April 29, 2010

My favorite accessories by far are my handbags. For some ladies it's shoes, others jewelry but, all I need to be truly happy (with my wardrobe) is a great bag!

On my trip to London in 2004 (wow it doesn't feel that long ago) with my fav cousin V and our mutual friend Alex we took in as many sites as we could during our brief time there. As a fledgling fashionista one of my stops had to be Harrods. It was exceedingly similar to Macy's Herald Square and one of the few things I remeber from the inside of the store was the Tracey Emin for Longchamp posters plastered all over and those beautiful bags in the glass cases obviously too expensive for me to purchase at their retail price. But, less than a year later those same ah-mazing bags were available at the Longchamp outlet and the rest is history... Today's outfit was definitely put together to showcase the tote I loved, lost, and later purchased! Either way, I am quite fond of the whole outfit's classic simplicity.

• Top: white short sleeved sweater, Ann Taylor Loft (similar here)
• Bottom: khaki a-line skirt, Merona for Target (similar here)
• Shoes & Accessories: denim (on trend for spring) slingbacks, Christian Louboutin via A Second Chance Resale; limited edition Tracey Emin for Longchamp Pliage via the outlet (the floral print is representative of another sping '10 trend); silver, amethyst, and some other light blue stone earring from Pennyweights

April 28, 2010

Do you like the new picture background? I moved to another spot in my hallway, super exciting!!! It's still a work in progress... One day I will take fantastic pictures but, practice makes perfect and today is not that day.

The sun is peeking it's head out and even though it's still cold I'm feeling excited about not being head to toe covered up. Time for capris! Sadly, I think part of the reason that my outfit doesn't look ah-mazing in this mediocre picture is because the items of clothes are a little big on me, especially the shirt. I thought I weeded all those items out of my closet... I guess not. This shirt might need to go in the donation bag when I get home.

I am trying to find similar and affordable versions of what I am wearing because not many items from my wardrobe are currently in stores now since the whole point of this is to not buy (a ton) of new clothes. Is that something that interests you? Leave me a comment and let me know.

• Top: aqua wrap shirt, New York and Company with white tank top under (for the modesty)
• Bottom: brown plaid capris, New York and Company (similar-ish here)
• Shoes & Accesories: bronze ballet flats, Me Too via DSW (similar here); chunky multi stone necklace, picked up at a local jewelry store (similar here); yellow alley bag (similar *vegan option* here)

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April 27, 2010

Another dreary and sad day, unfortunately... but, there is not point in harping on it! The weather man said it will be better on Thursday. Hopefully he's right and not just talking nonsense to appease me and the masses.

• Top: fuschia turtleneck sweater, New York and Company
• Bottom: black knit pants, New York and Company
• Shoes & Accessories: black and white ruffled snake print flats, Coconuts via DSW; tourmaline earrings, V'ta; silver L.A.M.B bag via Loehmanns.

April 26, 2010

First of all, how do you like the new logo/banner? It was made by a very talented and creative design team... my mom and I. And, when I say "my mom and I" I mean I had an idea and she completely bought it to life *thanks mom* with a little technical contribution from me. I think it is pretty amazing and love the fact that it looks a little Jordi Labanda-ish, no? Either way, I hope you enjoy it!

This morning is so gloomy and cold (compartively to the past few days) and it's not helping me want to get ready and leave my warm cozy apartment at all. I think someone should tell Monday that they can't be like this and instead they should be sunny and beautiful so I am more motivated! Now we can come back to reality with today's outfit. Please excuse the random shots, I am still trying to get the timing down... is there something on my face?

• Top: purple 3/4 length sleeve t-shirt, Target
• Bottom: black and white tweed pants, Mandee. Yes, you read correctlyMandee. I have had these pants since high school. I don't know if that's something to be proud of or not but, they still fit and are still appropriate so... I keep them. Thank you business casual prep school!
• Shoes & Accessories: black suede Rocket Dog sneaker shoes, today is just the day for things from high school... V'ta coin pearl necklace, Tiffany silver earrings, and the yellow alley bag

April 23, 2010

We are still in keeping with the Friday theme hence the unamused look and the quick and easy front hair poof. Keep tuned for potential "cosmetic" changes over the weekend! To the blog sillies, not me. Items from this outfit are previously seen here but today:

• Top: yellow short sleeve embellished t-shirt, New York & Company with a gray tank top underneath (for the modesty)
• Bottom: jeans, GAP outlet
• Shoes & Accessories: black and white snake print flats, Coconuts via DSW; tourmaline earrings, V'ta; blue Foley & Corrina city clutch via Plaza Too (now that I think about it)
  
  

April 22, 2010 - Happy Earth Day!

