It’s my birthday! And while I love being with you, please excuse me while I take today off. I may be out sipping champagne, or reading while in the pool. Massages, long lunches, shopping, and pampering are all on the menu. I’m excited for the year to come, and I’m so proud of all that we’ve built together. Below are some of my favorite past looks. I can’t wait to share more with you!
XO RA
I promise there is so much exciting, new content headed your way. Birthday weeks are always a little crazy, and always make me a little nostalgic. I can’t help but look back at some of my old looks, and my old celebrations. This post is from a few years ago. I had worn this sheer dress with just a body suit to a fashion event. And though my momma loves me, she doesn’t always love the fashion risks I take. So, that year, for her birthday, I knew that I had to style this dress the way she’d love it!
As I wrote:
My mom is my biggest fan and helper (she’s actually CFO of this little venture). She’s always has my back, always supports me, always is willing to help. And she’s not the biggest fan of all the sheer that I sometimes wear, and that is so on trend this season. Literally her thoughts when she saw thisNote: 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!
Part of Put a Pin In It is VERY literal. Brooches are coming back. (And I’ve always had a thing for them and the stories they tell! Here’s a fashion stories on infamous brooches that have always inspired me here and here and here) Brooches are such an easy way to add a little something to an outfit. Here I’m literally (yes, literally) holding the top together- yes, it needs to be altered- with a brooch (the same articulated one! It’s just a fave of mine!). And it’s a way to put a pin in it.
Other ways to put a pin it? Revisiting outfits or ideas that didn’t work the first time around. Let’s be honest, not everything fits or works all the time. Is it wrong to wait and try again? Not according to me. Sometimes I think it’s best to let an idea – or outfit or post or writing or etc- lay for a bit if it’s not perfect or doesn’t fit right, etc the first time. With space and time we can come back, make it (all the things) work. Or we come back and make adjustments that make whatever we we were working on better.
The last way I know to put a pin in it? To make something- in this case an outfit your own. White is so chic for the season, but pairing it with wedges are a bit edgy with snake and gold accents? All me. A tube top? You can find one anywhere. Pairing a vintage one with a brooch? All Me. I think the trick is to take any outfit or any outfit formula, and put your own spin on it. That can be so small from your favorite colors to big things like accessories or statement pieces (shoes and brooches are the examples here, but there are so many to be worn!)
I loved pairing these vintage pieces together in a way that felt that was a statement to me. This brooch in this way? New and exciting to me! And yet, a way to make a too big top a fit for me. This outfit would call for sandals but picking ones that are a statement took the outfit from usual to all me. There are so many ways- from sticking to thinking outside the box – put a pin in your outfits. My wish for you this spring and summer is that you find all your own ways to use all the pins. And you need help I’d love to offer mine!
This outfit is made of vintage (skirt, top, brooch) and resell (sandals) pieces, but I’ve linked similar ones for your 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!
My birthday is next week. A week from today in fact! And I know, as adults, we aren’t supposed to make a big deal of birthdays, but I think they are a big deal. (though full disclosure I’ve forgotten the blog’s birthday for a few years now, even though I do think it’s a big deal!) We all get holidays, but birthdays are the one day we really get to celebrate ourselves. And while this post is about my wishlist (for the season and my coming year), I think about birthday wishlists being not only about the physical things we want (which I usually do have a lot of), but a way of making a wishlist of who we want to be in our next year. Yes, the wishlist can be about a dress or a suit, but it’s also about how we want to spend our time- the gym, at events, in dance class, on the pickle ball court, or in flattering jeans. I take my celebrations as not only day off- which I fully intend to take (full disclosure, I have no big plans and the grief and gratitude I have for being as old as I am are weirdly intertwined and probably not for this post- I’m still working those feelings out!), but a time to really set intentions for what I want to create.
