New Wardrobe Staple

I did something for the first time today.  I bought a backup of a pair of jeans.  I know.  I've never bought 2 of the same pair of jeans before because I've always had some sort of small problem that keeps me from repurchasing.  But with this pair...nothing.  No problems.  And they're a pair of skinny jeans!  It's like the world is ending.

7 For Mankind Gwenevere in Antoinette Darling, $189 at revolveclothing.com, J. Crew Lace-Stripe Tissue Tee, $58 at jcrew.com: I picked up another pair of these 7s on eBay.  If you're like me and you love designer jeans but not the price tag, I can't recommend eBay enough.  I got this pair for over $100 off.  The key is finding out what size in a brand and what cut fits you, and then you can buy a pair from that brand with trying them on.  Success!  What I love about these jeans is that they're stretchy enough to be comfy but thick enough to be supportive, the dark wash is flattering, the high rise doesn't cut into my hip...padding, and the skinny leg works really well with boots.  These are my new wardrobe staple.  I legit wear them every day.  Today I'd like to pair them with a cute-with-a-twist tee, like this lace paneled one from J. Crew.  The slight sheerness gives it a hint of interest, and the off-white hue is very flattering.  I like to do a slightly more voluminous top with a skinnier jean like this pair to balance everything out.

Frye Carmen Short Harness Boots, $298 at fryeboots.com, LOT78 Siouxie Leather Biker Jacket, $860 at net-a-porter.com: I've been wearing those jeans with these boots non-stop.  I heart them.  They've already been re-soled.  The cute, cropped width of the boot works nicely with the skinniness of the jeans, and I love the sassy, western attitude juxtaposed with the sweet girliness of the tee.  To play off that contrast even more, I'd do a cropped leather jacket on top.  When I do a roomier top I like to do a cropped jacket to add some structure and remind the world that I have a waist.  Plus skinny jeans and a leather jacket is just the cutest, Audrey Hepburn gone bad combination.

Ray-Ban Outsider Oversized Wayfarers, $139 at revolveclothing.com, J. Crew Oval Heirloom Locket Necklace, $50 at jcrew.com: Yup, just to push the Audrey Hepburn comparison over the edge I'd add a pair of oversized Wayfarers.  The tortoiseshell is sweetly retro, the shape is very '50s chic, and the oversized nature gives them a fun, celeb-hiding-from-the-paparazzi twist.  Last but not least I'd do a vintagey-locket necklace to add a little visual weight to the lacey shirt and a fun bit of bling.

If only I owned all of these things.  Sigh.


Images via revolveclothing.com, jcrew.com, fryeboots.com, net-a-porter.com.

My Precious

There's this Anthropologie dress I've been stalking down for months.  I wanted it in October, it wasn't on sale, I couldn't justify the $180 or so price tag, so I crept around the Anthropologie website for months, waiting for it to go on sale.  And then it disappeared off the website and I thought all hope was lost (so dramatic, I know).

Then on a random shopping trip last week, I wandered into Anthropologie and BAM.  My dress, on sale for half off, in my size.  I couldn't not buy it, right?  I absolutely love it.  It's an a-line cut with a fitted waist, sweetheart neckline, a tan and white striped fabric with a blue print and a cute little waist tie.  There are two things that really get me about this dress.  The first is that the quality is very high.  The fabric is thick and sturdy, there are large fabric allowances in all the seams, the skirt has multiple layers so it actually flares out like a real a-line, just little things like that that make me feel like I got my money's worth.  The second is that the fit is really, really flattering if you have a silhouette like mine--very, very hourglassy.  I wish it was a bit smaller through the waist, but it actually fits my chest, which never happens, so I'm not complaining.

Here I'm wearing it with my Frye Carmen Short boots, which are sadly at the cobbler now getting new heels.  I don't really have a lot of occasions to wear this dress now in Boston, but just looking at it reminds me of spring and makes me so happy.  It's part country western, part retro '50s, and just really fun.

Outfit of the Day

It hit 50 degrees today.  Woohoo!  So that means sundresses.  Yup.  I wore a sundress in 50 degree weather and felt nice and warm.  I hate what the east coast has done to me.  I apologize for my failtastic photographic skills, but the main point of this outfit was that the boots and the dress look really cute together.  I added the trench/blazer to balance out all the western girliness.

Dress: Anthropologie, Jacket: Alexander Wang for Gap, Boots: Frye, Belt: Vintage.

