OOTD: Patchy

“Throw it on and go.”

 That was the conversation between me and myself this morning attempting to get dressed and get out of the apartment. We all run late sometimes due to OOTD blunders, we are only human ladies!

I love these jeans.  I loved them the minute they caught my eye on Old Navy’s website.  I snagged them for $9, but they do run VERY big so I don’t sport them all that often.

The challenge with them though is the fit is almost like a legging so it needs to be paired with a slightly oversized top.  This striped top from Ann Taylor Loft is one of my favorites because the length is just long enough but the colorblocking gives the effect that it is longer than it actually is!

 Since both pieces have such personalities I decided to ditch any accesories except for simple black flats, my Michael Kors (buttery soft) leather jacket and my latest pair of sunglasses from Rue 21.

Modcloth: Stylish Surprise

Ever want to purchase things from Modcloth but get scared away by the prices, or are unsure of the fit, etc?  If so we are in the same boat.

Stylish Surprise is an event that Modcloth hosts every few months or so where they mark down prices and bucket items for mystery deals.  The buckets include dresses, apparel and shoes…although one time I did get a home goods one.  The prices for these mystery deals range from $5-20 and are valued between $20-200!

Be quick, because items run out fast and the deal is only available for a couple more days.

This time around I grabbed a dress and a pair of shoes, so stay tuned to see what I get in my mystery box!

*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase by clicking through one of my links

OOTD: Easy Easter

Growing up I always loved the excitement of dressing up for Easter but when the holiday rolled around my family always took to the holiday with a bit more ease and comfort.  Now as an adult I look for any excuse to wear my comfiest jeans and a floral blouse and Easter is the perfect one!

Since I travel during rush hour on my commute home I like to pack the lightest and least amount of clothes I possibly can.  This floral and ruffle blouse from Society+ has been staring me down since I switched over to my spring clothes so it was a must for my travel bag.
 As for these jeans…my mom tossed me these Gloria Vanderbilt from COSTCO jeans, in a size 10 (a big difference from my track record of sporting a 14) and they are one of the best fitting pair of denim I have put on.  They are a rich, deep denim with a nice high rise which I prefer because it helps give a better defined waist to my column build.  The hip area has a great slimming effect and the length is perfect enough for a decent cuff (one of the best ways to change up your typical jean routine).

I polished off my Easter look with a gold tassel necklace and some navy BCBG flats even though I was in leggings and a sweatshirt immediately after dinner!

What is your go-to look for Easter or Passover?

OOTD: The Swing of Things

Daaaaaaaaaamn Jamie, back at it again with the swing dress!

 
I can’t help myself, I am loving the fit of swing dresses this spring.  I love how comfortable (and forgiving) they are during the winter to spring transition.  Accessorizing this garment is especially fun.

I got this Alice and You swing dress in a recent Gwynnie Bee shipment and bought it immediately.  Truth be told I have already gotten my money’s worth from wear and tear!  I love the retro feeling of the geometric pattern and lately red and blue (Go America!) have been my go-to color palette.

Playing around with shapes (literally), I paired this dress with a circle chain necklace and some fun studs from H&M.

Don’t be surprised if you see a lot of this dress in the coming months!

 

 

OOTD: Heartly Enough

This outfit is what happens when you fall asleep watching New Girl and you wake up with all the Jessica Day vibes.

I live in mostly black clothes, so when I heard one of this years Spring Trends was black and white I was highly relieved.  That meant I could play more with items I already have in my wardrobe rather than investing in new pieces.

While the print on this dress may be a bit loud, I find it to be one of the more versatile pieces in my closet.  I love to swap out the tie waist belt that it came with for bright, bold colored leather belts.  Typically, I swap out my black flats for another color but today I stuck with these black and brown flats.

The best thing about this piece is that it’s a total throw on and go dress.  It requires minimal accessories.  How could you not love a good low maintenance dress?!  I paired this with a drop necklace, floral studs and these cat eyed sunglasses from Rue 21.

Dress: Ronni & Nicole from Macy’s ($15)
Flats: American Rag from Macy’s (Gifted)
Sunglasses: Rue 21 ($5.99)
Belt: LL Bean (gifted)

Comment with your favorite black and white piece!

OOTD: Polka Dancing

The first 70+ degree day in New York City called for the right to bare legs!  The sun was out, the usual frowns of commuters were turned upside down and nobody was sporting tights today.  I couldn’t wait any longer to throw on my latest closet pick from Gwynnie Bee.

Humble brag moment.  I work for Gwynnie Bee but my love for the service started in the summer of 2013.  For those of you who haven’t heard the buzz about GB, it is a clothing rental service for women sizes 10-32.  You pay a monthly fee, select a plan (ex. 3 garments out at a time) and fill your virtual closet (a la Cher Horowitz) with dresses, tops, skirts, pants and outerwear and by the end of the week you have a package full of beautiful pieces to wear.  Try em, buy em, and return em in exchange for even more possibilities!
 Swing dresses have been having a moment.  Let’s all take a moment for swing dresses.  I used to be scared of them because I feared the lack of shape would make me look heavier but after learning the right sizes to buy and how to style them I LOVE swing dresses.

This polka dot number is from Karen Kane, and runs slightly big but since I had it I figured I would give it a spin around the office.  There are so many style opportunities for this dress but I decided to go subtle with a vintage statement necklace, wayfarer Elizabeth and James shades from Ditto (oh yeah, I rented my sunglasses too!), red flats from DSW (aka the motherland) and a simple black Coach purse.

Comment below what silohuettes you would fill your dream closet with!

A Matte-r of Time

I was never a lip gloss girl.  I could never seem to figure out what the appeal was, it was sticky and anything that went slightly near your face was in the danger zone; especially fly-away hairs! Then one day on a whim I bought a lipstick from Maybelline, (Rum Riche) and my whole perspective about lip color was changed.

