I really loved this outfit. It was soft, cozy and comfortable. I always find pale blue very calming, and I love how wonderfully it combined with brown and a pop of yellow. It was the perfect thing for a busy, unpredictable day of work.
I know I keep saying this, but I’m trying to enjoy my winter items in the last few weeks that I’m able to. Unfortunately, Florida tends to skip Spring and go straight into Summer, so even this was a bit too warm to wear by late afternoon. Highs have been in the 70s this week, and I know that it will be even hotter in a few weeks.
At the same time, I’m happily embracing the transition to Spring. The air feels fresh, the sun feels warm, and it’s so nice to let my toes breathe. I didn’t realize just how much I love to go barefoot until this long cold spell we had here this winter. I guess you don’t always appreciate what you have until you have to go without it for awhile.
What do you love best about this time of year, as Spring is fast approaching?
Tank: Old Navy
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Trousers: Worthington
Shoes: Dansko Sally (courtesy of Dansko)
Scarf: Anthropologie
Purse: Vintage (via Advintagous)
Quote: Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany
, by Jane O’Connor
After winning a free pair of We Love Colors tights, I was eager to put together an outfit incorporating them. Because the tights are so bright and saturated, I decided to keep the rest of the outfit to simple black and white, with an additional touch of green in the necklace.
This outfit was a lot of fun to wear. I admit, wearing the tights made me feel just a bit 80’s, but I think since the rest of the outfit was simple, they worked fine. These tights are insanely awesome! These are the nylon/microfiber tights, and I can see myself by many, many pairs. They are thick, opaque, soft, and best of all, the waist-band fits but doesn’t feel constricting. With 51 colors to choose from, what’s not to love?
What do you think of colored tights? Are they just a passing trend, or are they here to stay?
Dress: Express
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Belt: Anthropologie
Necklace: Pixisette
Bangles: Jill Popowich
Tights: We Love Colors, Scout Green
Boots: Dansko Risa (via eBay)
Quote: You’re Only Old Once! A Book for Obsolete Children
, by Dr. Seuss
Sometimes, a fallback combination with a few new elements makes for the perfect, last-minute outfit. I’ve worn this sweater, pair of jeans and boots together before. Last week, I mixed it up a bit by layering a gray graphic tee underneath, and adding pops of dark pink in my sakura necklace and ring. This outfit was very comfy, but still put together enough for work.
The weather has started to hit a turning point, so I’m trying to get as much wear as possible out of my cashmere sweaters and leather boots. Soon it will be too warm to wear them (except maybe in over air-conditioned offices). I’ve already noticed my shopping and browsing habits shifting. There’s not a lot of point in my buying any new sweaters or boots right now, when I won’t be able to wear them regularly again until October. I know that a lot of the best sales on winter items happen right now, but on a budget as tight as mine, I prefer to buy things I can wear sooner rather than later.
Have you already started mentally shifting into Spring? Do you tend to purchase items that you can wear in the current season, or do you go for the off-season deals?
Sweater: J Crew (via eBay)
Tee: Style & Co (via clothing swap)
Jeans: Express
Boots: Dansko Nena (via eBay)
Necklace: Jorgensen Studio
Ring: From my mom
Quote: The OK Book
, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
When eShakti offered to let me try out one of their dresses, I was more than happy to oblige. There’s many things about this online retailer that I love: they have beautiful styles in a wide range of colors and sizes (0-26W). They tell you right away what the fabric content of every item is, which is very important to me. But what I love best of all is the fact that they will customize sizes and change certain elements of items such as the hem and sleeve length for an additional fee. So many times I will see an item that I love on a website, but I won’t like the cap sleeves, or there won’t be enough room in the hips. eShakti eliminates that problem by changing it for you.
This dress was customized from the original with a shorter hem and 3/4 sleeves. The color and fabric are fantastic, and the craftsmanship is very good. It’s such a beautiful dress, and I love the ruffle detail at the neckline.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it was the right choice for my body type, because it doesn’t flatter my hips. I had to wear another dress underneath to remain decent, because whenever the wind blew, it would fly open. However, this has everything to do with the wrap styling of the dress, which was the one I chose. I still consider it to be a quality product, and I will definitely buy from eShakti again. I’ll likely get this red dress soon in a knee length, since I need more solid colored dresses.
I’m so happy that I was able to wear this outside without a sweater or jacket. It’s finally starting to feel like spring again. I’m feeling so ready to shed some layers and enjoy the warmth that Florida is well known for.
What signs of Spring’s arrival have you been noticing?
