Outfits Not Just Clothes

                      shirt- Jcrew Factory , sweatshirt- Gap , pants-Forever 21(sort of similar here ), shoes-Zara(similar here ), necklace-Ann Taylor(similar here )     Labor Day weekend is here and I've busted out my white pants one last time. Well not really, that no-white-after-Labor-Day rule no longer applies. BUT, white pants for me, signify summer and I rarely wear them during fall/winter. Now, white jeans, I do enjoy rocking those in the colder months.   This necklace is major, and I usually wear it with a simple black or grey dress. I figured the sweatshirt layered over shirt was a clean enough "canvas" for the necklace to pop!   Have a great last weekend of summer! 

            Sheer cardie for work to make this dress appropriate.   Cardie off and this dress just got a bit risky.       dress-Zara(similar here ), cardie-Old Navy(sort of similar here ), necklace-Gifted, bracelet- Jewel Mint , shoes- Shoe Mint Yesterday was bright stripes, today black lines. I was thinking of wearing a blazer with this dress to play down the semi-exposed back, but this sheer cardie jumped out at me.  I'm a big fan of sheer on sheer, its a fun trick to achieve coverage while still maintaining the subtlety of more transparent fabric. Technically this dress is not sheer, but the theory still applies. With the see-through cardie the texture in the back detail can bee seen, while the outfit overall is office appropriate.   

        Probably should have gone for a loafer, but I'm not ready to give up my bright summer sandals, school or no school.     shirt-H&M(similar here ), dress- Joe Fresh , tie/sandals-Jcrew factory(similar here and here ), sunnies-Mikkat Market(similar here )   This look is "dress-as-jumper" for a reinvention of the school uniform. It's back to school time and I'm getting in on all sides. Working for a university and the students are back in full force. And to make matters worse my office is next door to a girls' Catholic high school. Things are totes cray to say the least. But anyway, I'm meeting the insanity head on with bright stripes in this outfit.

Twenty-seven days into my year of no shopping (announced here ) and the first major temptation looms on the horizon.  The 3.1 Philip Lim/Target collab scheduled to drop on September 15th!   I'm even loving looks from the Men's collection Damn you Philip Lim ! Damn you Target !  

I put it to a vote here on which dress I should order for the wedding I attended this past weekend. Well, here's the winner in action!   dress- Elie Tahari via Rent the Runway , belt- Asos , heels-Forever 21(similar here ), necklace/sunnies-Banana Republic(similar here and here ), clutch-H&M(similar here ), rings/bracelet- Jewel Mint How fabulous am I in this dress?!!! I loved it and loved myself in it and brought the chic with a capital CH to the event. The pattern is flat in the fabric, that's not actual lace, which is fine. I wanted to push the textural element in the pattern and give it some edge so, I cinched it in with a metal-plated/spike belt.  These heels were chosen partially for comfort, and partially for height. I didn't upstage the bride though, who was beyond gorge in a very tasteful strapless gown with the most delicate layers of chiffon. Congrats to Steph and Erik! You may recall Steph from this closet visit

Yep, that's right! We're at the abandoned Splash & Dash carwash. top- Le Tote , jeans- Joe Fresh , sandals-Urban Outfitters(sort of similar here ), bag-Thrifted, necklace-Gifted, ring/bracelet- Jewel Mint   I wore this same top with yesterday's outfit . Here I've paired it with jeans and sandals for a more casual evening look.  For some reason I'm feeling neutral shades as August winds down. Something about beige, sage, grey, white, and black feels so crisp right now. Update: I've got 23 no shopping days under my belt with 342 to go.  Going to a friend's wedding this weekend and I did rent a dress from Rent the Runway , some of you voted on it here . This rental was booked before the August 1st shopping ban began, so I'm not in violation. Feeling strong and  starting to plan outfits for autumn, which his always exciting!