As you know, I truly believe that our fashion is important as it’s a way for us to tell our stories, and our stories are important. So, what stories do I want to tell for the year that starts next Wednesday? I want to get out there again- from events (I do love a party dress) to dance class to finding joy in daily dressing. I’m love with 3 piece suits, and while I would technically never have the need for one- where could I wear one regularly? I have a list of casual dresses to throw on to my my errands chic, an update to summer sandals, and I’m looking for chic jeans. And a pair of great trousers. The new year is full of possibilities, and I’m still flushing out exactly which ones I’ll start pursuing, who exactly I want to be in the next year. It’s an exciting time. And I know that any and all of these amazing pieces will make the new me in the new coming year better. (I also hope that they inspire you and I give you permission to use my birthday as a reset for you too!)
Here’s what I’m shopping for my birthday- I can’t wait to spend the next year with you!
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!
And here is the link to one of my current wishlists (which doubles as a birthday wishlist!)
Shop here
I have a thing for sheer. It was one of my very first blog posts (see here: Is Sheer A Thing We’re Doing? note: I still have most of these sheer pieces and still wear them!), and I’ve also chatted this season about the sheer trend (see here. And this sheer pencil skirt is high on my spring wish list!)
Sheer is something I’m constantly drawn to- and when I think about it, it’s probably because sheer gives you the power to choose what you show, and what you reveal.
With wearing sheer you can show it all- or you can play hide and seek. A new favorite tip I got for wearing sheer is to put tonal leggings (or in this case biker shorts) underneath. It gives the illusion of being completely sheer, and yet, you’re completely covered.
(I also don’t judge if you show more with your sheer-there have been times when I have! But I love this tip as it’s a work and “proper” way of wearing sheer that leads to the illusion that you’re showing more than you might be!)
As for tonal? Tone on tone is so so chic- and yet adds to the mystery of sheer. Really isn’t that all that sheer is – a mystery or an illusion?
Perhaps my attraction to sheer is that it can be anything you need it to be. Sheer. Opaque. Classic. A bit more un-classic. I know you know that I truly believe that fashion is a way in which we tell our stories, and sheer gives us so much power over that. And sheer keeps changing over the seasons (we do too). It makes sense to me to keep playing with what we show, what we keep hidden, what sheers we wear and how we work them into our lives.
This skirt and this top are both years and years old. The shoes are resale – but I’ve found you similar for all! Here I’ve worn nude Spanx under the skirt- but there are so many other nude options, as well as leggings in all of the shades of the rainbow for all of your sheers! If you need help styling your sheer- both tonally and a bit more risqué- I would love to help! In the meantime I’ve linked options for this look for your shopping pleasure 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!
My psoriasis (a recent development that I mentioned here) has flared up this week (and may be spreading!), making everything from getting dressed to taking pics a bit more difficult than it should be. I’m currently working on the rash- in the meantime I’m looking back at what I want to wear and this dress tops the list! I do love a good 2 in 1! xo RA
Know what makes a great investment piece? Something that’s classic. Something that lasts. Something that’s 2 in 1.
This is one of my current favorite dresses. You’ve seen it more than one time on Instagram. And one of my most favorite things about this favorite thing? It’s 2 in 1, in more than one way.
Yes, it’s a great plaid maxi dress. The v cuts make it stand out, and it’s perfect coloring for both fall and spring. But look a little closer. See those Palm trees? There’s a whole other print going on, and I love how it peaks out, giving the dress another dimension. 2 in 1. I love pairing it with this metallic bralette. And heels. But I also love throwing a jean jacket and my sneakers on with it. 2 in 1.
Why settle for a dress that is less?
This 2 in 1 dress is via BreeLayne, who specialized in substainable fashion. You might have read about her here. The label has shut down (sadly), but I can’t resist going back to it over and over!
Any time I find a dress that is a great investment, 2 in 1, and a deal I can’t help but fall in love. When that same dress is good for the environment and designed by someone who is a doll, I can’t help but go back to it over and over.
While this brand and dress is no longer available, I have found similar dresses for you 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!
I went to update this look/post and realized I shot almost frame for Frame the same looks. Some things never change? Or classics always last? Either way, suits are in this season- I’m into the pant/vest/blazer look – but I also LOVE these, and keep going back to them!