Also, Happy Belated Administrative Professionals Day! I totally forgot, silly me. Though, when I realized that it was I became a little bummed because no one did anything for me this year. While technically I'm not sure if I fall into the category of "Administrative Professional", I got free lunch last year, what gives?

In the spirit of Earth Day I scoured my closet for something to wear that I felt would be a good representation of "being green". I decided that I would try to find things that are second hand and throw together an outfit with that because the average American throws away 68 pounds of textiles per year only 10 of which are recycled. Thrifting and buying vintage isn't only for style it's to help the Earth!

Thankfully, when my dear friend Melissa moved to London I inherited a bunch of her clothes during the closet purge/packing extravaganza and my mom is always giving me things after she wears them once or twice and decides that's enough for her... In the end, I think this entire experience is a movement towards "being green" because it's more about working with what you have not, buying tons of thing to make new outfits and adding to it. It's no Uniform Project (which is wrapping up in 10 days, kudos! see here for more info) but, it works for me! How are you celebrating Earth Day? On to my outfit:

• Top: orange button down Eddie Bauer shirt via Melissa
• Bottom: beige tweed Ann Taylor Loft skirt via Mom... definitely thrifted
• Shoes & Accessories: taupe Steve Madden pumps; blue Foley & Corrina city clutch, V'ta moonstone earrings and "bubble gum" bracelet.

April 21, 2010

I am running super late so here it is, no frills...

• Top: red embellished t-shirt, Van Heusen Outlet. On an aside, when I first thought Van Heusen I envisioned much older women and men in general but, after wandering around their outlet I realized how wrong I was. It's great for affordable good quality basics and the occasional stylin' dress.
• Bottom: black pinstripe Calvin Klein skirt via SYMS. It is part of a suit but, since I don't work in a full blown business formal environment I don't need the jacket. Etiher way though, everyone needs one good suit.
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Steve Madden; Tiffany silver studs and and lastly my blue Foley & Corrina City Clutch.

April 20, 2010

Yay 4 day work week! I'm a little exhausted thanks to the "errands" I had to run yesterday so thankfully today is a plain old work day; no presentations to give, no job fairs to go to, and no meetings as far as I can recall. Now that I've said that, I hope my Outlook isn't freaking out with reminders when I get into the office today...

This was my first attempt at a non-timer picture (AKA, my BF took it) and I'm not sure I'm loving it... The lighting is terrible (my fault) but the picture is oddly proportioned (his fault?). I don't know how to fix that but, I'm working on it. I have a feeling there are going to be lots of mediocre pictures before there are any ah-mazing ones.

• Top:black, white, and gray patterned blouse, New York & Company
• Bottom: khaki green skirt, Target, I LOVE a skirt with pockets...
• Shoes & Accessories: purple suede-ish ballet flats, Target. Silver beaded necklace from the now defunct Steve & Barry's (that place was so great) Bitten collection. I still have a few choice pieces from the line and feel like it could have been a huge success minus Steve & Barry's terrible business model but, I digress... also crystal bead earrings, V'ta and the alley bag. I will bust out a different one tomorrow I promise.

Items from this outfit are previously seen here.

April 16, 2010

I think the common theme for all Friday posts moving forward from now until forever is, "TGIF, I'm beat!" because I am. But, on to more positive things... last night's surprise was so much fun!!

My suspicions were correct, my awesome BF took me to see Cirque du Soleil's OVO. The bug thing definitely gave me the chill's for a second. What? Maybe I'm weird but, I felt that the grasshopper costumes were surprisingly realistic!! In the end the acrobatics and other spectacular physical feats distracted me and I had so much fun. Click below to flip through my pictures...

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Moving right along. You may or may not have noticed that there are lots of buttons in the right toolbar now. They are not advertisements they are just feeds that I have 260 Days, No Repeats with so that I can potentially reach more people. Another change is that I think I am actually going to be in the pictures moving forward. There are some online communities that I would like to join but, they require head to toe shots and Lucy doesn't quite fit the bill. I tried it out this morning (I am exhausted and I look it, rocking that bed head, so please don't judge) and it made getting ready alot faster so, it might become a regular thing. I just need to find a good place to put the camera for timer shots. FYI: I will not be posting an outfit on Monday I have a day off, yay me! But, today...

• Top: pink and blue striped Old Navy t-shirt with a white tank top underneath, New York and Company
• Bottom: jeans, GAP outlet
• Shoes & Accesories: black suede Rocket Dog sneaker shoes. They look so beat up because I have literally had them since high school. I know I look so young it could have been yesterday but, alas it was not... Either way, they are fantastically confortable and I try and take care of them as best as I can because I haven't been able to find anything else like them. I do think they need a trip to my shoe guy though, there is a teeny hole that I should get taken care of. Also, Tiffany silver earrings and the yellow alley bag jam packed with all the junk from the week gone by.

