Function Over Form

Today's outfit was born from necessity. After the mini tornado yesterday (hail, no joke,) non-stop torrential down pour overnight, and ongoing showers this morning things are pretty gross. Despite the fact that on Mondays I try to like to keep things positive there is no way around that statement, it's a fact. Fortunately, that doesn't mean I can't motivate and make it work; I'm channeling a "storm" outfit (that's what boots and skinny pants are for after all) which is appropriate for what the forecast suggested.

You would assume that skinny pants were something readily available to me but, you would be mistaken. I recovered these from the tailoring pile because they needed hemming. Also, these pants are a size (or three two) too big. I'm hanging on them because they are stretchy and they work for now. Also, I'm tired of having to replace clothes but, I digress... I'm not sure how much longer these pants (and other items I'm too stubborn to let go of) will last. 

• Top: navy boatneck sweater, LOFT 
• Bottom: gray skinny pants, Mossimo
• Shoes & Accessories: black motorcycle rain boots, c/o Cougar AND leopard print flats, Seychelles (not pictured;) vintage silver earrings, my Abuela 

I'm linking up with Style to Inspire, Mix It Mondays, Let It Shine, How I Spring, Monday Mingle, Creative Mondays, and Personal Style Monday

Night Out: The High Life

I'm, not sure what other people do when they become (f)unemployed but, I had a massage and a delicious steak dinner courtesy of BF. While that is not necessarily the most practical thing, I didn't really have a choice and I wasn't going to complain about it. I highly recommend taking moments for yourself when you find yourself in similar situations or just in general. Perhaps if I had been more adamant about taking time for myself at work I would have seen that the job wasn't a great fit sooner. Similarly, taking time now is helping me stay focused on what it is I think my strengths are and what I am interested in focusing on in my next position. How do you treat yourself on a regular basis?

• Top: yellow ruffle collar shirt, LOFT; black and white pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein via SYMS (part of this suit)
• Bottom: gray really skinny pants, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: black ballet flats, Mossimo via Target; silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.; Glitz Knot Ring, courtesy of Amy O Jewelry; violet Clea Clutch, Katherine Kwei/won at Blogger's Night Out (not pictured)

November 8, 2012: Winter Is Coming

Correction, winter is was here! After freezing my little piggies off trudging home through a few inches of snow in ballet flats I wanted to make sure I was prepared to stay warm during the morning commute. I went (way) against the rules and wore skinny pants to work so I could easily tuck them into my (secret commuter) black Ringo Star snow boots, courtesy of Cougar. I wasn't taking any chances! Of course by morning the sun had come out and by the time I left work in the evening all the snow had melted away. I suppose it's better to be over prepared... Was there snow in your area? Was it gone as quickly as it came?

• Top: teal cowl neck sweater, Mossimo for Target (same sweater different color here); gray pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein via Loehmanns (part of this suit)
• Bottom: black really skinny pants, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: black kitten heel pumps, Coach; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered by me; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seem and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. 

Don't forget to enter to win a $100 gift certificate from Shopbop!

Work With What You've Got: Ripped Pants & Iron On Patches

No, this is not a post about the 90s...My skinny pants made a desperate cry for attention right before my shopping trip.  They must have been thinking that I would never wear them again because they decided to rip as I sat down on my couch, the sound was tragic, drama queen! It was almost as bad as what happened with my skinny jeans the day before but, that’s a story for another day. 

Apparently newer pants, skinny or otherwise, used regularly only have a shelf life of approximately two years. This has not only been my personal experience but, BF’s as well. Because of this limited shelf life and the new wardrobe revelations regarding work I decided that instead of shelling out $60.00+ for a pair of replacement pants from the GAP I would fix them with an iron on patch. Crafty Iris to the rescue! 

Thankfully they had the patches at my local CVS but, I’m sure you could pick them up if need be at any pharmacy or grocery store that has a tiny section of sewing goodies. Since the offending hole was on the inside of my thigh it didn’t matter if black of the patch wasn’t an exact match for the black of the pants. First thing was to sew up the hole to reduce the risk of any additional ripping. 

