Going to the Chapel

Lela Rose for Target dress; J. Crew Everly blue pumps
Dress, Lela Rose for Target (via eBay); belt, Anthropologie; shoes, J. Crew (via consignment); bag, Chanel

No, I didn’t get married. Or, rather, not recently. But I did go to a wedding the last weekend, and I’ve got the fancied-up OOTD photos to prove it.

Lela Rose for Target dress; J. Crew Everly blue pumps
Vogue-ing on the driveway
Lela Rose for Target dress; J. Crew Everly blue pumps
With sensible wrap/scarf (which I didn’t wear, because the venue was hot, hot, hot)

It was fun. I say that as someone who typically hates weddings. The bride looked lovely, and together with her new husband, very happy. More importantly for my selfish purposes, they threw a nice shindig. I especially appreciated the fact that it was a kid-free wedding. This, on one hand, makes the logistics of attendance a wee bit more difficult; but, once that’s all sorted, the actual event is infinitely more fun. Don’t get me wrong: I love my kids, and spending time with them is always generally a blast. However, keeping two little ones in check for the duration of a sit-down plated dinner isn’t really my idea of a good time. Especially whilst wearing a fancy frock. Which I rarely get to do. Or whilst attempting to catch up with friends I haven’t seen in years. Which, obviously, I rarely get to do. So hurrah for kid-free weddings!

wedding centrepiece; vintage centrepiece
Flowers, vintage tea cups, and books? My kind of centrepiece

And mazel tov to the happy couple!

Lela Rose for Target dress; J. Crew Everly blue pumps
weddings are fun!

 

Funner Beige

J. Crew feather paisley skirt; J. Crew coral schoolboy blazer
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More beige! More fun than ever.

J. Crew feather paisley skirt; J. Crew coral schoolboy blazer
beigey beige

In all fairness, a bright orange coral blazer needs a more sedate colour – like beige – to keep it within the bounds of professional attire. And, really, I love how this outfit looks together … even though it’s mostly made up of two of my least flattering colours. Fun, fun, fun.

J. Crew feather paisley skirt; J. Crew coral schoolboy blazer
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(Also, confession: I wore a plain, Old Navy tee underneath my blazer. Not something I think is necessarily appropriate in a conservative office, but needs must. I’m looking for a plain white silk camisole – because I find myself wearing my J. Crew white oxford shell all the time, but don’t always want to deal with the jewelled collar – and I just haven’t found a good candidate yet. You probably should not be taking fashun advice from this blogger.)

What I Bought: October

Every month, I have the best (non-spendy) intentions, you guys. Well, as they say, the road to busted budgets is paved with good intentions. Or something like that. And here we are. In all fairness, I don’t have an actual clothes budget. Instead, I’m trying (harder) to be more mindful with my purchases. All told, I bought 7 items for $190 (original retail approx. $950). Here are the details:

J. Crew Mirrored Floral Graphic Tee
J. Crew Mirrored Floral Graphic Tee

I miss thrifting. Sadly, I very rarely have a chance to go these days. So I was thrilled to get a chance at some secondhand thrifting, courtesy of the lovely ladies behind Sister Thrifters and their end-of-summer backyard sale. Don’t have time to thrift? Follow these thrifting masters (mistresses?) on Instagram to see what lucky finds they’ve uncovered – maybe you’ll find your next (secondhand) thrifted treasure. I was immediately drawn to this blue floral tee, because of course. I also picked up two dresses (Lilka and Joseph Ribkoff) for $4 each. Cannot. Beat. Those. Deals.

Joe Fresh Print Tunic Dress
Joe Fresh Print Tunic Dress

I cannot resist dresses. I mean, really. At least this isn’t floral. And it’s a totally different silhouette for me. I’m really excited about wearing this to work – I think it’s got a slightly edgier vibe than my usual picks, so I’m curious to see if I can pull it off/feel comfortable in it. Psychically comfortable, that is. It’s a pretty comfy dress otherwise. The only downside is that it’s a poly blend. I almost never buy polyester these days. I was really torn with this dress, but the aesthetics won in the end. We will see if I come to regret it. [I don’t think so.]

Equipment Brett Blouse
Equipment Brett Blouse

I would describe this as, sort of … jolie laide. I can’t quite decide if it’s just too edgy-cool for my low-brow taste, or just plain ugly. I bought it because I’ve heard so many people bloggers rave about Equipment shirts, and I had earlier (in the same day!) passed on another, too-sheer version, and this one felt nice and silky, and looked work appropriate, and it was a steal of a Winners deal … and … Shall we go with impulse buy? I’m gonna blame the Joe Fresh dress for this one. It made me think I should take more fashion “risks”. Humph. Anyway, I’m going to have to make it work, because I hemmed and hawed for too long, and the return window expired on me (the downside of Winners, if you’re not a TJX member or whatever). Boo.

J. Crew Dutch Floral Sweatshirt
J. Crew Dutch Floral Sweatshirt

I’ve been holding on to a JC gift card since this summer, and I knew its time had come when I saw this “Dutch floral” print. I loved the vibrancy of the pants version, but they aren’t in the least bit practical (not to mention that they probably don’t flatter anyone over a size 2). [Why, oh why, did they not make a pencil skirt in this print?] The cropped sweatshirt seemed to have a lot of layering potential, so I picked it up during a 30% off sale; my out-of-pocket cost was a big fat zero.

Marc Jacobs Spearmint Blake
Marc Jacobs Blake

I mean, I did warn you this would happen. This Spearmint Blake is in pristine condition (just a couple of small pen marks inside), and too lovely to pass up at this price. Of all my old MJ bags, this one is up there with the Mag and the Kirsten as a favourite. I do wish it was a teeeeny little bit bigger, but only because I like to stuff everything – kitchen appliances included – into my work bags. The Blake fits a lot of thing … but maybe not the sink.

How was your month’s shopping? Did you scare up a good deal or two? [Har, har!] Tell me everything in the comments, and don’t forget to check out Franish and the other budgeting bloggers.

P.S. There was one additional thing I bought this month, but it deserves its own post. Stay tuned.