How To: Rock a Fur Stole

The lovely Joeybunny asked me to do a post on how to wear a fur stole, which was ironically coincidental as literally when she asked me I was standing in front of my closet staring at a fur stole I've never managed to wear out.  First off, I have to say as a vegetarian I'm not a huge fan of the fur industry, but since this was inherited I feel like if no one wears it then the animal died for no reason (just my opinion).


So I feel like when you wear a fur stole you need to either go one of 2 directions: either go full out and wear it with a cocktail dress and heels like it was intended, or do the rock and roll glam thing and wear it with jeans and a tee.  As a college student, option B is a heck of a lot more practical, so that's what I went with.


Here I'm wearing an ASTARS tee, 7 For All Mankind Gwenevere jeans, Frye Carmen Short Boots, a vintage fur stole, and Tiffany's jewelry.  I'm also wearing a big Forever 21 necklace with an elephant face on it but for some reason it got swallowed up by the fur.

So my logic behind this outfit (yes, sadly, there was logic) was that you don't want to fight with the fur.  Clearly it's going to be the star of the outfit.  I'm not a flashy person when it comes to clothes (wearing a fur stole on campus is pretty over the top for where I go to school) so I kept the shirt in a neutral color.  I like the juxtaposition between the casual shirt and the glam stole, but they also go so well together because they drape so nicely.  I did dark jeans really because they're more flattering and because I think dark denim is a little more rock and roll than light, no?  And then I did the boots, which are terribly hard to see, my bad, because they add a casual edge to the outfit but they're sassy enough to stand up to the fur stole and not let it completely take over the outfit.  One of the things you have to accept in this situation is that you're not going to get a practical outfit out of this.  Short sleeves and fur?  Ridiculous, but cool looking in a devil-may-care sort of way.  You could probably do a long sleeved shirt here, but I don't actually own any--I have crazy neuroses about things touching my wrists--and I tried layered it over a leather jacket, but that was just too much.


What do you girls think?  Would you rock a fur stole during the day time?

Currently Loving: KAIN Pocket Tank

About a week ago I ordered a KAIN Pocket Tank on super, super sale from Tobi.com.  It was originally $80 and I got it for $15 in the color Magic Spell, which is a lovely medium lavender.  I took it out of the box, immediately loved it, and bought another one in Amalfi Red online yesterday.  I've wanted a KAIN tank forever, but couldn't justify the price tag.  However, at about $20 a pop, they're an amazing deal.  They're one size fits all, which could be problematic for some, but it fits me surprisingly well.  There's a pocket on the right side, and the fabric is a mixture of modal and silk, so it's very soft and drapes perfectly (this also means that they're very fragile, so hand-wash only).  Here I'm wearing it with a C&C California sweater, a Tiffany's necklace, 7 For All Mankind jeans, and Frye boots.

And here's a slightly blurry (sorry!) photo of just the tank.  As you can see, it's slightly transparent, which doesn't bother me but makes it not work appropriate.  But it's just so, so comfy.  There are still a ton of colors on sale, including a really pretty mauve.

All in all, I love these tanks.  They're a great basic wardrobe staple, they come in a lot of colors, they're very comfortable, and they go with basically anything.  Aside from how fragile these are, there are no downsides here.

Hunter White Tiger Welly Socks

I hate snow.  Whenever it snows back here it seems like the postal service has a complete meltdown and then the online purchases I've been consistently stalking don't get here and it makes me very sad.  But my Hunter White Tiger Welly Socks that I ordered from Zappos just came in and they are AWESOME.


Welly socks are really fleece liners made for Hunter boots to make them warm and snuggly.  They come in medium and large (I haven't seen small yet) and I'm a size 10 so I got the large.  They're a little loose around my calves, but they fit nicely in my boots.  I wouldn't wear socks under these because it would just get too complicated and bulky, and you need to put these on like socks--i.e. put the welly socks on and then put on the boots.  Don't put the socks in the boots and then try to put them on.  Does not work out.  Anyways, I got the ones with the giant white tiger cuffs made out of faux fur.  They're so plush and cozy.  I love them.  Oh, and see the little Hunter logo on the front of the socks?  I'm such a label whore, but it makes me happy.

