Polka Dots for Fall

Summer is Over!

I know you're questioning why I added an exclamation point to that statement. But trust me, it is worthy, and here's why:

Fall fashion!
My trip to Italy in October!
Fall fashion!!
I'm moving into my new apartment in Jersey City at the end of October!
Halloween! Thanksgiving!
Um...Have I mentioned FALL FASHION?

Guess which one of those I'll be talking about today? Yeah, tough one...

So everyone knows that patterned/colored denim is huge right now. A twist on this that I'm starting to see more and more is polka dots. Not tiny little demure office-appropriate dots, but big, bold, fun, statement making ones.
They work surprisingly well as a neutral piece or they can be the statement-maker if your style is a little more laid back. Those two possibilities are my favorite thing about this whole pattern's/80's moment: colors and patterns that used to be impossible to find and seemed a little kooky when worn are now readily available and acceptable. But...I suppose that's also the downside. Without personal touches, the originality of the look is lost.

Ok Ok I'll shut up now.

Check out POLKA DOTS!

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1. A Pretty Preppy Life

2. Paige Premium Denim

3. Preppy College Glam (same jeans as above, here they are in the black-on-white)

4. Kendie Every Day

5. Brooklyn Blonde

6. Pinterest

I tried to find the original source for each picture (IE: Where the items can be purchased) but only had luck with a couple of them. I'll update if I'm able to find more of the items!

Cambridge Satchel

Latest obsession: the Cambridge Satchel Company. Based in the UK, they make awesome leather bags that British kids apparently use for school. They come in a huge range of colors, from classic brown and metallic silver to fluorescent pink and bright white.

These are from the Fluro line. (fluro= fluorescent. Nifty, eh?). When I went to buy mine, I wanted one of these. But let me tell you, it is NOT easy to find these babies in New York, and ordering one online would mean massive shipping costs. Maybe. (I don't really know, I didn't look too much into ordering online, I'm more of an instant-gratification type of person.)

When I went to one of the only stores in Manhattan that carries Cambridge Satchels, I saw this one:

And now I own it. MUAHAHA. 

Here are some more of their color options, because they're pretty and you should like them.

You can monogram your bag, which is pretty awesome:

Ok bye.

Favorites

Clutch with Jewelry

White Room with Accents

Blue/Green crystals

Color Bursts

Zara Horse Shirt

Lately, I've been absolutely devoid of energy and on the brink of overwhelming exhaustion, so instead of writing a full post, I've decided to share with you some of my most recent favorite things.

Flower Power

Two words: Floral Denim.

Completely on trend for spring, completely attainable on a budget, and, surprisingly, NOT completely stupid looking!

Because flowers are a bold pattern with multiple colors, I'd say the safest bet would be to pair them with neutrals, the way these three pairs are shown.

I've been seeing pairs that cost upwards of $150, which is absurd.

 Let's be real...these jeans will never have a second life. You'll wear them this spring and summer, and maybe a handful of times next spring.  For most of us, these will never become a wardrobe staple, and 5 years from now we'll wonder what the hell we were thinking wearing them at all.

If you want to spend a boatload of cash on a pair, more power to you. I'm sure they will fit like a dream and not fade or fray regardless of how many washes they endure.

But I just bought a pair for $30 that look shockingly similar to a Current/Elliot pair that cost $198. (In fact, I think I like mine BETTER!)

Obviously you can tell by the pictures which pair are mine, but if both pairs were laid out next to each other...would you still be able to tell? Nope. Sure, the fit may be a little less tailored feeling than, say,    J Brand's (whose jeans I adore), but they satisfy my momentary fashion obsession. And really, what more could I ask for?

Holiday Gift Buying

Well, it's about that time again. Thanksgiving is a few days away (delicious) and then come the other holidays. The present giving holidays. The ones where you bestow beautiful gifts on the people you love, all in the hopes of putting a smile on their face and giving them something new and wonderful to use/wear/play with/love.

What could be better, you ask? Well, apparently when you're me, going shopping for yourself is better than shopping for other people.
Now hold on before you go getting all judgy on me.