April 15, 2010

Just to follow up from yesterday; they DID provide a shuttle from the parking lot to the main campus but, I must have missed it the past few times I was there for a job fair. Now I know...

Tonight my BF is taking me out for a surprise. When I asked him last night what I should wear he said whatever I wore to work would be acceptable. Thinking about it now I realize how not helpful that statement was but, since I think I have an idea/wishful thoughts about what it is, I can plan accordingly. Either way I will have enough time to change quickly when I get home after work anyway so this really doesn't need to be taken into account heavily.

• Top: white polka dot button down, Merona fromTarget topped with a purple scoopneck sweater vest, New York & Company. I have had this blouse for years it was part of the whole menswear/bow craze and come with additional fabric to make a tie/bow that I have set aside until that trend returns...
• Bottom: beige Marissa pant (love the cut), Ann Taylor Loft via my mom probably thrifted. Loft is having a big sale now, check out the clearance section and get an additional 40% off with the code SALE40 for a limited time.
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Steve Madden; black beaded necklace from a craft space in Laguna Beach; black onyx earrings, V'ta; and the yellow alley bag... yes it is time to switch. I have had these black pumps for even longer than the white shirt and they have visited my shoe guy, who works magic, a few times for new heels, polishing, and other repairs but always come out looking like new. If you love your shoes I would recommend taking your tired soles for some time with a cobbler and it's drastically cheaper than buying a whole new pair.

April 14, 2010

This afternoon I have a job fair to go to at Manhattan College. It is notorious (in my mind) for the ridiculous amount of stairs that you have to walk up to to get to the event space from the parking lot. I think they should provide a shuttle, I have a large box of promotional materials to carry after all! But, I digress... comfy shoes are a must today and so is dressing to impress to an extent. You want to fool, ahem, I mean convince the students that they want to work at your company (especially as unpaid HR interns with me) so looking professional and chic doesn't hurt! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I also have to give a portion of New Employee Orientation at my job in the morning. I address some company policies and benefit so, I need to be taken seriously and appear authoritative-ish. Also, when I get to the part about dress code I like to point at what I'm wearing and say, "like this". Sorry about the crappy picture quality, my camera battery died and I had to take the first one with my phone...

• Top: navy Catherine Malandrino jersey knit dress via Loehmanns (so comfy) and a brown and black zebra print cardi from New York and Company
• Bottom: Would Spanx count here? Sure, why not!
• Shoes & Accessories: silver hardware embellished flats from Nordtrom Rack, my abuela's vintage silver hoop earrings (not pictured), and my yellow alley purse. I also added a black belt after I took the pictures because it kinda tied the whole look together. It was from Kohls with these pants.

April 13, 2010

Today I have to give a presentation to a bunch of teens on the job search/application/interviewing process. My boss started out by warning me that I needed to wear pants and I realized I definitely need to have a pretty darn professional and covered up look. After all there will be a large amount of incorrigible teenage boys there. Wish me luck!!! Today I am wearing:

• Top: dark teal ruffle t-shirt from Ann Taylor Loft
• Bottom: brown gaucho pants from Target
• Shoes & Accessories: silver hardware embellished flats from Nordtrom Rack, Tiffany silver earrings, and my yellow Avorio purse that I got in a secret store down a back alley in Florence, Italy. I know that it might not have been a good idea to follow a random stranger that friends and I met a street fair in a foreign country where we didn't speak the language down a secluded alley but, it seemed OK at the time and we got some great deals on some normally very expensive handbags. WOO HOO! It definitely needs a cleaning though...

April 12, 2010

Happy Monday to all! I hope this week is a good one for you! I've got doctor's appointment, meetings, presentations, and a job fair (as a recruiter) so... you will potentially get to see lots of different looks from me.

I only have two complaints about Lucy. First, I'm not exactly sure where to put her. She is now taking up random space in my hallway that used to be nice and empty which is fine for now but, a better permanent solution would be nice. For now it's going to take some getting used to waking up first thing in them morning walking out of my bedroom with no glasses on and seeing what sleepy blind me perceives to be a blurry menacing headless figure... not cool. The other is that she is 100% NOT my size. If you took a gander at the picture of her yesterday you might notice that she is probably about a size 2. Now that is not to say that there is anything wrong with being a size 2 just that, I am not! I have to pin my clothes on her to make it look not tent like. That is all going to take some getting used to and, while there is nothing wrong with being my size either, the pinning makes me feel fat, so much extra cloth!

I don't want to start this week off too negatively though. I am glad to say that Lucy helps me have everything together in the morning. It is a project to dress her because although she might appear to be thin and plastic the metal base weighs a ton. So, in order to avoid any lateness of me on her part I picked out my outfit last night... after I checked the weather and saw what a gorgeous day it is going to be!

