangirling ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I have a handful of favorite brands that I constantly browse for new releases and styling ideas. I'd say I'm an equal opportunist shopper. Sure I go through phases where I'll buy from one more than the others, but never for a prolonged period of time. This year was a game changer for me. Ever since the Fall/Winter 2019 shows back in February earlier this year, Tory Burch has been it for me. I completely fell for the Lee Radziwill soft deconstructed bag on the runway (see how it slouches so beautifully?) and have been chomping at the bits for its release. Now that different colorways are slowly trickling out, I'm having a hard time picking just one. I am leaning more towards a suede version because the slouchy look should be easier to achieve than a leather version. Then there is the dilemma of plaid pattern or solid colors? Decisions, decisions.

The last couple months saw me make multiple purchases from their Spring/Summer collection -- shoes (like the ones in today's outfit), watches (yes, plural), and peasant top. I feel like I've been wearing at least one Tory Burch item every single day for the past few weeks, without stoppage any time soon.

The Lee Radziwill bag may be at the top of my wishlist, but there are several others that I'm holding out for to go on sale in the near future: yellow bucket bag, colorblock ponte dress, wool scarf, another pair of Penelope shoes. Oh who am I kidding. Just take all my money now, Tory Burch.

The longer I stare at today's outfit, the more I'm getting flight attendant vibes. The brooch can be mistaken for an airline pin. The knotted cardigan sweater taking the place of a neck scarf. The dark pencil skirt certainly is uniform-like. I suppose all I'm missing is a dark blazer? It's funny how inspiration can be drawn from anywhere... and if I'm smart, I will heed the universe telling me to stop working so damn much and please take a relaxing vacation, preferably by plane to a destination far away.

Up until today, I've lived by the motto: scarves in the winter are for warmth; scarves in the summer are purely decorative. Boy, was I wrong. I literally discovered Starbucks' London Fog Tea Latte yesterday, so decided the trek to Farbucks today (what everyone at my work calls the "far" Starbucks, ~0.5 miles away) was worth it in this sweltering humidity all for an iced cold, delicious drink that reminds me a bit of milk tea. What I didn't count on was how much of a sweaty mess my "purely decorative" scarf made me (and especially my neck). Once I made it back to my building, I'm sure I looked like a lunatic experiencing AC for the first time in my life.

Casual but slightly dressed up outfits are my forte. I'm a tomboy at heart, and as I've matured over the years, I've found that adding adult touches (aka heels) is an easy way to straddle that middle ground between am-I-supposed-to-take-you-seriously and lighten-up-will-you extremes. It does help that I've found my new favorite pair of heels! A little glam but yet neutral (loving cognac so much lately) while being super comfortable.

The last outfit was quintessentially "me" in my element. In contrast, today's is the complete antithesis. Everything from head to toe was an experiment that... I'm not sure I'll be repeating. I wanted to try my hand at the trendy "fancy" jogger pants (the crepe-y fabric with elastic at the ankles). Most of the ones I've seen look best in dark colors (ie: olive, black), so I thought it was a genius idea to take ankle pants that I already own then fold up the hem for a bunched-up look. Did it work? Not if you look closely, but from far away, it may pass muster. While I think the resulting look is fun, I kinda felt like I was trying too hard.

I had the most fun I've had in awhile playing around with this outfit. There were just so many opportunities to mix and match to create completely different outfits (small details matter!), that it actually took me awhile to settle on this one. Now did I achieve the look I was aiming for? If you're seeing a fun yet glam business casual outfit, then hell yeah.

Continuing the sleeveless trend that I've been sporting this summer (exhibits: A, B), today's outfit is probably more late-summer appropriate as we transition into fall. I happen to snag this sleeveless tunic on super sale recently, and of course, had to wear it immediately, lest I forget all about it. The last time I bought an out-of-season item, I only recently unearthed it from the back of my closet. Sigh. So, here's an outfit that will take me from summer to fall. Then when the weather cools considerably, the tunic can still be worn layered over a crisp white button-up shirt.

One of my most (if not the top) pinned outfit on Pinterest is this gray/black/leopard outfit from 4 years! ago. It's a work classic for a reason, given the items can be found in most closets as well as their neutral color palette. So in a trip down memory lane, I decided to re-create the outfit using current pieces I had on hand.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. I swapped out the black pencil skirt for a textured navy one in the same silhouette. As my tastes have matured, out went the oversized watch and in with all the jewels. What has stayed the same? My trusty gray tote that I still love to this day. Oh, and apparently the way I still side-tuck my sweaters.