Deer Cardigan – UNIQLO
Black & White Tree Sweater – JCrew
Black & White tee – Madewell
Blue Sweater – ASOS
Garçons/Filles Sweater – Madewell

Coats from Madewell (left) and ZARA (right)

The two coats were really good sale finds. I liked how they’re both similar in cut but different in overall style. Both worked with whatever I was wearing so I could choose which based on if I was feeling more feminine or masculine that day. They both held up pretty well too. And they were both extremely soft which can be a challenge to find in wool coats.

Switching gears to loungewear. I recently decided to overhaul what I wore at home. When I first injured my arm I bought 3 oversized striped tees that I could get on and off easily. But since I’ve worn loungewear day after day, week after week, and so much of it is look haggard. So I’ve gotten rid of all the yoga pants that have lost their softness. Shirts that don’t feel 100% comfortable. And anything that doesn’t match well. Pretty much everything had to go. It had been worn into the ground by this point anyway. So I ordered two striped shirts on sale and 2 more pairs of soft black leggings and this is what you’re guaranteed to see me in if it’s day and I’m home.

And one last thing I ordered as a “treat myself” item is a bottle of Glam Glow. I had tried a sample a few times and always saw results. Since being at home my skin has freaked out due to various reasons. One being that face cleanser I blogged about recently.

I got the clearing treatment since my lifetime #1 issue is acne. And I wish I could say, “It’s not worth the cost,” but I can’t! I can’t lie. This stuff is the fastest-working clearing product I’ve ever used and that includes prescription creams and gels. This little bottle has gotten me back to clear skin. Now I’m just working on fading the left over scars…

Been wearing these 3 things lately because Valentine’s Day, February, and greaser inspiration. I picked up this faux leather coat at Zara’s on a huge sale a few months ago. It’s extremely comfortable + I sized up & up so I can wear it over thick sweaters.

Catbird’s Ghost Rose solid perfume is such a true rose smell. You can smell the sort of “green” parts of a rose in this perfume. It’s solid so it’s not very strong but it lingers on the skin. Good for applying to pressure points, you know, so when you start overheating it’ll actually smell nice ha!

I’ve noticed as I’m feeling better and better (from back pain) I didn’t really care about what I wore. Not to say I was sloppy. My closet was still whittled down and matched up enough that I looked fine. But I just didn’t care about shopping, or wearing what I “really” wanted when going out. Mostly because I didn’t go out unless I needed. I’m already starting to forget what that was like; being unable to enjoy going out. But now I have the luxury of putting thought to it. However I keep see-sawing between jeans and skirts. I’ll go on this kick of wanting only denim then suddenly I hate them and switch to skirts with fleece tights. But all-in-all I’m not really shopping much lately. I’m happy with everything I have and would only be interested in spring things now… and warmer weather to go along with it.

Though I did buy this wool coat from Madewell earlier in the month. Finally trading in my previous one of 8 years that I got from Forever 21. I had mended it so so so many times.

This isn’t really everything but a good sample because I actually have 2 pairs of black denim, and 2 black tees and another white tee I’m wearing. So really it’s about as capsule wardrobe as I’ve ever been because I have a lot of very similar pieces.

Everything is from Madewell except the leather style jacket and shoes which I got from Nordstrom’s. I haven’t been able to get out much this past 2 months so majority of these I bought online. It’s a lot easier to shop a store like Madewell because I’m familiar with their sizing. The free shipping and easy returns help too though I haven’t had to return anything from them in so long.

The polish on the right is what I’ve been wearing most. Called Stairway to Heaven. It’s gorgeous and feels like a light color to go with to contrast all the black. It’ll also work with what I’m leaning towards for winter which is a lot of black and white paired with soft blushes of blue and pink. My new winter coat is actually a muted blush color and no longer black. With my mood being very down this fall I want to work in some uplifting color palettes.

I ended up getting a mix of summer and autumn. So instead of pairing a light blue shirt with my light wash denim I’ll opt for these deep plum soft as a bunny “sateen” jeans.

quilted skater skirt

I thought this skirt would be much too long on me (I’m 5′1″) but it’s not! The length still works really really well and the fabric gives the structured skirt a soft look.

cargo workshirt

The gingham workshirt is also another favorite of mine. Madewell brought out a new cut this season that features the relaxed look of a popover but with the functionality of a button-up. Honestly I loathe popovers because of the lack of buttons so seeing these made me SO HAPPY. The cut runs bigger than their previous workshirts too. I hope they bring more colors and patterns out in this style.

courier shirt

I love this shirt. Usually oversized boxy cuts + large chest creates a potato sack feeling but this shirt folds just right so that it’s this airy look without looking like you’re just wearing a tent.

coated roadtrip jacket

skinny skinny jeans: biker-zip edition

I really like how the zippers break-up the black space of these.

skinny skinny sateen jeans

Heaven. No really, these are incredibly soft. I’m interested to see how durable they turn out to be.

