style – tide & bloom

pj party

Silly title, but I feel like I’m wearing men’s PJs. And I don’t hate it.

I gotta say this is probably my favorite kind of outfit. The silhouettes are figure flattering while the fabrics are breathable and elegant. If I had a whole closet full of these pieces in a variety of colors, I probably wouldn’t need much else!

If you think you’re too short to wear pants like this, let me remind you that I’m just about 5’4″ and wearing heels in these photos. I typically wear a size 4 or an XS in Anthro clothes (and often in petite sizes), but I got these pants in a standard small. It’s loose but seriously comfortable and gives me just enough fabric for the slit to only reveal itself when I’m walking or sitting.

And I mean, this top? Come on. I can wear it with white pants, I can wear it with joggers, jeans, skirts… so much!

summer vibes: cropped and wide

Well, this outfit was certainly a surprise. I saw this top online before I saw it in stores and it didn’t occur to me that it would be flattering let alone something I would actually want to purchase. I think it might have been the color that got me.

A lot of women seem to believe that this “cropped top” trend is not for them. I beg to differ. At some point within the last two decades, women were convinced that a longer top meant that she looks longer and leaner herself. This is not always true though and in fact, it can often do the opposite and truncate your figure and make your legs look stumpy. Crop tops, when selected and outfitted properly, are much more flattering because they don’t require any tucking! You can let your pants be your pants and your top be your top and that’s it. And so I’ve found myself purchasing many a top that is cropped of all different shapes. Some will flare out like this one, others may come to a knot at the bottom. Either way I’m pretty glad that trends cycle back and around again and again.

tropic feels

Maxi dresses will never ever ever not be in style. Jumpsuits are obviously having a moment (as evidenced by how many retailers are upping their jumpsuit game) so I had to tell myself I needed to cool it on the jumpsuit front and find other kinds of pieces. This maxi dress is one I resisted for weeks and then finally gave in to.

The ease of the fit plus the boldness of the pattern equaled perfection for me. It floats away from the body, allowing me to feel comfortable. I love that you can wear this casually or dress it up with the change of a hairdo and jewelry. As I’ve said before, I’m striving for a wardrobe that will take me through my 30s with ease. I think I’m getting there.

dress / anthropologie
earrings / anthropologie
sunglasses / anthropologie

sequined pencil skirt

Wish there was something interesting for me to say about this outfit… but there isn’t. It’s simply a classic pairing for me – off the shoulder top and a pencil skirt. People know me for loving jumpsuits and pencil skirts. Can you blame me?

in my white tee

Two things you may or may not know about me: 1. I’m not a “just a white tee” kind of girl and 2. I’m self conscious about my arms. Yes you may think I’m being ridiculous but I feel the way I feel and we all have our things that we can’t let go of. Cut to this top I just bought – it defied those two things and I bought it because I couldn’t get it out of my head.

I’ve worn it three times in the last three days and I have a feeling I will wear it until there’s holes in it. The feminine ruffle sleeve highlights my arms in a way that I somehow don’t hate. It’s the perfect proportion for my almost-petite frame. Not to mention, it allows me to wear just a white tee while still looking put together.

from the block

Yes, as in Jenny from the block. Why? Because this jumpsuit feels part Destiny’s Child Survivor and part JLo. And I’m all parts excited about it. I really hope I can continue to rock jumpsuits into my 40s because within the next 5 years, I might have every shade under the sun.

a peachy spring

Before I start talking about this outfit, I’m gonna say that blogging is real hard. Trying to post blogs while also trying to make artwork and have a full time job and be a functioning human being is definitely difficult. Nevertheless, I have decided to never guilt myself into doing anything I don’t want to do. If I can make art, I will make art. If I have something to blog about, I will blog about it. If I love an outfit, I will share it. But I won’t succumb to self-inflicted shame or disappointment in not being more active than I already am. More on this topic to come (if I feel like it).

There are not many trends I have not tried in the dressing room. Usually I can make something work but there are certainly plenty of things I know do NOT work on me. Though I have a fairly even body shape, I get real self conscious on how my legs look so most of the things that I know don’t work on me are because they highlight my legs. For instance: white jeans, mini skirts, overalls, lace up heels, over the knee boots… all are items my body does not love. OR it could be that I’ve just never found the right fit. Case in point, the chino. I’ve never loved a chino pant but this year I found one that actually works and doesn’t make me look like a middle-aged mom.

Thanks to Anthro, I try on chinos every single year they come out. And every year in the past, I was disappointed and proven right that chinos were not my thing. That was then and this is now.

form and function

Well.. it happened. I bought my first jumpsuit of the year and we’re only a month in! But really, I just couldn’t help myself. Because I own so many jumpsuits, when I try a new one on it needs to check all my boxes. This one does.

First off, comfort. This loose fitting style is basically a sack with a tie to define the waist so it feels like I am wearing PJs. This also makes for an easy fit; I’m 5’4″ and I often have to get petite sizes for the just-right cut. But this I was able to get a standard and still have a little ankle showing.

ladycrush: becky

Describe your style.
I’m often told I dress like Annie Hall, and I guess I’m cool with that (although I don’t think I’ve ever worn a vest with necktie). I like modern, structured silhouettes and tend to stray away from prints unless it’s a stripe or a polka dot. Maybe that would make me “preppy”? I wear whatever makes me feel good!

Do you have any style icons?
Not really…is that weird? I admire people who dress for themselves and are confident in doing so.

the warmest winter

You’re probably well aware by now that this has been the warmest winter. I write this as the sun is beating down outside and the temp reads somewhere in the 60s. I will never complain about Spring weather coming early (except that I’m not into this whole climate change situation) but I’m just a little disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to wear these new boots for just a little while longer. I got them from Target for $20. How.

I typically have a tough time with shoes, but I mean.. don’t we all. I have even worse trouble with boots this high; I can never find ones that hit the right spot and also have the right heel and also don’t look like hooker boots. The color of the grey faux suede is probably what did it for me. And I also can never wear boots all the way to my knees because it’s just not flattering. Trust me.