Outfits Not Just Clothes

BUTTONS! I bought this dress when I was a few sizes bigger and now it just hangs on me. So I've layered up two belts to pull it all in. I really need to make an appointment with my tailor and have her size this down. coat/dress-H&M(similar here and more dresses here ), blouse/blazer/belts-Forever21(similar here , here and here ), gloves/hat-Jcrew(similar here and here ), boots-DSW(similar here ), bag-NineWest(similar here ), scarf-gifted Wore this to a book party for two fellow poets, Liane Ellison Norman and Susan Shaw Sailor whose books you can pick up here and here .  I have to admit when I arrived I was a bit dressy, but having a book published and being able to share that with friends and colleagues is an exciting thing and deserves for people to dress up a bit.   Also, I really love this dress and desperately need to get it to my tailor and refitted.  Its just an elegant piece that's also easy AND was once worn by Michelle Obama!!! No joke, check

Didn't even realize that my bracelet was a bow, which totally mirrors my bow tie, scary how that just happens sometimes. Okay, enough showing off my lack of a butt, time to put on a coat. coat/gloves-Target (old)(similar here and here ), shirt- Ralph Lauren , sweater/pants-Jcrew(similar here and here ), bowtie -American Apparel, heels--Banana Republic(similar here ), bracelet/rings-- JewelMint Playing more with color here, mixing green, orange and red so I kept the shoes very basic, just a plain beige heel.  The bowtie keeps things fun, but again color wise doesn't compete with what is already going on. I wore this to work (on a day that I didn't have any meetings) and got a lot of compliments on being so colorful after such gloomy weather.  This does push the edge of office appropriate, at least in my job, but this would definitely be something I'd wear to a gallery or play.  And that my folks is a segue into talking about the location of this outfit

So I've been trolling the online sales and have picked up a few end of winter goodies. I know, I know its not the official end of winter and this warm January is taking people on a head trip, but in retail land its time to make room for spring/summer stock and I am taking full advantage.  Jcrew  and I believe there's an additional discount on final sale items with the code, OURTREAT  Asos Asos again. This blazer also comes in coral and raspberry sorbet, which to be honest I can't tell the difference between.  But one is $89 and the other is on sale for $39.... I may hit up the Jcrew sale again.  I also scored some deals at Anthropologie, but that's a story for another time.  Happy discount shopping!

Had a little cocktail fun last week.  And yes that IS Baby Jesus in the backround, but that didn't slow me down! This skirt is supposed to be pleated and really needs ironing. The shoes are very preppy and I like to pair them with more girly/fun items like yellow tights sweater/skirt/blouse-Jcrew(similar here , here and here ), tights/shoes-Target(similar here and here ), necklace-Forever21(sort of similar here ), bracelets- JewelMint , swizzle stick- Dollar Store Having fun with color in this outfit.  Ideally, this skirt should be ironed, or steamed so the pleats pop, but I didn't have time to do so before getting my drink on this particular evening.  Other than that slight faux paux its all about mixing color and pattern with this outfit.  I did tone it down with these loafer pumps.  I think a sick high red heel would have been too much and let's face it, there's some naughty fun in wearing a school-girl vibe outfit whilst having a cocktail. (I m

shirt-Gap(similar here ), sweater vest- Asos , vest-Old Navy(similar here ), pants-BCBG(similar here ), boots- LL Bean , necklace/bracelet-Forever21(similar here and here ), ring- JewelMint This outfit has a lot of different materials going on.  Leather pants, denim shirt, wool sweater vest and canvas/cotton outer vest.  Obviously layers are important in the winter and there's all sorts of "how-to" guides such at this one:  . http://www.refinery29.com/how-to-layer-for-chicago-winter   Reading through them I do get some interesting ideas, but for me the key is not only to stay warm in an outfit instead of a pile of clothes, but also to have interest with each layer.  And underneath all of these things is my skin, and I want to feel a nice fabric.  And yes this wool sweater vest is not right against my torso, but having these fuzzy little balls (hehehe fuzzy little balls) makes me feel more cozy, more comforted in these below freezing temparatures.  

Dueling Leopard Prints in the trench and umbrella. jacket/necklaces-Forever 21(similar here  and here ), shirt/vest- H&M , trousers /umbrella-Jcrew(similar umbrella here ), bag/shoes-NineWest(kind of similar here  and here ) and , bracelet-Cookie Lee(sort of similar here ), ring- JewelMint We had a few days of reprieve from the cold winter weather so I decided to bust out this leopard print trench from Forever 21, which helped pump up the volume of this standard office outfit. I have to admit I bought this fast-fashion leopard trench to see if I liked it, and I do!  So now it might be about time to buy an investment version of this piece.

skirt- Victora's Secret shirt-Gap(similar here ) sweater-Piperlime(similar here ), shoes-Forever21(similar here ), necklace-Martin&Osa, watch- Avon , rings- Jewelmint I recently took a cue from Refinery 29's post here of how to dress up and still feel comfy in this cold weather and wore a long maxi skirt.  I also added a statement necklace, which worn with a contrasting top/dress could possibly come off as too much.  Here with a sweater of the same color the necklace adds texture without overpowering a "dressed-down" look.   Refinery 29 suggests wearing glittering flats to dress-up while still dressing-down.  I went for some killer heels to give me some height/thin me out a bit so that the volume in the skirt and sweater wouldn't appear to overpower my frame.

Is was extremely chilly this past weekend and all I wanted to do was wear layers and layers of black.  However, one does want a pop of color, hence the skull cap. When its not completely freezing out I like to tie the coat up in the back and change up the silhouette. These boots are "flats" but they do have a hint of a wedge heel, pushing them a bit beyond a standard snow or rain boot. This watch is so light weight and never gets caught up in the coat sleeve. coat-Banana Republic (similar here ), turtle neck-Gap(similar here ), flannel-Urban Outfitters(similar here ), jeans- Aso s, boots-Old Navy(similar here ), hat-Jcrew(similar here ), necklace- Jewelmint , watch- Avon One way I've been fighting the cold is with turtlenecks.  I've been layering them under everything, which makes me feel very beatnik/french, without adding a lot of bulk.    Also,as a girl with short hair, hats are a necessity for me.  And even with a good hat a girl needs a hood as well,