Ruff Stuff

Sweater: H&M / Vest: LOFT / Jeans: Gap Always Skinny 1969 / Boots: DSW / Bracelet: vintage, inherited from my Nana / Necklace: bought in Italy

Happy (belated) offical first day of Fall!! I, for one, am very happy that it's here. It seems as if New England got the message and is obliging us with blustery winds, a morning chill, the the first hints of changing leaves.

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My boyfriend calls this vest (and my other, very similar one) my "ruff." This is a reference to that part of my dogs that forms a collar-like mane around their faces....

Exhibit A:

 (That's Won Ton, the king of the ruff)

 Exhibit B:

(Won Ton and Mu Shu, whose ruff is only slightly less pronounced!)

Yeah, they're cute and all, but I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the comparison. :)

Hope you're all having a great Monday!

Right Around the Corner

 Top: Gap (similar, similar) / Sweater: Forever 21 (similar, similar) / Jeans: Gap 1969 Always Skinny, size 00 (same) / Shoes: Target (similar) / Necklace: from Italy / Bracelet: vintage, inherited from my Nana / Bag: from Unique LA  

Today was my favorite day (weather-wise) that I've had in New England as of yet. In the morning it was all blustery winds and bright blue skies, fading in the afternoon to a perfect 75 degrees with a light breeze and warm sunshine. It was the best combination of fall-is-just-around-the-corner and I-don't-want-to-leave-summer-quite-yet. I spent a good chunk of my downtime today (all of it, really) sitting in the sunshine and reading The Sun Also Rises.

Perfect weather, really, for what I was doing the rest of the day, which was Orientation! My program starts classes next week, so this week it's all meeting advisers, signing up for classes, figuring out study cards, and meeting new people. I am so excited to be back in school again, and cannot wait for it to start! Before classes, however, I've got to tackle a big move this weekend into my new/permanent apartment, though it can't be as bad as the Bigger Move across the country, right? :)

In the meantime, I'm going to go enjoy a bit more of this late-summer sunshine. I think I need to store up on it in order to have any chance at getting through my first New England winter.

Hope you are all having a great week!

Fitting Room: LOFT 40% Off Sale

LOFT is having a 40% off store-wide sale right now (online, enter code FRIENDS at checkout), so I popped in and used up a gift certificate that had been sitting in my wallet for months.

It's been sitting there because I haven't been very taken by LOFT's recent offerings, but this time around, I found so many things I liked! Their prints seem more youthful than they have been as of late (lots of dots and stripes, so I'm happy), and they have some fantastic skinny colored jeans (in petite, regular, and curvy reg/petite fits).

Polka Dot Print Short Sleeve Tee, xs ($23.70 down from $39.50) / Modern Straight Jeans, 0P in white ($30.00, down from $49.99)

Tee: I love this tee! The print is cute, the material is soft (85% rayon, 15% linen), the boatneck is flattering, and the drape fits nicely. Verdict: purchased.

Jeans: The white pants were close but not perfect. They fit well through the waist and legs with only slight pulling around the knees. I have kind of muscular legs (years and years of dancing), so it was great to find a pair that both fit at the waist and didn't suffocate my legs. Verdict: passed, I can't trust myself to keep white jeans clean. :)

 Colorblock Wedge Short-Sleeved Sweater, xs ($29.70, down from $49.50)

Top: This sweater was cute, but didn't do enough for me to buy. The color (excuse the horribly-lit iPhone photo!) is a light grey in front and a darker heather shade in back (I kind of wish they were reversed). Well-fit and soft. Verdict: passed.

 

Cotton Textured Open-Stitch Sweater, xs (can't find online) (found it, hidden in the lounge section!) / Petite Color Pop Modern Skinny Jeans, 0P in Teal Night ($29.70, down from $49.50)

Sweater: I wasn't sure about this sweater in-store, but looking at it in photos, I'm so bummed I didn't get it. I think I'm going to go back for it tomorrow! The open-knit was soft and comfortable, and the sweater was still quite warm. Size xs fit in a loose, comfy sort of a way. Verdict: passed in-store, but want to go back to buy tomorrow.

Jeans: I have been looking for another pair of affordable colored skinny jeans (to add to my collection of one so far), but had not had luck in almost a year. With the plethora of options out there, I know that seems absurd, but my problem has always been finding jeans that are small enough to fit my waist but loose enough to not constrict my legs, which are on the muscular side of average, I guess. I am so glad to have found these LOFT jeans, which definitely seem to do the trick! The material is a bit lighter than my Gap Always Skinny jeans, and a bit stretchy, too. The waist, hips, and legs fit great, but there is a tiny bit of pulling at the crotch, though not enough to keep me from buying. Length is great, and would still fit any petite shorter than me well, as the hem hits right at the top of my foot. Verdict: purchased, happily.

Let me know if you get anything at the sale!

Review: Old Navy Tie-Hem Draped Shirt

Top: Old Navy Women's Tie-Hem Draped Shirt (size S, buy here, grey and blue for 10.99, down from $29.94) / Jeans: PacSun / Shoes: Macy's / Scarf: local boutique / Bag: Olivia + Joy / Bracelets: bought in England

I've been on an ongoing quest for shirts that are not short sleeved, solid-colored, cotton v-necks (my go-to for many, many years), so I was super happy to run across this shirt at Old Navy. At $10.99, down from $29.94, the price was right for me to buy it in both this grey and a gorgeous, deep royal blue.

I seriously love this shirt. The material is soft and the drape is nice and weighty, making it look far more expensive than it is. I could see pairing the shirt with casual skirts, over dresses, and of course with skinny jeans. I love versatile items that can compliment numerous outfits, so this definitely fits the bill. I bought both shirts in a size S for a slightly slouchy, relaxed fit, but I might return one for an XS, to have a bit of variety.

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In other news, I'm so glad I sucked up the courage to photograph at this location. These stairs are only two blocks from my house, and I've been meaning to photograph here forever, but...they are super-public, and I'm terrified of people seeing me taking photos of myself, because I'm pretty sure it looks as weird as it sounds.

Since I'm moving in a month, I figured it was now or never and I finally did it. Granted, halfway through a man stopped about 30 yards in front of me and vogued in my general direction, making muscle-man poses and laughing (I wish I was making that up.) Nonetheless, I persisted, if only slightly red in the cheeks, and I'm quite happy with the outcome!

Hope you are all having a great day so far!

Stay tuned for an announcement of the next Petite Fashion Challenge, which I am so happy to be hosting!

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?

These Boots

  

Top: Urban Outfitters / Jeans: Gap 1969 Always Skinny sz 00 / Boots: borrowed from my sister, thrifted / Bag: BCBG

   

Friends, I really want me some cowboy boots. I stole borrowed these from my sister the other day, and fell in love. Super comfy, with a slight heel to help us shorter ladies out, but still casual and not "high-heel-y," well made by some gourmet boot maker in Texas, and thrifted in Seattle for about $30. Yes, please.

Now where can I find a pair like that in LA?