What I've Been Wearing // Welcome, Fall!

It's here!

I put What I Wore posts on my blog from time to time, but I thought I'd give you a little sample here. Fall is my favorite season for many reasons, but one of the biggest ones is the clothes. I love jeans, I love boots, and I love soft, warm tops. The majority of what you see in the above photos came from J.Crew. 

[Check here for outfit details.]

At the risk of sounding incredibly creepy and possibly inappropriate, let me ask: 

What are you wearing right now?

Rain and English Breakfast,

What We Wore - Rack 'em up!

The other day I went shopping by myself to clear my head.  You know how a good retail therapy session is.  I headed to Khol's, Target, & JC Penny.  I love these stores because they always have good clearance sections. I know JCP just got done with a huge clearance event before Labor Day but when I headed in I still found a load of good stuff.

For example, the outfit I wore yesterday:

dress :: Khol's ($18)

Shirt (under dress) :: Khol's ($10)

Cardigan :: JCP ($14)

Clogs :: Thrifted ($4)

Rings :: JCP ($29 originally $80) & gift ($40)

Watch :: Target ($12)

Outfit total :: $87

Now I really couldn't believe I bought that ring.  But it was super reminiscent of one I lost back in school so I felt I had to buy it.  I am also on the hunt for another one that was lost at the same time, that my mother gave me.  This one was given to me by my mother & it was given to her by her mother.  I was completely torn up for days (and still get waves of sadness) over it.

This is the ring that was a gift from the picture above. It was also from my mother.  We found it in a consignment shop in her home town over last Thanksgiving.  Both she & my grandfather have one like it.  I always loved hers & wanted one.  It wasn't until my grandfather passed away that I realized he had one & she always love it.  I am very excited to see that this is something we all share:

I believe it is onyx.  There is a diamond in the middle.

Anyway, the point of this post is that I have found super awesome deals on clothes by just shopping in the clearance rack.  I even think that since I have been on my own I've only bought one or two full price things.  I think I am setting a new little goal to only shop in the clearance section.  I mean when I hit a store I look for those red signs!  

I have also decided to see if I can get away with thrift store or handmade gifts for xmas.  I've already picked up my sisters gift fro a total of $4!  Two absolutely lovely satchels that were 2 bucks a pop!

You can also pop by Five Sixteenths & see that I wore a near similar outfit to work again the next day. 

What are you skimping & saving on?

Where do you draw the savings line?

Are second hand/clearance gifts ok?

What We Wore - Moe's Office Style

I love the office I work it! I get to be creative everyday, I have loads of fun people to be around, I get facials (big plus) & I get to put my degree to work.  Not to mention I get to dress cute.

I am the type of person that looks much better in skirts than in pants.  There has been an ongoing feud of dress pants in my closet.  This has been going on since probably the 2004.  I had one pair that fit me perfectly when I was in high school.  But my butt won't fit in them any more.

The problem is this: My hips are not wide enough for the size of my waist.  So when I shop, I get the effect of ridding pants, the balloon out at the sides.  And let me say it's like this:

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And not like this:

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Both of these images come from etsy surprisingly

So dress pants an I do not get along.  It is a rare occasion that I find a great pair that fit me in all the right ways.  Now I could get them tailored or do it myself but I think this gives me another excuse to wear/buy dresses & skirts.  Good enough for me.

So in the office you can most likely catch me wearing a dress or skirt.  Today I wore a dress, my graduation dress in fact.  Yay class of 2011!

Dress :: H&M

Cardigan :: TJ Maxx

Bag :: Spotted Moth

Shoes :: Thrifted

Bracelet :: DIY

I've been wearing these shoes nearly everyday right now.  I love the pop of color.  I based this Rad Red post on them last week!  The bag is also one of my favorites! I got it before the end of the school year last year & love it.  Spotted Moth is like the greatest shop ever.  As creepy as this is, Monica Burnett (the owner) was my total inspiration for crochet designs back when she owned Monica Burnett Hats.  I even emailed her once when I was looking to start up a handmade business.  She is my craft/retail icon!  So I totally suggest checking out the blog & the Spotted Moth Shop! They just opened a retail store too! How exciting, right?

Is there anything in your wardrobe that you are loving right now?

Are you wearing it everyday?

What We Wore: White Hot Colors.

While searching for inspiration on Vogue, I ran across a feature about fall’s bright and bold color palette. I had just bought these J Brand pants three days before and I must say I felt pretty fashion forward about the purchase.  

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Because the pants had a rip right above the knee they were only $3 (I bought them at Gabriel Brothers).  That’s right….three smackaroos!  You can’t get a soda at the movies for that! Clearly I’m still thrilled about it.  But it was a little but of an outfit-building challenge, since it required a relatively neutral colored top and the pants themselves were so funky to begin with. I was confident in buying them though because they took something that I already love (corduroys) and mixed in an upcoming trend.  This is a really good way to attempt to pull of something edgy, because it won’t take you too far out of your comfort zone.  At the same time, there's a certain undeniably bad ass feeling to wearing an atypical color on something that's typically neutral (such as cords).

Here’s the outfit I put together with the bright pants as the star of the show. Unfortunately my photo doesn’t do justice to their deep teal velvetiness, but I think you will get the gist of it.  The subtle leopard print top was a go-to for me all summer, and the gold studded suede shoes have just recently been recruited to the multitudes of my shoe army.

