OOTD: Before I go…

I could not leave without one heckuva OOTD post. I have far too many waiting to get their moment on the blog. So here goes. For the past few weeks I’ve been doing better on the the weekends then during the work week. In the winter I could test an outfit for an hour or two on Saturday and still safely wear it on Monday. Not so in this warm muckiness. I test, I wash, then I wear.

I have to admit this outfit was a “hmm, what’s clean?” moment, which for me basically means I hadn’t done laundry in about 4 months. (Kidding! Sort of.) It worked out so well though that I immediately laundered it and wore it to work for my casual Friday look. Have I mentioned that I love the While-Away-The-Days Bermudas ($88) enough yet? Because they are just wonderful. Likewise the Climbing Cowlneck (now $30) has been a nice weekend piece for me. Unfortunately I have found that the neckline migrates south over the course of the day. So I usually throw a camisole on underneath it. Small price to pay.

All of the proportions here are nice and long. Even the necklace, a family vintage, has a nice long chain.

In this outfit:
Cardigan: Buoyant Bunches Cardi ($78)
Top: Climbing Cowlneck (now $30)
Shorts: While-Away-The-Days Bermudas ($88)
Sandals: White Sands Wedges (now $180)
Necklace: Family vintage (similar here, here and here)
Earrings: Oneiros Drops (similar here, here and here)

This look is a mix of old and new. The Bombast & Cymbal Skirt by Idra is one of those pieces that left me indecisive last year. I bought it in a 10. I returned it. I tried it in a 12. Wasn’t happy with that either. Finally when it went on sale I re-bought the 10. The problem is that the waist is far too loose at the waist but not quite loose enough to hipster it like I’d like. Who knew that last year’s short would be this year’s long! At 18″ long this is practically dowdy compared to the 15″ minis in stores this year. Everything also has a single line of buttons versus the double military style here. Don’t care though. I prefer the double line anyway!

The necklace was a store impulse buy that’s not on the website yet. It’s got a cute mix of beads that remind me of fruit — mangoes and watermelon and kiwis. The pics on the left are at the Chelsea Market Anthropologie. I started the day with the Leaps & Bounds Belt but had to abandon it mid-day. While the belt sits on my waist quite nicely it doesn’t do hips well. It kept sliding up the angle of my hips to my natural waist. Someone needs to invent hipster belts for curves! The shots on the right are later that day. Notice how my hair curls in the humidity no matter what I do. It has such a mind of its own.

In this outfit:
Top: Paragon Top (similar here — kinda reminds of the Drenched Helenium Tee too!, here and here)
Belt: Leaps & Bounds Belt (similar here, here and here)
Skirt: Bombast & Cymbal Skirt (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: Oolite Necklace (similar here, here and here)
Earrings: American Eagle (similar here, here and here)
Shoes: Steve Madden Scotcch (similar here, here and here)

Is it safe to wear white yet? Yes? Good, because I did. I went to see Sex and the City 2 this past weekend and this was my “here’s how I chill when it’s 90 degrees in June” outfit. AKA my “I am going to mail myself to Abu Dhabi like the gals from SATC/Garfield please send lasagna” outfit.

(Speaking of Garfield, have you ever been to this site? If you were a child of the 80s who taught herself to read by reciting Garfield to her parents every weekend from the funnies this is for you. It’s an old meme but still one of my favorites.)

The wedges are super comfy despite how intense the heel looks. I was able to spend all day in them with no pain. I did however pass on the chance to walk 45 blocks home in them. The shorts are from H&M and are the perfect length for work. I have a brown pair coming up in the next look.

In this outfit:
Top: Sprinkled Shells Tank (now $50)
Shorts: H&M (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: Condensation Necklace ($32)
Earrings: Crystal Wave Earrings ($32)
Sandals: Pink Studio London Wedges (similar here, here and here)

The Oscillating Folds Blouse (now $50) is a recent sale pickup. I was not going to pay full price for the top because it’s just a little shorter than I’d like…

…but I have to admit that I love it. As bored as I am with ruffles this top still drew me in because of them. The necklace is the Palo Borracho Necklace ($158) that shot to the straight of my wishlist when it came out. I wasn’t about to pay shipping for it but when I saw it at the Chelsea Market Anthropologie I pounced. I love it! I have the lone product review on the website at the moment.

In this outfit:
Top: Oscillating Folds Blouse (now $50)
Shorts: H&M (similar here, here and here)
Sandals: White Sands Wedges (now $180)
Necklace: Palo Borracho Necklace ($158)
Earrings: American Eagle (similar here, here and here)

I remember loving the Sweet Olive Shift when it was released last May but I never bought it. When I saw a listing in the Trade Market I instantly replied and thanks to a community member the dress is now mine!

Of course as soon as I saw the back I remembered why I’d returned it. Impossible to wear a bra with it. But I got around it this time by layering a gold sparkly tank underneath. Maybe it’s not quite as sexy. For a date I’d make it work somehow. But for dinner with the gals? A tank is alright.

The dress has a light sheen to it so the sparkly tank fit well. It doesn’t wrinkle as much as pure linen though as you can see after a night out it did earn a few lines. Time for my hero the dry cleaner!

In this outfit:
Dress: Sweet Olive Shift (similar here, here and here)
Tank: J.Crew Perfect Fit metallic twinkle tank (similar here and here)
Necklace: J.Crew Dangling Gold Bead Necklace (similar here, here and here)
Earrings: Anthro (similar here, here and here)
Ring: J.Crew cocktail ring (similar here, heree and here)
Sandals: White Sands Wedges (now $180)

I love the many shades of blue. This next outfit was about packing as many of them as possible into the same outfit. This top from Express is such a gorgeous shade; I wish there were more jewel tones like this out there. You don’t normally see cobalt sleeveless either. I walk to work most mornings and some guy stopped me on the street to say I looked vibrant and pretty! Love it when things like that happen.