I have gotten so many comments on these, especially for only having worn them twice.  When I pulled them out of the box I had a moment of "omg these are ridiculous why did I order them???" but I love them.  They keep my feet so, so warm in the snow, so they work on a functional level, and they look like I belong in the Russian tundra 100 years ago, which is kind of amazing.  I feel like a Romanov wearing these.  In a good way.


The long story short: I highly recommend these.  They're comfortable, they fit a variety of calf sizes (my dancer roomie tried them and they fit over her wider calves too), they keep your feet warm, and they look fabulous.  You can get them for $40 at Zappos.com.

My New Frye Babies

Sorry for the posting fail yesterday.  I was on the plane most of the day, and then when I got back the internet was out, and then I had to get up ridiculously early to go get tests run on my stomach and THEN (it doesn't end) I was knocked out most of the morning from all the sedatives.  Fun times.  But on the plus side, my Frye boots came!  And I have lots of pictures!

I love them.  I love, love, love, love LOVE them.  They are the Short Carmen Harness boots, and they are fabulous.  The finish of the leather is a little more rugged, the sassy harness and upturned toe add a cowgirl flair, the 2.5 inch heel is just enough to make you feel a little more pulled together than usual, but not so tall that it makes your feet hurt, and basically they're perfect.  I really want to wear them with little sundresses, but I left them all at school, so I couldn't take any pictures of that for you guys.  :(  Oh, and I got these from Zappos.  Which I do love, but UPS took FOREVER to get them here.  And then literally dropped them off an hour after I left for the airport to go to Oregon for the weekend.  Grrrr.

 However, I did do two outfits with my new babies.  In this first one I'm wearing a Walter jacket, 7 For All Mankind jeans (my new Gwenevere ones!), a J. Crew tank, and the Frye boots, of course.  I got the J. Crew tank for $25, and it was originally $70.  Score!  It's an olive green base with tons and tons of bronzey sequins stitched on.  It's a little big on me, but I love the heavily gilded look of it too much, I couldn't turn it down.  I paired it with the leather jacket to give it some shape, and then I think the cowboy boots give it all a rugged twist that makes it all very rock and roll, no?

 The top here is ASTARS (gifted), the necklace is F21, and the jeans are 7 For All Mankind.  I'm actually going to be dying the jeans darker sometime this week (hopefully) but I really like these boots with bare legs and a very simple outfit, because I think they can speak for themselves.

Another thing I got over the weekend?  Spanx.  Specifically this pair.  They are amazing.  I don't know how I lived without them.  I got them at Nordstrom's Rack for like $30.  They had the Spanx tights too, which are great.  Definitely go check that out if there's a store near you.

Lil Forever 21 Haul

I made a quick trip to Forever 21 today on the way to pick me brother up from school.  I went in looking for cute, colorful tops for rush and ended up leaving with a nude skirt.  Story of my life.  On the plus side, it's a really cute skirt.  It was about $19, and it's a full, high-waisted nude skirt with black lace trim and ruffles at the hem. 

The boots are Frye, the skirt is F21, the belt is Coach, the shirt is AStars, and the necklace is Tiffanys.  I just love the vibe of it. If it was any color but nude, the vibe would be very senorita, but the nude takes it to a Parisian boudoir sort of place.  What do you guys think?

Shopaholic on Probation

I need someone to stand next to me whenever I grab my MacBook and slap my hand when I start online shopping because it is a PROBLEM.  As of this morning I had four things in the mail.  I'm cutting myself off.  The last thing I bought was this Victoria's Secret dress.  It's the Sweetheart Corset Dress and it's on sale for $29.99.  It also comes in leopard, if that's your thing.

Now, I know what you're thinking.  Dresses from Victoria's Secret?  Really, Megan?  I know.  But that post I did yesterday on dressing your body type got me thinking.  I know how to dress my body, but I usually cop out because of general laziness and because I'm not always comfortable with the attention I get.  My wardrobe is in serious need of a flattering, colorful injection, and the first thing I was craving was a retro-inspired sundress.  I have one or two of these, and I love them to death because they're really flattering and they're just really fun to wear, plus you can dress them up or down easily.  I remember liking this dress a while ago but not wanting to pay full price ($58) for it.  And then I checked it today and it was on sale!  Yes.  I love the shape, which the fitted underwire top and the full skirt, and I love the slightly abstract, festive poppy print.  It's just so happy.


So that'll be here in a week or so.  I'm so pumped.  Of course I won't be able to wear it at school in Boston for about a million years--California is already getting warm.  Catch up, Massachusetts--but it's just so cute.  

