fall style

electric love

The clothes I buy fall into two categories. The first being versatile basics – the moto jacket, the turtleneck, the black pencil skirt, etc. The second is the “I can’t live without this” category. The combo of these two categories make my closet wearable while still having a stylish edge. Women typically overthink their outfits and make it much more complicated than it really is, but after enough practice you begin to see the formulas pretty easily.

I don’t consider myself the fashionista that people think I am. It’s really more about knowing what works for your body shape, skin tone, and age. Like I said I’ve had a lot of practice since I work in retail (having to dress stylishly every day) so I’ve had the advantage of being able to try out many different silhouettes and trends. This moto jacket I’m wearing here – which you’ve seen before since I’ve worn it all of fall – has literally worked with almost anything I put it with. The color is neutral yet rich and is cut in a flattering and feminine shape.

tiny dancer

I wasn’t sure what else to title this post because every time I put on this cardigan, I think of Penny Lane from Almost Famous. “… and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends”.

the new basics

If you’re into fashion at all, then you know that everything that was once out is now in again. With that said, all your favorite “basics” are getting a retro makeover to take it over the top. The silhouettes and materials are getting deliciously indulgent and the normal rules need not apply anymore. I officially own at least 3 velvet pieces. Yes, we’re officially there now.

This outfit is the perfect example of the new throwback basics you didn’t know you needed in your closet: the culotte aka cropped wide-legs and the cropped over-sized sweater.

They can be worn together for a dramatic look or with more tried-and-true silhouettes to take it down a notch for those of you who feel intimidated. I promise you that both of these can actually work for you, depending on how you style them.

The sweater would be perfect for any high-waisted anything. For me, I’m planning on wearing it mainly in the following ways:

with a black pencil skirt for a more conservative feel
with high waisted flares and a rancher hat for another totally 70s vibe
over spring dresses that I want to take into the fall

The possibilities are really endless. For example, I’m sure someone could rock it with a miniskirt and tights but that’s just not my jam.

The culottes! Oh, the culottes.

sunday comfort

Does social media ever make you feel inadequate when you get dressed to go enjoy your day off? Being a “blogger”, I know this feeling all too well. Since I follow so many amazing creatives, I have a bad case of comparison envy and often have to snap myself out of it. It’s never a full picture of reality and it’s often the product of an hour of makeup application and another hour of taking photos just for that one shot.

Anyways all of that is to say, I wanted to show you an outfit that I ACTUALLY wore for an ACTUAL Sunday off in my real life. Our day’s plans consisted of breakfast and strolling around for Sunday In the Park (see previous blog entry) at Oakland Cemetery. More often than not, this how I actually dress for my days of ease and comfort. What you typically see in my outfit posts is how I dress for work and for blog photos. Full disclosure, I work at Anthropologie and so yes, it is by definition my job to dress well.

Everything I’m wearing in these photos are items I got for a steal, that I happened upon due to sheer luck. My hair is second day waves and I couldn’t be bothered to put in contacts or wear any makeup. Luckily there was a slight chill in the air and I was having a pretty good skin day. All I needed was a delicious latte from Octane and I knew my day was gonna be awesome.

there’s a chill in the air

If you were ever in doubt of what your closet might need for fall, it’s almost all here in this outfit. Every single piece of this look can often be found with every other piece I wear. A moto style jacket, a pullover sweater, black stretch denim, and booties. I put them all together to show you that casual doesn’t have to mean sloppy. The neutral palette from head to toe keeps it simple, but chic. I got so many compliments in this outfit, but not like about the actual clothes – all the comments were like “you look really good” or “you look really pretty”. This tells me that I wore the outfit, not the other way around. I’m confident that almost anyone could pull off this look, and in varying tones of fall colors like creamy whites, maroon, forest greens, and navy.

And let me tell you about the non-Anthro accessories which go so well with this look. The sunnies are from Urban Outfitters, and I’ve worn them nonstop all year long. I’ve even bought different colors for different moods! The lovely asymmetrical gemstone threader earrings are made by a dear friend of mine, Stone + Arrow.