Wrap dress: Courtesy of eShakti
Polka dot dress (underneath): Express
Blue Cami (underneath): Old Navy
Tights: Hue
Boots: Dansko Risa (via Ebay)
Bangles: Jill Popowich
Pearls: Coryell Design
Purse: Morelle Charlotte
Quote: Anatole over Paris, by Eve Titus
(Disclaimer: I received this dress for free from eShakti, but I was not compensated in any way for this post. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.)
Thank you for the kind words yesterday. I’m feeling a bit better. I know that things will work out before too long, I just need to keep positive.
I wore this outfit for another nice, relaxing Sunday. I caught up on things around the house, deep conditioned my hair, gave myself a mani/pedi and took a nice afternoon nap. I think taking some time for myself every weekend is starting to become my therapy – it’s so nice to relax and not feel rushed and catch up on everything.
I was in the mood to be both girly and comfortable on Sunday. The weather was a little bit warmer, so I was able to get by with my lovely new Anthropologie floral blouse and my blue cotton cardigan to add a little bit of warmth. I wanted something that would let my beautiful new necklace shine.
I had e-mailed my boyfriend a wishlist of items I liked on Etsy for my birthday, and after picking out what he got me, he forwarded it along to his mom. She got me this gorgeous Sakura branch necklace from Jorgensen Studio that I’ve been eyeing for months. I aboslutely love it, and it’s even more beautiful in person.
What rituals do you have when you take time for yourself?
Blouse: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Jeans: Express
Boots: Dansko Nena
Necklace: Jorgensen Studio
Ring: From my mom
Quote: Madeline
, by Ludwig Bemelmans
(Note: Fair warning, this post gets a bit personal. I usually don’t go into personal details on this blog, but every once and awhile, a girl needs a chance to get something off her chest. This is not meant to be a pity party.)
I have a confession to make: I’ve been feeling a bit down lately. I know that it’s a combination of factors: One) I’m actually getting tired of cold weather. I feel like I’ve exhausted my winter wardrobe, and I’m ready to be able to go outside wearing only one or two layers and sandals. Two) It’s been six months since I finished my Master’s Degree, and yet I still don’t have a permanent, full-time job in my field.
Number Three is the biggest factor in why I haven’t been feeling myself lately. I went back to school so that I could work in a field that I love, and yet I have only had three interviews in the past six months. I thought that once a librarian position opened up with the system I worked in before, I would be alright, but when I applied for an opening a few weeks ago, I didn’t even get called in for an interview. Money has been really tight while I’ve been substituting and working at a grant-funded temp job, and both of those will be ending after May. I’ve got to start paying off my loans as well. All this stress is constantly getting at me, even when I don’t consciously realize it. I’ve been eating poorly out of stress, I’ve gained a few pounds, and I’ve bitten down my nails pretty badly.
I really started realizing how much this stress is taking its toll on me when I was going through the pictures of this outfit. I wore this on my birthday, and I loved how the outfit came together. And yet, hardly any of my smiles seemed genuine. And that really bothered me, because my philosophy on life is to always stay optimistic, and that plays a big part in this blog. But now I’m realizing that, sometimes you just don’t feel like smiling. And that’s okay. I know that I will get through this. I know that things will get better. I’m just ready for them to be better right now.
What do you do when stress rears its ugly head in your life?
Dress: Boden (via Ebay)
Cardigan: Sweet Mary Jane, handknit by me
Tights: Hue
Boots: Dansko Risa (via Ebay)
Purse: Vintage (thrifted)
Earrings: Wear-thou
Quote: The OK Book, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
Today is my 26th birthday! Yay! I’m actually substituting today, so this is not what I am wearing. My outfit posts are always a few days behind, so this is what I wore for an amazingly relaxing Sunday. We seemed to have a warm front then, because the weather was perfect. It was nice to feel a hint of spring coming. I opened up all the windows in the house, got the laundry done and cleaned the kitchen. I actually find cleaning relaxing, because it’s such a relief to be able to get it done without feeling rushed. I got some spinning done as well and took an afternoon nap while listening to the birds outside. Absolutely. awesome. day.
This outfit contains two new items. That J. Crew breton striped blouse is a deliciously soft cashmere/cotton blend that I scored recently on Ebay. For $15. Love. You saw the Dansko Sela sandals on Saturday. I really didn’t expect to get to wear them so soon, but it was wonderful to finally let my feet be free of socks for a bit.
After I get off work today, I plan to check out a new thrift store near where I’m subbing. Thrifting on my birthday is starting to become a sort of tradition for me. I love taking time to explore the racks and search for treasures, but I often don’t have the time. On my birthday, I make the time. After that, I’m going out for sushi with a friend. My boyfriend is working the night shift tonight, so we’ll be celebrating my birthday together this weekend.
What makes a perfectly relaxing day for you? Do you have any special birthday traditions?
