Comfy Cozy

Jacket, vintage.  Dress, Marc by Marc Jacobs.  Clutch, F21.  Boots, Joie.

There is a common misconception that fashion = pain.  This feeling is justified in some cases; high heels generally aren't the most comfortable things, and the torture devices known as Spanx have become a necessity due to the popularity of bodycon dressing.  But fashion doesn't have to hurt! 

It's so easy to slip into sweats and a tee-shirt on days off, but I knew I could find an outfit that was comfortable, cozy, AND chic to wear on my day off this week.  Enter the tent dress!

I found this Marc by Marc Jacobs dress at Wasteland a long time ago.  I almost didn't bother trying it on- even though I loved it, this dress is a size XS (which I definitely am not). I convinced myself that it could work anyway, and I was so happy that it did!  

 The dress has two layers: a plain black slipdress topped with a lacey purple overlay.  This doubled-up feature creates a lot of texture, so the piece looks styled even though I just threw it on.  Just as comfy as sweats!

While I find a swingy tent dress to be comfy, I don't necessarily think this style flatters my body.  To balance out the volume of my dress, I chose a boxy vintage jacket.  The bottom of the jacket skims the top of my hips, creating a slimmer shape amidst the billowy layers.  To top it off, the fur collar kept me cozy and warm while I was running errands! 

I love that the jacket added two more textures to the look:  I mixed silk, lace, fur, and a woven fabric.  To throw a few more into the mix, I added over-the-knee leather boots and a faux leather/suede clutch.  Texture is an oft overlooked way of adding intrigue to an outfit.  As an example,  you could be wearing head-to-toe black but if you've mixed monochrome leather, lace, and denim your look is on a whole other level!

Here's an up-close look at my texture details:

Fashion Tips from "Comfy Cozy":

1.  Challenge yourself to find comfortable ways of dressing that still feel fashionable.  When you feel good, you get more done- it's a fact! 

2.  If you're shopping and you find something you love, try it on!  Even if your mind tells you that it's the wrong size or it won't be flattering, you really never know until you try.  You could be pleasantly surprised!

3.  A boxy jacket streamlines your figure.  Wear one over a flouncy dress to temper a volumionous skirt, or even over jeans and a tee to balance out wide hips.   

4. Spice up your look by playing with texture:  a silk cami under a leather jacket, a tweed blazer over a denim buttondown, etc.  The unexpected mix is just plain cool!

Here's to being creatively comfy!

Out With the Old

Jacket, Jack.  Boots, Joie.  Dress, Alice & Olivia.

Lately everything in my has been changing, and I thought I'd document some of those changes with my first blog post in almost two months!

My first west coast winter has officially begun, and I'm surprised at how quickly my body forgot what cold actually feels like!  A breezy 60-degree day that previously would've prompted me to pull on shorts and sandals now chills me to the bone, so I've had to stock up on some light layering staples- like this amazing Jack coat I found on the sale rack at Urban Outfitters!

Vest, DVF.

A jacket is usually appropriate in the morning, but by midday the sun is out in full force and I need something a little lighter to throw on over my minidresses.   That's where this amazing rabbit fur DVF vest comes in!  I scooped it up last year when I was working at Diane von Furstenberg, but never got much use out if because Spring was just starting.  It's proven to be the most functional layering piece in my closet!  It keeps me super warm and cozy, but since it's sleeveless I'm not overheating when the sun decides to show up.  

I've also been trying out a new clothing silhouette.  Usually I love the always-flattering 50s hourglass look, but lately I've been gravitating towards short, swingy tent dresses like this cute little number from Alice & Olivia.  

And you know what?  I'm loving the new look!   I can get away with wearing a much shorter skirt when it's paired with a loose and swingy shape up top, and it's fun to mix it up and accentuate my legs!  

I bought these over-the-knee leather boots from Joie to go with my miniskirts- they make a sexy statement that's still covered-up.  I'm obsessed!

Bag, BDG.

After trying out a super-short skirt and loving it, I thought I'd try out super-short hair.  I just chopped my tresses this morning at Vidal Sassoon, and I love the results!  A new haircut always leaves me feeling fresh and ready to start over again, which is just what I needed!

Here's hoping that my new look will inspire me to blog more :)

  

Beachy Keen

The weather has been so amazing lately that I was inspired to make my first beach-wear purchase of the season!   This tee-shirt dress from H&M is the perfect throw-it-on-and-go outfit for those days when it's too hot to think about putting together an ensemble.  

Dress, H&M.  Shoes, Cynthia Vincent for Target.

Granted, it's not quite that hot yet, but I got so excited about the sunshine that I jumped the gun on summer fashion when I went for a stroll on the beach earlier this week.   

Spring/summer is the perfect time to break out of my black-and-white shell and put some color into my life!  I feel like I can get away with these crazy, candy-colored stripes because the cut of the dress is clean and unfussy.

I love the exposed zipper detail on the back.

I was endlessly tortured by my sisters when I went to the beach in high heels last year, so this time around I decided to try wedges.   They're much easier to walk in, blend in with the sand, and still allow me to look 4 inches taller.  :)

These wacky wedges were the perfect pair to wear with the dress!  Mixing prints is very in this season, so I mixed the geometric shapes on the shoes with the striped dress- it works because the color palettes are so similar.   

As fun as it was to feel the sand between my toes, it's still pretty chilly by the water.  I'm gonna put this look on hold until summer is officially here- it's just around the corner!