Since I don't really have anything going on other than a doctor's appointment it's pretty standard business casual for me:

• Top: dark brown short sleeved sweater from Gap outlet (they have great basics) with a white tank top underneath (for the modesty)
• Bottom: yellow skirt with brown polka dots, Merona for Target (FYI if you pick up the May 2010 edition of Everyday with Rachael Ray there is a 20% off Merona coupon in there, or you could just rip it out at the checkout... either way)
• Shoes & Accessories: purple faux suede Mossimo flats from Target almost identical to these, V'ta coin pearl necklace, and gray Balenciaga Le-Dix/motorcycle bag

Lucy, The Plastic Chic

This is Lucy! My mom lent her to me so that I could photograph my outfits without lying them on my bedroom floor. Not very classy in her opinion. I named her Lucy because I didn't want to refer to "the mannequin" or "that plastic chic" although the latter might have been funny for a while. Maybe we should call her "Lucy, the plastic chic." Or just plain old "Lucy" for short. Lucy just seemed fitting to me although slightly strange because that is also my grandmother's name. I think she would be proud of my practical "work with what you've got" efforts though so here's to Mamá (my grandmother) and Lucy as well...

April 9, 2010

Today is so blah outside but, TGIF!!! I can't muse much because I am running late but, here's the outfit...

• Top: black and white striped long sleeved t-shirt from the Proenza Schouler capsule collection at Target
• Bottom: Marisa jeans from Ann Taylor Loft. (YAY Casual Friday)
• Shoes & Accessories: red patent flat American Eagle via Payless, my abuela's vintage silver hoop earrings, and (I changed it up) gray Balenciaga Le-Dix/motorcycle bag

Items from this outfit are previously seen here.

April 8, 2010

It's almost Friday and I could not be more excited for this week to be over,... there's nothing heinous going on at work but, spring fever is setting in and all I want to do is be outside even if it is a little overcast!

You may or may not have noticed the difference between the bottom of the sweater and the opening of the skirt. That is due to some craftiness on my (but, mostly my mom's) part... I have had that skirt for a LONG time and absolutely love it first of all because it's classic but also because it had the modern twist of pockets! I LOVE pockets on skirts and dresses. In the past few years I have shed some weight and that skirt is from heavier days. I asked my mom (the expert seamstress) to take up the hem a few inches to a normal knee length because it now sits on my hips and the hem was at my mid calf. The project was a huge success!

I highly recommend altering clothes before you chuck them and go buy new stuff, even if you don't have an expert seamstress like my mom. What you spend in tailoring for a raised hem or adding some buttons will most likely be less then a new piece of clothes and is more than worth it if you love that item.

On to the actual outfit...

• Top: gray short sleeve sweater with green and white argyle from Target. This is another classic item that Target has rolled out this year (but I bought last year) as well with a slightly different twist.
• Bottom: black pencil skirt from Old Navy.
• Shoes & Accessories: black patent leather T-straps from LOFT, jade earrings from Elizabeth Showers Vintage, and yes... you guessed it the purple Coach bag (not pictured)

April 7, 2010

The weather just keeps getting warmer and I couldn't be happier! Today I'm still rocking a skirt but, only partly because of the knee injury. Ironically my outfit choices today are all inadvertently from Gap. If you're feeling my Gap vibe you can shop it up with 20% off all their new items using the code GAPNEW20 exp: 4/8/10

• Top: red ribbed tank top from Gap with a beige short sleeved jacket also from Gap
• Bottom: white skirt again from Gap
• Shoes & Accessories: beige and white Manolo Blahnik slingbacks (from second hand sale), V'ta coin pearl necklace, and my trusty purple coach bag (not pictured)

I really need to switch my bags up more I have enough of them but, talk about a versatile high use-value item...

April 6, 2010

It's overcast and glum outside which makes me sad. The weather had just started to take a turn for the sunnier! The only reason I am not wearing a pair of pants and faux sneakers is because I scraped my knee pretty badly last night and am trying to give it some air. While taking a stroll around my beautiful and serene neighborhood on the banks of the Hudson I slipped on some gravel and came straight down on my right knee. A beautiful evening took a quick turn and it was a pain hobbling home for first-aid and ice but, I suppose it could have been worse.

• Top: khaki safari style shirt from NY & Co with a white and silver striped tank underneath (for the modesty) from Express many years ago.
• Bottom: khaki green skirt from Target. This is a classic piece of clothes! They are selling the same one that I got last year, this year but, I digress...
• Shoes & Accessories: silver hardware embellished flats from Nordtrom Rack, Tiffany silver earrings, V'ta Cut Steel necklace, and my trusty patent leather purple Coach bag.