How do you pull off trends while remaining true to your personal style?

What fall trends are you excited about?

Color me rad,

 

What We Wore: Job Interview!

What We Wore: Job Interview! by est1839 featuring leather shoes

So, today I went to DC to apply for the position of Objects Conservation Technician at the National Gallery of Art.  I'm not sure if I'll get it, because there were a lot of applicants.  However, I feel pretty good about it and I am sure that I made a good impression with my professional prowess in style as well as with my laboriously crafted portfolio.  I wore black pinstriped pants, a sheer ivory blouse, and black wedges.  The wedges (from Target) were commanding yet comfortable, and my shirt was breezy enough to keep me cool as I briskly walked down the National Mall.  What are some of your favorite professional pieces?  And how do you deal with the heat of the summer despite the need to stay covered?  We'd love to hear from you!
here's hoping!
Amy

What I Wore: Fiesta Dinner Style

So recently I got a iPhone (whomp whomp).  I do love the heck out of it.  It is a phone, camera, mini-computer, music station, etc all in one.  My purse is so much lighter.

Now I will say that I have about 1,000 toy camera apps on my phone (more like 6 or so) & I love them.  This one was taken with Instaplus (an app to go with Instagram).  It was before I stepped out to a delicious Mexican Restaurant with some friends.

Look how hipster I am.....

So I thought I'd share with you my summer go to outfit inspiration from, guess where, Polyvore!

Check the set out here

During the summer I live in casual clothes.  For me (my size & my modesty) sometimes sleevless & shorts aren't an option.  I either opt for shorts with a tee from Forever21 or shorts with a light cardigan. 

I like wearing cardigans into the summer because layers are my friend.

I suggest picking up cardigans that are jersey knit & short sleeve to keep cool during the heat.

Strappy sandals, a messenger bag, & watch are essential.  I can't live if I don't have my watch on.

(I forgot it last night & was constantly looking at my bare wrist!)

I also mix brown & black.  I think if there is an equal mix that the taboo isn't too bad.

What do you live in in the Summer time? 

Do you have instagram? follow me! I always post them to twitter too!

Follow @withlovecrochet & @est1839blog

What We Wore to the Black-and-White Ball

In the July issue of Glamour (one of our fave magazines), there was a shoot with Janelle Monae, a soulful singer and fashion maven, known to wear almost exclusively black and white outfits. I know a lot of people associate black and white with Truman Capote or Audrey Hepburn, but I think it's definitely still awesome with frontrunners like Janelle Monae.  I tried my own interpretations - here they are!


I thought this looked more classically black-and-white, and more ladylike, channeling Audrey for sure.  Patent-leather kitten heels, a white sundress, and a black sash.  I also tied my hair in an unfussy knot, and my makeup was demure (eyeliner only on the top lid, mascara, foundation, lip balm).  Honestly, it wasn't that comfortable, and I wasn't about to put on a big floppy hat to go to the races.  A mint julep would be nice, though.



This is my salute to Ms. Monae and her wonderful re-interpretation of Capote's Black and White Ball.  There's still a sliver of femininity, but it's much more powerful, with a men's blazer, faux-croc cluth (how fab is that? It's from ModCloth) and velvet heels with zippers by Steve Madden.  Her style advice? Red lips, or nails, or shoes.

So, what do you think? Have we succeeded in re-telling this classic tale? Send us your awesome black-and-white outfits here, or find us on Twitter.



(Special thanks to my photographer, Will, my younger brother. You're awesome - TEAM WILL.)

What We Wore

A few weeks ago during a free magazine reading session at the Longwood bookstore (this anecdote is making me nostalgic already), I handed a copy of Nylon magazine to my friend.  He looked at me skeptically, but having just looked over everything of real interest to him he had nothing to lose.  After a few moments of quiet contemplation he looked up and exclaimed “I wish more girls dressed like this!” 

dailystab.com

 One of the things I love about Nylon is the way that they pick a character (often from an older film, but sometimes from pop culture in general) and outline interesting modern variants on their style.  They also tell you new ways to construct outfits and transform blasé looks to blazing ones (à la Nicki Minaj).  I love their ability to make weirdness work, and they always introduce me to styles I want to emulate.  In addition to this they always include really interesting color schemes, which I particularly love because I have a tendency to dress in the same colors all the time (primarily blacks, grays, and blues).

So in the true sense of their experimental attitude, I often choose a theme and base my outfit for the day around it.  It helps me utilize the funkier pieces in my wardrobe and it also makes that certain weirdness blend in a little better. This particular outfit was M.I.A. inspired, and I wore it on my Friday off to run errands on a hot day made even hotter by my A.C. being broken in my car.

  Often in the summer light colors and floral patterns rule.  While this is a pretty and classic look, I like to break out of the ordinary, and this outfit does that without being too strange for everyday.  I like to sub out the traditional summer sun dress for a high-waisted skirt paired with an African batik print top.  The top and the skirt are both from Gabriel Brothers for about $6 a piece.  It takes a little hunting to find something amazing there, but it’s completely worth it. You could also pair a similar skirt with a striped shirt for a nautical style (my other favorite thematic twist to a summer outfit).  More on that later.