Cuff Me

I'm a copy-cat.  I saw Slynnro's adorable cuffed-sleeve blazer and had to have it.   Luckily, she's cool like that, and so the gray version is now mine, thanks to the Wednesday 40% off (45% if you use a GAP or affiliate plastic!) coupon!  

Love the lining on the cuffs, love the length, love the fit, love that it can be work-appropriately slimmer fitting or a in flattering boyfriend style for the weekends!  

Lightweight Wool Blazer - GAP

Black Lace Cami - Banana Republic

Black Pencil Skirt - Michael by Michael Kors via Nordstrom

Nude "Happy" Pumps - Ann Klein via Piperlime

Feathered Headband - Etsy Seller Featherbrain

basketcase

One of my favorite work shells, this apricot silk number from Banana Republic is an example of a high-quality professional wardrobe piece that will last forever if proper care is taken!  I've had it for five years and regularly wear it with brown, black, navy, and gray suits, as well as belted with skinny jeans for nights out!  

Since I have dinner plans with one of my favorites, this top is perfect for the work-to-cocktails transition!  And I ADORE the neckline detail - perhaps the best part being that the basket-weave is so tight that regular nude bra straps don't show through!  Three Cheers for No Strapless Bras at Work! 

Silk Apricot Basketweave Shell - Banana Republic

Black Suit Jacket - custom tailored: Bangkok, Thailand

Black Pencil Skirt - Michael by Michael Kors via Nordstrom

Serengeti "Juliet" Pumps - J.Crew 

Pearl Cluster Earrings - Etsy Seller Bridal Emunique 

Black Belt - Banana Republic

Q&A: Non-Wool Suits?

Thanks for all the positive responses to my last post!  One reader comment / question I wanted to address...

So, I'm an aspiring med student and spent this winter interviewing. I looked EVERYWHERE for wool suiting - and just didn't find much. Everyone talks about buying wool, and I am totally on board with this. But when the rubber hit the road, I couldn't find any that didn't look matronly on me or worked for having curves (I am a very hour-glass kind of girl).

J.Crew has wool suiting, but my local store carried none of it (only some weird cotton suit - who buys a cotton suit?!). Ann Taylor had it, but it was HORRIBLE. The sales associate even agreed. Banana Republic pants do not fit my junk in my trunk. And even Nordstrom didn't have any wool suits!

So what's a girl to do? I bought a very attractive synthetic fiber suit that I love, but I still wish it was wool. Thoughts on other places to look? Just suck it up and order several sizes/styles from J.Crew to find the best (I didn't have enough time to go that route this year, needed a suit just 3 weeks after I found out and I always need alterations, so I had to go with something that didn't need to be shipped. Thoughts welcome... 

Don't fret!  A wool-blend suit is ideal, but not a total necessity... I tend to say NO SYNTHETICS not because there aren't great, high-quality suits made of rayon / polyester, etc but because its easy for the first-time-suit-shopper to fall victim to one of the bad apples once they start skipping down Viscose Road.  Two of my favorite Nordstrom brands make lovely suits that contain a blend of synthetic fibers...

Classiques Entier 

(polyester / viscose rayon / linen / spandex)

Semantiks 

(viscose rayon / polyester / wool / spandex)

Elie Tahari also makes some lovely wool blend suits - slightly pricier, but wool! 

And if you like the J.Crew suiting (which is of very good quality, I hear - especially the Super 120s), go to your local store and have a salesperson order several options in different sizes for you - they'll ship straight to the store so you won't have to pay shipping costs and there's no obligation to purchase!  I do that all the time with merchandise that isn't available in my local store!  

Girly Office Wear

Wednesday, April 7

This is my Mad Men Dress... I feel very Betty Draper-esque whilst wearing it... as if I could reach under my desk come 2 p.m. (or, hell, 9:30 a.m.) and find a chilled martini shaker, just waiting for a couple of olives.