In other news, I got a haircut today.  I'm not gonna post a picture because unless you stare at me for hours on end every day you won't notice the difference, but I just wanted to know if getting a haircut was traumatizing for anyone else.  I hate getting my hair cut.  I dread it.  I've gotten it down to a twice yearly occurrence, and I still hate it.  I'm such a control freak about my hair that it pains me to lose even an inch, and my hair is so ridiculously thick that most stylists get excited and just keep on cutting until my 1/2 inch trim turns into a 3 inch chop.  Not cool.  I probably lost an inch today because I had terrible split ends, but it still irks me whenever I look in the mirror.  Is anyone else this OCD about their hair cuts?


Image from victoriassecret.com.

Ode to Denim

I am not happy with Blogger right now.  It's not letting me upload pictures (Grrrrr) and I wanted to show all of you the pretty jeans I got today, but I guess I'll just link to the picture instead.  I really need to move to Wordpress already.  Anyways, I went out today on a mission.  I'm in San Francisco until Thursday, and in the middle of possibly the best few blocks of shopping ever, so it seemed like the perfect time to pick up the new pair of jeans that I've been dying for.  I've been wearing my pair of dark, straight leg J Brand jeans to pieces--literally--and I wanted another pair of slim leg, dark wash, high rise jeans, mainly to wear tucked into boots.

Usually for me jeans shopping is borderline traumatizing.  I have a very hourglassy figure, so it's hard to find jeans that fit my thinner legs and wider hips, so I usually end up with something a little too small in the hips and a little too big in the thigh.  Boo.  It's like finding the pair of jeans that fits the least badly.  But today I literally put on this one pair of jeans and it was perfect.  I actually did a little dance in the Saks fitting room. 

I got these 7 For All Mankind High-waist Gwenevere jeans in Antoinette Darling.  They are amazing.  It's a dark, uniform wash skinny jean in a thick but very, very stretchy denim with a pretty high-rise.  I want to write an ode to these jeans.  Here's the list of reasons why I love them:

1.  The dark wash is really flattering.  It makes your legs look longer and leaner, and feels a lot fancier than a lighter wash.  The 7 For All Mankind squiggle on the back pocket is the same color as the jeans, which I like, because it feels a lot cleaner than that giant A in like pink thread.  The only bit of decoration is some contrast stitching at the waist and pockets.
 
2.  The high-waist is awesome.  All my body fat goes to my hips, so even if a pair of jeans is too big on me, if it cuts across my hips it gives me automatic muffintop.  Even though I don't naturally have one.  So. Annoying.  But this pair hits above the top of my hips, creating a smooth line down my torso.  I know a high-rise sounds bulky under a top, but it's actually really slimming--like a pair of Spanx.  It ironically makes me look thinner than my lower-rise jeans.  YES.
 
3.  The fabric.  It feels like a pair of jeggings but it's as thick as a regular pair of jeans.  It's a 10.5 oz denim, which is pretty thick, but it's really high-stretch, which means that it doesn't stretch out and it conforms to your body perfect.  I could run up 20 flights of stairs in these no problem.  They feel like pajamas.  It's AMAZING.
 
I didn't realize how uncomfortable all my other jeans were until I tried these on.  I literally wore them out of the store.  And no, 7 didn't pay me to write these.  I just really, really like these jeans and really recommend them to anyone who wants a flattering pair of skinny jeans that's actually comfy.  And trust me, they look better in real life than in the pictures

Shoppings!

I'm alive!  It was questionable there for a while.  Anyways, I thought I'd post some pics of this lovely J. Crew sweater I got on Black Friday.  I think it was about $80 down from $130?  It's a marled (twisted strands of black and white) wool cardigan with a shawl collar and zipper pockets.  I didn't want to buy it.  But it was just so cute and cozy and...the sweater made me do it.

The way I would style it if weather wasn't such a constraint here (20 degrees??? REALLY?), would be one of three ways: over a pretty, girly dress as a way to winterize it, with boots and jeans and a flirty, feminine top, or over a fitted pencil skirt (like my red American Apparel pencil skirt...ooooh).  My problem with longer cardigans like these is that I have wider hips and a smaller waist, and these can tend to swallow your waist and make it look the same size as your hips.  That's why I like to wear something fitted under the sweater, especially something like a pencil skirt, which immediately draws the eye to your waist.

