Blazer, belt & shoes, J. Crew; tee, Old Navy; bag, Louis Vuitton
I hunted this blazer online for months, without success, only to find it recently on the clearance rack of my local store – one lonely store return, in my size. Funny how that goes. When you consider that (a) I rarely step foot into my local J. Crew (’tis too far from my usual stomping grounds) and (b) this blazer had been put on hold 3 times before I got my hands on it – well, you might start believing in fate. So: it is fate that I should have a sparkly collared blazer. Yes, indeed.
I have a million ideas for styling it, too, but let’s start with the most obvious one. Casual Friday with a menswear-ish vibe? Yes, indeed.
Blouse, J. Crew (via consignment); pants, Banana Republic; shoes, Jimmy Choo (via eBay); bag, MbMJ
Here is the story about how this outfit came together: I don’t have a pair of navy pants. The end. Sorry, I should have mentioned that it was a short story. Seriously, though, answer me this, Banana Republic: why are navy Sloan pants never on sale, hm? I know, I know – I could just buy a pair of navy pants somewhere else; but I am a creature of habit through and through, and that’s not how I roll. Of my available pant choices, these check pair seemed like the best bet. With the (questionable) blessing of my husband and eldest child, I put them on and went about my day. Wearing the most random outfit seen on this blog in a while.
Cardigan, Cynthia Rowley
Now, you might ask why on earth I would buy a navy blouse if I don’t have anything to wear it with. And that, my friends, is a good question. The answer is 20% lack of foresight, and 80% wishful thinking. Or maybe it’s all the same thing. I have been looking for a pair of navy pants, and a navy skirt, for months and I figured that this blouse would work great with either option … once I had it in my closet. So we have just one tiny problem: I’m still working on that last part.
three random patterns
But, hey, cute blouse, amirite? It’s a stealthy way to do florals at the office. Plus, that neckline is adorable. So I say: pants, meh.
why does my chest look concave?!?!m
Quick note: Yesterday, I came across photos from the blog being used without my permission on eBay. I am pursuing the matter with eBay, but I just wanted to give you all a heads up, and let you know that I am NOT a seller on eBay, and any listing using my photos is NOT mine and in NO way affiliated with this blog. Things I am personally selling are listed on the Shop My Closet page, and that’s it. Sorry about the ALL CAPS, you guys, but I’m not a happy camper right now. Copyright infringement is not cool, kids.
Dress, Plenty by Tracy Reese (via eBay); blazer, J. Crew; shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, Marc Jacobs (via eBay)
Another day, another new dress. As the post title says, minimalism fail. I clearly have a problem: a pretty dress problem. I just can’t seem to resist ’em. I thought this Tracy Reese number would be a good option for work, and I was right. Although the print is definitely bold, it’s not too twee or juvenile for the office, and the colours are bang-on for the colour palette I’m working towards. The dress looks great under my ubiquitous black blazer, but it’s also lovely on its own. And, look, sleeves!
i have a dress problem
Word of warning for those who might want to hunt this down on eBay: I would suggest sizing up. I’m wearing a Large here, and while it’s not quite fitted on me, I would call it “pleasantly loose”. As in, just loose enough to not cling to every bump, and to allow me to eat a decently sized lunch. The only parts that are a little bigger than I’d like are the arm holes, as you can (kinda) see in the photo above. I should also mention that I added a snap to the front of the dress so I could avoid the necessity of wearing a camisole; the dress does come with a snap, but it’s placed fairly low and, on me, that translated to a some office-unfriendly cleavage.
(To give you a sense of the sizing issue, I am currently a size 6 in Banana Republic pants, and can generally wear a Small in dresses from most mall brands.)
J. Crew Factory earrings
Sizing issue aside, this is a really nice (looking and feeling) dress. The fabric is lined and has a good weight to it, which I find to be key for a dress with a fitted silhouette like this. The length hits me a bit below the knees, although I would not consider it a midi dress. This may be a function of the size being a touch bigger than what I need, or it could be the dress design; either way, I don’t find that to be a drawback. Below the knees hemlines can be stumpifying, but I think the streamlined silhouette balances it all out in this case.
Whew, that was quite the essay! I guess that’s a sign of true dress love: pontification for days.
