Dress as a Skirt (And give blood!)

Top: From a nearby boutique / Skirt: Betsey Johnson dress, sz s (gift) / Belt: Target / Sandals: Gap / Necklace: gift

I hope you're thinking "Hey, cute skirt!" because then I could say to you "Thanks! It's actually a dress!" and feel all proud of myself. :) I got this adorable Betsey Johnson dress as a gift from a family friend, and I love the pretty print and light material.
It is a bit too short to wear out unless I'm feeling adventurous (or wear it as a tunic over shorts), so, inspired by a bit of style blogger over-consumption recently, I thought I might be able to turn it into a skirt.

I tucked the top in underneath the smocking, pulled it down to my hips and voila; after a bit of pulling and tugging, turns out, it worked great!

The smocking at the empire waist of the dress helps hold it up as a skirt, and this little Target belt helps as well.

Maybe you were also wondering about the odd style statement I seem to be making on my left elbow? It's a bandage from giving blood earlier in the day (Go! Give Blood! Do it! Sign up here! Fellow petites might want to know there's a 110 lb weight minimum to donate, but if you're over that, please do so!)

Anyone else had success with the dress-as-a-skirt look? I think I'll try to do it again with some other pieces in my closet...

Beat the Heat

Oh LA, how I love your scorching summers and temperate "winters." And yet, how I hate putting sunscreen all over my body (even though I know I should). Thus, an outfit like this is ideal for me on a summer day. It keeps me cool, keeps my shoulders out of the sun, and makes me feel all breezy and summery.

Top: bought in England / Shorts: Urban Outfitters / Sandals: Gap / Bag: BCBG / Necklace: gift

The first photo was the only one where the colors came out even close to true (blame it on my first effort to photograph myself using a tripod), so I just went all-out 1970s fade with the rest. :)

Hope you're keeping cool in this heat!

It's Too Darn Hot

It is hot as the dickens in LA right now, and a few days ago it was about as humid as Washington, DC. Muggy, grey, and 97 degrees, woohoo!
Top: Local boutique, sz sm / Shorts: Urban Outfitters / Flats: Gap t-strap sandals (old) / Necklace: Various charms, put together myself / Bracelets: bought in England for about $2.00

I spent the morning wearing the sloppiest clothes imaginable (no, no pictures of those), deep-cleaning the house I'll be moving into next week (!). So after a shower and a refreshing glass (or 10) of iced-cold water, I wanted something airy, breathable, and comfy to get me through this heat.
I got distracted by something, apparently.

I love this top for so many reasons. It's flowy, it's patterned, it's not in colors I usually wear, and the back is covered by this pretty cut-out detailing that reminds me of a butterfly.

This is definitely one of my go-to oh-my-gosh-its-so-hot-I-could-melt outfits. Simple as heck, but it gets the job done!

Deal of the Day: Banana Republic Sleek Suit Jacket

I wanted to share one of the best deals I've gotten recently, on this Banana Republic "sleek suit jacket," size 0.
The original price was $158;, but the jacket was already priced down to $85 in my local BR store. On top of that, it was in the 40% off section, and then on top of that, I got a 25% off coupon when I walked in the door as part of some promotion they were having. All of that added up to me getting this classic black blazer for an amazing $41, including tax!
Blazer: Banana Republic Sleek Suit Jacket sz 0 ($158 $41 online here) / Top: Ann Taylor sz xsP/ Jeans: Gap "sexy boot" bootcut jeans sz 24/00 (hemmed, similar here)/ Belt: F21 sz x/xs (about $3) / Shoes: Target Pearce Pumps ($29.99) / Necklace: Macy's, borrowed from mi madre

I've shopped some great sales in the past, but I'm pretty sure this is one of the best I've ever had. Partly because of the great discount (about 75% off in total!), but partly because a black blazer has been on my wish list for years, but has always been out of my price range. I knew I could get a cheap-o one at Target or F21, but I wanted something fully lined, classic, and durable, with great construction that would last me for years. I am SO happy to have found this jacket. I can't wait to style it in the fall and winter!
The great sale wasn't enough to persuade the Boyfriend, however, who was, hilariously, absolutely flabbergasted that women wear blazers with jeans and heels on the regular. To him, they're strictly work wear, but I'm determined to try to prove him wrong!

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Fit: The fit is great across the shoulders, which was the most important thing for me. The sleeves are the slightest bit long when unrolled, but I actually really like that extra half inch. The torso is nipped in at the waist, but there's enough room under the jacket to layer a sweater during the winter. I guess this blazer is more in line with the "boyfriend" style...a bit longer past the hips and slouchier overall (yet fitted in the back and shoulders). The online reviews say it runs small.