My Little Red Dress

My dress came today!  (for background on that, check out this post).  Now, I got it off eBay in a 6 because I'm not one consistent size, and it's easier to fit the widest part of my body and then work from there.  The problem I have is that I'm a size at the chest, a 2 at the waist, and a 6 at the hips.  Boo.  So this dress fit everywhere except the waist, and I had to whip out my roomie's sewing kit and work some magic.  Aka hastily done/not so awesome sewing, but that's besides the point.


The colors in this picture came out so odd.  My arm is yellow.  What's up with that?  Bad camera.  Anyways, it's hard to see here but it does fit pretty well now.  I really like it!  It's very red and form-fitted for me, but I think it worked out well and I'll definitely get a lot of wear out of it.

That's all, folks!  Have a great Halloween weekend :)

Outfit of the Day: Cranberry

I finally made it into Boston today to grab this American Apparel red pencil skirt.  It's supposed to be part of my Halloween costume, but I'm honestly more excited to wear it in real life.


It's $32 on the American Apparel website, and comes in a ton of different colors.  I got the cranberry because it's so yummy and fall appropriate.  Now, I'm just over 5'8' and this skirt is LONG on me.  I had to fold over the waistband to get it to a flattering length, but I'd say that if you're under 5'6' this skirt could give you some problems.  The material is a thick jersey, which is nice, but since it's jersey it will stretch out and it won't hold you in the way a thicker fabric would.  I'd say the sizing is standard American Apparel sizing.  I got a medium, and I generally wear a 4 or a 28 in jeans.

Skirt: American Apparel, shirt: J. Crew, belt: vintage, boots: Frye, sunglasses: Ray-Ban, jewelry: Tiffanys and vintage.  I did an off-white shirt with this to keep the warm, autumn color theme going, and the boots and the belt for a bit of a '70s twist.

Outfit of the Day!

I really want to do more of these, it's just that I literally have this one mirror.  This one 10 inch wide mirror.  Gah.  It's very frustrating.  


So that KAIN shirt that I ordered last week came today, and I totally love it.  It's officially the first piece of red clothing that I own.  I know.  Red scares me.  But I think I actually like the red here.  The shirt itself is so comfy, and I love the way it drapes.  It is pretty sheer, like all KAIN shirts, and since I currently own zero (ZERO!) nude bras, I layered a black cami underneath.  Sheer is a huge trend for fall, though, so I'll definitely be skipping the cami once I rectify the wardrobe situation. 

Because check out that back!  It's cute with the cami, but how hot would it be without it?  I love the basic in the front and the sexy in the back thing--it's very unique. 

I'm sorry for the failtastic over-exposure of these pics, but the jeans are J. Brand, the boots are Frye, and the jewelry is all Tiffanys.

Currently Craving: Blush Tees

I'm trying really hard to stay away from basic black, white, and grey tees.  Not that I have any issues with those colors, but I've realized recently that 90% of my shirts are v-necks in those colors.  Which makes for a nice wardrobe full of basics, but at the same time a little devoid of color and quirkiness.  Recently, during my fashion daydreams (yes, I have fashion daydreams, I know, I'm really cool), I've been craving...girly colors.  I know, it's scaring me too.  Girly isn't really in my dressing vocabulary.  My solution for any blah outfit is to throw a leather jacket on top of it.  But for some reason, I just really want a blush pink drapey v-neck.


American Apparel Sheer Jersey Deep V-neck, $22 at americanapparelstore.com, KAIN Label Pocket Tank, $80 at singer22.com: In an ideal world, I'd get that KAIN tank.  It's the perfect combination of draped and fitted, and the slightly sheerness sexes up the lilac hue.  But in reality, I'll probably end up with this American Apparel tee, a nice versatile deep v-neck in that pretty pale pink.  I'm thinking that a really light pink (not too Barbie-ish) will be a flattering, off-beat alternative to white or off-white.

KAIN Label 3 Strap Back Tee, $48.50 down from $98 at singer22.com: So in all my searching for pink and KAIN tees, I stumbled across this KAIN tee on sale at Singer22.  It comes in black, orange, and this berry-red hue (it's a little less glaring in person).  I caved on it.  I've always wanted a KAIN tee, it was on sale, I got my paycheck yesterday, and I love that from the front it's a basic scoop-neck, but from the back it's got a little extra sass.