I also luuurve this print... I'd like to find a duo of wingback chairs covered in similar material... or perhaps a rug!  I do not luuurve my roots... seriously considering going darker again... 

Silk Printed Dress with Covered Belt - Milly

Black Flannel & Patent "Molly" Pumps - J.Crew

Pearl Cluster Earrings - Etsy Seller Bridal Emunique

Gold Medallion Necklace - gift 

Tuesday, April 8

I purchased this jacket on mega-sale after stalking Ann Taylor for months... Plus, I got the added bonus of using my 15% off birthday coupon!  I love half-jackets for the warmer Texas Springs and Summers, and... HELLO RUFFLES!  

I'm not sure how much I love the jacket with the pleated skirt, but I didn't have time to dig either of my pencils out of the dry cleaning bags this morning.  Also, I'm always hesitant to wear peach with black - fearing something Halloween-y might result... but I just don't have very many shells plain enough to go under a jacket with this much detail...  oh well!  

Wool Blend + Chiffon Ruffle Jacket - Ann Taylor

Peach Shell - Banana Republic

Pleated Wool Blend Skirt - Banana Republic

Patent Serengeti "Juliet" Pumps - J.Crew

Gold Flower Earrings - J.Crew

Gold Medallion Necklace - gift

Gold Flower Cocktail Ring - J.Crew

Mrs. Doubtfire, askew

You may recall, from the annals of yesteryear, my "Mrs. Doubtfire Suits" - ie: the very first two suits (identical skirts, different jackets, different colors) I ever purchased (before I knew what pencil skirts were, obvs).  They are appropriately conservative, well-made, fit properly... and they transport my lower half of my body to the Highlands of Scotland for a frolic on the moors in celebration of Hogmanay (note: I have no clue what I am talking about).   

Anyhoo, I shadowed a free legal clinic today so I wanted to look official... and PANTS had about over stayed their welcome for the week.  So The Brown Mrs. Doubtfire it 'twas to be.  

Except...

Something was... er, off, this morning....  Let's take a closer look....

Yep... still something awkward happening here... too bad I was running late and wouldn't fully comprehend the root of the problem until lunch time... when I was to discover....

Yep, that's my kilt skirt... on sideways.   Awesome.  

At least my shirt was fun... in a ruffle-diarrhea sort of way!  

Whatever.  I love this shirt.  So much that I find myself absent-mindedly petting it throughout the day.  Which, um, had to stop.  Immediately.  So awkward.  But soooo soft and ruffly!  

Brown Wool Suit - Banana Republic Outlet

Blush Ruffle Shell - Ann Taylor Loft

Brown Leather Mary Janes - Banana Republic

Gold Mini-Disc Earrings - Sonya Renee

Gold Medallion Necklace - wedding present

Gold Flower Cocktail Ring - J.Crew

casual wednesday

(1) Note to all employers: Declaring the Day Before Thanksgiving "Casual Day" is not as awesome as declaring it "You Don't Have To Show Up Here Day."

(2) Note to self: Drinking 872 glasses of prosecco just because you're an adult and you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should.  We've been working on this lesson for a while now.  Maybe you should take notes.

(3) Note to the 7,001 people in line at Einsteins this morning: WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?  You are all responsible for dashing my dreams of an Everything Bagel with Veggie Cream Cheese.  Curses on you and your employers who heeded my advice in (1).

(4) Additional note to self: Shut the hell up and show them your sweater with the fun buttons.

Green Sailor Sweater - Banana Republic

Trouser Jeans - Joe's via Anthropologie

Brown Boots - Banana Republic

Gold Flower Earrings - J.Crew

Gold Medallion Necklace - wedding present

(5) Notes to lovely readers who asked me questions recently:

Do I own pants?

