Whimsical Saturday at Anthropologie

Yesterday, I had a great day shopping at Anthropologie. They were playing "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" when I entered, and it put me in a whimsical mood; I picked up a lot of pieces that I wouldn't normally go for, but I think the dash of whimsy paid off.

Here are some dressing room iPhone pics (sorry for the blurriness!).

Delicate Corps Blouse in Gold and Runny Yoke Skirt:
This is slim-cut, so I think if I purchase it, I will go for a size up (notice the gaping), but overall I like the quirky color and I think the silkiness adds femininity to the button-down look. It's a little sheer, but I have a nude tank top at home that I can wear under it (and obviously no black bra!). I really like the Runny Yoke Skirt--It's difficult to see in the photo, but there is some asymmetrical detailing below the waist that adds a little flair to an otherwise basic skirt. And it's a great length--long enough for work, but short enough to inject a youthful feel.

Graceful Drape Top:
This top is very cool! Love it!


Chiffon Swing Shirt:
This top didn't receive great reviews on anthropolgie.com because it is a lot shorter than one would expect a shirt to be these days! However, with the Runny Yoke Skirt (which has a medium to high rise), I really liked it. I like the pink (which is more of a dusty rose) color.Network Dress:
Bright tomato red is a rather bold color for a knit dress, but the detailing along the bust is so lovely with this dress, that a little extra attention might not hurt! But, I definitely couldn't wear this to the office.

River Bends Tunic and Daughters of the Liberation Slim Straight Denim:
These ankle-length pants are really cool with the darting near the front pockets. I am definitely going to get the River Bends tunic, but not sure which color...on anthropolgie.com they also have beige, pink and moss...I am leaning toward the moss because I don't have a lot of green in my wardrobe and I like the muted shade of the moss.
So, I think I will go back to anthro next weekend and pick up a few of these! As for the rest of this weekend, I am going to see The King's Speech later on today; hope it is good as everyone is saying! I have always loved Colin Firth and it's great that he is getting the recognition that his talents deserve with this role.

J. Crew: It's Black and White

I bought this black and white floral pattern dress back in 2008.  It is so versatile.  My favorite work look for it is with this black blazer (totally flattering for a bloated day too:-), and I paired it with these Hue black tights from Anthro and my black J. Crew booties.  This outfit definitely solidifies the concept that sometimes "dressy" clothes can be just as comfy as casual clothes. 

 

These tights and booties have really helped me keep my wardrobe options open this winter.  Back in the day when I just had hose and pumps it always seemed like I would look too cold if I wore a skirt/dress.  Don't you hate that when a million people ask you if you are cold all day long?  But, I definitely feel that they help winterize the look...though I am longing for the days of bare legs and sandals.

 

 

I am keeping this in my work rotation, but trying not to wear it too much, lol! 

 

Black Swan

I was completely awed by the movie Black Swan. The plot and presentation were wonderfully symbiotic, and Natalie Portman's performance was flawless. I also absolutely loved the styling in the film--her hair and make-up, her clothing and of course the gorgeous Rodarte costumes.

I have two events coming up next weekend, and I am thinking about doing a little play on the White Swan/Black Swan theme. I love ballet-inspired clothes and I think it will be fun to do two opposing hair/make-up looks (especially since I usually just do the same hair/make-up every single day!). Friday will be my White Swan look and Saturday my Black Swan--what do you think? Hahaha:Hopefully, Ms. Portman will the Oscar!

J. Crew's Double Serge Pencil Skirt

J. Crew Serge Pencil Skirt

 

I hope everyone had a nice weekend.  I used Saturday to catch up on sleep and Sunday to do errands, so nothing exciting here.  Why does the weekend always fly by so fast?!?!  I wanted to sneak some shopping in, but it was so cold out, the walk to the mall didn't seem worth it.

 

I'm loving my J. Crew Double Serge Black Pencil Skirt.  It's definitely work only; there's no romance to it, but it's so easy to look put together.  Here are two looks:

 

#1 I got this cardigan during one of Ann Taylor's 40% off everything in the store days.  I was originally thinking about wearing it with black leggings, but since it doesn't completely cover the bottom, I decided against it.  I think it looks very librarian-chic paired with a pencil skirt and white button down.

 

 

 

 

These knee-high black leather boots are from Cole Haan

 

 

#2 I love how this skirt looks with a black cami and Antho's Postcard cardigan from last fall.  I wore it with black hose and pumps--but thinking it would look more au courant with black tights and my booties.

 

 

I bought Anthro's postcard cardigan online last fall...because of the 5-star reviews!  I am a total sucker for the reviews.  I love how Anthro publishes them, and if I see something that is so highly rated, I give it a second look, even if it's not something I would normally try.

The cardigan is super soft, flattering, and the best part about this outfit is that it's super comfy!  Score! 

Hope everyone's week if off to a nice start.

xoxo,
Lynne

Nordstrom Online Purchase

I recently bought a couple of work tops from Nordstrom.com. I love that their website has a curated section of "Wear to Work" outfits--I wish all department store sites had that (talkin' to you Bloomingdales.com). You can even sort by your personal style, between "progressive," "current" and "timeless." I chose "current" and there were tons of things I liked, although many a tad out of my price range!

I got the Classiques Entier® Drape Neck Top in Blackberry Cordial for $118. It is very comfortable and fits well! There is a lot of ruching all along the bodice and it is stretchy (imho, stretchy = comfortable).I also got this BCBG red rose silk top. This looked really great on the website, but unfortunately, in person, the rose is a little too flamboyant, so I am going to return it. I do love the silk fabric though, it feels very luxurious.
On a separate note--this weekend I took my first Zumba class! It was easily as fun as it looks in the infomercials, but there were definitely points in the class when my limbs were flailing randomly in all directions. My heart rate monitor read that I burned 481 calories in 1 (very intense) hour, so that felt good! I celebrated with a cupcake.

