Investment Piece – Page 74 – Everyday Editorial

Trend to be Tie-Dyed

Investment Piece: Trend to be Tie-Dyed

Tie-Dye.
As a process it’s been around since people have been dying fabric.
As a trend, it’s seen some things. The hippie movement. Then it was high fashion by the likes of Halston and Dior and on Picadilly. Then disco. The trend died for a bit, but was revived on hyper-color shirts (yes,I’m that old), and now Tie-Dye is back. There are tie-dye parties you can throw with your friends. And if you’re not the DYI type, you can buy chic versions of tie-dye in the form of anything from dresses to pjs.

Yep, these are pjs. I have a bad (or good) habit of wearing my pjs as street wear. You can see for yourselves here, here, here, here, here, and here. For starters. (I can’t help it!). And this tie-dye number? Yep. PJs. But with a trench and on-trend sandals, no one may be able to tell! (And if they do, it will be okay!)

(Note: these pieces would also be great as seperates. Wear the cami with jeans or a skirt. Pair the pants with a crop top. It’s tie-dye. It’s supposed to be fun).

Investment Piece: Trend to Tie-Dye

As tie-dye has been making it’s come back (if we can call it that), I’ve been loving the tie-dye dresses and skirts that have been popping up all over my feeds. So why did I buy PJS? I love a good set (and everything that comes with, the endless chances for mixing and matching). I love PJS (seriously. They look chic out and you can sleep in them!! Go straight to bed (after skin care of course!). And this set was tie-dye without being over the top. I love the trend, but didn’t know if I was ready to for my tie-dye to be so bold. This was perfect for me. And while my mom could tell it was PJS, the people I met out and about couldn’t!

You can buy this set here:

And shop more of my tie-dye picks here.

Yes. Those are both affiliate links. While that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

I would love to know is tie-dye a trend you’re trying? How are you wearing it?
Xo RA

Spring Wishlist

At the beginning of every new season, I can’t help but take a little stock. Of what I have. Of what I might want. Of what I need. This is sometimes a big undertaking, sometimes it’s simple, sometimes it’s a little of both.

I love to clean out and organize my closet in January and February. This gives me a sense of what I have, what I need to replace, and what my waredrobe is missing. Then I think about trends, what’s being offered, what I love and what I don’t, and a mix of what I need and want. There’s a shopping theory I hold dear, and explains a little bit about how I shop. I think there are 3 categories we buy in: what we need (work, basics, etc), what we love (more trendy), what fills the spaces we need (overall waredrobe building). All are valid, and we might do all each season.

This season, my spring Wishlist is a mix of all. I’m looking for pieces to fill a specific hole in my closet. There are some trends I’m just in love with, and I can never say no to basics. These are just a few pieces I’m shopping for–what about you?

Note: this post does contain affiliate links. While that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

Puff Sleeve Dress
The statement sleeve has been “in” for a while and isn’t going anywhere. For spring, the trend has evolved into puff sleeve, and these are some of my favorites:

White Jeans
It feels like I’m forever on the hunt for the perfect white jeans. These are some that are in the running:

Belted Bathing Suit
I’m such a fun of the retro-inspired and ever so flattering belted swim wear on offer. We know I love to wear my swim wear out and about, and I can’t wait to see what these go with:

Strappy Sandals
There’s no such thing as too many shoes, no matter what anyone else says. To me, strappy sandals aren’t so much a trend but a spring staple-though this season I’m loving the square toe take on it! I love these:

And you can shop more sandal picks here and here.

I would love to know: what’s on your spring Wishlist?
Xo RA

Set Moments

Investment Piece: Set Moments

A part of the story is that I love sets. They together. They go seperately. There are endless options with mixing and matching, wearing the set as a one piece, changing up the accessories, that they are truly a great investment!I love the combination of both dots and stripes on this one. It’s both a bit professional and a bit playful. This set was part of a vintage closet that I was gifted at the beginning of the year by a family member. It’s been worn to business meetings and dates, and I love wearing all that history. While I could dress this down, I love that this set lends itself to being so polished and lady like.