Madewell is doing a new promotion now where if you bring in any old denim you get $20 off a pair of new denim. I think it lasts until October :)

No better time to post what I’ve been wearing for summer than late July! Where many days are in the 90°’s and I’ve retreated into t-shirt heaven. Everlane’s Box Tee is still my #1 go to summer item (as it was last year.) But I have also picked up a few from Fossil’s Men’s department that are so soft and comfortable not to mention stripey.

Bottoms
- Madewell High Riser Skinny Skinny Jeans in deep blue
- Madewell Pleated Shirt Stripe Skirt
- Madewell Ponte Swivel Skirt in navy
- cut off Calvin Klein’s

Tops
- Everlane Box Cut Tee in black, white, and heather gray
- Fossil Martin Crew Neck Pocket Tee in navy stripe
- Fossil Martin Stripe Pocket Tee
- Madewell Tomboy Workshirt
- Madewell Perfect Chambray Short-Sleeve Ex-Boyfriend Shirt

Shoes (not pictured)
- Madewell red sandals
- Converse

Accessories
- J.Crew scarves in dot print
- Uguisu printed scarf
- Catbird canvas tote
- BeeZip clutch tote
- Old Navy headbands
- Deborah Lippmann nail polish in Mermaid Dream & Flowers in Her Hair
- Revlon nail polish in Apricot Nectar
- L’Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream
- Madewell Text Book Glasses

I included the L’Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream because it has been my favorite skin care find this summer. It’s ultra cooling and makes me skin look brighter and more supple immediately. I wear it as a night cream or alone on days I go without makeup.

Some of what’s above is non-work attire. For work instead of the tees and denim I usually just wear the skirts along with other lightweight button ups that I have. I also have some black pointed flats and 2 other black skirts I tend to only wear to work.

My colors have really branched out this summer passed just navy and red. Though might have a blue tone obsession now… :)

The first 3 snaps are from March while the last one is from May when I switched from faux leather to a cotton biker jacket. Honestly this had been my uniform up until it got too hot. I picked up a few things during Madewell’s sale last weekend. Three button ups in a softer cotton for summer, an indigo dye tee, and a navy skirt.

Also got another bandana from J.Crew. I’ve been wearing these a lot at work to dress up a solid tee + cardigan look so I can be comfortable but not too casual for the office.

• My closet in 2012
• My closet in 2011
• My closet in 2009
• My closet in 2008

Loungewear vs. Sleepwear

I’m gonna take this moment to mention a change I made a few years ago that I’m really happy I did. In the upright IKEA storage drawers I have my lounge clothes (roomwear, etc.) in the top drawer and my bed clothes in the bottom. These used to be 1 in the same for a long time. Meaning I would wear sweats around the house and straight to bed. I started feeling really guilty about this because I felt I was always “ready for bed” when at home. But I also wanted to be comfortable when home. So I started buying separate “at home” clothes and sleepwear.

For lounge clothes I have yoga pants and sweats. I stopped wearing pajama bottoms when it was 2:00 in the afternoon. I have over-sized super soft tees and tanks that are appropriate enough that if I needed to answer the door I wouldn’t need to rush and put something else on. This sounds stupid but it was a problem I kept running into!

On the other end I bought real sleepwear. Pajama sets & nightgowns. My favorite pajamas are Victoria’s Secret’s cotton mayfair boxer sets. They’re extremely comfortable, soft, breathable, and easy to wash. Target sells some in a similar style.

When I first did this I thought, “shit this is going to be really expensive.” But in hindsight it’s saved me money. Wearing the same clothes around the house and to bed really wore the clothing out fast. I also realized I didn’t need that many options. Being at home you stay pretty clean so only having a handful of lounge wear and sleepwear is more than enough. I have 3 pairs of lounge pants and a couple of men’s large tees I bought at Target on sale for $2.99 each. The VS Mayfair pajamas I bought on a sale as well and only recently added a 3rd set that I received for my birthday. Target has sales on their sleepwear constantly. Especially after holidays.

Bottoms
- Madewell Skinny Skinny Jeans in black frost
- Madewell Legging Jeans in arctic blue
- Madewell Ridgestripe Skirt
- Navy Pleated Skirt (Macy’s)

Tops
- Madewell Washed Cotton Boyshirt in marseille blue
- Everlane Cashmere Sweater in navy
- Madewell Gridstich Sweater in heather pebble
- Madewell Berry Plaid Boyshirt

Shoes
- Payless black flats
- H&M black boots

Accessories
- handmade gray wool circle scarf
- Julia Marco bag
- Mermaid Mane Sea Salt Hair Spray
- Oceane perfume
- Emi-Jay/Old Navy hair ties

Not Pictured
- Black Wool Chester Coat
- Fleeced Lined Black Tights

Attempted to add more color into the mix but just ended up with light blue and light grey. A bit blue-obsessed lately too. Blue and red tend to be the only non-neutral colors I buy.