Then I placed the patch to cover as much of the hole as I could and ironed away. The instructions on the packet of patches said to do it on the highest heat setting with no steam. It was a fairly straightforward process. For some reason I got some discoloration on the patch but, it’s not really a big problem since no one will be able to see it unless I show them. Because the patch didn’t cover the entire hole I ended up having to cut an additional piece from another black patch to rectify the situation but, it all worked out.

I haven’t worn them yet but, I am sure my handiwork will hold up to the wear and tear of life and hopefully the washing machine. Either way, this endeavor has saved me a pretty penny. Have you gotten crafty with anything lately? Please share I’m always inspired when other people do creative things to make what they have work for them!

Purchases and Acquisitions: April 2012

­­­­This month I went shopping with a vengeance! Also, my Mom got me some stuff but, I digress... I had a goal in mind (suits) but, tragedy stuck and in the short span of two days I was down one pair of skinny jeans and one pair of skinny pants. While neither of those items are work necessities they are some of the things I wear most on the weekends. The universe was telling me to go shopping.

I went shopping for replacement jeans with one of my close friends (who stuck with me the whole time, love ya!) the weekend after tragedy struck twice. While I wasn’t 100% on board with the idea of going shopping I knew I needed to replace my broken pants. We went to a ton of stores, trying on lots of different types/brands of jeans. Naturally, the ones that I was most comfortable in were at the last store that we went to, Forever 21. I know, I know… it isn’t where I would have thought either but, I’m glad I checked it out because I’m happy with what I got in the end. They had a great pair of dark wash skinny jeans for only $13.50! I bought two with a Visa gift card I had been holding on to. I also hit the GAP and bought another pair of pants to replace my ripped ones. Ouch, 'nuff said.

Next weekend the next stop on my shopping extravaganza was the Unique Thrift Store near my house. While I had every intention of going there to pick out more suits it ended up being a total bust on that front. I did, however, end up finding two lovely vintage dresses that fit perfectly for $4.99 each! I had no doubts or reservations in my mind as I headed to the register to check out, the shopping bug had caught me! I tried to pay for the total with some Unique Thrift Store gift cards that I had received for placing in their costume contest this past October but, they didn’t work… thanks? Fortunately I had another Visa gift card that I have been holding on to and there were no issues with that.

Then I took a short trip down the block to my local Loehmanns to check out their suit selection. I have had great success finding suits there in the past so, it was a  no brainer! After sifting through the racks of suits I found a Tahari suit that really worked for me (high stance, shorter jacket, etc.). I had a coupon so the $99.99 price tag (down from $280.00 MSRP) was whittled down a little more to $79.99 total. WIN? Either way my Mom took pity on my situation and helped me out with that one, thanks Mom!

Unfortunately, the jeans that I bought at Forever 21 ended up being too big even after I washed them. They were a little loose at the store but, I figured one go around in the washing machine and they would be perfect. Wrong, they were still falling off. So I had to go exchange/return them for a different pair. Thankfully, I ended up finding something that worked even better: jeans with an elastic waistband. Yes, they are a hop, skip, and jump away from being pajama jeans. Yes, I’m ok with that. They fit well and are super comfortable! Even better they were only $11.50!! So, I exchanged one pair of the larger jeans for two pairs of the smaller ones. In the same trip I also returned the GAP pants since I was able to patch up my broken pair, more on that later.

Since I had a coupon for Old Navy and some dresses that I had pinned on Pinterest in my mind I decided to stop by and see if I could find them. I used to shop for EVERYTHING at Old Navy but, my tastes (and their quality) have shifted so, I normally don’t give them alot of thought. They didn’t have what I wanted but, I did find a different dress that I liked on sale. When it fit I decided to go for it since the coupon and a gift card made it an easy purchase.

While at the mall I also decided to try Macy’s for a suit since they were having one of their sales and I had yet another coupon. I ended up finding another suit with a fantastic pattern that I’m sure you will be seeing soon! Don’t get too excited it’s still very work appropriate but, I digress… I had some gift cards and merchandise credits on top of the coupon so with all of the discounts combined the $69.99 suit (down from $260.00) ended up coming out to $10.27 which I paid for with the balance on one of my Visa gift cards.