New Boden Catalogue

I've been getting Boden catalogues for a while now, and I really love their colors and fabrics, but I've never actually ordered anything.  I always feel that there's so much on my "to buy" list at my old favorite stores, that adding a new one to the mix just seems too daunting.  But I think that's going to have to change because I'm in LOVE with their Spring catalogue and they are offering 20% off orders over $175 plus free shipping and free returns (so amazing!)  Here are some of my picks:

I think this dress would be perfect for a spring/summer Saturday.  I have a pair of red espadrilles from Anthro that I think would look cute.  I could also get away with this dress at work, I think...so I was thinking of getting this nude bag and heels to go with it:

Their casual clothes are really cute too...I would feel put together wearing this T-shirt.

Lastly, these sandals are so cute...and they would hide my ugly feet.

It's so nice to have spring back in the air again, at least in the fashion world.

Worker Bee-autiful: Express outfit

Usually when I walk into an Express store, I feel like I might not be their target demo anymore.  But, we all have that one store where the clothes just seem to "fit" our body type, and for me that happens to be Express.  This outfit is literally head-to-toe Express.

The only complaint I have about this outfit is that the vest is a little short...as you can see white shirt peeks out from underneath, and I am constantly tugging it down.  I don't know if it's a size issue or just that the pants are really low.  I think next time I'm going to wear this vest with a higher waisted skirt instead...but for some reason it is long enough in back:

And here's a good shot of my new Cole Haan pumps and belt

I really like the cut of the Columnist pants...they are really slim leg, but still professional.

Pants: Express Columnist

Button-down shirt & Vest: Express

Belt and Shoes: Cole Haan

Banana Republic Sale

Banana Republic is having a great sale--I got two pieces for a great deal!

Item #1: Pleated Pearl Tank, $24.90, Get it: here
This tank is made of t-shirt-like material, but the embellishment really dresses it up enough for a business casual office environment! I wore this today and I feel like it is a great "Monday" shirt--an easy transition from weekend wear.


Item #2: Esther Scoopneck Dress, $124, Get it: here
I feel very comfortable in the dress and I think it's pretty and flattering. It is just a touch more low-cut than I would like, but the pros definitely outweigh that. The cardigan is also a steal, but from Nordstrom--only $19.90!
So, here's to a pretty good week of cute BR-wear!

Club Monaco Sweater Dress & J. Crew Booties

I've always been a pants person, but have been trying to buy/wear more dresses.  They take so long to find because fit is critical: but if you find a great fit, nothing can look better.  One thing I've noticed is all the dresses I think look good on me are little black ones!  So, of my meagre dress wardrobe, probably 50% are of that variety.  Here is the latest addition to my collection:

In the dressing room I thought I could wear this for work or play, but looking at the pictures, I'm thinking it's too short for work.  I dressed it up with some new J. Crew booties. 

The dress is sweater material, super comfortable.  This outift is seriously comfortable and looks way more put together than it should.  It has a great zipper detail up the back.

So, maybe a $$ purchase at $189.00, but hopefully I'll be wearing this a lot.

Dress: Club Monaco

Booties, tights, belt: J. Crew

Express Sale - New Tops

Anyone who has ever shopped at Express knows--it almost feels like a crime to spend money there when they aren't having a huge sale, or if you don't have an amazing coupon card like $25 off your $75 purchase.

Luckily, I recently made an online purchase of a bunch of new work-wear tops--not only did I get 30% off, but I was also able to use my coupon card.

Here are some of my purchases:

Item #1: Embellished Pleated-Sleeve Tank

I love this top! It's actually more pink than it appears in the photo, but I like the fact that it looks dressy, work-appropriate and feminine. I think I will pair it with black pants and a black cardigan.

Item #2: Banded-Bottom Drape-Neck Top

This top comes in a variety of colors--I purchased mine in Ivory. I think it looks great the way they styled it on Express.com. I liked the way it looked when I took it out of the package, but the only issue is that I think it adds a few (or maybe 10-15) pounds. Maybe it's partially due to the color choice, but I am thinking of returning it.

Item #3: Floral Drape-Neck Top

ind this top really figure-flattering and love how feminine it is. However, my husband made me kind of paranoid, because when I showed him the pic on Express.com, he didn't like it (he dislikes pink and flowered clothing). When I tried it on for him, he changed his mind, but is it too girlie to wear to work?

Item #4 - Lace & Ruffle Sleeve Top

This top runs very small, so the one I got is way to tight to wear to work at this point. I might even exchange it 2 sizes up! I really love it though! The lace is a little on the sexy-side, but I think with a cardigan over it, it will still be work-appropriate. Alternately, I might exchange it for the black color and just keep it as a night-out top! By the way, my husband LOVES this one!

Item #5 - Twisted-Front Top

Even though I am concentrating my efforts and budget on my work-wardrobe, I couldn't help buy a little something for fun, especially considering the huge sale Express.com was having. I am thrilled with this top! It's comfortable, simple, flattering and sexy without being over-the-top.

Jimmy Choo shoes

This definitely isn't a high fashion blog, but I just had to share the Christmas present I got from my husband...

yes, it's these Jimmy Choo shoes!!  Aren't they fabulous?!!!  They're obviously for special occasions only, given the style and height.  At first, that fact alone made me want to return them and get something more practical (like some CL pumps for work, or like 8 dresses), but then I thought, hey a girl's got to feel special when she's all dressed up, and wearing these I feel like a million bucks.  So, here's to a husband who is the world's best gift giver...I'm sure I'll be wearing these forever (haha, well, maybe not past 60!).