Day 86: Boot debut

For an early birthday present, my mom gave me these boots! I am really excited about them because while I have rain and snow boots (and one pair of ripped gray boots from Payless), I needed some that value form over function. I plan to wear these all the time, and think they will be comfortable and will age gracefully and wear in nicely. 

Let me know in the comments if you would like this shirt! I bought it last year, but it doesn't fit anymore. (size large) Who do I think I am, the Pioneer Woman?

Shirt: Daffy's

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: Gift from Mom

Ruby earrings: Gift from Denise

Philadelphia Bracelet: The "With Love" Philadelphia Campaign at a First Friday event

Bag: Coach

Day 85: Who needs pants?

Among the many things I am concluding about my wardrobe and clothing in general is that pants are overrated.  Skirts and dresses are totally the way to go if you want to look pulled together and interesting,and have some variety to your look.  It's obviously good to have a few great pairs of pants, but all of my outfits would be so boring if I wore each top with a pair of black or khaki pants.  I think this shirt is pretty, but I have been putting off wearing it because it's too boring to wear with pants, but it doesnt match many of my skirts.  If I had an occasion to wear a business suit recently, I would consider wearing this shirt underneath, as long as I continue to safety pin the ruffled neckline to make it work-appropriate. 

Shirt: Gap

Skirt: J. Crew

Shoes: Payless

Watch: From Margaret

Necklace: Don't know

Day 84: Sweet style

My tastes have changed recently. I'm growing up: I sometimes prefer red wine to white, I might choose a savory dish or some cheese to a piece of cake, and I want to wear richer tones, rather than just sweet and floral pieces. The problem with that last part is I just don't have any clothes that aren't on the soft and pretty side of things.  The word that I have been thinking of lately is "edgy."  I want my clothes to be edgier. Couldn't I put together an outfit like this one? Is there a leather jacket in my future? When the weather cools off, it will be the right time to dig out darker shades and richer hues, and hopefully I'll find that I have something that offers a statement hiding under all of these pastels and florals.

 Shirt: TJ Maxx?

Skirt: J. Crew

Bag: Target

Shoes: Banana Republic Outlet

Necklace and Earrings: Ten Thousand Villages

ps. I'm trying to link this up to The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday, so I hope I am doing this correctly! It looks like a forum to get a bunch of blog outfits together in one place to be inspired and get more into this outfit blog community :)



Day 83: Dancing in Ivy

A few friends are coming over to my place after work today, and I thought that this dress would be perfect for hostessing.  My sister-in-law, Rebecca, lent the dress to me, and I love it! I'm glad it works with this cardigan, because the embroidery has a cold-weather feel to me, but it's strapless and sleeveless, so it isn't exactly a Christmas time dress. It's still warm outside, and it's sure to be warm in my apartment tonight even though Dave took care of all of the cooking last night. 

You can't see the lace detailing on this cardigan, but it's there, and this is the dress I wore for the chillier parts of my wedding on April 10, 2010!

 Dress: Rebecca's, from Anthropologie

Cardigan: H&M

Shoes: Payless
Lindsay necklace: Gift from Mom

Ruby earrings: Bridesmaid gift from Denise

Bag: Target

Sunglasses: Kohl's

Day 82: The warm days continue

I was all set to show you my exciting new riding boots, but with temperatures in the 80s, I thought I had to wear a few more warm-weather pieces first. I believe that this light pink shirt is the final installment in my Vancouver shopping spree series; that must mean it is time to go back!

Shirt: Unknown shop in Vancouver

Gray shirt: Gap

Skirt: Old Navy

Heels: Nine West via TJ Maxx

Bag: From Mom

Pink pearl necklace and pearl earrings: Surely fake, and don't know source

Sunglasses: Kohl's

Day 81: A subtle green for the losing team

Hit the road early for a drive to Baltimore to watch football with Dave's family on Sunday.  Please don't expect much from me--it was a day of sitting around and I am still full a day later. It was also not a happy game, and I didn't bring my sunglasses, which affected my driving about as much as these pictures.
Dave's sister did lend me another batch of clothes, which I am so excited about! I already packed for Jamaica, even though we don't leave for another 8 days.

