outfits – Page 48 – Investment Piece

Long and Short of it

Investment Piece: Long and Short of it

Every piece we own has a story, and we can tell a story about everything. There’s usually a long version and a short version. I love stories, and I can tell you both versions of anything I own.

The short of it for this look? I challenged myself to think outside of the box for the holiday season (not everything has to be red), I found a designer I love (Johanna Ortiz) was doing a collab with H&M, and fell in love with this dress.

But, has anyone ever known me to leave a story at the short of it?

Investment Piece: Long and Short of it

The long of it:

I wouldn’t say that I hate it, but (as a blonde and someone who’s coloring is not prone to it) I have issues loving the color yellow. I can love it on other people, but not always on me. So when I find something I love that’s yellow, I’m always a little surprised. In Decemeber, I got to thinking about my holiday dress situation. I have a lot of them, and they are all loved. But. There was a recurring theme and them, and being who I am, I wanted different. Holidays can be anything we want them to be, so why not dress how we want?! I was determined to find a festive dress that wasn’t “traditional”.

Johanna Ortiz is from Colombia and when I heard that she was collabing with H&M, I got (maybe a little too) excited. Her pieces are vibrant and full of Ruffles and sometimes a bit out of my budget. This collab is a great chance to get a piece-the dresses are beautiful, the details are stunning, and you will inspire awe (there is more to come from this collab in March and I can’t wait!).

Festive as it was for the holidays (yes, I wore it to Christmas concerts), this print will serve me through spring and summer. A dress for all seasons? That’s a long and short of it I will take.

Investment Piece: long and short of it

I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out some of these details: the buttons, the ties, the slits. While I’ve only worn this dress to events like Holdiay concerts and shoots, I dream of the stories I’ll tell in it at dinners and parties,and the stories I’ll tell of it of those nights.

What long and short stories do you have to share?

Investment Piece: Long and Short of it

I’ve linked all shopping options and this exact dress here. Please note, that is an affiliate link, and while that does not affect pricing for you, I may earn commission from it! Thank you for your support!

Xo RA

#Mixed

Investment Piece: #mixed

Tired: mixing different prints
Wired: mixing the same print in different colors.

Snake two ways? Maybe it is groundbreaking. For me, they just went. (Also I can’t say enough about shirt dresses. Chic, flattering, and endlessly comfortable.) Animal prints aren’t going away any time soon, leopards and zebras and cheetahs and snakes are all over resort, spring, and summer look books. With so many options, why not mix them? Use them as a neutral and mix with almost anything in your closet. Mix them together like this pairing. Mixed.

This dress is from H&M and I’ve found the exact one for you. These boots are from last season, but I have options for you. I would love to know: what are you mixing your animal prints with?
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!

Shop this look

into the wild

Investment Piece: into the wild

And we’re back. The holidays are over, work and real life have begun again, and it’s back to the grind. For me, the week that we “return” from the holidays is always bittersweet. When you’ve been on holiday for a while, and the winter holidays often feel like a while, coming back to work can be difficult. If you’re like me, you’re used to a more relaxed schedule, more treats, and more freedom. It’s hard to give that up. However, there’s also a joy. The new is thrilling and full of plans to be made and goals to crush. It’s full of possibility and hope. I love going into the office and feeling renewed about my purpose and work.

(Coming back also gives you a chance to show off the new clothes you got over the holidays. I got this Dino sweatshirt. Yes, it’s from the kid’s section. Yes, there are reversable sequins. Yes, it was my favorite gift from Santa.)

The vacation is good. The new year is good. Is there a way to combine the best of them both? Perhaps.
It’s into the wild, and we’re off.

Investment Piece: into the wild

But. What is the wild?
Is it some place ( or thing) we’ve never been (or done) before?
A place without rules?
Somewhere where the animals run free? (Yes, I’m a Dino lover, but I do think bringing them back would be a disaster)

For me, wild is a bit of it all. It’s the feeling of doing new things, making up rules as we go along, and running a bit free. It’s also the start of the new year: unformed, a little raw, and open to what comes. And for us? For fashion? Wild (to me) means trying new things, having fun, redefining our classics, making a wardrobe that works for us, and stories. Lots of stories.

Into the wild? Let’s go!
Xo RA

I’ve linked similar outfit options for your shopping pleasure below!
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!

