Polka Dots and Review of Crocs Adrina Flat

Top: PacSun (similar, similar) / Tank: Target / Shorts: Urban Outfitters (similar) / Shoes: Crocs Adrina flat ($40, buy here) / Bag: from Unique LA / Necklace: from a farmer's market (same, from Modcloth)

 

I was heading outside today to take my photos when I realized that the light in the staircase was awesome...so I never made it out and took photos here instead. Also, I clearly need to take more pictures in stairwells, if this is how tall it makes me look! Fellow petite ladies, are you with me? :)

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As for the shoes:
These are the flats I decided to keep, after pondering whether or not I could bear to be the owner of a pair of Crocs. Verdict is, these are not your typical Crocs! They have a sleek low profile, a whimsical cut-out dot design, and come in a few great colors like this awesome aqua/celery combination. And, most importantly, OH MY GOODNESS THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE. In that respect, these ARE your average Crocs. I have worn these trekking across Boston, playing tour-guide to visiting friends (which is a strange thing to do when you're new to the city yourself), moving boxes and suitcases, and generally running about town, and my feet have never once felt sore.

I will say I got two small blisters on my pinkies the first few times wearing them, but now that they're a bit broken in, I'm having no trouble. I realized early on that they don't exactly match with everything, but then decided just as quickly that I just didn't care. Aqua-and-celery shoes every day? Why not?

I bought a size 7 from Zappos and am usually a 7 or 7 1/2. These shoes, I think, run a teensy bit large as there is a bit of wiggle-room for me. So, if you're between sizes, I'd recommend going with the lower of your sizes. Right now they're $40.00 at Zappos.

So, I hereby promise to stop hating on Crocs. :) Has anyone else put aside their stereotypes to try a new brand?

Hope you all had a great week!

From the Boys

Top: Urban Outfitters / Skirt: Urban Outfitters, Thrifted (was $58 in-store, thrifted for $13) / Sandals: Gap, very old / Necklace: Bought at a Farmer's Market / Jade Koi ring: vintage, from Japan, inherited from my Nana / Silver rings: gifts

 

I've been doing a lot of people-watching this past week. People-watching is, in general, something I love to do, but people-watching in a brand-new city is even better. I've been paying specific attention to style, trying to parse the differences between So Cal and Boston, counting the number of Longchamp totes I see in a day (honestly, I stopped somewhere around 40...), and noticing, for one reason another, a lot about the style of men's clothing.

I've always loved menswear. I'm jealous of how easy it is for a man to look put together, but also guess that their wardrobe possibilities might sometimes feel restrictive. Men on the east coast, I've noticed, seem far more put-together/dressed up than their So Cal counterparts (women, too, but I'll save that for another post). The preppy look runs strong, replacing the surfer/skater/hipster look in terms of on-the-street prevalence, and it seems you're more likely to see a young man in sporting a summer look of walking shorts (often colorful), a button-up, and loafers than anything else.

I've noticed more than a few men wearing pink/salmon colored shorts, to which I tip my hat. However, every single one of them has paired their shorts with a navy blue button down. Truly, the combination works, but it started to seem almost like a uniform around the 6th or 7th time I saw it!

So, here's a nod to you, east coast boys. My version of the pink-and-navy summer combo. Thanks for the inspiration!

A Little Less

 

Dress: from a local boutique / Cardigan: Target / Sandals: Gap / Necklace: from a farmer's market / Bag: Gift, from Guatemala 

 

My car died this weekend, by which I mean the battery is fully and completely cooked. It's a Prius, so this may mean (if it's the fancy Prius battery) a nice chunk of change to get it replaced. Hot on the heels of having my first car totaled, this most recent adventure in grown-up car ownership got me thinking about how much I'd like to simply not have so many...things.

Of course, that may sound too simple. No car means no totaled vehicles, no paying for batteries, no batteries dieing in the first place, and no annoyance of what to do when the car's not there. (This is all presupposing a great public transportation system I could rely on, and is after, obviously, counting my blessings that I am able to have a car and pay for its fancy new battery in the first place.) But fewer things do, I think, mean less mental clutter and more breathing space in the long run.

