Month: May 2015

The Old Standby

BCBG geometric print dress
Dress, BCBG (via eBay); blazer, Elie Tahari; shoes, Nine West; bag. Marc Jacobs (via eBay)

You’ve seen this dress a bunch of times before. Ditto for the blazer. And the shoes. And the bag. You could call this outfit the sartorial equivalent of comfort food: quick ‘n easy to pull together, but guaranteed to hit the sweet spot.

BCBG geometric print dress
lucky eBay score

The dress is ancient, but does occasionally pop up on eBay, and I encourage you to hunt it down, because it’s stupidly easy to accessorize. The abstract print is fun, but not overwhelming. The fabric is some kind of synthetic jersey that drapes nicely, doesn’t wrinkle, feels comfortable, and doesn’t create static. I mean, it doesn’t really get better than that. Oh, and real flattering to boot.

BCBG geometric print dress
Good Hair Day

For anyone keeping track of these things at home, the cost-per-wear of this entire outfit (minus the shoes, which were a gift from my husband) is currently a hair over $30. I’ve never really thought about this before, but I feel like an outfit CPW that’s under $25 can be one metric of a well managed wardrobe. I don’t know why, but that feels like a “good” number for me. Maybe that’s an arbitrary number. Maybe there are better metrics out there. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

BCBG geometric print dress
Total outfit cost: $274 (not including shoes, gifted) / Retail: approx. $1,175 / CPW: $30.5

For Work, And Play

J. Crew Regent beaded collar blazer
Blazer, J. Crew; top, LOFT (swap); pants, Banana Republic; shoes, Anne Klein

Now, I am NEVER going to be a cool weather person, but this blazer is making me almost wish that spring would stick around a little longer this year. Its thick wool is not exactly summer-friendly, and I don’t want to put it aside just yet. So, I’m wearing it any and every chance I get – to work and on weekends.

J. Crew Regent beaded collar blazer
tweed + leopard print?

I’ve worn a version of this outfit before, but I switched things up a bit with lace and leopard print this time. Both are things that can be tricky in an office-setting, but the blazer is somber enough to take care of the business side of things, so to speak.

Armani watch
10 years and, um, no longer ticking … but still looking good

For a weekend visit with friends, I subbed a cotton tee, comfy cords, and different shoes for a look … that doesn’t look all that different, but is. Scout’s honour!

J. Crew Regent beaded collar blazer
Blazer, J. Crew; top, Old Navy; pants, AG (via Kijiji); shoes, Ivanka Trump; bag, MbMJ

Nature hasn’t quite caught up to the calendar just yet, but spring is definitely here. Only the tiniest bit of ice left, see:

the river valley in spring
the river valley in spring
J. Crew Regent beaded collar blazer
almost feels like summer