You can shop this look here

Investment Piece: into the wild

A Look Back: 2019

Investment Piece: 70s Rockstar (An Ode to Print Mixing)

Investment Piece: Not Your Grandma's Sweater

Looking back is both a great exercise and absolute torture. It can offer such clarity and so much is still cloudy. Part of me is just in awe of how much we’ve grown, all these great outfits, and am so excited for what we want this site to be. There is the other part of me that can only see what we didn’t do, the mistakes we made, and where we can improve. That’s a year, right?

Perhaps both can be accurate: I know what I want to improve and the vision I want to present to you in the coming year. I’m so passionate and excited about the videos and series we’ve started, and I would love to add a few more editorial elements and photos. There are outfits I’d love to put together, and outfits I would rewear in a heart beat. I’ll be working on being a bit more vulnerable (that’s a struggle for me) and working on balancing my life and work.

2019 was a year, both good and bad. I’m grateful for it all, and I am so excited about what’s to come.

There’s sales all over my Instagram and LiketoKnowIt profile. Maybe we can shop our way into the new year?

Xo RA

She Wore Lace

Investment Piece: She Wore Lace

Who said that holiday dressing had to be all velvets and reds?

A little black lace. Grandma’s mink. A neckline. Unexpected and yet just perfect for the season. Isn’t that the magic of the holidays?

Investment Piece: She Wore Lace

This was supposed to be a different look.
Here’s the thing about the holidays, we have expectations. We want things to go a certain way, see certain people, get certain gifts. We attempt to recreate magical moments from the past. And loves, sometimes it doesn’t work out. So, we go with the flow.
I had a dress I wore a few birthdays back all ready to shoot. It was perfect: black lace, one shoulder, vintage feel but new and on trend. The zipper wouldn’t work.
Lucky for us all, my closet is a magical place and I was able to style something similar I love (and have really worn! I managed to not even freak out about my dress-yet).
Investment Piece: She Wore Lace
We wanted to shoot at a place by my mom’s that does a Christmas light show every year. In the past they have left the lights up through New Years. The lights were down, in fact, we interrupted workers breaking everything down.
And I almost ate it more than once, this candy cane was almost the death of me!
Investment Piece: She Wore Lace
The lights and the focus on the camera fought, pictures wouldn’t transfer. The elegant, easy, extremely themed shoot I had in mind didn’t happen.

But. My mom and I had the best laughs. We got some good shots. I got called dapper by a stranger. And I loved the feel of being “holiday dressy” in something not your stereo typical holiday dress.
Maybe all that control that we want to have over our celebrations is the same? When we can let what we had planned go and enjoy what’s happening, maybe that’s where the magic of the holidays lives.

Classic or trendy, velvets or lace, reds or blacks, planned or improvised, I hope whatever you wear this season makes you feel joyful and magical, and all your plans end up better than your ideas!

Wishing you a happy holiday!
Xo RA

For your shopping pleasures, I’ve linked some black lace choices for you below:
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: She Wore Lace

How to Sparkle

Investment Piece: How to Sparkle

How to Sparkle: Tis the season for parties. And, yes, so much of our holiday dressing involves Christmas and Hanukkah parties. Red, blue, and green are our main palettes, and we throw in plaid for good measure. A way to stand out? Sparkle. Not only at your holiday parties, but let’s not forget that we have New Year’s Eve coming; and nothing says “ring in the new” than something that sparkles.

I am a fan of sequins in all forms, and really in all seasons. Your inner light sometimes needs an outer expression. Let’s celebrate that! How to Sparkle? Don’t be afraid to sparkle and sparkle big. This top, I call it my “armor” top, it’s so full of sparkles that it’s a full statement by itself. And yes, it’s heavy. Doesn’t stop me from sparkling.

Investment Piece: How to Sparkle

How to Sparkle: Let the sparkle be the statement. There are outfits that call for sparkle head to toe (and days that call for that outfit). However, I love a sparkle and an understatement. I love this top with simple silver. These pants, with the wide leg and pockets, are amazing; yet don’t take focus. Shoes that follow the theme ties the look together; and I love that these silver shoes sparkle by themselves. This combo is perfect for any holiday party and even more perfect for your New Year’s Eve. This sparkle is a way to stand out, make a statement, and yet, keep it simple.

Of course, we can find you pieces like these-these pants were originally shown on site here, you’ve seen these shoes too many times to count, and this top is from Zara many seasons ago. Also? I bet we can make an outfit like this in your current closet. You need: a sparkle item (top/bottom/dress) and then you pair it with toned items. Sequins are gold? Wear gold. Silver? Wear silver. If your sparkle is multi-colored, then I say play it safe and wear black. Easy and a statement, and we know how I feel about a Juxatipositon.

Investment Piece: how to sparkle

How to Sparkle: Sparkle. Even if it’s after the holidays. I believe that fashion is a little bit of magic, it can influence how you feel. Let’s not be afraid to really shine, to let people look, to make statements. And if our clothes lead the way, so be it!

I hope this look inspires your holiday wears, or your sparkle, in general. I’ve linked similar items below for your shopping pleasure! Happy sparkle!
XO RA

Shop this look: here/

If you’d rather rent your sparkle, for any occasion, try Rent the Runway:

Or don’t forget, the code RADELICA gets you 15% off your first rental at Armarium, and they have all sorts of sparkle!

Investment Piece: How to Sparkle

Note: This post does contain affiliate links. What this means is I do receive a commission, however, this does not affect price for you!

Let’s Get in Formation

Investment Piece: Let's Get in Formation

This is a story (or formation) in 3 parts.

There’s a part of me that is very good about following the rules, doing what I’m told, all those things. (Yes, I will get irrationally angry at you if you drive the wrong way in parking lots). But. There’s also the part of me that rebels a bit. That gets out of formation way too quickly, and doesn’t want to be confined to rules.

It’s that part of the formation (or lack thereof) that can be incredibly interesting. So in honor of both of those parts of myself, I humbly suggest, as part of your holiday style that a play on tradition may be in order.

As in: leather pants are a holiday staple. From errands to party looks, yes, leather is for the holiday.

And what to pair with your leather pants? What if we played a bit with traditional patterns? Like wearing the Queen’s Guard? Or Toy Soldiers?

Investment Piece: Let's Get In Formation

This next part of the formation goes out on a limb.

Yes, this shirt is patterned with London Soldiers and Phone Boxes, I love that it can appear traditional but has a bit of fun with it. The part that’s a bit out there? I somehow associate the soldiers with toy soldiers, and toy soldiers with nutcrackers, and all of the above with the holiday season. Yes, that in and of itself is a journey.

Why I put all those things together? I don’t know-this shirt will be just as great in March as it is in December. BUT. For me, the line from soldier to nutcracker is straight.

Maybe it’s because I love the Nutcracker, the ballet. (I volunteer during this time of year with school kids who get to see the ballet on a field trip. I have it on the brain!). Maybe it’s because I grew up in a home that used Nutcrackers as a Christmas decoration?

I don’t know. Whatever it is, this shirt read cheeky holiday to me, and I couldn’t help but indulge myself by having fun with it.

Investment Piece: Let's Get in Formation

The last act of this formation?
This shirt isn’t technically mine. I share it with my mom and sister. One of those: let’s buy a size that will fit us all and then we can all have it, kind of deal. Sharing is caring, after all. (And a great way to stretch your closet!) London has a special part in all of our hearts. We lived there when I was little (4-5 to be exact). My mom has stories about how I adapted the English accent quickly- till I yelled “HALP ME” and the Southern in me would jump out. I have fond memories of us going to watch the changing of the guards (and the dinosaurs at the National History museum). This pattern? It brings it all back.

And if we’re going to dress with a slight holiday theme, shouldn’t it be with a nod to things that we love(d)?

Get in formation–and wear the holiday your way. Sounds like a plan!

This shirt is sold out, but I’ve linked similar ones below. I would love to know: what patterns and formations have more than one act for you at this time of year?
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!

Investment Piece: Let's get in formation

Winter Whites

Investment Piece: Winter Whites

Yes, loves. You have seen this winter white number before. (I do rewear. Often. In fact, part of my belief system is that we can buy a lot- if we love it and we wear it!)

Proof:
Investment Piece: Winter Whites

Some thoughts on rewearing a piece you love:
-it’s so comforting. Especially if you have to do something you’re not 1000% percent about. In fact, if you’re having a DAY, I always recommend wearing something you love (and heels). It does help!
-It’s amazing how much different the same dress can be. Change the shoes. The hair. The makeup. The same is suddenly new. And if that isn’t magic, nothing is!
-Ideally everything in our closets would be things we love, even the special things we can’t wear every day. And dresses like this? What’s not to love?

