Spring Trench + Stripes

J. Crew is on point with their spring jackets; and I'm completely on board (I also love this field jacket that I featured on the blog yesterday)! 

As I get older, I'm starting to realize the phrase "quality over quantity" is truer and truer (you were right after all, mom).  While I still love buying fun trendy pieces, I've come to realize that I need to be smarter in spending my money, and that the bulk of my money spent on my wardrobe should be dedicated to well-fitting, quality pieces that are classic and can be worn for many, many more years.

Enter, this beauty, the J. Crew Factory trench jacket.

Even though April just ended, the weather has been very unpredictable with many cooler and rainier days.  That being said, jackets are still a must even though summer is right around the corner.  I love this timelessness of the trench, and that I can throw it over any outfit (good or lazy...) and still look put together!

Trench: J. Crew (on sale!) || Tee: J. Crew || Jeggings: American Eagle || 

Sneakers: Puma || Crossbody: Banana Republic || Sunnies: aerie || 

Watch: c/o Fossil || Bracelet: J. Crew, clearance find (similar)

The trench is a classic wardrobe staple, that looks awesome thrown over a fun sailor stripe tee and jeans for a chic casual look.  It was perfect for a day of shopping and lunch with my mom!

Speaking of classic investment pieces, how gorge is this Banana Republic cross body (also comes in a nude color) I scored at their sale yesterday (40% off!)?  Every girl needs at least one good leather bag in her style arsenal for a quick polished look.

What are your classic wardrobe staples?  :)

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Field Jackets + BF Jeans

It's no secret that I love my boyfriend jeans; dressing them up or down (or in between, with a little street style action!), to fit whatever style mood I'm in (like when I'm feeling preppy AND a little 90s grunge), I basically live in my BF jeans a majority of the time.  But sometimes you need to add a little something extra to fit the season and shake things up a bit.

Enter my new J. Crew field jacket (it comes in three colors and their having a sale!!).

I seriously am in love guys.  It's a classic piece, nice and light weight for spring, but can easily be layered over a sweater and scarf in the colder seasons!  It's a win-win!

And just like my boyfriend jeans, this jacket is super versatile!  It's a classic shape, and olive is a great neutral.  It's great to just throw on and go (my preferred plan of styling), and looks great with a simple white tee and jeans (probably my favorite outfit combo).

Jacket: J. Crew || Tee: aerie || Jeans: GAP || Booties: Old Navy || 

Watch: c/o Fossil || Bag: Kate Spade (F21 has a great, similar bag for under $30!) || 

Bracelet: J. Crew, clearance (similar) || Sunnies: Wish app (similar)

I feel ready for globe-trotting adventures; how about you?  :)

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Preppy Grunge and a Little Bit of Sunshine

I love putting my own spin on things; especially when it comes to classic fashion styles.  Today I put a bit of grunge into an otherwise preppy look, and I loved the results!

This was such a fun look for me because not only was it ridiculously comfortable (something I always strive for in all my outfits), but it was the epitome of my personal style: a mix of a few different styles. I don't typically stick to one single look; I like to mix it up. Some days I'm boho, some I'm street style... it's always so different from day to day; it all depends of my mood!

To me, a flannel reminds me of Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club; it's the epitome and base of grunge style, and seeing as I've accumulated a ton of flannel this winter (I have no idea how it happened...hahaha), it's super easy to just throw one on over virtually anything else in my closet for a little edgy, grunge action.

The wind was sooooo bad, and anyone who saw me was probably LOL'ing as I repeatedly lunged at my tripod to keep it and my phone from nosediving into the sand, or worse...the ocean  #bloggerprobs!

Blazer: Old Navy || Boyfriend Jeans: GAP || Watch: c/o Fossil || 

Booties: Lucky Brand, via Poshmark (similar) || Flannel: aerie (similar) || 

Button Up: aerie (similar) || Sunnies: aerie || Clutch: J. Crew

How do you put a twist on a classic style?  :)

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Skies of Blue

At the end of the week, I'm shot from working 10-11 hour days, so when I get dressed in the morning I want something that's comfy but still chic at the same time.  My solution to that is a pair of classic jeans and a fun sweater that adds interest to an otherwise casual outfit.

Enter the amazing fringe goodness that is one of my latest sales find!  I'm totally in love with this American Eagle fringe sweater (currently on sale for $35!); it's thick, but not heavy...does that make sense? lol.

Cardigan: American Eagle || Tassle Tee: J. Crew, old (this tee has a similar feel, and only $15!) || Watch: c/o Fossil || Sunnies: Wish app (it's free to download! similar sunnies here) || 

Tassel Necklaces: J. Crew, old (similar here, here, and here)  || 

Fringe necklace: Dynamite (similar here and here) || Boyfriend Jeans: GAP || 

Lace Up flats: Charlotte Russe (similar here, and only $30!) || 

Fringe cross body: Marshalls (this BP. bag has a similar vibe!)

The fringe that lines the edge of this cardi has great, subtle movement that takes it from just a sweater to a statement piece!

For a fun monochromatic look, this fringe goodness paired perfectly with my GAP boyfriend jeans!  And a classic white tee with some added white-on-white detailing (in this case, fringe and embroidery), just amps up the interest in this outfit, making it look more stylish and thoughtful, rather than thrown together *high fives*.

