In part two of my unusual animal print series, I’m rocking my new elephant-print shirt from Anthropologie. I realize that I kind of failed because I have no close-ups, so you can’t really see the print well. So, I would definitely recommend heading over to the website for better shots — plus you can see the cute buttons. Also, these were end-of-the-day photos, as usual, so I’m a bit of a wrinkled mess.
Confession: I have never owned a pair of white jeans. I have written about how to wear white denim. I have recommended white denim to others. I have coveted white denim. But I’ve never really trusted myself to stay clean enough to wear it myself.
So what better time to start than with a one year old who crawls around and gets into everything and then wants to pull up on my legs?
After having a discussion on Facebook about white denim, I decided that it’s finally time to bite the bullet and give it a shot. What’s the worst thing that could happen? I walk around all day with stains all over myself and people laugh at me? I’ll survive.
So now the big question is, which pair do I get? Here are my front-runners, please chime in if you own any of these, or if you have another recommendation!
I’ve been on an animal print kick lately, but not as in leopard or cheetah — I’m talking elephants and birds. From a distance you can’t tell that this is anything by an abstract print, but up close, it’s a bunch of birds hanging out on high voltage wires. Or at least that’s what I’m imagining.
Top: Pleione (in other colors and prints here) // Pants: Banana Republic // Ring: c/o Jewelry Explosion // Necklace: c/o Shlomit Ofir
I’ve gotten really backed up on writing reviews of the beauty products I’ve been trying lately, so I’m going to start doing periodic roundup posts and see how that goes. For my first {beauty picks} edition, we’ve got a lipstick, a skin tone corrector and a holy grail hair product.
Smashbox Cosmetics Love Me Be Legendary Lipstick in red, $19. This lipstick is part of a collaboration between Smashbox and world-renowned street artist Curtis Kulig. The color is a Pantone match of the signature color that he uses regularly in his art, and it translates perfectly to a lipstick. It’s a great classic red (pretty true red, but more toward the orange side than blue), and the formula is great. Two thumbs up, if you’re looking for something dramatic.
Avon Absolute Even Multi-Tone Skin Corrector, $39.99. This product promises “dramatic improvement in skin tone,” and while I wouldn’t call the results I saw dramatic, I did see an improvement in the evenness of my skin. Considering the price point, it’s definitely worth a try if you have uneven skin.
Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream, $9-34. I have certainly been familiar with Fekkai for a long time, but I don’t know that I had tried any of their products until I had my hair done at their booth at the IFB Conference. After that, their friendly PR girls were kind enough to send me a sample of the famous glossing cream to try. It’s a great product — creamy, so you’d assume it would weigh down your hair, but it’s actually extremely lightweight. My hair is super frizzy right now since I’ve still got lots of post-baby new hair growth, and the cream does a great job of calming my flyaways. This has become part of my daily routine. Two thumbs up!
{Disclosure: Sample products provided by Smashbox, Fekkai and Avon for editorial consideration. All opinions and words are my own.}
I’ve worn my tried-and-true J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinnies A LOT. And I’ve loved them. But after a couple of years of nonstop wear, they’re just not quite the same. Or maybe it’s because my weight has fluctuated. Or maybe a combination of both.
Regardless of the cause, I decided it was time to find a new pair of go-to skinnies. I tried a whole bunch on, and landed on the 7 for All Mankind The Skinny Jeans. My first ever pair of designer jeans back in freshman year of college (thanks Cristi and Mer for the encouragement!) were 7FAM and I was a brand loyalist for a long time, but it’s been years since I’ve bought anything new from the brand. Blame it on my shopping ADD and constant need to try new things.
Speaking of ADD…back to the jeans.
So, these jeans are tight, I won’t lie to you. I was a little bit scared when I started pulling them on, but I ended up loving them. The spandex content helps to suck in everything that needs to be sucked in, and the waist is high enough (I’d call it mid-rise) that it prevents the dreaded muffin top. They hit me right at the ankle (I’m 5’7″) and look good with a small cuff, like in this model shot.
I’ve worn these a bunch of times now and have been really happy with how they wear (no saggy butt) and wash (I don’t machine dry them). Hopefully I’ll get as much wear out of these as I did my old J Brands!
What’s your favorite pair of jeans these days? Have you stuck with the same brand over the years, or are you constantly discovering new favorites?
Have you ever had one of those pieces of clothing that you KNEW wasn’t quite right for you — too big, too small, wrong color, awkward neckline — but you couldn’t quite give up on? That’s this shirt, for me. I got it probably five years ago from Banana Republic and I love it. The color is fun, it’s drapey without making me look pregnant, and it works for the office or for the weekend.