The formula for that color was not specifically creamy, glossy or matte however it is the one lipstick that never smudges, or transfers.

Now I am on the search to find a lip stick that wears just as good if not better than my go-to.  With all the new matte lipstick products coming out these days my search is becoming saturated.

This month I picked up two different “matte” lipsticks to help me transition from winter to spring.

1. Maybelline Vivid Matte Lipstick in the shade Nude Thrill.  This liquid matte lipstick retails at Duane Reade for $8.99 and I was super amped to try this formula out as soon as I saw the ads for it.  I typically am drawn to more bold hues in reds and pinks but figured it was time to throw a nude shade into my rotation.

I was highly unimpressed with the overall product.  I blame myself for choosing a shade to close to my natural lip however the product is very heavy, transfers easily and does not dry matte.

2. e.l.f. Moisturizing Lipstick in Wine Tour.  This lipstick, which isn’t marketed as matte, retails only $3!  I am a big fan of e.l.f products and have tried their Mineral Lipstick in the past.  I grabbed this tube for a wedding because I figured it was a safe bet, and if I hated it the investment was tiny.

I was blown away by the quality of this lipstick.  Not only does it apply as a matte lipstick but it is longlasting AND barely transfers.  I wore this to work (applied at 9:30 am) and still had a decent color until almost 3:30 pm!

A Month in Books: February

Another month another recap of what I pulled down from my bookshelf.

I won’t lie I was only able to complete 3.5 books this month.  The short month threw me off plus I was sick in the middle of it leaving no desire to even crack a book open.

1. Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen – I have read several other books from author, Sarah Pekkanen and remember loving them all which is why this one was on my Amazon wish list.  I made it 95% of the way through this read and just had to stop.  It was so slow, uneventful and boring that I couldn’t bare another page of it.  There were several storylines happening at once but none of them caught my interest long enough for me to indulge and enjoy.  This may best be suited for sitting on the beach.
   
2. You by Caroline Kepnes –  This book was well over 400 pages and I blew through it in a matter of 3 days.  It’s a thriller about who I essentially deemed to be a stalker that can get a bit sexually graphic at times.  While taken aback at the first several sexually charged scenes in this book I don’t think the story would have held as great on it’s own without those moments.  It is a crazy, twisted tale that doesn’t slow down once you get pulled in.  I recommend for any Gone Girl fans.
   
3. The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase – When I set out for a good girly novel this book is exactly what I look for.  The title is pretty self explanatory; we meet Sarina who thinks she’s in love with her long time boyfriend until Eamon, the one that got away years earlier walks back into her life.  It caters to any fan of Emily Giffin and is set in Austin, TX which only amplified my wanderlust to book a trip there.
   
   What books have you read lately that disappointed you?

OOTD: Cut It Out

 
Graphic tees are my favorite closet item because of their versatility in both the comfy world and the trendy world.  Now that I work in the start-up world, I get to play around more with the graphic tees in my wardrobe and I couldn’t be more estactic.

 
I fet it would have been wrong to NOT wear my Joey Gladstone to work today since Fuller House premiered!  I went with my go-to for graphic tees at the office: black blazer, cuffed jeans and bright flats.

I got this tee for Christmas last year, it’s one of Kohl’s hidden gems from the men’s section and I have been holding onto it waiting for the perfect occassion. Thanks, Netflix!

Here’s to a Friday dedicated to Netflix & TGIF.

Comment below if you’re excited for Fuller House on Netflix!

 

My hair was styled using a NuMe wand.  Like the way it looks, grab any styling wand for 50% off plus free shipping: Check out the selection.

My Millennial Style Inspiration

As I get deeper into my twenties I am starting to see the bricks and mortar that have come to shape me.  Lately, I have been thinking a lot about where my style inspiration truly comes from.  While some may gush over the latest runway styles, or try to keep up with Gen Z, I tend to keep towards what catches my eye…and always has.

A lot of times what catches my eye on the rack is a modern version of something that would have caught my eye back when I was 16, 13 or perhaps pre-teen.  I have been realizing more and more that my taste in style and fashion (…and even home decor) is built upon staples from my youth.

1. Lizzie McGuire
   I distinctly remember two things about Lizzie McGuire. One of them being that I had the same pair of jeans as Lizzie from episode where she spends the $100 on said jeans to win “Best Dressed.”  Looking back now, Lizzie totally encapsulates what it was like to be at your most awkward.
   

   These are the jeans!!

2. d*Elias
   There was nothing more thrilling as an 11-15 year old back in the early 00’s than finally receiving your copy of the d*Elias catalog in the mail.  Flipping through it gave that “I’m cute/hip/sarcastic” vibe that I always strived for.  My favorite part of d*Elia’s was the graphic tees (Paul Frank though?!) and now that I have more freedom as far as my fashion choices go for work I get to play around with tees more often.
   
3. Mary-Kate and Ashley 
   Notice what I did there?  I didn’t refer to them as the Olsen Twins because; while of course, duh, I worshipped their style hard in 2005-2008 but it was really their style in that early 2000’s phase when they had several tv sitcoms.  They always had the most hip names and made me beg my mom for blonde highlights and crimper.  But my absolute favorite look was Mary Kate’s in New York Minute.
   
4. Bad Sandy, GreaseMy go-to costume for last minute costume parties was always Bad Sandy.  I would sneak my mom’s leather jacket out of her closet and pop on a pair of sunglasses from the stack of vintage garage sale shades.  My go to these days is a variation of black tops, blouses and tees and moto leggings; when the weather permits I toss on my black leather jacket and fell a small loss for my inner Sandra Dee.

What was your biggest style inspiration from your youth?  Share in the comments below!