Blouse: J Crew (via Ebay)
Jeans: Express
Sandals: Dansko Sela (via Ebay)
Purse: Vintage (via Advintagous)
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Cuff: ?? (via Classy Consignments)
Quote: I Love You Stinky Face
, by Lisa McCourt
(Don’t forget to enter the knitted gloves and mittens giveaway!!)
Color plays a very important role in my personal style. I always love to experiment with it and find new and interesting combinations. But I’ve noticed that I usually won’t use more than two colors, and I rarely have three colors that are next to each other in the color wheel (Academchic would probably know what the proper term for that is). For today’s outfit, I decided to push my boundaries a bit, and wear yellow, green and blue together.
I’m really quite happy with how they look together. I think the fact the there’s only a little bit of green peeking out probably helps to make it look balanced and not over-whelming. I though about wearing my red coat with this as well, but I decided that would make me feel a bit too much like a box of crayons.
Might I mention that I am completely in love with my new scarf? It’s so warm, and the elastic ruching makes it so easy to casually wrap it around my neck. It makes me feel like a French woman who just effortlessly throws a scarf around her neck and instantly looks chic. Anthro still has it (in four colors)!
What are your favorite color combinations to wear? Do you tend to stick to the same ones, or do you love to try out new mixes?
Dress: Ella Moss (via My Mosh Posh)
Cardigan: J Crew (via Ebay)
Long sleeve tee: American Eagle (thrifted)
Tights: Hue
Boots: Dankso Risa (via Ebay)
Scarf: Anthropologie
Ring: from my grandmother
Earrings: Efy Tal
Quote: The Happiness Tree: Celebrating the Gifts of Trees We Treasure
, Andrea Alban Gosline
Like many people, I find Mondays difficult. My sleep rhythm is usually out of whack from the weekend, leaving me tired, groggy, and not in the mood to stare at my closet for about 20 minutes trying to decide what to wear. But that is often the case, making me late for work, stressed out, and in need of more coffee. But now I’ve realized that, since my workplace basically has no dress code, and everyone is very casual, it is totally acceptable to wear an easy, fall-back outfit on Mondays. This is often a jersey dress and a cardigan. Last Monday (yes I’m a week behind on outfits) I decided to dress up jeans and a tee.
And I loved it. I felt like this outfit was casual and comfortable, yet also stylish and smart. Having that cashmere cardigan and pink pearls took what would normally be a weekend outfit and made it a little more dressy. I added my hand-knit, hand-spun scarf for a little extra warmth and coziness, and it was perfect.
I’d like to pretend that I’m walking through a beautiful forest in these pictures, but as I’ve mentioned before, this is actually just a field near my place of work. I can see two major roads from where I’m standing. I used to love to go hiking when I was a teenager, but it’s been years since I took an afternoon to walk through one of the larger nature parks in my area. I should try to do it again while the weather is not miserably hot, like it will be in a few months.
What do you do about Monday outfits? Do you plan ahead? Do you wear one of your go-to outfits?
Tee: Style & Co (via clothing swap)
Cardigan: DKNY (via Revolve)
Jeans: Express Stella
Boots: Dansko Nena (via Ebay)
Scarf: Spun and knit by me
Purse: Morelle Charlotte
Pearls: garage sale
Quote: The Three Silly Billies
, by Margie Palatini
For several weeks, I thought I had lost this cardigan. I searched all over the house, checked the lost and found box at work, but I couldn’t seem to find it anywhere. Then one day, I remembered that I had recently moved my handknits to a different drawer while reorganizing my studio. What a relief! Nothing feels much worse than thinking you lost a cardigan that took you a few months to knit.
Finding my cardigan gave me the perfect excuse to wear my new belt that I got at Anthropologie last weekend. I think I’m one of those types who likes to wear new things right away. I’m really, really happy with this belt. It filled a definite gap in my wardrobe, and I can tell it’s going to get plenty of use.
I’m really beginning to love wearing scarves tied up like this. They keep my neck nice and cozy, and they still allow me to add an additional pop of color with a long necklace. In this outfit, I echoed the color of the necklace by wearing a turquoise bracelet. I really love mixing yellow and pale blue/turquoise.
Do you like to wear new things right away? Or do you prefer to save new items for a special occasion?
Long sleeve tee: Issac Mizrahi for Target
Cardigan: Minimalist, handknit by me
Jeans: Express
Boots: Dansko Nena (via Ebay)
Belt: Anthropologie
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Scarf: Bought in Chinatown, NYC
Purse: Morelle Charlotte
Bracelet: ??, gift
Quote: Don’t Take Your Snake for a Stroll
, by Karin Ireland
Daily Outfit | Diana | 
March 11, 2010 7:00 am | 
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