But, there’s a but.
I wore this shirt last week, and probably had to yank up the front about 50 times because my bra was showing. It’s just one of those things. As any woman who is well endowed will understand, tiny little low-cut bras just don’t really work. I’m not saying I wear undergarments intended for grandmothers (no offense to my mother, who does not look old enough to be anyone’s grandmother), but my bras have to be pretty substantial. Which means that sometimes they like to pop out of my shirts.
After the tenth or so time that I had to pull up my shirt in front of a (thankfully female) co-worker, I decided it was time to retire this top. I’m sad about it, but of course, the silver lining is that I can use this as an excuse to shop
Top: Banana Republic (as stated, a million years old) // Jeans: Banana Republic // Jacket: Olivia Moon (similar style from the same brand in lots of colors here) // Shoes: Banana Republic – These come in a bunch of colors and are really comfy. // Earrings: Stella & Dot
P.S. I swear this is not a sponsored post from BR, I just own a lot of their clothes.
While I truly believe that anyone who pays full price at Banana Republic is a fool (sorry if that’s you), J.Crew does not tend to have store/sitewide sales very often. They mark things down pretty often, but even that stuff is usually finally sale, which drives me crazy. SO, this week’s deal at J.Crew is kind of a big deal. Through 5/3 (Friday), you can get 25 percent off of your full purchase in-store or online (with code SPRINGBEST).
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I don’t tan. This is partially by choice, partially because my skin basically goes from zero to red with not much in between. So I’m pretty pasty all year round, and I really am okay with it. But somehow the first couple of times that I bare my legs for the season are always a bit jarring.
You might recognize this dress from a winter OOTD post, where I wore it with a cardigan, tights and boots. I probably won’t wear it in the middle of the summer, because the fabric is fairly heavy (although it is cotton), but it’s great for spring. You can’t really see the shoes well in this picture, but they’re a classic espadrille wedge with a ribbon that ties around the ankle. I love them, but I don’t wear them often, for some reason.
It’s the freakin’ weekend baby! The world tried to drag me down this week, in the form of a sick baby, crazy amounts of work, and freezing cold (for this time of year) temperatures. But we all made it through, nonetheless. I did bust out a pair of espadrilles for the first time of the season, although they were close toed. And I may or may not have blinded my coworkers with the paleness of my legs. C’est la vie!
Ella Moss Sam Stripe Maxi Dress. I see a lot of maxi dresses in my future for this summer. Running around after the little munchkin and constantly bending down means that shorter dresses may not be the best choice. This one is flowy and comfy looking, but would be totally appropriate for a dinner date or night out with friends.
LOFT Textured Maxi Skirt (get it right now for 50% off!). To go along with my maxi dress comments above, I’d like to have a good basic maxi skirt to pair with various tops. I could get away with wearing this for work as well, depending on styling.
Gorjana Kensington Ring. I’ve always liked the look of people wearing rings spaced out on their fingers, but I’ve never really understood how they got them to stay that way. Maybe they’ve all been wearing this ring?
Banana Republic Kaylan Printed Clutch. I can’t get enough of woven clutches. Absolutely perfect for summer, and makes me daydream of walking on a beach barefoot at sunset…
Juicy Couture Sleep Pants with Lace Trim. These are seriously the best lounging pants I have ever owned (apologies to my trusty Villanova sweatpants). The material is extremely soft and washes well, the waistband is wide and doesn’t cut into my waist, and the slim cut means they’re comfy to wear to bed as well. Highly recommended.
Anthropologie Daytrip Buttondown. I don’t shop at Anthro very often, because I usually think their clothes are overpriced. But every once in a while something crosses my path that’s either surprisingly inexpensive, or just so cute that I don’t care how much it costs. This blouse is both.
I would like to begin this post by apologizing to your toes.
Remember those platform pumps that you’ve been wearing for the past two to three years? The ones that still give you lots of height but are much easier to walk in than traditional pumps? Well, kiss them goodbye, because the powers that be have decided that the “single sole” pointy-toed pump is back.
I have to say that while I rarely wear this kind of shoe due to laziness and comfort considerations, I do feel like I have a little extra spring in my step when I do. And there’s no beating putting on a classic pair of black pumps with a suit to make you feel like a real grown up. Is it just me?
So, when you’re making your spring and summer purchases, you might want to think about pulling out an old pair or find some new pumps to add to your collection. Here are some cute ones I’ve seen lately:
