Thrifty Thursday - Knits galore

So, a few weeks ago I was watching The City (I know.. I am kind of embarrassed... but in my defense, I watch to drool over all of their beautiful ensembles!... and maybe a little for the drama) and Whitney was wearing this gorgeous sweater dress with a cable knit "seam" along the arms and shoulders.  It was awesome - and I bet pretty expensive, but that over exaggerated cable-knit was my inspiration for today's Thrifty Thursday. 

 I first went searching for a piece that mimicked the knit I saw on the show.  The sweater below had the same sort of feel that Whitney's dress did, but in a cute sweater/vest.  To neutralize, I decided to put a cream colored turtleneck underneath, because you can't tell, but the skinny corduroy pants I chose are a deep purple color (so rich and expensive looking).  I found these super cute, and inexpensive cuffed boots from Target in a color similar to the sweater, which helps to mend the outfit together.  Since most of the outfit is pretty neutral, I added some touches of warm color in the charm necklace.  It has deep oranges, yellows, and greens in it.  Lastly, I topped the outfit off with another knit - a cute little knit "beret" hat, also in cream.  I would imagine wearing it with hair down in loose waves - a little bit of a bohemian look.

This outfit is perfect a perfect daytime look when you want to look a bit more dressed up.  The boots help with the "dressier" feel, but you could also wear this look with a warm colored flat. 

Items in this set:

Cable Trim Sweater Cardigan, $22.80, Forever21
Merona® Long Sleeve Turtleneck - Polar Bear, $12.99, Target
Skinny Leg Corduroys in Deep Purple, $15.80, Forever 21
Women's Mossimo® Kahsha Tall Cuffed Boots - Mushroom, $29.99, Target
Truly Charmed Chain, $5.80, Forever21
Spiral Crochet Beret, $6.90, Forever21  
Total Cost of Outfit: $94.28


Happy Almost-Friday!

One dress... two ways

J and I are headed down to Texas in a few weeks for a big Southern wedding; we're really looking forward to celebrating the big day with our friends.  What I was not looking forward to was finding an outfit for it - I've been spending a LOT of money lately, so I decided if I was going to get a dress for the wedding, I might as well pick something that I can wear multiple times, for multiple occassions.  One day a few weeks ago, I had an exhausting day at work .. and since Banana is (conveniently) on the way home from work, I decided to swing by and see what they had.  I found this beautiful, classic black dress, with satin piping along the stomach. 

Flannel Sheath Dress, $152

I think Banana should hire me to model this little number, because it fits me like a glove!  The picture above, from their site, doesn't really do it justice - but I am sure you can see the classic lines and the piping detail, despite the iffy photography.

For the wedding:  Because it is a night time wedding, I wanted to liven the outfit up a little.  I found this necklace at Anthropologie that would add a lot of sparkle, without standing out too much. 

Million Strand Necklace, $58

I picked a pair of black shoes because I didn't want to take away from the attention that the necklace will bring up to the face, and although I picked black, I still wanted to pick something interesting.  I haven't decided if they are "the pair" ... especially because they're almost as much as the dress.  These shoes are pretty cute though, and I like how the strand detail mimics the piping on the dress.  Also, the "tough" leather on the shoe contrasts perfectly with the satin piping on the dress.

Jayleen, Nine West, $149

Since it could be a little chilly at night, I would just drape a simple black wrap around my shoulders - here is a super cheap one from Forever 21.

Gauzy Fashion Scarf, $5.50

For work: Since the dress is sleeveless, and I know that shoulders are frowned upon in most offices (and it is cold  in most offices) I knew I needed to find something to cover up my arms/shoulders.  I have a lot of cardigans, but I think that might be a little boring with this dress.  I found this adorable little tweed jacket and think it easily work with the classic style of the dress.

Bethany Tweed Jacket, Forever 21, $27.80

This jacket would probably be long enough that it would cover up the piping, but that's okay because there is nice detail on the coat.  This could also be worn with pants or a pencil skirt - so I think it is a good, versatile piece for your wardrobe.

I decided to carry on the classic theme here with a cute shoe from Forever21.  I'm not crazy about the oxford wing tip flat women's shoes that have been popular in the past year, so I really like how this shoe is a tad "menswear" but still gets the femine feel from the big stiletto heel.

Suedette Lace Up Pump, $24.80

I would wear a pair of sheer black tights with this outfit to round out the look.  A few small accessories - maybe a pair of earrings or a ring would be nice, suttle detail for this outfit. 

I hope this post can inspire you to make multiple outfits out of a piece you thought was only for one occassion!

Thirfty Thursday - Hot Night Out

I've been doing a lot of casual looks lately, so this week's edition of Thrifty Thursday, I wanted to Glam it Up.  The entire outfit this week is from Forever 21 - they are definitely a "go-to" store for clothes to go out in because you won't be crushed if someone spills a drink on you, or if you smell like a smoky bar at the end of the night.  Might be a little dressy for Cincinnati, but if I was going out on a Friday in a bigger city, you can bet your butt I'd be wearing the cute little number below.  I would tuck the silk tunic (Yes, it is REAL silk from Forever21) into the cute skirt.  Glam it up a little with the rhinestone chain.  I love the zipper detail on the clutch, and it also comes with a long chain in case you want to wear it on your shoulder.  The suede heels top off the outfit - they are an interesting design and look really good for $27.  Although... I might plan ahead and grab some Dr. Scholl's blister bandaids before heading out (they are the best thing that ever happened to a woman with a love for high heels)... price and comfort are usually somewhat correlated when it comes to shoes.

Items in this set:

Silk Trapeze Tunic, $19.80
Fan Chiffon Bubble Skirt: $10.50
Convertible Zipper Clutch: $18.80
Pleated Wrap Platform: $26.80
Rhinestone Wrapped Chain: $11.80

Total cost of outfit: $87.70... even cheaper if you already have a pair of cute black shoes or a black clutch!

What I am wearing....

Taking a break from the Thrifty Thursday today - I wanted to give you a glimpse into what I am wearing because it is a good example of how you can make a piece work in two totally different settings.  I bought a dress to wear to my cousin's wedding this weekend, and decided last night that it could definitely be work approproiate if I threw a little khaki blazer over top.  As I was putting on my outfit this morning, I had my doubts... "is this too risque for work?  Ah.... screw it, I'll pretend I work somewhere fashionable today!"  So here's what I put together today:

The dress is from Gap - they were running a 20% off promotion a few weeks ago, so it is regularly $69.50 but I got it for $55.60.  It has an underlayer of fabric, so it feels pretty substantial when you put it on.  I love the length, it is perfect - not too long and not too short.

Tiered Silk Dress in True Navy - Gap.com - $69.50

Next, I put a slim fit Khaki blazer over top - I like how the structured blazer looks with the frilly, lightweight dress.  It adds a nice contrast, and also makes the dress more subdued and "work appropriate".  I couldn't find the exact blazer that I am wearing today from Banana, but here is a similar piece from J. Crew:

Butterscotch Wool Flannel Blazer, JCrew.com - $178

I knew that showing as much leg as our model featured above in the dress might be a little much for my corporate environment, and it is getting pretty chilly here lately, so I decided to pair the dress with a pair of brown tights from Old Navy that I bought last week.  I really like the tights with the dress because the dress can look black in some lights, but when paired with the brown in the tights, the navy comes out a lot stronger.

Women's Solid Tights in Brown - Oldnavy.com - $6.50

I debated over my shoe preference for a solid 10 minutes, clomping all over my apartment thus making me late for work and probably waking up and infuriating my downstairs neighbors.  I was debating between a simple rounded toe brown pump, and my faaaavorite pair of tortoise shell t-strap peep toe shoes that I bought 2 years ago from Nine West.  Since the brown in the first shoe option slightly clashed with the brown of the tight, I went with the tortoise shell shoe.  Wearing a tight with a peep toe shoe is ver acceptable these days.  I can't find a picture of my exact shoes, but here is a pretty close representation:

Tortoise Shell Peep Toe, Brownsfashion.com, $228

Last but not least, some jewelry to glam it up.  I went with my four strand gold/pearl necklace today because it brought some attention up to my face and the colors worked well with the navy and brown in the rest of the outfit.  I again can't find an exact replica, but this necklace is pretty darn close.  I think the chain looks silver in this picture, but it is supposed to be gold (mine is too).

Whisper Faux Pearl Necklace, Forever21.com, $4.80

I can't forget the last accessory, and the best purchase I ever made (after my one year anniversary at my company, I took the LV plunge).  I know, I know... It's a big investment, but I will never be sorry that I bought this - it goes with EVERYTHING (I tell myself that even when I am wearing crappy sneakers and a VT sweatshirt).  I love and it is the perfect accessory to this outfit.

Speedy 35 in Damier Canvas, Louis Vuitton

Hope this gives you some inspration to glam it up during your dull work week!