Investment Piece: Winter Whites

I know winter white is a thing. Even if you’re from the south. However, it’s one of those things that I don’t think about when planning my winter waredrobe. But I should. Chic. Unexpected. And a break from the typical “holiday dressing”. This dress in and of itself is simple. A mock neck. Long sleeves. Slightly textured. But it’s more than the sum of it’s parts.

It’s party perfect. Ready for errands. Easily adaptable with a change of shoes and bags. These shoes and bag? Made me feel just slightly like a 70s goddess. (Yes, I’ve said before and I will say it again, you need platforms in your life). But a dress like this is also great with sneakers. Or flats. Or plain heels. It still works its winter magic.

Do you rock winter white? How? And with what? I would love to know!

This dress is years old, but I’ve linked similar options 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!

Investment Piece: Winter Whites

Track Pants

InvestmentPiece: #TrackPants
Investment Piece: #TrackPants

Investment Piece:#TrackPants
Investment Piece, #trackpants

Broccoli. Running. Staying in on Fridays.

Don’t tell my mother, but there are things that I swore that I would never like that I do. But let’s not let that go to her head. We can just pretend that we discovered how great broccoli (roasted almost crisp with lemon), running (I’m not great, but there is a high), and staying in on Fridays (life is tiring) are. Right, right?

Now that we got the hard part out of the way, let’s chat about track pants. In my head when track pants are mentioned I think about those plastic wind suits from the 90s. If you’re young, just know that you missed out on quite the bright color movement (please google it and let me know your thoughts). But these aren’t your 90s track pants. These track pants are too good for the track (though they would look great post gym with any sort of top, but I love a great graphic tee). Track pants seem to be everywhere these days, and I couldn’t resist trying them out. I love these -comfy but structured, the snap down on the leg adds a little something. They are a great athlesure look, but I love that they suck you in and feel like “real” pants too.

I love this pairing of a sweater and kicks. Other combos that would be great? White button down and heels. A sweatshirt and any shoe. Boots and a jean jacket. Even with the color blocking and snaps down the side, the track pants are basically a neutral, so I say: style them that way. I don’t know that you could make them super dressy or business casual, but we should try, and the other styling options are endless.

As track pants are everywhere, have you tried them? How did you style them?

And that thing above, about my mom being right occasionally, that’s between us, right?

Happy Monday!! XO RA

Shop my picks below: they do contain affiliate links and while I do get some commission that doesn’t affect the price for you!

Investment Piece: #trackpants

It’s the Transitions

Investment Piece: It's the Transitions

It’s the transitions that will drive you mad.

Ever heard that saying? For my money, I think it’s true. There’s magic in transitions, it’s also where the madness is. Yes, we could be talking about life stuff. But. It’s also VERY true about fashion.

It’s fall. And it’s been cold and windy and lovely. It’s also been hot. Just for good measure, it also has been freezing in the morning, windy, then hot in the afternoon, then cool again at night. Because no one might want to get used to the temperature.

I know at this point in the story, I’m supposed to tell you that the solution to this transition is layering. And yes. I love layering. Putting a shirt under a sweater, sweatshirt, or jacket you can take off can be a fashionable way to make it through the day.

But.

Here’s the thing about layering. It can be bulky. And it involves changing throughout the day. We may still be getting to know each other, but when I’m given the option to change during the day, I go over board. Even just a regular day, I can leave the house with 3 “outfits” and at least 5 pairs of shoes. I can go from one to the next “layering”, and bringing bits of my closet with me everywhere.

I’ve been this way since I was 2. Ask my mom- she used to be in charge of carrying my “costume” changes, which often involved coats and leotards and red sparkly shoes.
Layering and costume changes are great. But what about when you need to pick a lane and stick to it?

Transition. Mix and match the seasons. And yes, that may mean that you’re wearing a leather skirt with sandals. Maybe it means a tank top and wool. But if the temperature can go from the 30s to the 70s, I think that we also have the right to bounce around.

The question that remains is : how do you transition? I’ve linked similar items to this outfit below, in my world it’s the perfect balance. But I would love to know what you’re transitioning in!

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!

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