The shoes are from Payless (believe it or not) from last Spring. I’m pretty sure it was FFM (Fabulous Florida Mommy) or Gigi (of Gigi’s Gone Shopping) who introduced them to the J.Crew Aficionada community and for that I must say thanks! I wish they’d reintroduce the style as I’d love to grab these again…Payless shoes don’t last very long. These have held up pretty well to light wear but the heel is starting to go. I don’t usually go for fast fashion but I haven’t seen any other heel that comes close to these pink polka-dotted peep toes. The puff on the vamp is just the right size too, not too big and not too small.

Polishing off the look is one of my sets of Hawaii pearls. I really miss the Big Island and cannot wait to go back in 2012.

In this outfit:
Top: Express (similar here, here and here)
Skirt: Wildblooms Skirt (similar here, here and here)
Shoes: Payless (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: Hawaii (similar here)
Earrings: Hawaii (similar here)

More playing around with blue in this look. I managed to grab the McKay Tank in navy on sale, and though I wish I’d found the grey too (size small if you happen to see it) I have to admit that the darker color makes the shirt’s huge necklace collar a bit more subtle. I paired it with a thin seersucker striped Ann Taylor Loft skirt that I grabbed for $10 last year. (Stock photo above is the closest I could find. Mine actually has horizontal stripes, not vertical.) The skirt came with this awful lining made of I-don’t-know-what plastic crap. It kept riding up on me as a result and I was close to throwing the skirt away when a friend recommended I cut the lining out. What a lifesaver! It totally worked and now the skirt is a favorite of mine.

This week’s complete look features the Cerulean Swing Coat and a Steven by Steve Madden purse from last year. (Again, stock photo differs somewhat as it was the closest I could find.) Trying to remember Steve Madden’s product names is ridiculous. They’re spelled wrong and they have extra consonants thrown in for reasons I don’t understand. The coat goes well with the Liza Peep Toes, an ebay score from J.Crew’s 2008 line.

In this outfit:
Coat: Cerulean Swing Coat (similar here, here and here)
Top: McKay Tank (similar here, here and here)
Skirt: Ann Taylor Loft (similar here, here and here)
Shoes: J.Crew Liza Patterned Peep Toes (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: Hawaii (similar here)
Earrings: Hawaii (similar here)
Purse: Steven by Steve Madden (similar here, here and here)

Back when the Flocked Chiffon Blouse first came out, I was drawn to it not by the catalogue shot but by how it was displayed in-store. It was paired with the Bouganvellia Necklace and suddenly I was in love! The necklace is long gone but a recent arrival, the Decadent Deluge Necklace ($58) has done a nice job of replacing it.

I adore the way the blouse moves as I walk. It’s a brilliant take on a high fashion look and my favorite piece from the Mise en Scene collaboration. The necklace isn’t heavy and is silent, important notes for someone like me who walks with a purpose. I think next time I wear this look I will try a longer pencil skirt as the shortness of the top combined with all that ruffle needs something to balance it out.

In this outfit:
Top: Flocked Chiffon blouse (similar here, here and here)
Cami: Banana Republic (similar here, here and here)
Skirt: Many Moods Skirt (similar here, here and here)
Necklace: Decadent Deluge Necklace ($58)
Earrings: American Eagle (now $10)
Shoes: Target Studded Flats ($18)

A couple of weekends ago it was still a bit breezy out. Not that I minded — it gave me the opportunity to wear my Ruffled Terrace Cardigan! This outfit is really assembled of comfortable favorites, from the long J.Crew fish critter tee to my Gap Long & Lean jeans. Gap cannot kill these jeans — ever. They fit me better than anything else out there. Do you hear me Gap?!? Never stop making Long & Lean jeans.

The tee is rather sheer so I did throw a cami underneath before leaving the house. The cardigan is so soft and it breathes well, which for me is an issue come spring. You don’t have to go far to find something similar either — Anthro has similar cardigans in stock for summer. I ran all over Manhattan in this outfit and still looked great at the end of the day. Can’t hope for much more than that!

In this outfit:
Cardigan: Ruffled Terraces Cardigan (similar here, here and here)
Tee: J.Crew gold fish critter tee (failed to find anything similar)
Jeans: Gap Long & Lean Jeans ($60)
Shoes: Target Studded Point-Toe Flats ($18)
Necklace: J.Crew Crystal Chain Necklace (similar here and here)
Earrings: Anthro (similar here, here and here)

Last outfit in this set belongs to orange. Specifically Ric Rac’s Ruffle Tier Tank from last year. I remember writing a post about never buying things in duplicates. Turns out I’m a liar. When the tank went on sale I bought it in 3 colors. I normally wear it tucked in but for the weekend I left it over the Sailing Hobbyist Skirt.

That might not have been the best choice as I see it makes my hips look even more…hippy. Oh well, lesson learned for next time. My love for each of the pieces in this look knows no bounds but the necklace is the overall winner. It’s a small bib that I bought at Banana Republic a couple of years ago. The green/blue mix against the pale gold is unlike any other necklace I’ve seen. It’s a real eye-catcher, just as I like it.

In this outfit:
Necklace: Banana Republic (similar here, here and here)
Earrings: American Eagle (similar here, here and here)
Top: Ruffle Tier Tank (similar here, here and here)
Skirt: Sailing Hobbyist Skirt (similar here, here and here)
Shoes: Frye Aren Studded Slingbacks (similar here, here and here)