J. Brand Midrise Straight Leg Jeans, $159 at shopbop.com, Frye Melissa Boots, $318 at shopbop.com: But back to the idea of blush tops.  I'd pair my blush v-neck with a pair of dark wash, slim jeans and a pair of dark brown equestrian boots.  I also happen to be wearing both of these, so they're on my mind.  The dark jeans temper the sweetness of the pink tee, and the leather boots add a bit of a rugged touch, while the dark brown doesn't compete with the pink for attention.  Throw on a glam statement necklace (maybe some crystals and chains) and you've got the cutest combination of girly and rock and roll.

Images from americanapparelstore.com, singer22.com, singer22.com, shopbop.com, shopbop.com.

Outfit of the Day

So this isn't really my outfit of the day (boo on lame perpetual drizzling) but I was playing dress up in my closet for a while today, and I put this together.  Yes, I play dress up in my own closet.  Sorry for the crappy pictures, this is literally the only mirror in my dorm room and it's like 10 inches wide.  Gah.

Dress: Rodarte for Target, boots: Frye, belt: no idea, jacket: Walter.  I think I've worn this Rodarte for Target dress out maybe twice since I got it in December.  It's very girly for me, and I tend to forget that I own it.  I know, I'm sad.  My go-to fix-it method for outfits that I think are too boring or too girly is to put a leather jacket on top, and I think it really works for this dress.  It cuts the cutesiness of the pale blue and the swishy skirt and the illusion neckline, and adds a little visual weight.  The belt draws attention to the waist, and the boots tie in nicely with the jacket.  The annoying thing about this dress is that it has a strapless sweetheart neckline, and then an illusion neckline over that, which means I should probably wear a strapless bra.  Since that will never happen, I resort to the jacket.  Yay for problem solving.

J. Crew and Brushes

So one of the things I did during my super productive (not) vacation was paint my brush tips.  Woohoo!  Crazy.  I honestly did it because I think it's pretty, but I know that professional makeup artists do it so that you don't mix up your brushes with other people's. 

Now, the easiest way to do this is with nail polish.  What you want to do is put a piece of tape around the handle about 1/2-3/4 of an inch down from the tip.  Make sure you have the tape secure and even.  Next you pick out a nail polish that you like (I went with bright pink).  Do an even coat of polish across each brush tip, and then leave the brushes hanging over the edge of a table to dry.  Let that first coat dry completely before you start the second coat, or you'll just end up taking off the first coat.  Then let the brushes dry completely for two hours before you remove the tape, and you have fun, festive brushes!

I also picked up two J. Crew tanks on sale, this Sequin-Strip Tank for $29.99 at jcrew.com, Lace Ruffle Tank, $29.99 at jcrew.com: The second tank was actually cheaper at the J. Crew I went to.  So I picked up the sequin tank in this blush color.  I really wanted it in this green/black combo, but they didn't have it in my size and I'm trying to get more warm colors in my closet.  I did laundry today, and it was all black, white, and navy.  I love it, because it adds a fun touch of glamour to daytime outfits, but it also goes nicely with nighttime outfits.  It's just all kinds of versatile.  I picked up this second tank in black.  It's hard to see, but it has a line of lace running down the front.  I like it because it's comfy and black (hello, comfort zone), but the lace adds a twisted, Gothic Victorian sort of vibe that's cute and unexpected on a basic black tank.

Images sources:
jcrew.com, jcrew.com.

Outfit of the Day: Leopard!

It is literally 102 degrees F today.  I'm not even exaggerating, it's actually over 100 degrees outside today.  I say that because I'd really love to do this jacket/tank combo with jeans and boots, but it was all I could manage to pull on jean shorts and flip flops.  Yes, I wear flip flops.  Probably about 90% of the time.  I'm seriously a California girl at heart, I wore flip flops in Boston until it got to the 40 degree mark and there was snow on the ground.  I have trouble wearing big girl shoes.

Anyways, here's the outfit: the jewelry is all from Tiffany's, the jacket is Walter, the leopard tank is Forever 21, the shorts are 7 For All Mankind, and the flip flops are Rainbows.  I know, I'm such a California cliche.

