Style Post: Weekend Wear

Hello, fine friends. I hope your weekend was splendid. Ours was pretty casual, but busy. Saturday was spent car shopping, something I was dreading all last week.

After taking my car out for a quick spin a few weeks ago, Kyle made me promise to start looking for a new one. I agree I need a new car. My sweet little Pontiac is plenty old, plenty banged up, and probably on its last leg. I've had it for 10 years and definitely gotten the money's worth, but I just haven't been looking forward to getting rid of it.

We were up bright and early on Saturday to test drive a few cars. I was nervous, but I'm stoked I found two that actually I really liked! And after driving around in those beauties, it was heartbreaking getting back into my Pontiac. (Sorry, car!)

This is what I put together for our car shopping outing, and then a lunch date with a friend. Just a cozy button up, a silk skirt, and my favorite driving loafers.

[J.Crew top; Madewell skirt; thrifted loafers (random consignment shop); vintage bag]

These loafers are my new best friends. I picked them up at a consignment shop during my Georgetown excursion a while back, and they are still lovely and comfy as ever. 

We haven't done the deal yet, but hopefully I'll have some new wheels in a couple of weeks! Wish me luck! 

P.S. I'm excited to see everyone in their spring looks! It's already nice and warm here. 

What are you excited to wear now that it's spring?

Style Post: My SXSW Getup

Somehow I was able to squeeze in one full day of SXSW last weekend. Kyle had two shows on Saturday (one with The Couch and the other with Frank Smith) and we were able to catch Emma Louise at the Aussie BBQ showcase. It's been so long since I've done 10 straight hours of music. It's tiring, especially when you're walking back and forth from the car, loading and unloading gear between shows. But if you're gonna walk and people watch at the same time, SXSW season is the time to do it.

[Madewell shorts (last seen here); J.Crew boat shoes; thrifted shirt from Buffalo Exchange; Ray-Ban sunglasses] 

My SXSW look was super casual but colorful. And I was so happy to bust out my jorts! I've missed these guys, and they were perfect for prancing around downtown Austin on such a beautiful day.

I'm super pooped after just one day of SXSW. I don't know how some people (like Kyle) last the entire week! 

I'd love to know how you managed to survive SXSW if you went this year. And did you fall in love with any new bands? 

Style Post: Black Cats

Remember the dress from my spring wish list, and the one I wore to the Texas Style Council party? Well, here's a proper outfit post featuring that dress, also my new favorite animal-inspired item at the moment. I still love, love, love my tote with puppy heads on it, but this cat dress has stolen my heart for the time being.

I'm pretty crazy about these cat heads. It's strange really, because I don't even have a cat. And I'm all about poodles. But I couldn't resist the dress. Leah Goren is an illustrator and designs all kinds of sweet postcards, scarves, and garments using her artwork. Please check out her Etsy shop to see even more beautiful handmade things by this lady. And she and her guy have a pretty cute blog too.

[Leah Goren dress; thrifted boots (Feathers)]

Style Post: Chambray and Leopard Print

I've got more chambray for you folks today. I figured I'd be sick of wearing denim on denim by now, but I just don't see that happening anytime soon. I probably wear a chambray shirt with jeans or a skirt at least once a week now. I can't help it. But this time I added a little leopard print to shake things up a bit. Don't mind my face here. I was a bit miffed at the wind.

There are some things you love just as much as a good chambray shirt. For me, one of those things is this uber soft, slightly faded leopard print sweater. I don't do a lot of animal print in general, so I was pretty shocked that I had to have this sweater the first time I saw it so many years ago. I bought it and haven't looked back since, but it turned out to be one of those pieces that I awkwardly try to wear with everything. A somewhat shapeless, leopard print sweater. Who'd a thought? But now that mixing prints is all the rage, it shouldn't be too hard to pair it with another funky print. I'm thinking florals next time.

[Madewell shirt, boots, and necklace; J Brand jeans; Urban Outfitters sweater]

What's your favorite way to wear a chambray shirt?

Style Post: Next to the Wallflowers

Spring? Are you here yet? We still have a couple more weeks until we can officially welcome spring, but can you believe it's March already? Wild.

I'm so tired of wearing jeans. I think it's time to bust out the brighter prints and shorter hemlines, but I rely on the boots and tights to keep the look feeling wintery. I think this southwest print dress will transition nicely into spring and summer, and it's super lightweight--perfect for a summertime casual night out.

[Langford Market dress; Madewell boots; J.Crew tights]

I already caved and bought one of the items on my very short spring wish list. Boots. I've already worn these ladies with an assortment of looks and they are oh so cozy. I'm looking forward to styling them up for warmer temps.

I've also got SXSW and Texas Style Council on the brain! Both start next week! This will be my first time attending Texas Style Council. Any advice for a newbie?

Style Post: Stripes and a Little Fleur de Sel

Life is sort of pushing me out of my comfort zone at the moment. First, I leave the only job I've ever known to start a new one. Then, I'm forced to scout out new, and very public, locations to take outfit photos. Sadly, I've reached the point where I'm only able to shoot on weekends. Mornings just aren't practical this time of year. So off I went last Saturday, with Kyle and a good attitude by my side, to find a new and somewhat secluded spot to take pictures. But it all had to start with coffee, a croissant, and some fleur de sel caramel sweets from La Patisserie before we could really get things going.

We didn't have to go very far to find an interesting something to take photos with. This abandoned trailer was just in the lot next to La Patisserie. I thought the color scheme was interesting, and stripes next to stripes are always fun.