This is something I've always want to do with my closet. Get it down to the few, perfect, timeless, beautiful pieces that I could wear anywhere, to do anything. I'd love to have everything match everything else so perfectly that putting looks together is a breeze. I'd love the paired-down simplicity of the one perfect cocktail dress, the one perfect blazer, the one perfect white shirt. But, in reality, I do buy with the trends (though I try to do it sparingly), I do like doubles and triples of things I wear often (skinny jeans, t-shirts, boots), I do buy silly impulse purchases, and I do think I "need" that cute new dress from H&M, when really I should save my money for the one perfect dress from a much more timeless store. This, I think, is what my wardrobe aspires to be, when it's all grown up. Simple, timeless, paired-down, and thoughtfully put together as opposed to bought on a whim. I'd like to think I'm getting there (with a few unnecessary purchases along the way), piece by piece by piece.

Drizzly Days

 

Top: Gap / Vest: LOFT (gift) / Jacket: Forever 21 / Jeans: JBrand (second hand, $11) / Boots: Ralph Lauren / Necklace: bought at a farmer's market ($15)

Forgive the cruddy indoor shots; these were taken over the weekend when it was raining. And please further forgive my lack of posting recently! I've been pretty sick this past week, and collapsing into a stuffy-nosed heap almost immediately upon getting home each day.

I do, however, have some great news. I found out last week that I got into my top-choice graduate school program! Getting in to grad school at all was awesome, but getting into my #1 choice is even more amazing. :) I can not wait for the fall...

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Spring Green

 Top: from a local boutique ($12) / Jeans: Gap 1969 Always Skinny sz 00 / Shoes: Target leopard print flats sz 7.5 / Bag: BCBG / Necklace: from a farmer's market

 

I have a few new rules for myself right now as to what I should and should not buy. The number-one culprit on the not-to-buy list is any solid colored, short sleeved cotton t-shirt (my wardrobe staple since high school). In leui of that, I'm trying to get slightly more "grown up" shirts instead, be it by virtue of cut, fabric, detail, or color.

This shirt is still, obviously, a solid colored, short sleeve shirt, but!, it is made of silk (which wrinkles, apparently, no matter what), and has at least an interesting button detail on one shoulder. I think this makes it a "blouse" rather than a "shirt." And blouses are totally grown up, right?

January, Say What??

 Sweater: H&M / Dress (worn as a skirt): local boutique / Boots: Thrifted / Necklace: local farmer's market

 

 Los Angeles really threw me for a loop this weekend. It's January, so I wake up bundled in blankets and dreaming of cozy sweaters and warm socks. Surprise: it's 80 degrees outside. I wore this outfit to go to the nearby farmer's market this weekend, and was instantly overheating.

But there is no WAY I'm going to complain. I'll just bust out my flip flops and apologize profusely to anyone not currently in Southern California. :)

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Real Simple

Shirt: Gap sz xs / Shorts: DIY Paige jean shorts / Scarf: bought in Spain / Necklace: bought at my local Farmer's Market ($15.00) / Shoes: Target Leopard Print Flats sz 7.5 (bought with a Gift Card; $12.99 but out of stock online)

Ah, lazy Sundays. And lazy bloggers who post their Sunday outfits on Wednesdays. This outfit is a variation on what could be referred to as Lauren's Uniform: jeans, a solid-colored short-sleeved shirt, flats, simple jewelry, and possibly a scarf. Done and done. Lazy blogger, indeed.

 Two new things in this outfit today! My Target Leopard Print Flats ($12.99 but out of stock online), and this lovely necklace, bought at a local Farmer's Market ($15).

First, the shoes: I bought a size 7.5 because the size 7 was sold out online, but, alas, 7.5 is a bit too big. I put in insoles, which fills up a bit of space, but even then...I really should have a 7. I love, however, how they take such a simple outfit like this one and make it a bit more interesting. I'm debating weather or not to keep them.

And, the necklace: I LOVE this little thing! I've been keeping an eye out for a longer pendant necklace for a while now, and I stumbled upon this little beauty at a local Farmer's Market the other week (I bought produce too, don't judge). I love the fact that it is a working watch...it reminds me of men's pocket watches and the good ol' days. Or something like that.