XO RA
We all know that I love a good juxtaposition. And I do. But the one I may love the most? A short suit. AKA a pair of shorts and a blazer- which bares the question- could any shorts and blazer be a suit? That may be a question for a much longer post, but what I do know is that I LOVE a good short suit. Try saying that 5 times fast.
This is where I let you know (as with every set) that with a suit that you can style every piece a million different ways- the shorts, the blazer – together, apart- all a million different ways.
But, a short suit is especially dear to my heart. Because it’s very professional. And very easy to style for a party.
Check out this video for more styling tips:
I do love this short suit as is (Aka I pinned the blazer to make it a top)
And then of course you could wear any top of your liking underneath the blazer (or with the shorts). I paired a silk shirt and switched my shoes from platforms to heels to elevate the look:
This variation is perfect for any work (in the hotter months) event. Or any event where shorts may be appropriate but you need to elevate the look.
Of course the most versatile aspect of a short suit is that you can style any short suit for a part like:
Yep.That’s a short suit styled with a strapless bathing suit (scarf optional).
Short. Suits are one of my most favorite things, and vey en vouge, ad the encompass all of your casual needs while looking completely professional.
You can find short suits new. Vintage. Make your own with your favorite shorts and blazer. A short. suit. is what you make it. Perhaps that’s what I like most about it!
Below I’ve linked this short suit and other options, as well as shoes.
Note: These heels are my beloved Sarah Flint Perfect Sandals and you can get $50 off your own pair with code SARAHFLINT-BAINVESTMENTPIECE.
How are you wearing a short suit?
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!
I have a thing for caftans (see here, here, and here for starters), absolutely think that they are a must for any well rounded wardrobe, but- with all my love, I can recognize that sometimes caftans can be a little- big. But big is not the word I’m looking for- perhaps I mean caftans can be more oversized, a bit voluminous, and while chic, sometimes we want sometimes a bit more form fitting.
And when that happens sometimes al we need is a safety pin!
(Note: caftans are by no means the only outfits that you can adjust to your own likes with a safety pin. The options are endless. Here I used a safety pin as I couldn’t make a belt work the way I wanted- but belts are always great options too!)
While I loved the caftan above, while playing with styling options I wanted something a bit more fitted. I inherited this caftan from a neighbor, and it came with a matching belt- but for the life of me I couldn’t make the belt work. It would bugle, wouldn’t flow well, all in all I just couldn’t make it work. So. I grabbed a safety pin. Wearing the caftan I reached behind my waist and pinned the excess fabric- creating a bit of a cape like effect in the back and more of a fitted silhouette in the front.
How great is it that you can alter (not permanently) anything you own? It’s the step beyond making any outfit you own with styling (which I am still a bit fan of!). And how great is it that all you need is a safety pin? Yes- the look was altered with that single safety pin pictured above! Just imagine what I (or you) could do with more!
This was one of my favorite outfits this week, in both variations. But I have to admit that I got such a thrill from being able to change my entire look with a safety pin. This caftan is vintage, but I’ve linked similar ones for you below.
And these shoes are my beloved Sarah Flint Perfect Sandals. Now you can use code SARAHFLINT-BAINVESTMENTPIECE for $60 off your first pair!
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!
I know this is a season when many (from stores to friends to other bloggers) will be sharing their swim picks. And at some point I will be too. There will be one pieces, two pieces, cutouts, swimsuits for family vacations, swimsuits for romantic beach rompers and everything in between. Yet, I have a whole set of swim that I think is a must have for the season- swim to wear as bodysuits. It’s a (wonderful) habit I have- get a fantastic one piece swim, never wear it in water, but use it as a staple under everything- pants, skirts, shorts, layered with dresses and more.
You can see other examples of this habit I have no intention of breaking here, here, and here, though there are many more. In fact, the above swim (I love the low cut!) with white pants (a must have!) is not the only time this year that I will use a swimsuit as a bodysuit. So I thought- we might as well start the season in swim with an outfit that’s both classic and edgy!