I really like this set right now. Honestly I’m almost always in that oversized boxy grey “gridstitch” sweater. Paired with the jean leggings or navy skirt with fleece tights. There’s just something about it that makes me feel really good when I wear it.

Thought I’d add some links to a few of the items I could still find pages for.
Denim (x) Skirt (x) Cotton Boyshirt (x) Gridstitch Sweater (x) Cashmere Sweater (x) Flats (x) Bag (x) Hair Spray (x) Fleece Tights (x)

Bottoms
- Skinny Skinny Ankle denim in black frost (Madewell)
- Skinny Skinny Ankle denim in pool wash (Madewell)
- Ridgestripe pencil Skirt (Madewell)

Dress
- Striped Gondola Dress (Madewell)

Tops
- cashmere sweater in burgundy (Everlane)
- U-neck white tee (Everlane)
- cashmere sweater in navy (Everlane)
- Dotted navy long sleeve tee
- Tippi sweater in light gray (J.Crew)
- Tippi sweater in black (J.Crew)

Outerwear
- faux leather jacket (H&M)

Shoes
- black flats (Payless)
- black oxfords (Nordstrom)

Accessories
- burgundy fleece tights
- burgundy wool cap (Madewell)
- wool scarf (H&M)

Focused on comfort right now. Putting on a super soft cashmere sweater and cozy stretchy pencil skirt is just what my stressed out body needs right now. I’m in a lot of pain and discomfort with all this dental work going on and other stress; I just need to feel good at the end of the day!

A few weekends ago I picked up the pool wash denim at Madewell. I bought them 2 sizes too big so that they would have a nice boyfriend look & feel to them. The actual boyfriend denim they offer don’t flatter me at all so I’m glad I gave this idea a go!

Thought I’d add some links to the items I could still find pages for.

Oxfords (x) Dress (x) Skirt (x) Denim (x) Everlane cashmere (x) J.Crew sweaters (x) Hat (x) Everlane tee (x) Flats (x)

Clothes

• blazer (Zara)
• dotted blue striped shirt (Madewell)
• short-sleeved poplin shirt (Everlane)
• red tee (Madewell)
• chino shorts (Madewell)
• black bistro skirt (Madewell)
• black tights (S-leg)
• summer scarf (Everlane)
• cotton mayfair boxer pajama set (Victoria’s Secret)

Shoes, bags, misc.

• red sandals (Madewell)
• black flats (Payless)

• red tote (Everlane)
• eco shopper bag (Ne-Net)

• gold belt (Madewell)
• sunglasses (Anthropologie)
• maison de reefur hair tie
• emi jay hair tie
• double-sided perfume roller (Michael Kors)

Forecast claims temperatures to be between 66F and 85F hence the blazer and tights but not bringing denim. I also felt a dress would be a better choice but I really didn’t feel like wearing one. C’est la vie.

So, 12 possibilities.
- striped shirt + skirt
- striped shirt + skirt + blazer
- poplin shirt + skirt
- poplin shirt + skirt + blazer
- red tee + skirt
- red tee + skirt + blazer
- striped shirt + chinos
- striped shirt + chinos + blazer
- poplin shirt + chinos
- poplin shirt + chinos + blazer
- red tee + chinos
- red tee + chinos + blazer

Always keeping Tim Gunn in mind when packing still
:)

Hope continuing to share these is helpful too!

Summer Things

skinny skinny ankle jeans (Madewell)
seersucker (pinstripe) pants (H&M)
denim shorts (Madewell)
striped boyshirt (Madewell)

navy blazer (zara)
summer scarf (Everlane)
sandels (Madewell)

ryan tees (Everlane)
box cut tee (Everlane)
poplin short sleeved shirt (Everlane)
navy palm tree dress (Zara)

highlighter Girl Meets Pearl (Benefit)
body moisturizer Oak for men (Bath & Body Works)
sunglasses (Anthropologie)
black flats (Payless)
red tote bag (Everlane)
print scarf bag (Uguisu)

Got a request for what I’m wearing now that it’s summer. It’s been mild so far with a few heat waves rolling through and lots of storms. The Zara blazer I got a few weeks ago in Georgetown. It’s a lighter material than it looks and has been great for cooler nights/indoors. The seersucker pants looks like light denim in the photo (I didn’t have great lighting this evening) rather than its usual blue & white pinstripes. So far my summer “wardrobe” consists of solid tees from Everlane often paired with the zara blazer. These are the things I’ve been grabbing when not at work.