[Madewell sweater and shoes (last seen here); American Apparel shirt; Langford Market skirt; J.Crew tights; Tiffany's necklace (old gift from mom)]

I've really been loving the slouchy sweater with a skirt look lately. It's a nice way to casually dress up, I think. This skirt was a recent find from Langford Market and a fun addition to my sad skirt collection. I'm always looking for more playful skirts that I can skip around town in.

Do you take outfit photos for your blog? How do you overcome that strange fear of people watching you?

Style Post: Feathered Hat and Maxi Skirt

Last weekend I had a chance to explore one of Austin's neighboring towns. Georgetown, we call it, and it's just a mere 30 miles outside of the city. My friend Lacy lives up there and kindly offered to show me around some of the cute antique and consignment shops. The perfect excuse to wear a feathered hat, right?

Yea, I've been dying to wear this hat more often. And it seemed perfect for a rather windy afternoon. I also just figured out what's missing from this outfit: color. I feel like I've been doing a good job incorporating more color into my looks this year, but sometimes you have to just go with whatever feels right. Like black. And brown.

[Madewell hat and skirt; J.Crew shirt and boots (last seen here)]

What do you wear when you go exploring?

Style Post: Colorblocking Neutrals

How many neutrals can I wear in one outfit? Three, I say. Plus a layer of reddish-orange. You probably can't tell in the photos, but this skirt has a super high waist. I wasn't even sure how to wear it with anything besides fitted shirts and button-downs, but I thought I'd give the J.Crew mockneck sweater a try.

The weather has been surprisingly mild the last few days, with the exception of last night's wild thunderstorm. The bitter cold didn't last very long, but I'll admit I'm excited for spring to get here.

[J.Crew sweater; Madewell skirt and boots (last seen here); Target loafer socks; ban.do pin (last seen here); Samsonite purse (Buffalo Exchange)]

Life has been a little nutty the last two weeks or so. Lots of potential change and opportunity. I shouldn't really complain because change is healthy! But nothing for you to worry about, dear reader. All in all, life is good.  

How is your week holding up?

Style Post: Shoulder Pads

What do we think about shoulder pads? Too manly? Too '80s? Too awesome?

I found this super chunky knit sweater at Buffalo Exchange too long ago. I thought the shape, texture, and shoulder pads were way interesting and sort of jarring at the same time. I was unsure about the find after I bought it so it took me a while to wear it. I eventually just decided to prep it up with a collared shirt and off I went.

Just one day wearing shoulder pads and we're already good friends. I think we should hang out more often.

[J.Crew blouse (last seen here); thrifted sweater; Madewell jeans and boots (last seen here); Michael Kors watch]

Shoulder pads are back, I'm tellin' ya. Did they ever even go anywhere?

Style Post: Chambray Shirt and Party Shoes

Hooray for Blogshop. I had a dandy old time and learned oh so much about Photoshop, images, and all kinds of good stuff about how to make sweet-looking layouts. I loved it so much that I made a little color bar and tried using the writing tool in this post. Please don't mind how sloppy my handwriting is. I just try to make things look nice for you.

I'm also super jazzed about these shoes. I picked them up about a week before New Year's Eve, but putting an outfit together for them was a doozy. I knew I would wear them out to Uchi to celebrate the New Year, but beyond that I was a bit clueless. I felt like I needed another loud piece (i.e. this silky smooth fuchsia skirt) and then one of my go-to cozy favorites (i.e. this chambray shirt) to make it work.

And then I started to get twirly with it. Don't mind me. I'm just twirling around.

 

[J.Crew shirt and skirt; Target tights; Seychelles shoes; Banana Republic trench]  

Bits of gold, pink, and brown. They shimmer.

As I said, this pair was a toughy for me at first. Do you ever feel completely clueless about how to style something right after you buy it?

Style Post: Cargo Pants and a Pop of Color

One of my first fashion resolutions for 2012 is to add more colorful elements to my more neutral outfits. But rather than always turn to a loud blazer or blouse, I think a brightly colored belt can do just the trick.

I think I often underestimate what a little a belt action can do for an outfit. I usually don't even wear one with pants and just use them to add more shape when I wear those baggier, less shapely looking dresses, like so. They do their job and it's all good. But just last week I felt the need for a more interesting belt or two. J.Crew really does a good job with brightly colored belts and I thought this one would pop nicely against the brown, green, and white.

[J.Crew pants (last seen here) and belt; James Perse tee; Madewell boots (last seen here) and sweater; Michael Kors watch; Urban Outfitters necklace]

Have you started tackling your 2012 fashion resolutions yet?

Style Post: Cape Day

Guess what? I finally found the perfect pair of leggings. Perfect means fitted, comfy at the waist, and high enough around the waist to sort of hold it all in. I plan to wear these suckers quite a bit this winter. I couldn't wait to break them in with this outfit and my vintage southwest style cape. I found this little number at the Austin City-Wide Garage Sale a while back, maybe even a year ago, for just $2. Two bucks! I think I'm more attracted to the style and shape than the color and pattern, which is probably why I've only worn it twice. But it's way fun to wear, I'm telling you.

[Vintage cape; J.Crew sweater and boots; Zara leggings; Michael Kors watch]

And that green stuff I'm standing on? That's from all the rain we got right before Christmas. It's so refreshing to see something besides dry, burnt grass on the ground. And I'm loving the richness of the color.

P.S. What is everyone doing for New Year's Eve? It's been so long since I've been to an actual New Year's Eve party.