Shirt: Old Navy

Pants: Banana Republic

Shoes: Sperry

Necklace: Ten Thousand Villages

Bag: Goodwill

Day 80: Ein Prosit

After the race, we went to Brauhaus Schmitz for their craziest Oktoberfest yet. The whole stretch of South Street between 7th and 8th was closed off for the festivities, and we had great food and beer with great friends. Afterwards, we went back to Jenny's house for games, pizza, and good company. Then straight to bed because it was a long day and we had another drive to Baltimore in the morning.

Dress: Daffy's

Cardigan: Gap

Belt: Old Navy

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Necklace: Ten Thousand Villages

Day 80: The Illegal Allens

Dave and I joined 179 other teams to race around Philadelphia in the Great Urban Race on Saturday. In these shiny costumes, we covered 8.5 miles, 5.5 of which was on foot. For this race, each team must have matching or coordinating outfits, and we didn't have anything inspired by aliens or farm laborers. I realized that I was going to have to wear this old Vanna White costume from about 1995 one way or another, and with shorts underneath, it's actually pretty comfortable to run in. Much better than my wedding dress. So Dave wore the old Dayman costume that I made in 2009 for our It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Halloween costumes, and we were vaguely aliens from the 80s or something like that.  At least until we had to do a couple of yoga poses and his costume ripped in two spots. Luckily, we had packed an extra pair of shorts for him. 

We were the 3rd team to finish the race, and would've won $100, except we weren't doing a soccer pose in one picture that required it, so we got a 30 minute penalty and forfeited our prize to the Holy Cows, two girls dressed as cows with halos, wings, and pink balloons for udders.

Good luck in New Orleans, Lauren and Jessica!

Dave made a Google map of our route so we could see how much ground we covered and so you can see where they sent us.

Day 79: Hot pink

After a busy week, I was so excited to have Friday night free. But between laundry, gym, and a stop at Philly Aids Thrift (you thought I was going to say "tanning", didn't you?), the evening got used up pretty quickly. I bought a few items at PAT, but we didn't find a costume for Dave to wear during the Great Urban Race the next day. You'll soon see what we ended up wearing.

Cardigan: Gap, gift from Mom

Tank top: might have been Aunt Kim's?

Leggings: Target

Rainboots: Also from Mom. Maybe from Kohl's

Bag: Gap

Day 79: A Story About a Vest

Yesterday's necklace was from Margaret, and today's vest is another gift from her, so I should give you a bit of background. After my grandmother, Aga, passed away in 1995, my grandfather, Pa, started going to church. It was there that he met Margaret for the second time. The first time was when she went to her brother's school dance at McDonogh, where all of the other boys, including a young Pa, were captivated by her.  She became a model, married a movie star, and then, years and years later, married Pa in 1997.

As this story relates to the blog, for Christmas, Aga gave me Life Savers and Hans Christian Andersen books. In 1996, Pa gave me an LL Bean tote that I didn't appreciate at the time, but completely adore now. And since then, Margaret has been giving me clothes from brands I hadn't heard of before I met her.  Margaret introduced me to Anthropologie in the 90's, as well as her old friend Lilly Pulitzer. This vest is from Banana Republic and is one of a number of cold-weather pieces she has given to me as a gift. These days, Margaret lives in a retirement home in Maryland, where everyone calls her Ms. Hollywood, and she is more glamorous than I could ever hope to be.

Top: Gap

Vest: Gift from Margaret, Banana Republic

Jeans: Gap, Laura's

Shoes: New from Urban Outfitters

Headband: ??