Shopping Overview:

• Unique Thrift Store
• $9.98  Gift Card - $0
• Loehmanns
• $79.99 after coupon  Mom - $0
• Forever 21
• $36.50  Gift Card - $0
• Gap
• $62.10 Return
• Old Navy
• $9.75 after coupon  Gift Card - $0
• Macy’s
• $10.27 after coupon  Gift Card -$0

In the end I ended up getting a whole bunch of new needed stuff for no money out of my normal income. That was partly due to the fact that I returned the replacement skinny pants from the GAP since I was able to find away to make it work and my gift card hoarding tendencies. I don’t think I will be shopping like this again for a while. That’s not to say that I am done beefing up my suit selection, I just need to replenish my gift card reserves…

           

April 24, 2012: The Last Straw

You remember the awkward conversation that I had with my boss, right? O, you don't... catch up! I am sad to report that it happened yet again... She sat me down to inform me that someone had bought my ensemble to her attention and that it was not appropriate. The focus of the conversation was my skinny pants (which I have worn plenty of times before) but, the overall (unspoken) message was that I am personally being held to a different wardrobe standard. Here are some of the highlights of the conversation:

• The company is a business casual office
• Formal professional attire only 
• Skinny pants are not appropriate
• I should wear more suits
• I don't have to wear more suits but, cardigan sets are ok
• Also, nice suits are good
• But, and nice sweater and shirt are great

Some of these things might seem contradictory but, that is how the conversation went. I'm glad that my boss was very relatively clear about expectations. While my outfit might have prompted someone to feel that it was less than professional it was the last conversation about wardrobe that I want to have. I am going to turn over a new (hopefully not boring) leaf. What does that mean? Basically shopping for more suits. Yes, shopping and suits... We'll see how this goes. At this point, I am throwing their sad excuse for a "dress code" out the window and focusing on dressing to the high standards that I am (apparently) being held to. Goodbye skinny pants... 

• Top: beige short sleeve scoop neck sweater, GAP (same sweater different color here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) with a tank top underneath for the modesty; black pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein via SYMS (part of this suit)
• Bottom: gray really skinny pants, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: black ballet flats, Xhiliration for Target; silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.;  silver watch, Fossil; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here 

February 17, 2012: Just Another Friday

This is a Friday outfit, can you tell? Yeah, I know... It's hard to be motivated to wear more than some skinny pants with a comfy top when your only hours away from the weekend especially after the kind of days I have been having; The weekend is my respite and Friday is the gateway. How about you, does Friday (or whatever day your Friday might be) influence the way you dress?

• Top: navy boatneck sweater, LOFT
• Bottom: black really skinny pants, GAP/gift from BF
• Shoes & Accessories: silver hardware embellished flats, Preview via Nordstrom Rack; silver/rhinestone lariat, Christmas gift from a friend; silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,here, here, here, here, here, and here.

February 16, 2012: Guilty Party?

This is my sad face; my I know I did something wrong face; my please don't judge me face. Ok, I'll stop being dramatic, I was just admiring my shoes, they are pretty awesome. Things have been busy but, I took pictures and the posts will be coming in slowly but surely! Stay tuned...

• Top: aqua cowl neck sweater, Mossimo for Target (same sweater different color here)
• Bottom:  black true straight pants, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: silver hardware embellished flats, Preview via Nordstrom Rack; silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here

Blogger's Night Out

On Friday while everyone was getting into the swing of things for Fashion Week I was right there with them (in my mind) at Blogger's Night Out. There was also an event downtown sponsored by Lulu's.com which I didn't know about. Who felt like a lame blogger? That would be me but, I digress...

Blogger's Night Out was hoppin' either way; If you follow me on Twitter you might have noticed my live tweets from the events so you have an idea of all the action. This is me and my GF in the picture hot spot.

Plastics Make it Possible definitely had the most impressive display with a plethora of outfits composed entirely of items made from plastic! Love them... I think my favorite part of the night came when I was talking with one of the lovely ladies from Plastics Make it Possible to enter a giveaway for one of the snazzy outfits and she recognized my blog plus, said she was a follower! So surreal/awesome.

It was very crowded but, these pictures don't do it justice! It was a challenge to squeeze from one end of the bar to the other. I have to say there was alot more room last year which I appreciated while I was trying to make it around to see the different vendors or to the bar to get a yummy (free) drink.

