Thursday, October 10, 2013

baublebar: buy all the jewelry!

tweed blazer, frye boots, maroon scarf

My preferences with jewelry have slowly been evolving. I use to be a one simple necklace, two simple rings kind of girl. That is, until I discovered Pinterest. I realized that clothes are fine on their own, but the jewels make the outfit. I have been a long time peruser of BaubleBar (the monograms were what initially drew me to their site), so when Grace, blogger and social media maven for BaubleBar, reached out to me I was SO EXCITED. They sent me this adorable little midi ring, and these gorgeous earrings to try out. If you follow along on instagram, you will have noticed I haven't taken the ring off since I received it. BaubleBar is currently celebrating their Friends and Family event, so if you've been considering buying something, now is the time! Through the 13th of this month:

Get 10% off orders of $50 or more with code FRIEND10
Get 15% off orders of $100 or more with code FRIEND15
Get 20% off orders of $150 or more with code FRIEND20

My recommendations? This tortoise necklace will go with everything, and this cuff will look great stacked with a watch.

baublebar chevron midi ring
maroon infinity scarf, tweed blazer, riding boots
Ring: c/o Bauble Bar [exact]
Blazer: J.Crew, thrifted [save | worth it splurge]
Blouse: Forever 21 [exact]
Pants: Gap [exact]
Boots: Frye [exact]
Scarf: H&M
frye paige riding boots
a few more favorites: 
linking up with mix and match fashion

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

over-thinking it

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Navy. A color that should be so easy to wear, but I always have a problem with.  Back when I got to wear jeans every day (THE GOOD OLD DAYS), wearing blue was easy because what doesn't go with jeans? My schoolboy blazer (which is currently on sale for less than $120, down from $200) was worn at least once a week. Now that I have to wear dress pants/skirts/dresses, I'm always a bit confused about what to wear with the few navy tops I have. Navy doesn't go with black, but can I wear it with other blues? What about red? Do I always have to wear my cognac shoes/belts since my black ones would clash?

Is this the dumbest blog post you've ever read or what? Just wear your clothes Fran! I know, I know. I tend to over-think getting dressed. I want to improve my style while sticking true to what I like while re-wearing all the pieces I have, but in different ways. Oh, and then take pictures of it, and put it on the internet. Writing this blog has definitely helped me do those things - figure out what my style actually is and work on building a wardrobe that is composed of pieces I love but can re-wear, and if I go back to even a year ago I can see the improvement (OMG. I just went to look what I wore exactly a year ago, and it's this same shirt. Promise I did not plan that). At the same time, it makes me hyper-aware of things that are just so dumb: 

"My buttons are gold, but the metal on my belt is silver!"

"The watch band is dark brown, but my shoes are cognac!"

"WHY DOES THIS SKIRT WRINKLE SO EASILY"

Looking for a friend here. Anyone else over-think it?
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Skirt: Anthro via eBay [similar]
Blouse: H&M
Scarf: H&M [similar]
Belt: H&M Mens
Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]
Shoes: BR c/o Chippmunk [exact]
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linking up with wiww.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

review: banana republic sloan pant versus the limited exact stretch skinny pant


It feels like finding pants I like is a never ending thing here on the blog and in my life. I kind of hate dress pants, and wish I could just wear jeans all day every day, so finding something I actually like to wear, and am allowed to wear, has been a bit of a journey.

Many people have suggested trying out the Banana Republic Sloan Pants, and with all the great reviews and available colors online, I wanted to give them a try too. Because the navy pair was on back order until the end of the year, I ordered the Mythic Blue instead. Here are my thoughts:

banana republic sloan pants review

I ordered these initially during a 40% off sale, which brought the price down to around $55 from $90. I am not the biggest fan. 

Pros:
  • The fabric, a 50% viscose / cotton / spandex mix is very comfortable, and surprisingly thick.
  • They come in a bunch of fun colors, and even in patterns.
  • If you are taller than I am, these do come in talls which could make them long enough to be ankle pants instead of crops


Cons:
  • I ordered them in a size 12 Tall because my pencil pants from the Limited are just a tiny bit shorter than I want (which is why they are currently at the tailor to be let down), so I was hoping that the tall length would fix that. I think these are now too long, and are full on pants, not ankle pants. 
  • They are too loose in the knee and leg area, which makes me look dumpy. I'm not sure how much my opinion would change if I tried these on in a regular instead of a tall, which would make them more like real ankle pants. Unfortunately, I do not have a BR in my area so I can't try them on.
  • Like the J.Crew Minnie pants [review here], these also do not have front pockets, which I just don't understand. Maybe it's different for me because on my body my thighs stick out in the front, so I need something that breaks up that area, instead of drawing attention to my thighs like this whole no pocket business is doing. 
  • Dry Clean only 
See Jean's [of Extra Petite] review here, and Lauren [from The Pear Shape] will have one coming up in a few days as well, if you are interested in seeing them on various body types.