Investment Piece: Set Moments

A part of the story:
This set felt very Megan Markle to me. Polished. Pretty. Appropriate for tea, or an event. Styling it with a belt and heels was a perfect way to tie everything together, and it wowed at the lunch meeting I wore it to! When I was first gifted this set I knew that there were a ton of ways to wear it. But this is the way I most wanted to style it. There was just something about it that made me yearn to be more polished.

Don’t worry, I’ll rock it with flip-flops and sneakers, too!

Investment Piece: Set Moments
The moment that made me laugh!
Yes, the wind was strong this day and I had a Marilyn moment. Actually more than one! The moral of that story? We can’t plan for everything. You have to keep your sense of humor in fashion. That all sides of us are valid and show up, even when we don’t see them coming!
Ironically, this was one of my favorite moments of the shoot/day. Yes,I love this set ladylike. But I love to laugh, and this was such a true joyful moment. Most of all, I love a good set that I can enjoy all the moments in. Don’t you?

While this set is vintage, I have found similar items for you and have linked them below!
Xo RA

Note: this post does contain affiliate links. While that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

Sunday Chronicles: International Women’s Day

Investment Piece: Sunday Chronicles

Here at Investment Piece we’re feminists (it’s not a dirty word). We truly believe that women and men are equal and should be treated as such. That being said, women are special. I’m sure that there are women in your life who’ve helped you, lifted you up, taken care of you, paved the way, and more. We love featuring other women entrepreneurs on this site, wearing women designers, and in general celebrating all the things that being a woman means.

Loves, let’s be honest there are times when being a woman is hard. (Just thinking about expounding on that makes me tired) So. Today, because it’s a day to celebrate us, instead of focusing on how hard it is, or how far we need to go, we want to hear about what’s great! What women in your life really helped you? Is amazing? Should be recognized? What do you love about the great women that you know? What are you doing to spread your greatness?

Today, I’m volunteering with a group of women who inspire me with their passion to make change and then having dinner with my mom (a real Shero).

I hope you get celebrated a bit today. I hope you celebrate women today. Here’s to us all!
Wishing us a week of equality and amazing shoes!
Xo RA

ShopBop Spring Event

Loves, at this time of the month you usually see my Armarium picks. I love their site, business, closet, and rental program. I believe that female owned business and sustainable fashion are our future (and you can’t get more sustainable than renting). However, it is with a heavy heart that I let you know that Armarium is closing its closet. A note from their CEO:

Investment Piece: Armarium

We will miss Armarium here at Investment Piece!

In the meantime, there’s a sale at ShopBop, the Spring Event, that you shouldn’t miss. Yes, onward. The Spring Event is one of the Spend More Save More sales, where your savings go up the more you spend. Depending on what you buy, you could get up to 25% off full priced items! Sales like this are a great time to stock up, spurlge on something special, or a combination of all of the above. Here are some things that I’m shopping:

Note: this post does contain affiliate links. While that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

Basics:

Spring Sandals:

SwimWear for the Summer:

You can shop more picks here.

The event goes till 3/8 at 12a! I’ll be adding more picks till then over on ShopStyleCollective and the LiketoKnowIt app! What are you shopping for?

Xo RA

Pieces or Whole?

Investment Piece: Pieces or Whole

Do you think in pieces or in whole (big picture)?
In high school, the only B I got was in Geometry. The proofs killed me. You know when you were supposed to detail step by step to get to the answer? I always knew the answer, big picture, theorem, but the steps? No clue. Ever. It was so bad my teacher thought I was cheating and had to have a conference with my mom (a fact I recently learned. I’m just a little offended he thought I would massively cheat for a B. Why not go all the way?). And while I’m still not a fan of geometry, I’ve come to believe that it teaches us how we think. And I’m a big picture, whole thinker.

To-do lists? I have to be detailed (and it kills me) because otherwise I won’t do everything. Where I want to go and the end results I want I can see so clearly, but the steps to get there? Half the time I don’t even know.