I got this leopard tank yesterday, and I lurve it.  It's a medium, so it's a little on the oversized side, and I like the contrast between the draping of the tank and the structure of the leather jacket.  The shorts are a funny story; when spring hit Boston, I immediately dove for my shorts drawer...and realized that I owned no pairs of shorts that fit.  I had a few nasty old pairs of F21 shorts, but literally none that fit and looked decent.  So I grabbed a pair of jeans that I didn't wear enough, in this case my 7 For All Mankind Ginger jeans, and hacked them to pieces.  It's actually really easy to do, just put the jeans on, mark how short you want the shorts to be (make sure it's even on both legs) and then add 1", 1/2", 2", however wide you want the cuff at the bottom to be to wear you marked the shorts length.  Then take off the jeans, cut them, and roll up the amount that you want to cuff them, and sew them in place.  It takes like ten minutes, and it's a great way to get new life out of a pair of jeans you don't wear often.  I did the cuff because it helps keep the cut edge from unraveling.  If you don't want the cuff, it just takes a little more sewing.

Mini Forever 21 Haul

Do you ever think you have too much of something, so you stop buying it, and then you turn around and realize that now you have none of said item?  For me, it's t-shirts.  I had a trillion tees, and I banned myself from getting any, and now I'm packing for school, and I have like five.  Problemo.  So I hit up Forever 21 today to grab some fun, versatile shirts that would work for going out and going to class.

Polished Beetle Ring, $4.80 at forever21.com: I couldn't resist this beetle/ladybug/insect ring.  It's a giant bug and it's SPARKLY and it belongs on my finger.  I love it.  It's really out there, and definitely makes a statement, but at the same time since it's all neutrals, it still has a bit of polish.  And it goes so nicely with the parrot ring I got a few months ago.  Hehe.

Here's Polly the parrot.  He and this ladybug both turn my fingers green, probably because they cost $4, but hey, it's a compromise.

Chain Trimmed Tank, about $14, Leopard Tank, $13.80 at forever21.com: I realized that all of the shirts I own are white, grey, black, and navy, so I tried really hard to get shirts in real colors.  Crazy, I know.  I still ended up with a white and a navy top.  Failface.  But I really do like this navy tank.  It has a similar cut/fit to the Kain pocket tanks, and it has a little braided detail around the neckline with chains woven in that's cute and a bit edgy.  I like it because I could wear it to class with a sweater, or I could wear it out with a cute little skirt.  This leopard tank came out really grey in the picture, it's actually a warm olive/army green.  To be honest, I kinda love it because it's leopard, but the slightly oversized cut and pretty green hue definitely help.  I'd wear it with slim jeans and boots, or tucked into a pencil skirt.  Is it weird that it kind of reminds me of Jenny Humphrey, and that doesn't bother me nearly as much as it should?

Jersey Knit Slouch Top, $14.80 at forever21.com: I got this because it also reminds me of a Kain top (anyone see a theme?), and because I really don't own any long-sleeved shirts.  The neckline is a little off the shoulder, it has 3/4 length sleeves that I push up, and it has a little pocket on the right, just like the Kain tees do.  It's a little oversized and drapey, and I think it'll work really nicely with some dark wash jeans and knee-high boots.  It's the perfect combination of cozy and cute, and it's super, super comfy.  Which is what really matters when it's 45 degrees outside, and you haven't seen the sun for days, and you're out of coffee, and you have to read 100 pages of economics.  Not that that's ever happened to me.  Ahem.

Outfit of the Day/New Jeans!

Okay, so this isn't EXACTLY what I wore today, but it would have been what I'd have worn if it wasn't like 90 degrees.  And I wanted to show off my new J Brand jeans.  Wootwoot.

I found a new bathroom mirror to stand in front of!  I'm always home alone when I take these pics, hence the resorting to sad mirror photos.  Next year I'll have my roommates take them, I promise.  Here I'm wearing a Walter leather jacket, Wildfox Couture tee, Tiffany's necklace and bracelent, J Brand straight leg jeans, and Frye Melissa boots.

Haha, so, these jeans.  I got them on eBay for around $50, which is a great deal for J Brand.  I got them in my usual J Brand size.  Maybe it's the cut or the wash, but these run SO SMALL.  It took me five minutes to get them on the first time.  If they weren't so stretchy it would be a lost cause.  Once they're on they look great.  They're straight leg, so not quite skinny jeans, and they're really perfect for tucking into boots.  Don't these almost look like jeggings?  I paired them with the leather jacket and pink tee because I feel like the leather jacket continues the edgy vibe of the jeans, and then the loose pink tee throws in another silhouette and a little bit of spunk/irony.