In comparison, The Limited Exact Stretch Skinny Pants:
the limited exact stretch skinny pants review
I already own these pants in the maroon color, so I knew what I was getting myself into. I went in recently with my roommate while they were having a 40% off sale, and picked these up in blue. Here are more detailed thoughts, and what still needs to change

Pros:
  • Machine washable! 
  • Front pockets help break up the thigh area
  • The color isn't too dark (I thought the pencil pants in navy were almost black, but these you can clearly see are navy)
  • Long enough off the rack in regulars to be considered ankle pants, not cropped pants (per our dress code anyway!)
Cons:
  • I liked the fabric of the Sloan pants a bit more. These are still nice and stretchable, but not as soft as the viscose fabric of the Sloan.
  • Still too loose in the knee. This is a problem I have with all pants, so I spoke with my tailor, and for around $10 (as these are unlined pants), she's taking the knees in on these. If that is successful, I will have her do it to my maroon pair as well. I'll write an update on that for sure as I think it's somewhat of a stranger alteration, but something some of you may be interested in too if you have weird legs like me ;)

So that's it! The Limited Pants are here to stay - they've really been pulling through for me as all but one pair of my dress pants are from there. I'm now officially done buying pants for a while. I hope all of these various reviews (see the Gap dress pants, J.Crew Minnie, Gap Ponte Pants) have helped some of you in your own journey to find pants that don't make us look like we have elephant legs!

P.S. J.Crew is running a 40% off all final sale items using code EXTRA40 - I may have made my friend Neel add this shirt in with his order so we could split shipping. I'm glad I waited out on the price as it's been hovering around $90 for months now, and finally went under $50 with the current promotion. Is there anything you have your eye on? 

Monday, October 7, 2013

happy heart happy life

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It was such a good weekend! Like I said on Friday, Chris and I have spent the last three months apart so deciding to do a last minute trip half way between us was exactly what we needed. It was Chris's birthday on Friday, and I'm so glad we got to celebrate at least the last hour of it together (in the middle of Indiana).

We did a bunch of annoying couple things, but also went out into the real world to buy his birthday present. He wanted a second G-Shock watch because they apparently are what all the surgeons he works with wear, so we went and bought him this one. Boy fashion, mmkay. While he was busy deciding which watch he wanted, I spent a good amount of time staring down all the rose-gold watches. I've wanted one for so long (years!) but I'm really picky about watches (I hate little fake diamonds and little fake hands). I have a little bit of extra money coming in in about a month, so I'm thinking about taking a portion to buy a watch (outside of my budget - such a rebel). I really like the look of this one, and possibly something a little bit more masculine like this (which is actually a guys watch). Any recommendations or experiences with Michael Kors or Stuhrling watches? I'm not looking to buy one immediately, but would like to narrow down the choices.

On the way around the mall, we somehow found ourselves in Forever 21. I've been wearing my cream open cardigan almost every day (it's a great cardigan to study in), so when I was heading towards the check out line to buy this sweater (it's super soft and long enough on me!) and saw that it came in maroon too, I was torn. I rarely buy duplicates of items, but I like the cream version so much, and I knew that I would actually wear it all the time (and actually do that, not just say it), so I bought it as well. I used to really hate open cardigans, but I've completely changed my mind on them, especially the thicker sweater kind. It's like wearing a snuggie, but a socially acceptable one. I'm always a little bit torn on shopping at Forever 21 though. While filled with heaps of super trendy items a la the lip sweater seen all over the blogosphere, they also have some great "staple" pieces that I wear over and over again. The quality is totally hit or miss, but I've had pretty good luck with their knits, even though I'm always a bit sheepish to admit where they're from. I know that they've also had some issues with copying of smaller designers, so it's a constant internal battle of inexpensive clothing versus being a better consumer.