Same goes for my closet. I know when I love pieces. What I want the over all feel, purpose, etc. And with outfits, I can sometimes know the overall effect. But it takes me time to get the pieces. I can even get lost in the pieces- when I shop I fall in love with a piece, but it may not always fit the over all big picture. Or maybe I have the big picture and don’t have all the pieces.

I’m working on it. There are a lot of lists. A lot of mapping out where I want to be (and wear) and how to get there. But. As I’m getting better there are times when the magic happens. I have the big picture (whole) and the pieces. They work, and they look and feel good.

And yes, I recommend double denim, jean jackets, and yoked jeans. Not to mention vintage clogs!

Let’s chat! How do you see your outfits? Your closet? In pieces? Or whole?
XoRA

I’ve linked pieces for your shopping pleasure below. These are affiliate links. While that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

Investment Piece: Pieces or Whole

Sunday Chronicles: Reset

Investment Piece: Reset

Happy March my loves! We are 2 months into the new year. It’s the end of one season and the start of another. Mercury in retrograde, Lent, all the things. And, like me, you may be taking a look at your goals or what you’d like to achieve this year. And, maybe like me, you’re ready for a little reset.

It’s not that January or February were bad months by any means, but they weren’t exactly easy. Some months are like that! But as the spring starts, I really wanted to take a step back and really look at my goals. Am I doing what’s best for me to achieve what I want? Do I need to go about things a different way? Adjust habits? Be more clear and intentional about what I do?

May be so. This week I’ll be looking at my goals and my days and really thinking about a reset. A new season means a new start, right? So, I’ve been thinking: how do we reset? Do we take some time off and then start anew? Begin all over with new goals and habits? Maybe a little bit of it all?

I’m not totally sure, but I know that I’m committed to a great month and feeling like I’m making progress on my goals. This is what I’m doing:
-I’m giving up wine for lent. I’m not Catholic, and was not raised in a home that practiced lent. And I still love wine–and can’t wait to have it again! But as I was thinking about my habits, I realized I (and those around me) had just gotten in the habit of opening a bottle whenever! And so much of Blog culture was about drinking wine (all the time!). I love wine, but want to be intentional about my drinking. So, I’m taking a break, and am a bit excited about it!
-I’m reassing other habits. I know my goals and I know my habits. I also know my faults. I can procrastinate. Get shy. Over feel and over think. This month I’ll be looking at goals and numbers and all the things. I’ll be very clear about where I want to get and trying different things to get there.
-I’m taking time off. Not from here! But I’ve found the in the past 2 months there was not a whole day I had off. I’m tired. And I can’t be my best when I’m spent. So, I’m giving myself a day off a week–and yes, that will look different each week. But as much as I love all the things, I need to recoup too!
-I’m open to ideas, and I’m excited. Maybe my biggest reset is I’m determined to get to a place where all of the things are fun. Even the failures! Sounds crazy, I know, but if we’re failing we’re trying and with the right attitude it just means we’re learning. That’s what I’m telling myself, and I’m a little curious to see if I’m right. So same goals, new ways? We’ll see.

I would love to know: where are you on your goals? Are you headed for a reset? Did you give up anything for Lent? Tell me all about it!

Wishing us a week of easy resets and amazing shoes!
Xo RA

ReDux (OR How to Redo an Outfit)

I’m currently on the couch nursing some sort of cold – no longer really sick, but a little too sick to work. So. Today we flash back. I do re-wear so much of my closet, and it’s so interesting (for me) to think about new ways to redo my outfits. I hope you enjoy this take! I’m layering on sweatshirts and vitamin C and you can expect all sorts of new starting Sunday! Xo RA

Investment Piece: Redux

Last week we chatted about revisiting an outfit. Today, without meaning to, I’m at it again. There are just things that I seem to think go together: Gucci shoes and floral patterns. I thought that this outfit was new and fresh (I added stripes!), but it turns out that this is a pairing I’ve been drawn to before; see Gucci+Floral here. Maybe my real pattern is that I’ve mastered how to redo an outfit?

I also can’t lie: I repeat that dress and these stunning shoes a lot.

But let’s chat about this outfit! Real talk? I get a little nervous wearing a short skirt with heels. Not that I don’t trust my legs, but I worry about showing too much skin. (Is that a thing?) Here I couldn’t resist. I may have mentioned this: I love these Gucci platforms. I love them paired with florals; there’s just something about the stripes and the flowers that just flow for me. And if you can resist an off the shoulder striped top, you’re a better person than me. There’s just something about this redux that’s flirty and a little classic. It’s a nod to the outfit before, and yet it’s own perfect thing. That’s how you redo an outfit.
Investment Piece: Redux

Now that we redux well, should we address the elephant in the room? Or, more succinctly, why are there patterns and outfit formulas that we keep going back to? What makes us want to redo an outfit?

I don’t know that I have all the answers.

Some patterns are just classic. There are reasons why certain combos and styles are never “out”. Or maybe it’s just comfort. If there’s an outfit or a combo that makes you feel good, that you know you look great in, that you get compliments on why wouldn’t you redo that outfit over and over again? What if reduxes aren’t something to hide or laugh at, but something to celebrate? Let’s not worry about why we go back to certain outfits. It’s not a bad thing to want to wear outfits that look great. Instead, let’s focus on making more outfits that make us feel stunning.

Maybe the answer is that we replace the word outfit with anything that’s great for us and makes us feel good. How’s that for a redux?

I’ve linked similar items to this outfit below. And yes, it will be one that I redo regularly.

XO RA

And one of my favorite places to get pre-owned Gucci at affordable prices:

Note: This post does contain some Affilate links. While I may earn commission from them, this does not affect the price for you. Thank you for your support!

Investment Piece: Redux

Fashion Stories: Charm Bracelets

A piece that I used to wear religiously? A way to learn a little bit about me? A charm bracelet. In and of itself both a fashion story and a timeline of our lives, these bracelets were so special to me growing up. Now that I’m looking back at them, I’m amazed at what they say and how accurate they still are. I’d love to know: did you wear a charm bracelet growing up? And if you were to make one now, what charms would you want on it?

Xo RA

I’ve linked some of my favorite current charms here. Yes, that’s an affiliate link, and while that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from it. Thank you for your support!

GO BIG!

Investment Piece: GO BIG

I’ve been thinking a lot about minimalism and maximalism and what we wear to make ourselves feel seen. There is a time a place for a waredrobe that’s self contained, with clean lines, and very minimalistic. Sometimes when you’re leaving the house you should take a look at yourself and remove an accessory.
But.
There are times when statement pieces are needed. And when more is best. At those times, why shouldn’t we go big? In fact, at those times, why isn’t going big a way to deal with things?

I’ve found, recently, that there are days when the only thing that fits, the only thing that makes me feel like myself, the only thing that makes me feel good is maximalism. It jars me out of my boxes and moods, and is just fun. More than one statement piece? Yes. Mixing patterns? Yes. Big pieces and even bigger attitudes? Yes. There are times to go big, and there’s no reason to be small about it.

Investment Piece: GO BIG

All of the pieces of this outfit are things I love, statements, and perfect on their own. Yet, together they were so fun, and even more perfect (if that’s a thing). I’ll admit, I got a bit nervous pairing more than one statement piece together- big skirt, floral boots, gold belt, tasseled scarf. Any one could stand out, and I was worried I wouldn’t make a statement, I would just be LOUD. But. It worked. And made me feel seen, and like every piece could be seen. The pieces went together, I felt great, and it was a hit at brunch (though it could also be that I showed up with champagne).

Those things that we can get nervous to wear? To pair together? Maybe the point is that we should wear them, that we should pair them. As much as minimalism is great, maybe maximalism lets us really be ourselves. GO BIG, in fashion, in life, at brunch. Maybe that’s the secret?

What big outfit could you wear that really lets you be who you are? What if being big and loud is our thing, and it’s amazing?

Xo RA

These pieces are from a few years ago, but I’ve linked similar ones AND I’ve found someone special these EXACT Valentino boots! Note: this post does contain affiliate links. While that does not affect the price for you, I may earn commission from them. Thank you for your support!

Investment Piece: GO BIG