I’m a fan of anything that can be worn in more than one way. And believe it or not, I promise that even your “fancy” dresses are multifaceted. Like this gorgeous Asian inspired dress. Alone? Stunning. Dressed up or down? Perfect. Worn as a duster over destroyed jeans? Yes, please. It’s a statement piece with more than one thing to say, and I love hearing it all!
So next time you want to switch things up I highly recommend a dress over jeans, or a sweater over the dress–I promise your clothes have so much to tell you.
Happy Wednesday!
XO RA
Details:
Dress: Vintage, RecessLA
Jeans: Levis
Shoes: heels, Brian Atwood, old, similar here, flats: Jcrew, old, similar style: here
Every where right now you’re seeing neck scarves. Or ankle scarves. Or scarves on wrists. This weekend I put a scarf through a clutch and called it a night. Know why? It’s an easy way to add something to an outfit. It’ chic. It’s timeless. I love it! I’ve been adding scarves to a lot–and in this heat, it’s a way for me to feel like I’m adding just the right amount, without adding layers. And this wrap dress? Perfect for heat!
My love of caftans is well documented. And I’m also a fan of anything that’s versatile- can go from day to night, dress up or down, goes anywhere. I’m also a fan of anything that can make me look good and is easy to throw on after spin class. This caftan? It fits all marks and is perfect for summer! I love the story–this dress is made by teachers who began dying and making dresses to make up income, and I think we can all be grateful! The caftan is oversized but super comfy–I wear it straight or pulled up to make it shorter. I also think it would look great with a belt. Heels, scrappy sandals and you’re ready for a night out! Sandals are perfect for running errands (or leaving spin class); or it’s great by its own by the pool. How great is that!
Happy Friday!
XO RA
Details:
Dress: Brightly Twisted, found at Abbey Rose Boutique in Austin (find them on Facebook!)
Shoes: Booties: Jerome Rousseau, old and Dr Scholl’s
As you may have seen on Instagram yesterday, I was challenged to make a pair of men’s board shorts fashionable. Lucky for you? I am not one to back down from a challenge.
In general, I’m not one to strictly adhere to “fashion rules”; I’m more of a “if it looks good and you feel good” gal. And I, personally, love menswear. So I actually thought that this wasn’t really a challenge. It is summer–which means rules, if you believe in them, are looser to begin with. It’s hot and we’re all by the water in some form. So a pair of board shorts with some sort of top and cute shoes? I bet any combination would be great! However, it is a challenge and I take those to heart. So my options: an open sweater (over bikini) with heels or a “fancy top” with sandals (yes my current go-to’ so). Which do you like? Would you wear something like this? Do you have a fashion challenge for me?
I’m a fan of sheer-this we know. And yes, you could always wear a full slip.Or shorts underneath. Or a dress over it (for fall I envision this under a great sweater dress with booties!). But I love that this sheer skirt is just sophisticated to wear with the boy shorts that come with it. That it’s almost a surprise how sheer it is. That with a top and a hat it’s almost cool enough to beat this heat!
Hope you’re staying cool! XO RA
Details:
Top: Free People, old, similar here
Skirt: sold out in black, floral:Reformation
Shoes: Madewell
There are several posts and articles about decluttering, cleaning out, getting rid of–on this site, on others, there are book empires about the topic. And there are sites, articles, books, stores dedicated to vintage shopping and finding treasures there (and you’ve seen some of those treasures on this site). But, how do you go about finding treasures in your own (or your mom’s) stuff? I’m sure that there are books about it. Sites, articles, methods; and it is a challenge. Cleaning out is difficult for many reasons, many of them emotional. We don’t want to throw out anything that we have an emotional connection to, it’s science (for these purposes). Conversely, going through someone else’s things and looking for treasure can be hard–things may not be stored properly, you may be going through bags and bags–and you may have to be creative in your thinking.
I spent the last weekend helping my mom clean out her garage. Now, I’ve been lucky enough to be raised by fashionable women, with plenty of belongings to save, but like any garage there were boxes of paper and things to be thrown out–and there was some hunting to do. However, I knew that somewhere there might be treasure, hidden as it were. And I was right, there were things worth saving. My tips? Keep your eyes open–great things can be inside boxes, bags, stuffed in corners. Keep your mind open–great things can be repurposed (dresses into skirts, etc). Keep it realistic–if an item is damaged or falling apart it may not be able to be saved, let it go.
So what did I “get”? Glad you asked!
This amazing crochet (satin lined) clutch with lucite pull. Needed some cleaning, but in mint condition.
Mom wore these as earmuffs as a child. They go around my waist, so I just got a new belt!
And while I didn’t find it in the garage, I have been using this:
Scarf we cleaned out of my grandma’s hopsital room for everything from a hair tie to over a sundress.
I’d love to know–have you ever cleaned out (or helped clean out) and found treasures? What are your guidelines for keeping things?
I fully admit that I can lean to the editorial side in my fashion sense. I also love a good dress (or pant or top) that can seamlessly move seasons. So the perfect marriage for me? A piece that allows me to do both! Yes, this dress would look great with simple sandals, or heels, but its simplicity lends itself to pushing a bit forward–and I love it! The 3 colors make it a bit elevated (and yes, that’s navy), and the tie back makes it more that “just a dress”. I really love it with the mules–and it would also look great with loafers!
Do you love fashion forward items?
Happy Friday! XO RA
Details:
Dress: Zara
Shoes: Elizabeth and James, old, similar here
Loves, as any good Southern/California woman I love stripes. I especially love them when they have my initials on them. Add in that this little number is super comfy and perfect for errands, post gym, and casual dinners? Let me tell you what I’ve been living in–this! So technically, it’s labeled a swim suit cover-up. And yes, I’ve used it for that. It’s also a great robe, and a great dress. The zipper front and drawstring waist make this completely adjustable for any occasion. The constrasting stripes make it modern–and I love the hood!
Loves, before each photo shoot I spend time steaming, ironing, pressing each outfit. And here we are: it’s summer, it’s the season of linen. And loves, linen wrinkles. Even if you spend 45 mins trying to make it perfect. Even if you just sit down for 5 seconds or it’s a little humid outside. Linen wrinkles. I know I have stressed over getting outfits perfectly stressed. Like this one:
And even these pants:
Here’s the thing: no matter how tightly woven the linen is, it’s going to wrinkle. It’s part of the weave. Now that weave makes it a perfect summer staple (and keeps you cool), but it’s not for the ones who love things un-wrinkled.
So what do we do? It seems to me that accepting some wrinkling is our only option, unless you carry a portable steamer with you! And as this Wall Street Journal article suggests, there are be something appealing about a slight wrinkle- a casual, carefree summer “je ne sais quoi”, if you will.
I’d love to know your thoughts! Do you embrace your linen wrinkle? Or do you fight it? And if so, how?
There is nothing basic about these white pants-but they work as a basic, making them a winner in my book! Yes, they are sequined, but if there is such a thing as a subtle sequin- this is it. I’ve worn them with t-shirts, blouses, heels, flats. They are as fancy as you need them to be. But as it’s the heat of summer, I love the look of an all white look! A little shoulder, a little wedge- that’s how you Wednesday.