• Yeah, I don't really "do" pants other than jeans and cords.  I think I have four pairs of suit pants, but they usually don't see the light of day unless (a) the high for the day is 40 degrees or lower, or (b) we have an emergency dry-cleaning situation on our hands.   Reason being that I just don't find them as comfy or as fun as my skirts.  Working with mostly men, its nice to feel feminine.  Can you do that in pants?  Obviously.  But then its harder to see my pretty shoes!
  
  
• Proof that pants do exist in my universe (and that law school kids know how to take one helluva photo): 

Does Evs think my little fashion experiment is ridiculous?

• Probably.  But I think his dislike of pizza is ridiculous.  We're even. 

amends + tweed

First off, an apology: I promised you a Special Saturday Edition and I did not deliver.  The reason for this failure is two-fold.  First, I was more than a bit cheesed that my Dream Red River Shootout Outfit ("dream" as in "100% in my head, as modeled by Rachel Bilson or someone else equally skinnier/more-fashionista than myself") made me look like a homeless woman wearing long underwear as pants.  Thus, the fact that I had to improvise Plan B left me in a bit of a foul mood.  Second, in order to remedy my foul mood, I distracted myself with mimosas - always a good idea but sadly, said 8 AM concoction-mixing left no time for an impromptu fashion shoot prior to departure.  THEN I was going to take a photo in the Cotton Bowl bathroom (very nice full length mirrors in there, btw) but there was always a sorority girl with a way cuter outfit than mine fluffing her hair.

But as a peace offering, I give you some shots were you can kind of see what I sported:

{full recap of the weekend later on EA!}

Oversized, Orange Ombre Open Cardigan - CC California

White Ruffle Tee - J.Crew

Wide Brown Belt - Merona for Target

Always Skinny Jeans - GAP

(tucked into) Wingtip "Legend" Boots - Ariat

Gold Flower Earrings - J.Crew

Gold Medallion Necklace - Wedding Gift

Bauble Cocktail Ring - J. Crew

(I puffy heart my boots, a lot)

So yeah - totes sorry about the Failed Special Edition.  Please forgive!

Now on with Monday!  Another court appearance today so here's more of the "Mrs. Doubtfire Skirt" in all its glory... along with the Jackie cardy worn alone as a shirt (or "blouse," if you wanna roll like that).  I purchased this tweed number last year from BR online and was expecting something more fitted.  I almost returned it but am so glad I didn't as its perfect for really cold days or days like today where its cold in the mornings, then in the 70s by lunchtime, and you're planning on taking your jacket off any way.

Tweed Jacket - Banana Republic

"Jackie" Cardigan - J. Crew

Black Pleated Suit Skirt - Banana Republic

Black Suede Pumps - Banana Republic

Earrings - Wedding Earrings via Etsy

Seed Pearl Necklace - Christmas Gift

casual friday fail

So I had a hearing scheduled this morning - a real, Big Girl Lawyer hearing (of sorts).  Yes, I was bummed to forgo my Casual Friday Attire, but you know, professional growth and all that.

Yeah.  No hearing.  Judge is sick.  Email sent as I pulled into the parking lot... wearing my suit.

Now I'm stuck in the brown version of the Mrs. Doubtfire Skirt.  And a boring sweater (actually, I love this sweater.  Its another cheapie find from Old Navy that has proved quite well-made over the years).  Luckily I keep this pashmina in my office (straight from India via my fabulous friend Dr. Jacq), so at least I can be colorful and snuggly (AND thematically attired for this weekend's Red River Shootout!).

I love the gold-tipped strap / buckle on these Mary Janes!

Cream Cable Knit Sweater - Old Navy

Brown Suit (jacket not shown / in the car) - Banana Republic

Brown Mary Janes - Banana Republic

Orange Pashmina - bridesmaid gift

Skinny Blush Metallic Belt - J.Crew

Bauble Cocktail Ring - J. Crew

Tune in tomorrow for a Special Saturday Edition a/k/a What I Wore to the Texas / OU Game!

Happy Casual (if you're lucky) Friday!