Black-from swim to bodysuits and everything beyond- is a classic. Goes with everything, is effortlessly chic, and yet what drew me to this swimsuit was the edge. I love the low cut neckline, and that there is a wire holding the suit in place so there are no accidents. As someone with a long torso, as much as I love swimsuits as bodysuits, I have to be careful with sizing, as many times suits I love are simply too short for me. This number fits perfectly (I’m in an extra small, I’ve linked this exact suit below and it’s on sale!) and will add a bit of spice to anything from skirts and shorts to jeans and more pants.
These white pants are some of my favorites, and a season staple. They’re vintage but I’ve found you similar – especially some Spanx pants that I’m very tempted to add to my closet! What I can say is that while white in season is a must, I love pants with a bit of a wide leg that you can be incredibly casual with, or that you can make incredibly formal. Of course you could do both with a swimsuit!
Do you also have the habit of wearing swimwear as outerwear during the season? What’s your favorite way to style? I promise this isn’t the only time you’ll see me in swim without water this season, and we it warms up I’ll be sharing some of my favorite current swimsuits. Below you can find this swimsuit and amazing white pants!
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!
One of my favorite sayings? “Want to make God laugh? Tell God your plans”. And I have to say- in my personal experience- this saying has been more than true. Not that we shouldn’t make plans, not that our plans aren’t valid, but we all know that our plans sometimes fall through.
And this is a place where I could say that plans fall apart so better things can fall together (completely cliche but can be true). But what if I tell you that sometimes plans just don’t work out like we thought. Call it timing or whatever you like- maybe God does have better plans- all I can say is that sometimes my best laid plans don’t work out at all.
This dress? I LOVE it. It’s the perfect combination of ladylike and a little edge. There is a slight (just a slight) polka dot feel to it as the black and white texture mimics one of my favorite patterns- and of course there is the polka dots on the collar and sleeve ruffles. While I will tell you that yellow isn’t my color there are times that I just love it (see here, and here, and on top of my spring wishlist is this yellow dress). This stunner is a vintage Neiman Marcus coat dress via one of my favorite vintage shops Bloomers and Frocks.
And with all of that. Nothing about this dress or this shoot, or even how I styled it (which I am still second guessing) went to plan. Maybe God had a different one?
This dress is so stunning in person- and yet there were some stains (the yellow bleeds when wet!)- I’ve been spot cleaning it for a year. In retrospect, and something I may still do, I should have taken off the collar, cuffs, and bow and had it cleaned. But. I kept making progress (some of my favorite cleaners for vintage clothes are RetroClean and Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover). And while there is still some work to do- I love this dress. Alone. Over pants or jeans. With Mary Janes or with thigh high boots. However, after cleaning, I could not get the dress ironed properly. It now bubbles a bit, is a bit wrinkly, doesn’t fall correctly. Do I still love it? Yes. But not to plan (and I will need to get it professionally pressed!). There is actually a super cute matching yellow and black polka dot dickie that is supposed to be snapped on the chest- the snaps broke right before I shot. The weather was forecasted to be sunny and beautiful on the morning of the shoot- it was misting and my hair that I had flipped (as this dress makes me feel like a sitcom heroine Ala Mary Tyler Moore and Marlo Thomas from “That Girl!” and very 1960s) fell flat. I did choose these edgy Mary Jane heels as an ode to the 1960s (originally I had planned to shoot this dress with these amazing over the knee white boots I have seen here) but after I saw the pics I completely over thought the styling.
To plan? Not mine. BUT. The pictures that did come out, how much fun I have wearing this dress, how much I love it all even though it doesn’t go to my plan. Perhaps the point of one of my favorite sayings is that even when our plans don’t work out we can love the results? Or that after plans that don’t work we can see the beauty? I’m still working that out. What do you think?
This dress is vintage, and yet I think a coat dress is a classic staple, I reach for them again and again. I have found you some of my favorite current ones and linked them below! Mary Janes, especially flat ones, are super on trend this season- I would love to help you find a pair that fits you! Reach out at racheladelicia@investmentpiece.com and I will send over some of my faves!
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!