We went into Gap looking for a winter jacket for Chris, but of course made a quick trip to the women's section. I've been admiring Whitney and Dotty's black and white geometric shoes, so when I saw this awesome herringbone pair, I marched them straight to the cash register. Chris says they look like carpet (may be true) but I think they are awesome, and I don't own any printed shoes (does leopard count?) so I'm really excited about them. Like most Gap shoes, they'll require some breaking in, but that's nothing a little buffer stick can't take care of. I also spotted this sweater dress, which is a total dupe of the Madewell version, so if you've had your eye on the more expensive version (as seen on Dotty, Erika, all the cool kids), this may be a great alternative for winter as it's fleece lined. I wish the sleeves were not so capped sleeved (never my friend) or else I would totally have tried it on. 

Of course there was more than just shopping, including delicious Mexican food, arcade game playing, and late night pizzas for watching Miley on SNL. Driving away from each other was a lot easier this time than it was when I first left because I knew I was returning to good people, and because I know that I'll get to see him in 6.2 weeks (at Thanksgiving. No I don't have a countdown. Okay, yes I do.)

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Jeans: Kut from the Kloth via Nordstrom Rack
Tee: Everlane [exact - reviewed here]
Belt: Gap [current color]
Shoes: Banana Republic c/o Chippmunk [exact]
Bag: Coach [very similar style]
Bracelet: c/o Apple of My Eye
Watch: Target

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Friday, October 4, 2013

distance makes the heart grow...

DSC08986 
Sadder. Chris and I are going on month three of not having seen each other. It's the longest we've ever not seen each other in the 5.5 years we've been dating. The first summer we were dating we lived on opposite sides of the country while he did an internship and I worked as a camp counselor, but ever since then we've never spent more than a week apart. After living together for four years, moving ten hours away has been a real adjustment, as anyone who has ever done this damn LDR stuff knows. With him doing away rotations on the west coast in August and September, and me going through the first few months of medical school closer to the east coast, figuring out a way to see each other has been difficult.

Except this weekend. This weekend we get half a weekend to be together and I'm so excited :)

DSC09006
Dress: Madewell [exact on sale]
Cardigan: Old Navy [similar | awesome chevron version]
Necklace: Kate Spade [birthday present from Chris]
Ring: c/o Tryst Jewellery [exact]
Shoes: Banana Republic c/o Chippmunk [exact]
Belt: H&M Mens

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

review: gap ponte legging jeans

gap ponte legging jeans 
With it finally being fall here (didn't you know? IT'S FALL Y'ALL!), it means that it's time for the two best things about fall - boots and scarves (PSL not included). Last year I wore my boots with jeans all the time, but that's not dress code appropriate at school, so I'm happy to say that I have a new, even more comfortable, alternative.

These ponte knit "legging pants" received rave reviews both from some of you guys, and the online reviews. During a recent 40% off promotion (that happen every other week), I finally ordered them. I decided to go down a size based on some of the reviews, and it's a good thing I did as they definitely run a bit larger. I ordered these in a 10 Regular (usually I buy pants in talls/longs) as I mainly want to wear them with boots, so I wouldn't have cared if they were a bit too short. It seems that they are also a bit longer as I have to fold them over to wear with flats (as seen below). 

The rayon /nylon /spandex fabric is so comfortable and stretchy, which also means that for them not to be baggy you want to size down at least one size. I have been wearing them for about a day straight, with lots of walking around, sitting, and napping (gotta try out all of the positions!) and I have not experienced any sagging around the butt or knees (the two places it's most likely to happen on me). The fabric is much thicker than a regular leggings, but still on the not structured end spectrum of pants. Because they have seams, pockets, and a zipper, they definitely look like pants, but feel like leggings, so they may not be appropriate for every work place. I know that with boots that these will be great for school, but they are very form fitting all the way down the leg, so I don't think I'll wear them with just flats to school. On the other hand, I think these will be a huge staple on weekends just because they are so comfortable, yet are more polished than wearing sweats to Panera for our 10+ hour sessions there.

Now that I have the pants, I can't wait to find the boots! 

Edit: I forgot to mention that these are an online exclusive, which means that they will also have to be returned by mail (but Gap has free returns so that's not that big of a deal)

gap ponte legging jeans, frye paige boots
and for the weekends:
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DSC08979
Pants: Gap [exact]
Chambray: Old Navy [similar]
Necklace: gift from Kimmie :)
Boots: Frye [exact]
Flats: Banana Republic [exact]
Belt: H&M Mens

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

polka dots!


I love polka dots, as you guys very well know. I really loved seeing all of the different ways these six other bloggers wore theirs! Make sure you check each of their posts here: