Outfits Not Just Clothes

My Year of No Shopping announced last September has been a bust! I've strayed from my self-imposed fast over a dozen times. Why? Well because I love clothes, and good deals, and evolving my personal style. Here are the  main culprits.... Slingbacks from H&M I'm DO need a summer slip-on shoe for work, an alternative to loafers if you will.  Jacket Dress from H&M This dress was on sale and I wore it a few times over the holidays before featuring here in this post . It hits all of my current criteria for a dresses--easy fit, versatile, interesting, and has pockets!  Vans Also, wanted/needed an easy slip-on casual shoe, as seen in this post .  Shift from Anthropologie This layering piece was such a good deal, and in a color I don't often wear. This post shows how it's an easy-throw-on piece to add some color to a basic black outfit.  Cardigan from Anthropolige This cardigan speaks to my new-found lust fo...

You may recall that I started another year of no shopping back in September, that doesn't mean I'm not in the market for some Christmas-time gift giving! Here are a few items from the wish list I sent Santa! Zara The blouse isn't my usual style, but frilly sleeves and whimsical silhouettes aren't going anywhere for a while, so I may as well dip my toe in, so to speak!  Selfridges And I'm thinking this blazer would be the perfect topper to a romantic blouse, and speaks more to my outfitting wheelhouse.  Moop I've been eyeing up Moop bags for years, but have never taken the plunge, which is a shame because it's a local Pittsburgh business that I should support. I love this Porter bag because it's huge, versatile, and simply chic. Vans I just recently discovered these unisex and waterproof sneakers! I mean you had me at waterproof, right?  I'm thinking none of these items will be under my tree Christmas morning, BUT I r...

Today is the LAST day I will be able to shop for clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. You may recall a couple of years ago I went on a year-long shopping hiatus and it changed my whole strategy towards shopping, outfitting, and body image--all in good ways. Well tomorrow, my birthday, begins another year-long "fast" from the retail world. Why another go, you may ask? Well, there are several reasons, but first some of my very last buys for 2016!!! Uniqlo I just can't seem to stay away from flannel shirt dresses(seen here ), and I love how they've styled it on the model, will definitely give this a go in my outiftting. Plus I feel a flannel shirt dress is a "new classic" like the LBD or trench coat, a piece that you can wear for 20+ years.  Ines da le Fressange for Uniqlo Hello novelty print! This is so fall/early-winter I can hardly stand it! I had to order a medium, which was my "old" size, sort of... this may end up getting returne...

So... I've been thinking of exploring a more romantic/feminine style as I gear up for another year-long shopping hiatus (more on that to come). I'm looking toward fall and hoping to find a few dresses that push against my usual striped/androgynous/blazered aesthetic. Here's two I've picked up thus far.  Floral Maxi Forever 21 I rarely wear maxi dresses. I think for busty gals like myself a maxi can obscure the figure, but this wrap version seems promising. And even though I'm not huge into florals, these dusty-pink roses against a black background aren't too busy and tend toward the romantic side that I'm trying out, stylishly speaking. Just In Timeless Dress ModCloth I've been thinking I sorely lack a versatile cute, printed dress that's a bit 90's-esque  and I'm hoping this number will fit the bill, and be the kind of piece I can throw-on for work, dinner, church, whatever. Sure, I have my fair share of wear-anywhere str...

shirt/vest-Zara(similar here and here ), pants-Uniqlo(similar here ), sneakers-Old Navy(similar here ), ring/bracelets/necklace- Jewel Mint , watch-Michael Kors(similar here ), sunnies- ViVI I utilized the " Rule of Three " method in putting together this outfit. The knit pants and button-down are items 1 and 2, with the vest being the essential 3rd piece finish the look. Granted this outfit does run along a fine line of almost being just clothes, and without the vest and switching out the shirt for a tee it would be just that, but the more "formal" collared shirt and in-lieu-of-a-blazer vest give this outfit a tuxedo-ey type vibe, don't you think? Well, I do and it's my opinion that matters up in this piece! :)  And for those of you who saw me on Le Tote 's Style Share of the Week , check out my contribution to their blog here with thoughts on my Year Of No Shopping . 

In 2013 I began of Year of No Shopping , which proved difficult as shopping is one of my favorite hobbies AND part of my job as a personal shopper/stylist. However, the experience was definitely enlightening as I came back to shopping in August 2014 with a more refined eye with a new focus on quality and long term investment pieces. Check out my wrap-up post here . Since then I think I've done fairly well picking out quality garments over the past six months, see some here . Now that lent is upon us I'm doing 40 Days of No Shopping. Regardless of one's religious affinity I think this time of Mid-Winter to Early Spring is a great chance for reflection and personal work. As the season shifts from dormancy to renewal it's an ideal time to look inward and take on healthier practices. So, during my shopping fast I'm going to research the up and coming trends for Spring and make a thoughtful must-haves list when I'm back on the shopping bandwagon come Easter.  I...

For those of you who regularly follow the blog you know I've just recently ended a year of no shopping. It was an interesting experience and I wasn't completely devout, I did cave a few times, but I was able to put my consumerism into perspective AND tackle some body issues.  The reason behind stopping shopping was twofold, first my credit card bills were getting ridiculous and I desperately needed to get them under control. Secondly, I wanted for nothing, I had more than enough clothes and found myself trying on/browsing garments that I already had similar versions of, OR the exact same item hanging in my closet, I was in a retail runt/haze so to speak.  At the end of my retail fast I have gotten my debt under control, not completely paid off, but I'm out of the weeds and will be totally debt-free (besides like mortgage and student loans) by the end of this calender year, yeah! I've also begun to look at my wardrobe and my style in a new light.  I recently read an ...

Last week I pondered over boyfriends jeans for my return-to-shopping list here . This week I'm thinking about dresses and not quite sure what I'm in the market for. J.Crew Factory This is a very practical option and looks to be quite flattering for my figure. But it's also kind of humdrum... J.Crew  This is such fun color and on sale, which is always nice, but is this something I can wear in a variety of ways?  ModCloth This is super cute, and again would totally suit me figure-wise. I can see this for work AND running around town, but I'm wondering if this is maybe slightly on the youngish side. ModCloth I think this might definitely be a purchase, just to have it as a basic, something easy to slip on. I'm thinking a brown leather belt and some heeled sandals with this would be a great late-summer outfit.  Or should I be bold and say "f a dress" and go for a jumpsuit.... Mikkat Market I only ha...