April 2014 – Blue Collar Red Lipstick

30
Apr
2014

Stripes … Again

What I Wore: Girls’ Brunch Date

Max Studio striped column dress — Dress,, Max Studio (via eBay); jacket, Old Navy; boots, Josef Seibel; necklace, House of Harlow; bag, MbMJ (via eBay)

I have been eyeing the Bailey 44 column dress for a few months now, and by “eyeing” I mean obsessively checking eBay. Unlike many of my eBay stories, this one doesn’t have a happy ending; I never found one within my admittedly small budget. But wait! It was not an entirely tragic ending either, because I found this lookalike and the nice seller took pity on me and let me have it for $40, shipped. (Did I ever mention how much I hate shipping fees? A lot. This dress only cost $20 to start with.) I like the dress a lot, but it’s not without its issues. It’s definitely body-conscious in the most, um, conscious way possible (more on that in a minute), and it’s a smidge shorter than I’d like. Definitely not work appropriate, on both counts. All in all, a bittersweet tale.

OK, guys, can I get personal for a minute? Can we talk … unmentionables? Specifically, shape-wear. I have 2 kids. (You’re shocked, I know. Because I never, ever talk about them.) Anyway, sometime around the 4 month mark of pregnancy round #2, my abdominal muscles were all, like, “Eff it, lady, we’re out!” I haven’t seen them since; they are probably auditioning as extras on Jessica Alba’s torso. But I digress. Post-babies, my stomach is … well, there is no nice way to say it. Smooshy. It’s smooshy. Which means that I’ve had to reconsider my previous, belligerent stance on shape-wear, at least on occasions when I’m wearing something like the dress above. And by reconsider, I mean that I went to Target and got me ~~the mother of all granny panties~~ a pair of these:

Self Expressions by Maindenform Body Con High Waist Boyshort

These are rated for “firm” rather than maximum support, which means I can still breathe while wearing them. And at least look at a restaurant menu.

I also got a half slip, which I’m hoping will prove to be my secret weapon against skirt- and dress-static next fall and winter. As an aside, I can now answer the question “When did you first feel like a proper grown-up?” It was April 11, 2014. Because nothing, and I mean nothing, will make you feel more like you’re turning into your mom (the benchmark for adulthood, surely) than buying a slip.

29
Apr
2014

Booksy

categories: style

What I Wore: Library Trip

J. Crew shift dress; blue collar red lipstick — Dress, J. Crew (via eBay); top, Target; belt, J. Crew Factory; shoes, Ferragamo (via Etsy)

This is so easy, it almost doesn’t feel like a proper outfit. I’m almost embarrassed to throw it up on this supposed style blog. Almost. I have no shame. (As evidenced by the fact that the archives from 2012-2013 are still available for your perusal.)

So yeah, this outfit. So easy. I can basically throw pretty much any top under this dress and it works. I consider it one of my “uniforms”, and I plan on working it till this J. Crew dress falls apart. I don’t consider that clothes are really an investment, but a piece like this is as close as it gets. My only regret is that it isn’t 2-3 inches longer, so I could wear it to work without qualms. Boo.

28
Apr
2014

The Striped Top

categories: style

What I Wore: Friday Morning Errands

Gap stripe peplum top — Jeans, RACHEL Rachel Roy; top, Gap Factory; necklace, House of Harlow; shoes, Ferragamo (via Etsy); bag, MbMJ (via eBay)

No surprises here: I couldn’t wait to wear my new striped top from the Gap Factory store. Now, a peplum is probably not my hips’ best friend, but it makes a plain striped tee a little more interesting. Since this was a clearance rack find (of course), it’s the (slightly) wrong size, but I kind of dig the loose, flowy vibe, and it makes for a great eating-out top; like Joey Tribbiani, I always think about my comfort when contemplating culinary experiences. You know there is a pair of Thanksgiving-dinner-eating pants somewhere in my closet. And a Christmas-holiday-eating dress. Or two. That’s how I roll.

OK, back to this outfit. It’s basic – which is the disclaimer I feel like I have to attach to the majority of the outfits I post these days – but it fits my current lifestyle so well. Which brings me to this question: am I boring you, guys? Like, for real. Do y’all like to see what I actually wear, or is it too, too suburban-mom-mundane? Things will change in the fall when I head back to work, but in the meantime … are we cool?

Month: April 2014