Earrings: Gift from Dave's mom

Bag: Betsy's, Tommy Hilfiger

Day 78: Bold Neutrals

I have style revelations every day as a result of this project and blog, and my most recent is that I should start shopping at the same stores I liked about 6 years ago. In the past few years, I've been working toward a wardrobe by Anthropologie, Banana Republic, J. Crew, etc. and steering away from H&M, Urban Outfitters, and other companies that I thought I was outgrowing.  But with a few recent purchases from Forever 21 and the new addition of these tights, I'm starting to believe that these kinds of stores are perfect for providing trendy pieces or pieces that I don't expect to last forever. $5 tights are especially better than $20 tights that I don't buy because I can't bring myself to pay $20 for tights.

Top: Banana Republic via Goodwill

Skirt: J. Crew

Tights: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Nine West via Macy's

Necklace: Gift from my Margaret (Banana Republic)

Bag: Banana Republic

Day 77: Business Cozy

Another day, another outfit. Just a step on the way to wearing all of my clothes. This pretty beaded top, which is perfect for this weather since it's made of a soft, sweatery material, is borrowed from my husband's sister, Rebecca.  I know this wouldn't count as "my" clothes, then, but since I have it now, I'm wearing it.  By the end of the project--a few months down the road--I will have worn everything that is still in my closet, in my drawers, and under my bed. Ok, I keep a lot of things other places too. The hall closet, the hook near the front door, my jewelry boxes and stand...I will wear it all. Just you wait.

Shirt: Rebecca's from Banana Republic

Pants: Sears
Shoes: Payless

Bag: Kohl's

Earrings: Gift from Kelly from Ethiopia

Bracelet: No clue. See how it's restrung on a yellow plastic cord?

Day 76: Black and green

This is about as close to camouflage as I will ever wear. No camo capris for me! Like I've said before, I really only know how to wear black shirts with jeans, but I mixed it up a little bit today for your sake.  When I checked the weather this morning, it said it was 63 and sunny, when in fact it is warmer and rainier than that.  So this outfit was poorly planned for the weather, but I threw on a leafy velour jacket that got me through some similar weather in England and Ireland in 2007.

Top: Express

Skirt: Anthropologie

Shoes: Banana Republic Outlet

Bag: Target

Scarf and earrings: From Mom

Day 75: My Grandmother's Sweater

I have had this sweater for 16 years and have never, ever worn it.  That's what happens when you receive and keep a garment for sentimental reasons.  The last time I wore a brown dress, I had no idea how to style it because it was 100 degrees outside.  Obviously, the answer is an itchy, warm sweater now that there is a chill in the air.  Dave always takes my picture as we walk to work and the air is still brisk, but since it may warm up substantially by lunchtime, I like that I'm not committed to a warm sweater all day long.

Dress: Banana Republic

Cardigan: Was my dad's mom's (Aga's)

Belt: gift from Ali

Bag: Goodwill

Shoes: Chinese Laundry via Macy's

Earrings: Don't know

ps. A colleague just asked if the sweater was handmade, and I realized that there are no tags, so I guess it is!

Day 74: An Apple a Day

Can you tell that I'm bummed that Dave and I never took engagement photos? Good thing I have a sister who is willing to take our pictures when we are being silly. As you know, she is also excellent at sharing her clothing with me. Thanks, Bets! No full-length shots here; I'm just wearing jeans and sneakers, since I have yet to find a great and affordable pair of boots. 

 I like what that New Jersey water does to my hair.



Josh was only interested in throwing apples and using them as a telephone.

Sweater: Forever 21 (yes, Betsy's)
Jeans: Gap
Sneakers: Nike
Earrings: Gift from Betsy
Apples: I actually haven't eaten one of these yet.



Day 73: Stripes in Jersey

I like to throw pictures of my nephew in here every so often to increase the cute quotient.  I spent part of this weekend back home in New Jersey so we could hang out with the family and pick apples on Sunday. I also wore this dress to a brunch party on Saturday morning to celebrate the birthday of our friend Claire. 

  Sometimes this dress is flattering; othertimes, not so much. 

