the "I have nothing to wear" uniform

There are some outfit posts that I'm really excited to share with you guys, and to be honest, it usually involves a new piece of clothing. Blogging can really make you believe you constantly have to show new! exciting! things! all the time. But my blog revolves around my life (instead of the other way around), so many of my outfits don't always have new things to show. 

Mixing and matching what you have is harder than just wearing a new item, but I think for just about all of us, we mix and match the items in our closet way more than we wear new items. I think that's why sometimes we all stand in front of our closets and say we "have nothing to wear", when in reality, we have a ton of clothes, we're just not excited about wearing any of them. On those days, I personally will default to one of my uniforms. On this day, I defaulted to my pencil skirt + blouse (this Loft version is one of my favorites) + pendant necklace uniform. Is it the most exciting thing you have ever seen on this blog? Probably not, but it is my answer to the whiny statement of "I have nothing to wear!".

Blouse: Loft [same style]

Skirt: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Necklace: Forever 21 [similar for <$20 | more options]

Shoes: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Bag: Mulberry via eBay [save | exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

baby catching

Today was my first day of my first OB rotation this year (I elected to do OB as part of my "core" rotation as well as my scheduled OB rotation) and I am so excited! Going into medical school, I really thought I was going to go into OB. Over the past two years, I've really tried to stay open minded about all the different specialities out there - it makes it hard on the first day of every rotation when the doctor asks, "So, what do you want to be when you grow up?" but it also makes each rotation more fun because I try to picture myself doing it. Right now, OB is definitely in my top five...but so is emergency, GI, peds, and path. I really have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, but I do know that I'm so ready to catch a baby or two in the next month.

On a completely different, and more sartorial, note, I found some new work pants this weekend! I always come back to The Limited when it comes to pants - for some reason, they always fit me best. I purchased these grey pants, which really are basically the grey version of the pants above. As with all dress pants from The Limited, I have to have my tailor take in the knees, but that's a small price to pay. I would like to eventually also get this bootleg pair of pants too. Maybe next month, as this month's budget is pretty much blowwwwwnnnn.

Blouse: Loft [exact in teal]

Pants: The Limited [exact]

Necklace: Forever 21 [save | splurge]

Shoes: Tory Burch [save | spend]

Bag: Tory Burch c/o Shopbop [exact]

the "new" favorite

I know that bloggers tend to say "this is my new favorite shirt/dress/shoe" about any new item, but this shirt is seriously my favorite thing right now. I've worn it three times in the eleven days I've owned it - from a post-exam lunch date to a history and physical practical to a few hours at the library.

I'm in the process of writing a post about how to build a cohesive wardrobe because it's the thing I'm e-mailed about most, and one of my biggest tips is finding out exactly what and why you like something, and then buy similar items. For me, my favorite tops in my closet are all like this one - a simple, long-sleeved, non-collared, shirt that either has pretty details, a fun pattern, or a pretty color like this one. They are simple enough that I can wear multiple accessories with it, and they can be worn in a variety of situations. They are the shirts I reach for again and again, so that's why I'm okay saying that this is a "new favorite", because I know I'll wear it...again and again :)

(it was actually 45 degrees this day - but of course the one place with shade for these pictures was the only area with snow!)

Blouse: Loft [exact on sale - mine is a tall medium]

Jeans: Madewell [exact]

Necklace: Forever 21 [more options below]

Watch: Michael Kors [save | exact]

Ring: c/o Shopbop [exact]

Shoes: Banana Republic [exact on HUGE sale]

Nails: Essie [exact]

via instagram

I'm all about these longer necklaces right now rather than shorter statement necklaces. While I won't be able to wear them while on rotations, I love how such a simple necklace can make the outfit. Here are a few others currently out there - I just ordered an inexpensive tassel one from Forever 21 and can't wait to receive it!

one | two | three

four | five | six