Lapis Lazuli (and a Hello from the Boyfriend)

Dress: Anthropologie (with alterations. similar, similar) / Belt: Madewell (similar) / Wedges: Target / Bag: Jason Wu for Target / Sunglasses: Target / Bracelets: Gift / Necklace: bought in Italy

 

I had an interview of sorts today (I say of sorts because it was pretty informal) for a job I'm hoping to get on campus. Essentially, the job's primary duty is serving alcohol to (of age!) undergrads. Or, to put it more seriously, standing between undergrads and their alcohol. This actually sounds like tons of fun to me. I thought on-campus bartending might be a good way to meet people from other departments, learn a new skill, have a good time, and of course make a little cash.

I mention this because the Boyfriend and I were in a bit of a debate over what I should wear to said interview. He was advocating a much more business-y look (black pencil skirt & button-down, pumps), while I thought this shirtdress (with a more professional leather bag) was appropriate for a casual job in the middle of the world's hottest summer. In the end, he deemed this look appropriate. This was aided by the fact that I'm currently living out of a suitcase and these wedges were the only pair of heels I had access to...kind of put a limit on what I could wear.

So, what do you think? Casual job (I was more dressed up than the interviewer, which I think is always a good sign), hot summer...what to wear?

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[Boyfriend edit: I requested the right to defend myself in court, and permission was granted... so hello! I am the boyfriend. My experience with clothes is, shall we say, binary. You are either dressed up (for men: collared shirt tucked into slacks and fancy shoes) or not (T-shirt, jeans). I learned this growing up in a small California town, but now that I am living in Boston I suppose these shades of grey are what I will need to learn. Luckily, Miss Petite on a Penny steadfastly ignored my "but, um, black pencil skirt and white blouse" plea, and put on something fun and vibrant. 

Now, all of that being said, I have a hard time gauging how far to dress up and when. So if the boyfriend is allowed to pose a follow-up question to the court: what factors and thought process determine how "dressed up" you get?]

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Edit to add: I must have done something right, because I got the job! :D

Simple Stripes & Gold Collar Necklace

 Top: Anthropologie / Jeans: Gap 1969 Always Skinny / Wedges: Target (similar) / Necklace: Asos ($20.87, buy here) / Glasses: Coach

 

One of my goals for beginning this blog was to get out of my jeans and a solid-colored t-shirt rut. I'm trying to wear more skirts, dresses, and patterns, and (hopefully) succeeding. This outfit, I think, is a pretty good example of how jeans and a t-shirt can still be a successful (and not always boring!) look. Note to self: wedges, an interesting piece of jewelry, and a patterned top can go a long way to elevating my wardrobe staples.

The main credit has to go to my favorite statement necklace, this gold collar from Asos. I love how it mimics the lines of a dress shirt's collar, and dresses us an otherwise simple look.

Going on a field trip with the class today, to the California Science Center. 80+ 5th graders and six chaperones...wish us luck!

Skinny Jeans and Striped Tees

 

 Top: Anthropologie sz s ($19.95 buy here) / Pants: Gap 1969 Always Skinny Jeans sz 0 / Shoes: Macy's / Bag: Vintage Coach (ebay) / Sunglasses: Target / Hat: Target ($9.00)

  Thank goodness for Friday. This weekend, I'm going to the beach, doing a bit of shopping, and sleeping in (and by "in" I mean "until 8," because that's how I roll these days). I'm also hopefully spending it all in outfits like this. Tee shirts and jeans, here I come!

 Hope you have a great weekend!

Ten and Two

Megan, the lovely blogger over at Feathers and Freckles, recently came up with a great idea. She decided to challenge herself to choose 10 items from her closet that she avoids or has never worn and wear at least one of those items every day for 2 weeks. Afterwards, she'd make a decision: to keep, or not to keep?

She invited readers to try the challenge out on their own, and I thought it sounded like a great opportunity to purge my closet a bit. I actually go through my closet and give stuff away on a fairly regular basis, so I might not quite make it up to 10 items, but I thought I'd give it a shot nonetheless!

Here is my first entry, in the form of this lovely skirt from Anthropologie:

Top: Gap sz xs / Skirt: Anthropologie sz sm (very, very old) / Shoes: Target Eliana Wedges ($24.99) / Necklace: Amrita Singh

I love the colors of this skirt, and the midi length is very "in" right now, but those two things are actually what makes it so hard for me to style! I have no idea what color top to pair with this skirt, and the length makes me wonder if I look school-teacher-y (oh wait...I am a school teacher...hrm).

Turns out, I actually love this outfit! I just needed a little push to wear this skirt again (it's been hanging in my closet for years, but I could never part with it). I like the classy feel, the green-on-blue-on-teal color combination, and of course, the twirlability:

I will definitely be trying to restyle this skirt again! (Though now I'm scared I won't be able to come up with another combination...) Anyway, a total keep.