I thought I’d show my current summer work picks too. It’s not particularly exciting but worth showing since right now is probably the most these two wardrobes differ since I’m wearing so much denim+tee in my off time.

The bad/good thing about loving patterned shirts is that they easily match with black bottoms. There’s a black pencil skirt, black a-line skirt with pockets, and black Jcrew minnie slacks. Absolutely love the minnie pants. They’re a dream to wear. I also have a light cotton jersey blazer in black that’s great for super hot days as well as the cotton dress which I always pair with a blazer for wearing around the office. I still get chilly in the office because the A/C is always in maximum climate change mode. There’s also casual Fridays so sometimes I’ll wear denim then.

I feel I should summarize everything but I haven’t much to add. I don’t particularly like summer clothes. I don’t like showing my legs and I miss the beauty of layers. But I do love the Ryan Tees with how they sit on my shoulders and I like the rolling of blazer sleeves too.

:)

Spring Things

mint blazer (Zara)
gray blazer (JCrew)

denim dot shirt (Madewell)
blue pinstripe & dot shirt (Madewell)
red & blue striped shirt (Madewell)
sun kissed blue silk shirt (Everlane)
navy ryan tee (Everlane)
navy sweater (Everlane) *pictured here*

skinny skinny ankle jeans (Madewell)
bistro skirt (Madewell)

mountain blossom bag (Uguisu)
black flats (Payless)
hair ties (emi-jay, maison de reefur)
living grace perfume (Philosophy)

This was a long spring. It stayed chilly so even into late May this is what I’m wearing. However this week the temperatures are on the upswing from 60° to 90° so it’s likely full blown summer now. So this is maybe a look back at what I was wearing up until today. My favorite was really the ryan tee paired with the blazers. Some things will transition over into summer. I forgot to add my sweater to the photo. I quickly put everything together after getting home from work today.

I’m still obsessed with blue. I recently purchased a blue china-pattern like skirt I hope to get a lot of wear from this summer as well. It’s a mini skirt but I bought a size up so that it would be a little longer & office appropriate.

I’ve been wearing my hair up all spring and giving my eyes a break from contacts and wearing my glasses a little more often too.

Besides that I have some summer dresses still packed away that I’ll pull out. See how much I’ll wear them. Some things I pulled out for spring from last year I didn’t really wear much. That’s OK. They’re good items and I might want to wear them in the fall or next spring. Of course if they still go unworn I’ll probably donate them after that. :)

I ordered one of Everlane’s new band collar silk blouses in sun-kissed blue. It’s still cool enough out to wear long sleeved silk.

Actually it’s still so cold I pulled out a favorite cardigan of mine. I like long cardigans in winter and short ones in spring.summer. So I packed up my long grey cardigan and pulled out my ultra-fitted short grey cardigan.

Last weekend I picked up some new items for summer. There was a sale on Madewell’s sandals. I haven’t had a proper pair of sandals in a few years now. These seem like they might be 100% blister-free comfortable to wear. Here’s hoping. It’s still too cold to try them out.

Also finally got another skirt for summer (which I was needing.) It’s black. Of course it’s black! I own 5 black skirts now. I just love black for bottoms, I dunno. *owns it* Anyway it’s Madewell’sBistro Skirt . I actually have their Bistro dress and love the material. This skirt is mostly like the dress’s bottom half. Except there’s no pockets? WTF I almost didn’t buy it because it lacked pockets! But it’s a nice size, length, texture, and it has a tiny bit of stretch to it so I looked past the pocketlessness.

The two t-shirts are from Everlane. I already mentioned loving the Box Cut tee. I had it white, then I got black, and recently I ordered the navy too because I was wearing the other two so much. I also got another Ryan Tee from Everlane in the navy (I have it in grey already.) The Ryan tee is the first low cut top I’ve worn in a long, long time. I don’t like how I look in v-necks and they make me feel self-conscious. However the Ryan Tee is a softer deep cut. And I feel confident wearing it sans-camisole with just a nude bra. I haven’t had any issues with the tee shifting and showing bra straps (hallelujah.) These will be a savior once the heat of summer comes. For now I pair them with cardigans and blazers.

What about pink & black?

Pink and black always remind me of my childhood days in ballet.
Well ballet, tap, jazz, dance, gymnastics…
Maybe faint memories of tap shoes nuzzled against ballet slippers sharing the same duffel? I don’t know but it’s a synapse I cannot unbind. Either way I’m really drawn to it right now.

Black & pink. DC in the springtime? Black suits against pink cherry blossoms? I could go on but I should stop, haha

The t-shirt is from Everlane. I have the white version of the Box Cut Tee and ordered the black version when it came back in stock.

I also haven’t been to the salon since November, so, my hair is long enough for short ponytails again. I’ve been growing my bangs a little longer and have been obsessed with this hairstyle for the past month.

Curled bangs, loose ponytail.