Friday Five Under $50

I recently had a sponsored Instagram post pop up in my feed featuring a blogger wearing a denim shirtdress. I have no idea who it was, didn't check to see if the dress was shoppable, and went along with my day. But the denim shirtdress resonated with me, and thus became the catalyst for this under $50 look.

When shopping for shirtdresses for myself, I have a pretty hard rule about pockets. It was something I picked up from the days of "What Not To Wear" and Stacy and Clinton always recommended that if you had a larger bust, it would be best to avoid any bulky pockets in that area. It makes sense, right? But also presents a challenge with denim dresses. While I wasn't completely sold on the sleeves of this one, it looks like just the right shade of blue and has very unnoticeable pockets.

My favorite part of this look is the bag - I now know that beaded bags are the new straw bags and this round one is so cute! At $49.99 it just made the cut, but for that price you could probably be convinced to add another bag you don't need to your closet.

Gold Disc Necklaces, $8 at H&M
BlankNYC Short Sleeve Denim Shirtdress, $30 at Nordstrom Rack
Universal Thread Woven Mules, $25 at Target
Beaded Wooden Bag, $50 at Mango
Loop Wrap Belt, $20 at Gap

L.A. Winter Uniform

As much as I thought being in a different climate for winter would break me of my winter dressing habits, it has not. While I try to keep things on the blog varied and colorful, what I post is mostly what I'm wearing on the weekends, while on the weekdays I stick to the timeless combination of jeans, top, and jacket.

When I started this blog I wanted to be the girl who wears heels to the grocery store, and admittedly, occasionally I am. But now that I'm older and wiser, while I know nothing will replace how great a pair of heels can make an outfit look, I'd much prefer to do my grocery shopping in flats. The blog alone used to motivate me to always be putting in the extra effort into getting dressed each day; now some days I go to yoga in the morning and never get out of the leggings.

When I was packing for this trip I was so terribly aspirational. I don't know where I thought I'd be wearing all those outfits, but I had visions of so many looks and photo shoots. I fear I will be bringing home a lot of unworn or under utilized pieces, as most days, it's jeans, a top, and a jacket for me.

       

The Rundown
Swiss Dot Blouse Ann Taylor similar
Plaid Blazer H&M similar
Jeans Banana Republic
Leopard Loafers Franco Sarto via TJMaxx similar
Black Straw Bag Zara
Circle Earrings c/o AUrate New York
Evil Eye Necklace c/o Belcho similar
Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

 Linking up with Style on the Daily

Between Brunch and Ice Cream

It was admittedly, a pretty leisurely Saturday. Friday had been a late night of seeing Eliot Glazer's Haunting Renditions followed by an hour of driving around looking for a parking space so we could get dinner. (Honestly L.A. how do you live like this?) Thus resulting in a late Saturday brunch. We went to one of my sister's favorite spots in Manhattan Beach, Cafe Wild, where the cinnamon french toast was tasty, and their mimosa pitcher might as well have been bottomless, for we couldn't finish it - and we really did try our best.

After brunch we strolled down to the boardwalk while admiring the stretch of coastline, the dozens of surfers, and the million cute dogs walking by. The day had somehow crept into late afternoon, and we decided that our indulgent brunch wasn't enough, so we headed to the ice cream shop.

As for this outfit - I haven't worn this jumpsuit in forever - or at least I didn't wear it even once last year, which I feel guilty about. It was another one of those pieces where I needed to hem it, and truthfully I should have sized down on this as well, because I had to safety pin it to keep it from sliding down. It's strapless and the weight of this fabric is just immense. It's probably the reason my suitcase was overweight! However from the moment I brought this jacket home last fall I'd imagined pairing it with this jumpsuit, and I felt like this trip would be the perfect time. I'm really pleased I got it wear it and photograph it.

       

The Rundown
Rust Wide Leg Jumpsuit Free People similar
Tweed Moto Jacket "Pattyn" Joie thrifted
White Mules "Bianca" Target
Wide Brim Fedora Goorin Bros. via ebay similar
Monogrammed Bucket Bag c/o Marleylilly
Half Moon Necklace c/o Happiness Boutique
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Nail Color "Couture Curator" Essie

 

Linking up with Pink Sole's How I Fall