Anthropologie Free Shipping and Free Returns until September 30th

Anthropologie is offering free shipping and free returns on all items from now until the end of September. Anthro's shipping prices are usually a bit high, so this is definitely a nice bonus.

I don't need anything right now, but a few pics from my wishlist (all in the Sale section!) never hurt anyone...
Pitter-Patter Skirt, $78.00 $39.00
Pretty pleats in cool colors make me want to drink delicious drinks on the front porch.

Sorbet Skirt, $148.00 $39.95
How cute is this skirt? I want to wear it with heels and a solid-colored top to work, and be totally killin' it in the wardrobe department.

Printed Boy Tee, Stripes, $38.00 $19.95
My favorite simple t-shirt, updated ever so slightly.

Varying Degrees Belt, $68.00 $39.95
Maybe the Boyfriend would stop teasing me about only ever wearing the same skinny brown belt.

Skinny Weave Belt, $34.00 $9.95
Take that, Boyfriend! A skinny pink belt.

Coining Necklace, $38.00 $19.95
I usually go for silver jewelry over gold, but something about this necklace's simple, graphic quality combined with it's statement-esque size is making me really like it. Perfect for petites so as to not overwhelm a small frame.

Anyone planning on taking advantage of Anthropologie's free shipping?

Wearing the Pants

Well, I made it to work on Wednesday, and I didn't have to go naked. How did I solve my summer fashion dilemma, you ask?

Why, with a pair of pants whose one random drawback actually served me perfectly in this hot-hot-hot LA weather.

Top: Anthropologie sz xs (on sale for about $20.00) / Pants: Ann Taylor (the tag fell out, so I don't know what size they are, but they're a bit big so my guess is sz 0R or 2P) / Shoes: DSW Ann Marino Lottery Menswear Pump in dark grey sz 7.5 (gift, buy here)

These are Ann Taylor pants which I bought about 2 years ago. I didn't pay much attention when buying them, pleased as I was to find a pair of pants that actually didn't need any hemming (provided I wore them with heels of course). Later, I realized, "huh, they're unlined...that's annoying," and was a bit peeved at myself for not noticing that earlier. However, that very flaw has turned out to be a great way for me to survive the LA summers.

I seem to have a captive audience.

Unlined pants = great way to keep cool while looking all kinds of professional.
Shhhh.....no one has to know.

Plus, long pants give me the opportunity to wear (slightly) higher heels!

DSW Ann Marino Lottery Menswear Pump in dark grey sz 7.5 (buy here)

Summertime Blues: Anthropologie Lapis Lazuli Shirtdress

The past couple of days have been incredibly hot in LA, but today was absolutely perfect. 80 degrees and the sun is shining. The weather was made even better by the fact that a new dress just came home from the tailors!

I got this dress on sale from Anthropologie about a month or so ago, at $49.95 down from $98. I had been on the hunt for a simple summer shirtdress for a few months, but, true to form, I had something a lot less colorful in mind. However, one of my current style goals is to add more color into my quite monotone wardrobe, so I decided to go for it.

Lapis Lazuli Shirtdress, sz 0

Many of the reviews said that since the dress had no seaming at the shoulders, it puffed up kind of strangely and made your shoulders look larger than they are. I figured that if it looked odd on me, I could get it tailored and the price would still be worth it.

Sure enough, when I put it on, whoah man! I looked like a linebacker. I sort of pulled the dress down and held my right arm close for this photo to minimize the extra fabric, but you can still see that the sleeves are a bit puffy, especially at the shoulder.

Puffy shoulders in need of tailoring.

So, I took it to the tailors and originally they thought they could fix it with two tacks at the shoulders. Unfortunately, that just shifted the puffiness back onto my shoulder blades, so a second tailoring job was needed to run a seam all the way down the backs of the shoulders.

New, tailored seam on the right, original seam on the left.

In retrospect I should have probably asked the tailors to use visible stitching, the way it is on the rest of the dress, but now I know for next time.

I love the little peek of striped fabric at the collar.

Dress: Anthropologie Lapis Lazuli Shirtdress, sz 0 (on sale for $49.95) / Belt: Bought in England

Shoes: Target Elliana Wedge Sandals sz 7.5 ($24.99, buy here)
Pug: Not for sale!

Finally, my dress is home and in perfect condition. The alterations cost $20; a bit more than I had hoped/expected, but still worth it for a dress with such a timeless style.

Pockets! And the rest of the zoo comes to play.

And, it has pockets! As someone who's not big into purses, I think every single dress and skirt ever made should have pockets. If I knew how to sew, I would sew pockets into all my dresses and skirts. In fact, that might be a good enough reason for me to learn...