And you can never go wrong with a touch of leather and gold.  I've worn this Fossil watch everyday since Fossil sent it to me!  It's so classic and easy-to-wear that I never want to take it off!

How do you stay cozy and chic on the weekends?  :)

Style Inspo: Kendall Jenner + the Canadian Tux

I love trying to recreate celebrity looks with pieces I already own, because to me it means that you can still rock a killer OOTD without spending your whole paycheck...or maxing out your credit card (definitely don't do that, no matter how cute that celeb's shoes or bag is!).

One of my recent faves is Kendall Jenner (and check out my other recent celeb look alike OOTD: Gigi Hadid, here!).  Her street style is pretty laid back and simplistic and she always looks chic AF (high five girl!).  And for me that means that her style is easily attainable for a blogger on a budget (my wallet thanks you Miss Jenner).

pic from Pinterest

pic from Pinterest

This is one of the best ways to dress up the weekend, and still be comfortable: the Canadian tux.

The trick is not to be too matchy-matchy.  Mix up denim colors and textures; monochromatic is great...unless you match too much, and then you wind up looking like a blueberry (think Violet from Willy Wonka...yikes).

Otherwise, this outfit is super simple to recreate, and you probably already have all the pieces in your own closet (I did!).  My chambray pullover is already three years old!  It's a great staple piece to have in your closet because it's super versatile and can be dressed up or down.  And who doesn't own at least one pair of jeans?

Chambray pullover: J. Crew sales find (similar here + here) || Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters || Bucket Bag: American Eagle Outfitters || Hat: souvenir from an old Yankees game || Watch: c/o Fossil || Sneakers: Puma (under $40!) || Sunnies: Wish app (similar here)

What's your chic and easy weekend look?  :)

The Good Kind of Blues...and my Indiana Jones Hat!

Today was one of the first days that it was consistently cool all day; but not cool enough to be breaking out the big guns (my heavy jackets).  I went with my J. Crew denim vest (at under $100, its a great investment piece because you can wear it all year round, like I did here, during the summer!) because it was just thick enough to keep away the chill, but not so heavy as to make me overheat as I ran around at work.  Perfect for layering on top of a popover!

I'm not a big hat person, but I certainly love buying them (um...#shopaholic...oops, lol).  I do however, love wearing this H&M wool hat in the fall.  It's great to throw on when you're having a bad hair day (or even when you're having a good one!), and still look super cute.  

My dad calls it my Indiana Jones hat, haha.

This black leather saddle bag was a major thrift find at my favorite, Paper Doll Vintage Boutique (only $10!!!!).  I've only had it for a week and I've worn it everyday since!  Plus, the little gold details compliment my Fossil watch that I never go anywhere without (score!).

And last but not least, my flats.  I'm totally on the lace up flats bandwagon!  However they seem like they can get expensive, and as a girl on a budget I was super surprise, over-the-moon happy when I found a pair in Charlotte Russe, perfect for all y'all on a budget too (they're under $30 and come in black as well!)!

Vest: J. Crew || Stripe Popover: Old Navy, old; similar here || Watch: c/o Fossil || 

Lace Up Flats: Charlotte Russe (sale alert: buy 1, get one $10! Comes in black too!) || 

Saddle bag cross body: Paper Doll Vintage Boutique, vintage; similar here || Jeggings: Old Navy || Parrot Pin: Savers, thrift find || Hat: H&M, old; similar here

From Happy Hour to 9-5 Chic

Today I took an oldie-but-goodie, faux-leather "going out" top and totally turned it into office chic!

I got this peplum a long time ago (okay, less than six years ago), when I was in college, and from then on it was pretty much only for going out.  But now that I'm out of college, and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do, and money's tight, I've started to get creative with how I style my clothes and accessories so that I can stretch the wardrobe I have and cut back on buying so many new things.

I paired the peplum with a pair of Old Navy pixie pants (they're extremely comfortable, and totally office worthy; I also own about five pairs, haha) that I've easily worn double what I paid for them, and a plain white button up.  I've come to love layering this simple button up (funny story, this was a hand me down from my little sister--so, hand me up?--but my chest is much bigger than hers, so I can't wear it by itself, so I've taken to layering it with everything!  Check out this Insta, where I layered it with my J. Crew scallop dress--perfect for fall!)

I LOVE my ombré, and this winter, I'm sticking with it... but going in a totally different direction color wise (this gray ombre or this icy blue ombre)!

And the half bun-half down look is easily one of my favorite 'do's.  Depending on how you style your hair (or don't, like I did today #teamnatural), can make your half bun look casual or chic!  Total game changer (and it only takes a few seconds to throw up!).

Berry lips are my favorite for fall (and winter), and I'm in love with this Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in 'Parisian Passion" (what a name!).  It goes on super easy and doesn't dry out your lips at all; and the color is a bold and rich, jewel tone.

Cecil gold watch, c/o Fossil

But it's still summer, and one of my favorite summer shades is Essie's 'Butler Please'.  It's the epitome of summertime, and looks like a beautiful ocean blue that makes me wanna go hang out on a beach all day!  And these little Ciatè pearls totally step up my already awesome (and DIY'ed--pat pat on the back, lol) mani.

These metallic oxfords from J. Crew (an awesome find from a few months ago), are an awesome nod to the past, but still look fresh and not stuffy.

What do you guys think of making your night pieces, office-ready?  :)

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