Wear It Wednesday

I haven't been posting outfits as much lately, but I have been weeding things out of my closet!  I have a huge garbage bag full of donations to take to Goodwill; I thought about listing some items online at Poshmark or something, but in the end the hassle to me of listing/shipping kind of turned me off to it.  Meh.  Donation to a good cause sounds better.

Sweater: Forever 21, Jeans: Old Navy, Boots: Target

I felt very French in this outfit.  Or maybe nautical.  A French sailor? 

Cardigan: Kohl's, Top: Nordstrom Rack, Skirt: Target, Boots: Target

I couldn't decide if this outfit was librarian or Mad Men inspired. 

Cardigan: Target, Top: ???, Jeans: Old Navy, Shoes: Payless

 I wore this combo for Mardi Gras!  The jeans are olive, so I had the whole color combo thing down.  Not the most flattering combo of colors or fit, but it was a busy day.

Peplum Top: Forever 21, Striped Shirt: Zara, Necklace: Etsy, Jeans: Old Navy, Boots: eBay

This peplum top is one of my favorite things, but it's been too cold to wear it.  So I decided to try layering, and I think it went well!  It made me feel skinnier than some of the other oufits here. 

Dress: Peebles, Cardigan: Old Navy, Shoes: Nine West

This dress never fails to inspire compliments.  I wore it in Hawaii in 2011, to work in 2012, and in 2013 to a DAR luncheon.  I like it with the cardigan and have worn it exactly like this before.

I do find that lately I haven't been feeling the most inspired or confident in my outfit choices.  A lot of it has to do with weight fluctuation changing how some of my favorites fit.  It also has to do with my clothing being more suitable for when I lived in Savannah vs. Nashville.  My office is always cold, and the temperatures are definitely not the same here!  So I think what I need to do is let go of things that don't fit and invest in solid pieces that are right for this climate.  I haven't bought any clothes since my sweater splurge at Forever 21... I'm more calculated now.

Anyone got some outfit inspiration going on?

Forever 21 Shopping Haul

I did a little (okay, a BIG little) online shopping on Forever 21, trying to up the number of sweaters in my closet!  Winters here in Nashville are way colder than Savannah, so I realized I was deficient in clothing warm enough not to freeze to death.

I don't go to Forever 21 for quality.  I go for cheap and trendy.  And I ended up really like the pieces I ordered once they arrived!  I hope to buy some quality pieces from stores like J. Crew in the future, but this time I just wanted quick, fun, and easy.

Longline Chambray Shirt, $29.80

I wore this comfy, longline chambray shirt to work.  I definitely got compliments!  It's such a great basic for wearing alone or with layers.

Polka Dot Sweater, $17.50

Talk about a pop of color!

Nautical C'est La Vie Sweater, $24.80

I was a French major.  I couldn't resist.

Ditsy Feline Sweater, $19.80

Can you say crazy cat lady?  I work for a pet food company, so this is just fitting after all.

Is there anything missing from your current wardrobe?

Where do you look for affordable trends?

Wear It Wednesday

I haven't been doing so great at planning outfits in advance as I would like... I do best when I take the time to set things out the night before.  But here's a look at what's been going on lately.

Bubble Necklace from Etsy, Blazer from H&M, Sweater from Target

This outfit was for a work and an MBA interview.  I couldn't wait to wear one of my new statement necklaces from Etsy!

ASOS dress, old cowboy boots

I call this look Lil' Hipster on The Prairie!  I wasn't sure about this dress when I first ordered it, but then I grew to really love it.  It's an easy, comfy dress perfect for the weekend... in this case heading out to East Nashville.

Etsy Necklace, Target Shirt, Old Navy Cardigan and Jeans

I've been trying to work out in the morning before work, and as a result I haven't been spending as much time getting ready!  It's been tinted moisturizer and damp ponytails lately.  I need to learn about this whole getting ready thing that girls are so good at...

Gift necklace (from Greece), J. Crew sweater

My cousin SS sent me two gorgeous J. Crew sweaters for Christmas!  I love how comfy they are, and this one motivated me to wear a statement necklace my parents got for me on one of their European adventures... I believe Greece.  Or was it Turkey?  They're globetrotters.

What I'm Wearing Lately...

I'm trying to take more/better outfit photos... but sometimes I make weird faces or have bad angles.  Oh well.  You ain't here for a fashion blog!  :)  But what I've been trying to do for the new year is actually plan outfits the night before; I've noticed I get more compliments at work when I do that, and it boosts my confidence all day!

Dress from Dress Barn, Cardigan from C&A

See?  No makeup and a quinty eye.  But I love the geometric pattern on the dress, and it was a steal from Dress Barn!

Dress from Target, Belt from Jones New York

And here?  Weird serious face... but I love the fit of this clearance dress from Target, and the pop of yellow from the belt!  I might try it with the hot pink belt it came with too.

Shirt from Walmart, Bracelet from Arizona

I call this look "Lady Lumberjack" but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Aubrey:  Sweater from Old Navy, Collared Shirt and Skirt from Target
Caroline:  Same sweater, with J.Crew collared shirt and Mossimo cords

And I love that my friend Caroline saw my pic on Instagram in the morning and used it to quick-plan an outfit!  :)  We were foxy twins for a day.  TWINSIES!

