summer dress 1

Hello! Summer heat and summer dressing are on my mind.  These photos were taken a few weeks ago when we went to an outdoor party and I wore this dress, hat and sandals.  I have so many thoughts about wardrobe and dressing these days--well, always!  I think these photos are not so flattering and I probably could have chosen lighter colored sandals and I also think the hat looked cuter/more appropriate at the outdoor party than in these photos.  I also think "flatteringness" is not necessarily the ultimate goal.  Maybe the feeling of a garment or the emotion it evokes is just as or more important.

This dress reminds me of retro summery times--70's childhoods and also somehow grandmothers in "house coats" or house dresses.  The fabric is a madras plaid and it has a built-in slip/lining.  I'm hoping I get a lot of wear out of it.  The summers get very hot here.

I'm hoping to have more outfit posts soon, but we are running out of places in our yard for photographing them.  We are having some construction done, so the yard is a mess.  But do look for more posts upcoming.  And I also hope to post more about beauty and skincare as well.  I feel like in these troubling times (we are living in scary times right now, yes?) that the topics of fashion, skincare, and beauty are so so comforting to me--like a smooth worry stone, as I go through lists of capsule wardrobe ideas or beauty rituals in my mind.

One more thing--if you like seeing these outfits, I'm also snapchatting my outfits on a somewhat daily basis over on my snapchat--@faeriemb--along with dinner ideas and podcast recommendations and thoughts and stuff.

Outfit details:
dress--Bridge and Burn
sandals--old, Zappos (Franco Sarto I think)
hat--purchased online--Wallaroo hat company

flared!

These pants are 4 years old and maybe it's about time to retire them, but I do love a high waisted flare jean from time to time. I might just have to update them. (with these maybe?)  Do you wear high waisted?  Flares?

Outfit details:
high waisted jeans:  J. Brand (old)
top:  Loft
leather jacket:  LL Bean Signature
shoes:  Clarks (very very old)

highs in the 60's

It's always super exciting when we have a stretch of cool days--so many more wardrobe options and the opportunity for jackets (and, let's be real here--sleeves!).    I love this outfit for its shoes, its patterned belt, its dark wash skinnies, its classic white button-up, and of course for its chic trench.  Well, I guess that's all of it!  No wonder I'm such a fan.

In other news, I've lost a few pounds and already my pants are fitting better and I'm feeling better.

Outfit details:
jeans:  Gap Always Skinny
belt:  J. Crew
shirt:  Everlane
trench:  Forever 21
shoes:  Gentle Souls via Garnet Hill
thin bracelets:  Moulton (and rings, not pictured)

chambray + grey

The rain is over, but we are having a lovely bout of spring weather with highs in the 60's. I love it!  The weather bounces all over the place, constantly, but both this outfit and yesterday's are mostly made up of pieces from my "winter" capsule.  I haven't put it away yet as the weather has taken this dip and I love getting a bit more wear from these pieces before I store them.

I'm in love with this chambray top from J. Crew.  It was new this fall as part of my "Winter 14/15 Capsule."  I love it because it is a true chambray fabric, not a denim shirt, which I find to be harder to wear.  This fabric is soft and lightweight and even has some drape to it.

The grey jeans are the only item I kept from my one and only Stitch Fix box (last fall).  They are Level 99 jeans and they are pretty good but I constantly have to pull them up.  I need a jean that is more cinched in at the waist.  (BTW the reason I didn't continue with Stitch Fix is because I didn't feel like they really read my profile or responded to my requests.  And the timing was not right for me since I was just about to get into capsule wardrobes.)  I'd love to hear about your experience with Stitch Fix if you've tried it.

Outfit details:
chambray shirt:  J. Crew
grey jeans:  Level 99 via Stitch Fix
shoes:  Clarks
watch:  Michael Kors

chambray + stripes

This is a Sunday outfit. I wore this to take the boys to see Cinderella (loved it!!) and to play in the park and run into Barnes and Noble for a book (unbeknownst to me, I let Dieter buy a book that Ken had already ordered for him as a surprise.  Oops!).

I love this dress for a casual weekend look.  I probably wouldn't wear this to work (but who knows?  Maybe styled differently with a belt and not the chambray?).  This is another new Sonnet James dress.  I sized up in this one and ordered a medium (as a point of reference, my black dress in the previous post is a small).

dress:  Sonnet James
chambray top:  J. Crew (old!)
tote:  Madewell
clogs:  Swedish Hasbeens

dots

Dots today.  The weather keeps changing--today called for peeling off morning layers but it is very cold in the mornings. 

Outfit details:
blouse:  J. Crew
jeans:  Levis
shoes:  Dr. Scholl's
bag:  J. Crew

pinspired

I was inspired by this photo on Pinterest to layer a black blazer over a denim vest.   I loved the look and I love that it is fallish enough now to wear this.

blazer:  Target
vest:  J. Crew
striped top:  Gap
pants:  Gap
mary jane's:  Clark's

What outfits have you been inspired by on Pinterest lately?

fall re-style

Just thought I'd share how I re-styled this dress for fall.  Last seen here.

Outfit details:
dress and belt:  Garnett Hill
tights:  Target
scarf:  gift from my mom
shoes:  Clark's

scarf + stripes

Happy Tuesday!  I am always so happy to make it through Tuesday of a normal week.  It is all downhill from here, right?  Sort of. 

I threw on this scarf as an afterthought while running out the door, but I ended up really liking it.  I aspire to be able to effortlessly wear scarves.  I love adding color and pattern but usually I'm not sure what to do with them.  Scarf + stripes inspiration here.

Regular scarf inspiration here, here, and here.

Outfit details:
pants:  Talbot's
top:  local boutique
scarf: Gap
shoes:  Clark's

weekend style 2

We went to the Santa Barbara Zoo and Crushcakes today, and here is what I wore.   I've been wearing these shorts a ton since I got them in the summer because they are loose and super comfortable. 

outfit details:
grey tee:  Target
denim shorts:  Lucky Brand
shoes:  Tom's
bracelet:  Mercedes Salazar
necklace:  Lisa Leonard Designs
jacket:  Gap

with orange pants

I haven't been wearing these orange pants all that often, mostly because what do you wear with bright orange? Certainly not black (although maybe on Halloween I will).  I paired them with this blue tuxedo style blouse did a half-tuck.  Too sloppy?  I'm okay with it.  Also:  I liked clicking around in these heels all day.

Outfit details:
blouse:  Lands' End Canvas (a couple years ago)
pants:  Lands' End Canvas (last year)
belt:  Gap (I think), old
shoes:  Clark's

weekend style

 Here is my "weekend style" from last Sunday.  To me, weekend style is helped immensely by the opportunity to layer.  Any style is, come to think of it.  We had a blast of fall weather over the weekend, and it was fun to wear a jacket to Sunday morning breakfast.

Outfit details:
jacket:  Gap
top:  J. Crew
jeans:  J. Crew
flats:  Frye
bracelet:  Mercedes Salazar
watch:  Michael Kors
necklace:  vintage, gift from Carrie
bag:  J. Crew