Measurements (lying flat): 24.5" length (from top of shoulder), 14.75" across shoulders, 13.5" across the waist, and 24" long sleeves (from shoulder seam).

Material: Shell--57% cotton, 39% modal, 4% lycra; Body lining--100% polyester; sleeve lining--95% polyester, 5% spandex.

Care: Dry clean only

Lost and Found

Another summer day, another summer work outfit! These are going to peter out for a week or two, and then start back up with my new job that begins in the middle of this month.

Top: Banana Republic sz s (shrunk in the wash, hand-me-down) / Tank: Splendid sz s (gift) / Skirt: Ann Taylor sz 0p (old) / Shoes: White House Black Market (old) / Bangles: bought in England for about $2

I found this top in the back of my closet (not really, my closet's not big enough to have a back. But the metaphorical back of my closet, go with me on this one). I haven't worn it for months (ok, fine, years), but blogging has inspired me to shop my closet a bit more, so here ya go. Turns out, I love it. Little sheer top, where have you been all these years?


The best part about this top is that it was free! I inherited it from my mom when she shrunk it in the wash and passed it on to me.


And it has pretty little crinkly and seaming details, shown here just under the collar in the back.
It's also light and airy, perfect for walking to lunch in 92 degree weather.

Petite Fashion Challenge #9-"Heat Wave Appropriate"

I am very happy to be participating in my first Petite Fashion Challenge! This month's challenge is being hosted by by Elle of Fast Food & Fast Fashion. She challenged everyone to put together a look that is "heat wave appropriate," something I myself have been dealing with in the past few days here in LA (though it's not as bad here as it is on the East Coast right now, that's for sure).

So the challenge was thus: "...I challenge you all to create an outfit that accounts for the various environmental factors that plague us in the summer. I want to know how you dress when it's 90 degrees outside and 65 degrees inside."

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I couldn't decide if I wanted to do a work look or a casual look, so in the end I went for both.
First, the work look:

Dress: Urban Outfitters sz xp/tp (old, and on sale for $10!) / Sweater: H&M sz xs (old) / Shoes: DSW sz 7.5 (old similar here) / Necklace: bought in Italy / Bracelet: made by The Boyfriend!


Bracelet: made by the Boyfriend! This is basically all of the colors I wear, all of the time.

I wore this to my office yesterday, for a bit of a casual Friday look, but I was, unfortunately, still freezing. It was like the arctic tundra in there today. So, what I wish I wore was this:

Blazer: Banana Republic Sleek Suit Jacket sz 0 ($158, online here for $124, but I got it in-store for an amazing
$41, including tax! That story to come soon.)

This jacket is fully lined and oh-so-comfortable. And, importantly, warm! It's also my first-ever blazer, an item that has been on my to-buy list for years, and I'm so happy it finally made it into my closet (at an awesome price)!

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And the casual look:

Top: from a nearby boutique sz md ($4.00, similar here for $5.50) / Shorts: Gap sz 0 (old, similar here with 00p still available!) / Scarf: Target (old) / Purse: Coach vintage (from eBay) / Shoes: Target Elliana Wedge Sandals sz 7.5 (buy here for $24.99) / Bracelets: bought in England for about $2.

And, for when it's cold inside:

Cardigan: Forever 21 sz m

This cardigan actually rolls up and fits inside this purse perfectly, still leaving room for keys, wallet, and cell phone.

A light cotton scarf like this is my favorite accessory in the summer. It adds color to a simple outfit, keeps my neck out of the sun when I'm outside, and can keep me warm when I'm in an air-conditioned room that insists on mimicking northern Siberia.

Ummm...what?

Sunglasses: Target / Bracelets: bought in England for about $2.

The cat has the right idea. I'm off to go enjoy the sun!

Is it Fall Yet?

I think this outfit is clearly crying out for my desire for it to be September, already.

Dress: LOFT sz 0 (old, got on sale, similar, though pricier, here) / Sweater: boutique, sz sm ($20.00) / Shoes: White House Black Market sz 7.5 (old) / Belt: Bought in England

The weather two days ago was all grey and cloudy and cool in the morning (my favorite, seriously), so I decided to pretend it was fall while still keeping cool for the inevitable 20+ degree rise that would occur in the middle of the day.

The dress is actually made of cotton (though it really feels like an unfinished sort of silk) so despite the dark color, it's great for summer. And, perhaps even more importantly, it has pockets! The cardigan too, is quite thin, perfect for summer, even though the color makes
me think of fall.

This hereby marks the first time I've ever done the belt-outside-of-cardigan look. I think I can pull it off...? Sure, why not! I did have to take the belt off shortly after lunch, though, not gonna lie. Breathing became more important to me than fashion. I hate it when that happens.