Category: Success stories

Tibi Or Not Tibi

Dress, Tibi; blazer, J. Crew; shoes, Ferragamo (via Etsy); bag, Marc Jacobs (via eBay)
Dress, Tibi; blazer, J. Crew; shoes, Ferragamo (via Etsy); bag, Marc Jacobs (via eBay)

I know, you guys: WORST punny title ever. But, I couldn’t resist. Or, more specifically, I couldn’t think of a more creative answer than the umpteenth variation on “floral … something or other”. Wardrobe rut? I prefer to go with signature style. Pota-toe, pota-toh.

Anywhoodle.

I scored this dress for a steal of a deal, and I will bore you with the details here again, even though I’ve already crowed all over Instagram. So. I noticed this dress months ago at Winners, and started eyeing it seriously when it hit the clearance rack. Still, at $120, it was too pricey for my taste. That might seem wholly arbitrary but hear me out. It’s (a) a pretty memorable print in a dressier silk fabric, (b) a non-versatile silhouette (dropped waist plus a low, open back that’s NSFW when worn alone), both of which mean I can’t really wear it at the office very often. It’s a once-a-month-tops kind of dress. I already have a lot of special occasion dresses I rarely wear, so I can’t justify buying a new one on that basis. However, when the price finally dropped – to $60! – you can bet that I was all over it. At that price, it will only take about 2 years to get to a reasonable CPW, which is doable. Plus, I can now brag about getting this dress for 90% off the original retail price which, as a friend pointed out, is practically FREE. That’s a pretty good brag. [Winky face emoticon firmly in cheek]

floral at the office
floral at the office

So, the outfit. It’s cute, yes? Dropped waist silhouettes can be tricky – they have a tendency to look toddler-esque – but the dark floral and office-appropriate hemline (plus the always classy Ferragamo flats) balance things out.

best foot forward?
best foot forward?

The Faux Dress, pt. 2

Top & shoes, J. Crew (via consignment); skirt, J. Crew (via eBay)
Top & shoes, J. Crew (via consignment); skirt, J. Crew (via eBay)

I loved how the separates-in-the-same-print thing worked with my beanstalk floral J. Crew pieces, so I found this top at the consignment store, I knew I had to track down the matching skirt. Luckily, eBay came through for me (again) and I got to make this outfit happen. S**t-eating grin? Oh yeah.

looking good, faux dress
looking good, faux dress
earrings, Kendra Scott; brooch, vintage
earrings, Kendra Scott; brooch, vintage

Here’s that brooch again. And my new Kendra Scott earrings that I wear at least once a week. The colour is perfect for my blue-suffused wardrobe. I know these KS pieces are all over the blogosphere, and that you’re probably sick of seeing them, but #sorrynotsorry because they really are quite nice for the office – big enough for a nice pop of colour, but work appropriate.

wtf, Barbie pose?
wtf, Barbie pose?

I don’t know what’s happening in this photo, but I do know that I just started wondering about whatever happened to Aqua. On a semi-related note, the court decision in the case of Mattel Inc. v. Aqua is a delight, if you’re ever looking for some snarky (judicial) reading material.

moody florals
moody florals for the win

Liberty Floral

Blazer, J. Crew (via consignment); top, LOFT (swap); pants, BR; shoes, Ellen Tracy; bag, YSL (via eBay)
Blazer, J. Crew (via consignment); top, LOFT (swap); pants, BR; shoes, Ellen Tracy; bag, YSL (via eBay)

Ever since I saw Lisa from Respect the Shoes rocking this Liberty print J. Crew blazer, I have wanted to get my greedy hands on one. After about a year of unsuccesful eBay stalking, I had more or less given up on finding one for a reasonable price. Consignment deus ex machina to the rescue! I recently found this blazer in like-new condition for only $35. Admittedly, it’s a size too big, but that’s something I can live with, in the circumstances.

A memorably floral blazer is not the most versatile piece ever, but this one is too cute for such considerations. The subtle hints of colour within the print make it fairly easy to accessorize … were it not for one tiny problem. I don’t have a lot of solid colour tops in my work closet. I usually stick to the formula of solid colour blazer/cardigan + print top, which makes the reverse a bit more challenging. Luckily, I do have a few tops that I think will work with it, so keep an eye out for more OOTDs to come.

worth the wait
worth the wait
vintage brooch
vintage brooch

The other thing you’ll be seeing a lot is this vintage brooch. I’ve suddenly taken to wearing it All. The. Freaking. Time. I don’t know what that’s about (I go through phases with my jewelry, so it may be that), but I do know that this brooch seems to go with everything, which doesn’t hurt. I feel like I’m getting a lot of side-eye from my other, much-less loved brooches every time I reach for this one. Moral of the story? Don’t anthropomorphize innanimate objects.

red suede shoes - still alive!
red suede shoes – still alive!