Dress: A boutique in Vancouver

Shoes: Banana Republic Outlet

Earrings: Gift from Betsy

Bag: Goodwill

Day 72: Bundle

You know what I love about fall, and if you don't, everyone you know has written about it on facebook. I never knew it had such wide-spread appeal, and thought that I just love autumn because I was born in October and am used to celebrating as the air turns pleasantly chilly.  I'm not quite ready to jump into jacket and butternut squash weather, but I'm easing into the season slowly. Yes, I can do plaid.

Vest and top: My sister Betsy's

Jeans and bag: Old Navy

Boots: Payless

Sunglasses: Gap

Earrings: Made by Mom's friend Suzanne

Day 71: Grey or Gray?

I promise that I tried to iron this dress. I guess it is meant to be wrinkled forever. I think I'll keep the belt on to make it look like it has caused some of the wrinkling. I'm planning on having this outfit take me through work, happy hour, and babysitting, all in the rain, so we'll see how that goes. I promise to keep happy hour tame, since I'm going straight to babysitting.

Dress: Francesca's

Black tights: Gift from Dave

Shoes and bag: Old Navy

Belt: Betsy's

Necklace: Gift from Lauren, you can't see it but I promise it's there

Also wearing mystery purple bracelet and another fake engagement ring from Kelly

Day 70: Making the most of my summer wardrobe

Fashion bloggers keep talking about transitional outfits that take them from summer to fall with a nice cape or some tights. I don't feel like I'm there yet, but I guess that cardigans count. I am definitely not ready for big, cozy sweaters quite yet, and neither is the weather. I'm happy to wear summer outfits with a little bit of added warmth, and cold weather will come soon enough.

I was very surprised this morning when the lady at the dry cleaner's told me that my eyelashes are very beautiful and long.

I was also very surprised that I was able to go to the dry cleaner before work this morning.

Top: Kohl's?

Cardigan: Primark (ok, I have 2 things left from there)

Skirt: Tommy Hilfiger via TJ Maxx via Betsy

Shoes: Barefeet Shoes

Earrings: J. Karma
Purse: Vera Bradley, from Mom

Day 69: Still Summer

Before dinner at 10 Arts last night, Dave and I popped into Gap to find a pair of sunglasses for him. Instead, we left with pants, shorts, and a top for me. I can't help it; the sales were great! And they were all on the list of items that I actually really need. Take these pants, for instance. Won't they be perfect for our travels to warmer climes next month? I probably settled on this outfit because I have been thinking about our hotel in Santa Monica, which I found out about on Cup of Jo.  I have a business trip to Los Angeles planned for next month, and since it overlaps with our birthdays, Dave is coming with me and we're turning it into a fun mini-vacation. 

I don't usually feel very feminine in a polo, but this scarf saves the day!

Top: Target

Pants: Gap

Shoes: Payless

Scarf: From Mom

Bag: Banana Republic

Anchor Earrings: Forever21

Ring: J. Karma

A Wardrobe Update

Want to see how I'm doing on my project? Here are a few pictures of what I have worn and what I have yet to wear. I'm still aiming for a December end date; maybe I can get it to coincide with the end of the year.  I have a few observations about what I need to fill out my wardrobe: any kind of shorts, white pants/skirt/shorts that are cooler than my jeans, nice blouses, and a pair or two of boots.  I have been dreaming of a pair of riding boots for a while now. 

My half of the closet: it looks about half worn and half not yet worn, with the dividing line being that furry plaid vest, which you haven't seen yet. You can't see everything in this picture, which happens with a moderately sized closet that is shared with a husband whose wardrobe is also improving.  There are also shelves along the top of the closet.



Most of the tops I have worn so far.  I keep these in a duffel bag in my closet for now.

 

Remaining tops. Many of them are really not so work-appropriate. Lots of loose-fitting, plain colored tees.  At least I gave away most of my going-out shirts after college.



A few more tees: generally not work-appropriate, but also not gym-eligible.  Weekends and evenings, get ready for Evergreen Lumber.