Special Offer from Kohl's!

link

As you may have noticed from my outfit posts, I love finding a great deal on clothing at Kohl's!  They always keep me coming back for more with their fantastic Kohl's cash offers after purchases too... Duke's entire wardrobe is from Kohl's, I'd venture.

Well, the awesome folks at Kohl's saw my blog, and wanted to extend a special offer code to YOU!

From now through March 9th, you can use the code TENFORBLOG on Kohls.com to receive 10% off your purchase!
This deal is even stackable with one other department level code, for even bigger savings.

Since I've sworn off shopping for January, but this code doesn't expire until March, here are a few pieces (ALL under $35 each!) I'd love to snag on February 1st!  I just hope they're still available; I bet this stuff goes fast!  What are you going to buy with your discount?

ELLE Faux Leather Jacket, on sale for $28.80

This faux leather jacket by ELLE looks so tailored!  I'd absolutely wear it to work, maybe over a feminine dress to give it a little edge.

Apt. 9 Medallion Shift Dress, on sale for $35.00

This Apt. 9 shift dress looks very high end to me... maybe Trina Turk or dialed-down Lilly Pulitzer?  I think it would be a great summer staple to throw on for the weekend and look fab.

Narciso Rodriguez for DesigNation Colorblock Ponte Sheath Dress, on sale for  $25.60

This Narciso Rodriguez dress screams work travel.  It's a ponte knit, which is my go-to for wrinkle-free garments when I'm on business trips.  Plus, the color-blocking is perfect to slim down your figure.  I'm really upset I can't have this dress right NOW.  And with the right statement necklace?  Fierce!

Simply Vera Vera Wang Ballet Flat, on sale for $20.97

I know these are a little wild, but I LIVE for super-cute flats!  The capped toe is so in right now, and this color pop makes me happy.  Plus, where else could you get Vera Wang for such an amazing price?

This was not a paid post; it was in response to a coupon code received via e-mail from a Kohl's representative who read my blog.

Target Clearance Rack!

I love a good deal... and right before the Christmas holiday, I found some great clothing on sale at Target!  Isn't that place a complete retail vortex?  You go in for toothpaste and end up spending $70!  I always hesitate to pay full price there, because chances are it will quickly rotate out.  (I recently bought some Kirna Zabete dresses online for a song... will try them on and review for you later!)


Here's what I found on clearance on my most recent trip, for under $12 each:

Target

I wore the dress for Christmas, and I love it!  The length might be a bit short for work, but with opaque tights or leggings, it would definitely work.

Target

One trick I've learned shopping at Target is that each brand has different sizing.  So knowing your size in Mossimo vs. xhilaration vs. Converse is good for clearance shopping.   I have everything from S to XL in Target clothing, because I buy what fits best for the style I'm looking at.  For this tee, I wanted it super loose, so I went XL in Juniors even though I could fit an M.

Target

I'd been looking for an embellished-collar shirt, and this super-soft one was a great find.  I worry the studs may come off in the wash, so I may hand-wash this one.

Oh, and if you can get these PJs in-store?  Buy them.  $8 a set or less at this point.  Most comfy sets ever; I bought one set myself and have two from Christmas.  Gilligan & O'Malley are my favorite jammies!  After my scores in-store and online this year, I'll be in matching sets from now on and donating the old randoms to Goodwill.

Target

Hunter Wellies

Hunted 'Regent Savoy' boots, normally $175

I have to admit, I have certain aspirational purchases that sit in the back of my mind... things I would love to have, but might be out of my price range.

One of those items were Hunter wellies, the iconic rainboots I've seen on so many blogs and fashion websites.

Well, I hit the jackpot recently. My friend Caroline alerted me to a sale at Nordstrom Rack stores that brought the price of these $150 boots down to $49.97. The only catch? You had to actually call stores to locate sizes and styles, hoping to find your sole-mate boots. (Hehe, sole-mate. Get it?)

The moment the East Coast stores opened, I was on the phones. On a weekday. When I should have been getting ready for work. And after 30 minutes, I hadn't found my size 6 wellies in one of the colors I was hoping for. (I wanted black, navy, or dark green.)

Hunter Tall Classic, normally $135

Well, this is where Caroline saved me. She not only located some classic boots in green in Boston, but found me some shiny, quilted black boots in Colorado. She put them on hold for me, and I called in the order.

Now that they've arrived, I'm in love! I wasn't sure I would keep both styles, but they're so unique I am smitten. The black ones are classy and equestrian, while the classic greens are rugged and playful. (Yes, I personify my clothing.)

I am so thankful to have a kindred shopaholic to help me nail down this deal; without it, I would have continued to drool over these boots while sporting my $20 Target rainboots. Now I feel like a big girl! :)

What I'm Wearing Lately...

Much of what I'm wearing lately are STEALS.  These holiday sales have been amazing; I made out like a bandit at Kohl's with two dresses and two tops for $20 a piece.  (Click the links to check out the Kohl's blouse shop and sweater shop!)

Here are a few of the outfit posts I've done on Instagram recently.

Blouse from Kohl's, Boots from eBay (old!), Marc by Marc Jacobs bag (old!)

Sweater from Kohl's, Vintage-inspired Skirt (old but recently hemmed),
Shoes freebies from Mom

 On the pink sweater/skirt outfit, I needed to tuck in that sweater or belt it.  Made my waist disappear... LOL!

Sparkly GAP Jacket swapped from Caroline!

I wore the sparkly jacket outfit to work, then to a concert right after!