Every November, (ie: the beginning of the cold season, ie: no more summer clothes, ie: WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?!) All the stores go into holiday mode with ridiculous sales. 30% off my entire purchase? Yes, I will be buying that sweater, a pair of pants, scarf, and ohh look at those necklaces!

November feels far too early to do any holiday gift shopping. Perhaps that's the procrastinator in me, but until December rolls around, I can't seem to equate shopping with buying gifts for people. So I end up going into stores, lured in by their sales (you tricky marketing people, you!), rationalizing (as I mentioned before) that I need new winter clothes, and spending money. On myself. Am I the only one who falls into this trap? I can't possibly be. Or maybe I just suck at not shopping. hmm...

Now, don't get me wrong, I certainly do love buying gifts for people, especially when I think it's the PERFECT gift and know they'll adore it. But...until December rolls around...

So with that in mind, here are some things I've been coveting:

This fabulous Jcrew sweater with pink sequins. Practical? No. Affordable? No. Beautiful and fun and perfect and I want to own it? Yes.

Really now. A sweater that sparkles.






Can you ever really have enough plaid shirts? I mean, if I'm going to potentially possibly maybe ever live on a farm, I need to stock up. 8 is not enough. I need 9. actually, theres a blue one similar to this that I probably need also, if we're being realistic...

This watch. Now, I already have a really awesome Marc Jacobs watch, so I'm having a rough time figuring out a justification for this one, but boy is she perty. 

Confetti Ornaments. I LOVE CONFETTI! wait a minute...perhaps this could be a gift to give someone else! Aha! 

Anyway, I suppose my point in all of this is...well, i'm not sure I have a point. But shopping has been on my mind, and I've felt (mildly) selfish for only wanting to shop for myself...so I figured...I should probably write about it.

In other news, (AKA: why I haven't been blogging very often) I've been getting A's on all my school assignments. woo-hoo!

Inspired By:

I find inspiration for my style from almost everything I come in contact with. The most tangible and easily accessible way for me to reinterpret this inspiration is through clothing. It would be fantastic if I were also able to apply my ideas to the space I live in, but unfortunately it's just not feasible. (ie: furniture etc. is expensive, thrift store finds risk beg-bugs in NYC, I'm not the only one living here, and there's the small issue of the 5 story walk-up.)

So for the time being, I stick to clothes.

I just attended an awesome Housing Works event called Buy the Bag, to which I was invited by NLP (one of my friends and old Managers from The Palm). Housing Works, apparently, has a warehouse full of donated clothing that never has a chance to make it to one of their brick and mortar locations. So, for this aptly named event, you go into the warehouse, rifle though thousands of items of clothing in what is similar to a sample sale on crack, fill up as many of the provided paper bags as you wish, and then buy the bags. Each bag cost $25, and I walked with two of them, stuffed to the brim with label and non-label clothing.

My favorite item, albeit slightly difficult to find a wearable purpose for, is this amazing sweater:

Sure, it's a little juvenile/ christmas-esque/ welcome to the 80's, but I love everything about it. From the sparkly bows, to the princess shoulders, it is perfect. Actually, I almost put this gem back because of it's impracticality, but NLP encouraged me to take it. Good call, NLP, good call.

Another great find were a pair of flared Citizens of Humanity jeans that I also have on in that sweater photo, although you can't see very much of them. I love the jeans, but I've been having a hard time figuring out how to wear them in a casual outfit. I haven't purchased a pair of bell bottom jeans since...let's see...my first year of college, seven years ago. I think it's safe to say that my style aesthetic has evolved since then, as has fashion itself (Skinny jeans?). So, not wanting to look like a high school version of myself, I needed a little inspiration on how to wear these. But where to find it? 

I was perusing What I Wore this morning, and came across this fantastically wearable outfit:

YAHOO! I'm not intimidated by these jeans anymore! And I'm also not in high school! I can totally reproduce this outfit in a way that is my own, and I am muy excited about it. I don't love every little thing about the look, but it feels accessible and, overall, looks good. Mission accomplished.

Now I just need to figure out a way to wear that sweater...

Daily Outfits?