The Style Lounge in the back, organized by Marshalls and TJ Maxx, provided a nice respite from the crowds up front at the bar. It was like finding a secret treasure trove...

This is just a small sampling of all the great items on display. Unfortunately, you couldn't buy or take anything home which was a little disappointing if you found something that you fell in love with like some ladies. There was one person I overheard saying that it was meant to be and the item that she found matched her outfit perfectly but, to no avail.

While their displays were a total tease Marshalls TJ Maxx definitely had the best game. Basically, they presented you with an item and you had to guess their retail prices based on the original MSRP. I won two things and my GF won an awesome purse. Lucky us! It got so popular that you couldn't guess again if you had already won and they eventually ran out of items.

After all the giveaway winners had been announced and the night wound down it was time to get gift bags and head out! It was a mad house because the gift bag pick up was at the coat check which was a little frustrating because I left my coat in the car to avoid that crowd in the first place... The moment when the night really ended was one some lady (accidentally) punched me in the ear trying to get her coat on. Thankfully I had a fun ride home with GF and some new friends and there was some fun swag to be had.

Did you go to Blogger's Night Out, the Lulus.com party, or some other even cooler thing that I didn't know about? How was it?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a Shopbop giftcard!!

February 8, 2012: Date Night, The Redux

I am going out tonight and I am exited because it's date night! Not with BF but, with my GF. We are headed downtown to a chic trendy restaurant for the seemingly endless Restaurant Week! I am eager to meet up with her and catch up on things it's been a while...

Because I am going to be meeting her downtown after work I figured this outfit should be a little easier to travel in. Stomping the pavement in New York City is a million times more comfy in flats (in leiu of a weird commuter shoes) and a great pair of pants. Also, there had been skirts this week so far and sometimes a girl just wants to wear pants...

On another note, now that I have realized that I can roll up the sleeves on most of my blazers I just can't stop! It instantly make an outfit more comfy when you roll up the sleeves on a stiff jacket. I feel like I have been missing out this whole time while holding off because I didn't have the perfect oversized boyfriend blazer and I refused to pick one up because it was too trendy/impermanent. I could have been rollin' with the blazers I had in my closet! Also 2 + 2 = 4 still, revelations!

• Top: pink ruffle embellished t-shirt, Merona for Target; gray pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein (part of this suit)
• Bottom: black true straight pants, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: silver hardware embellished shoes, Preview via Nordstrom Rack;  silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co.; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit can be previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a Shopbop giftcard!!

December 30, 2011: No Man's Land

I ran out of vacation days at the end of my Christmas break so I had to go into the office last Friday. I would have stayed home with BF given the chance (just like any other day) but, alas it was not meant to be (also just like every other day)! There were only a handful of people in the office and pretty much everyone who was there (besides me) was wearing jeans even though it was clearly not jeans day, awkward again...

• Top: gray v-neck shirt, Old Navy with a tank top underneath for the modesty
• Bottom: black true straight pants, GAP/gift from BF
• Shoes & Accessories: black ballet flats, Xhiliration via Target; shell hoop earrings, Charming Charlie/gift from Cousin V; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, and here.

December 23, 2011: Not With a Fizzle But, With a Bang

Sequins can be a difficult thing to pull off in the office but, it's not impossible; Especially when it's the day before Christmas weekend and a few people are showing up to the office in jeans even though it is clearly not jeans day, awkward... I thought the last day before the holiday weekend (and a few extra days off for rest and relaxation family gatherings) would  be relatively relaxing but, it was pretty hectic! At least the comfort thing carried through.

• Top: green t-shirt with sequins embellishment, Ellen Tracy via TJ Maxx/gift from Dad with a tank top underneath
• Bottom: black true straight pants, GAP/gift from BF
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Nine West; green bugle bead earrings, Mandees/gift; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. 

December 21, 2011: The Final Countdown

The week before Christmas was spent frantically wrapping things up in the office and at home. The holidays really are my most favorite and concurrently least favorite time of the year; There is just so much going on! I just wanted to be comfortable and still somewhat put together as I wrapped things up, the last few days were definitely some of the craziest.

• Top: orange dolman sleeve top, Xhiliration for Target; gray flyaway cardigan, New York & Company
• Bottom:  black true straight pants, GAP/gift from BF
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Nine West; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.