Today, I came across a website that provides you with outfit options based on your current location and the weather prediction. (via SmartPrettyandAwkward)

This a screen shot I look of it.
Great concept, I do really like it, except...if it's supposed to be 85 degrees and rainy...WHY would I wear leather booties, knee socks, and a blazer??? Why would I wear jeans on 3 out of 5 of the mid-80 degree days??
Wouldn't shorts or a skirt or...anything but jeans make more sense? and really, this is missed Hunter Wellington opportunity.

I think you get wear I'm going with this. Good concept, poorly executed. Rethink your strategy, dailydressme.com, because as of right now, you've missed the mark in a huge way.

Also, I just noticed that Saturday and Monday have the same outfit. Great.

DIY?

Whenever I see bracelets/jewelry like this, I always think to myself that it looks like a fantastically easy and fun DIY project. I decide that I will totally make it, and I feel really thrifty and unique and wonder why anyone would ever waste their money on something they could make so easily. Then...I never, ever follow through and make anything. And then I understand why people (like me) spend money on these things.

via Design Crush

Oh well. Maybe someday I'll get around to being thrifty and unique...

Things that make you go "hmm".

These shoes make me go "hmm" for a few different reasons:

1. They were in my bedroom when I got home this morning from BF's house.

2. They are not mine.

3.They look like the type of shoes one could purchase on the street in Asia, but have a rubber sole with an American seeming brand name imprinted on the bottom, which is contradictory to Asian authenticity.

4. Both of the girls I live with wear a size 7. I wear a size 9. The shoes fit me.

5. They are facing away from the wall (which is directly behind where they are resting), which implies that someone placed them there, as opposed to sliding them off their feet. If they slid them off, they would be facing toward the wall.

Which brings me to my final conclusion:

6. They must have been placed here on purpose, and are intended for me to have (how nice!). But it still begs the question...WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?? Hmm.

Goodbye Winter

I live in a small New York City apartment with 2 of my oldest childhood friends. We live in a three bedroom, fifth floor walk up on the Upper West Side, the same neighborhood we all grew up in.
For each perk of living in the City, there is an equally miserable drawback. The one my attention is focused on today is...(drum roll please)...lack of closet space. my hangers are doubled up, my dresses are wrinkled from being cramped so tightly together. And, since it's been winter the whole time we've lived here, (4 months) I have all of my cold weather clothes and not much of my summer wardrobe. The summer clothes are at my parents house. Which means I have to pack up all my winter stuff, lug it on over to my parents place, and exchange it all for summer stuff. Not.Fun.

So un-fun, in fact, that it was clearly a perfect opportunity to sit down and write. And drink coffee. and readjust my curtains. and eat some crackers with hummus. and try on my new swim suit for the fifteenth time. Um...I guess it's time I get started on the closet.

...

10 minutes into the cleaning out of the closet, and i'm being much less picky about what I "might" wear on cool spring days. Usually I have a hard time parting with things, even though technically I'm only parting with them for a season...but how do I know I won't want to wear a black wool sweater in July??? It could happen! Maybe! But i guess, if it does, I can just go get it from my parents house.
And into the bag goes the black wool sweater.

...

2 huge suitcases and an hour and a half later and i'm done! And, may I add, my closet is now color coordinated.

This is the final product (I wish I had taken a "before" photo as well, but...oops, I didn't.)

My newly organized closet

It's a nice feeling to accomplish something that seems daunting. And today was the perfect opportunity for me to get it done.

I work in a restaurant, and have recently switched over to working nights only, as opposed to previously working days only. This leaves me with copious amounts of free time during the day, so while my 2 roommates and most of my other friends are at their 9-5's, I have little to occupy my time with. I'm on week two of this new work schedule, and filling my days with productive activity is proving to be no easy task. So far, I've given myself 3 manicures, watched almost 3 entire seasons of a show called Say Yes to the Dress, and I've gone jogging. A lot. Oh, i've also read samples of about 5 books on my kindle. I have a hard time deciding whether I'll continue to enjoy a book after reading the sample, so more often than not I don't end up purchasing them. I have read the first few chapters of more books than I can even begin to count. I did, however, commit to Tina Fey's book this morning, and shelled out $12.99 for it. Hope it's good.

Well, it seems i've passed a suitable amount of time today. Time to get ready for work.