Trend Alert - The Feminine Jacket

The name of this trend kind of makes me giggle - "The Feminine Jacket".   I'm not sure there are many women out there who want to wear a "Masculine Jacket", do you?  It is also referred to as the "Lady like Jacket".  For the love of everything - can we just call it a jacket?!  

So anyway - I've seen this trend pop up a few times online and in magazines and I sort of brushed over it.  I really do love it though.  A jacket is a very versatile item of clothing to own.  It can instantly dress up a basic tee or button down.  It looks great with a skirt and you can dress it down with a pair of jeans. Of course you can't mention a "lady like" jacket and not give credit to the great Coco Chanel who practically invented the classic tweed jacket.  It is timeless and also a million dollars if you ever are inclined to buy one.

My inspiration for this blog post came last week while shopping with my girlfriend.  I was flipping through a magazine while she was trying on clothes and fell in LOVE with the outfit.  Of course I can't find the picture to put on my blog so I'm recreating it for you.

I am assuming you have bought a stripe tee by now.  If so, you can layer it under a tweed jacket with your favorite pair of jeans or even a pair of bermuda shorts.  I'm sure I am getting some looks right about now, but yes, you can wear a jacket with shorts - trust me.

A Lady Like Jacket by jmewbourne featuring a striped tee

If Chanel is not in your budget this month or maybe even your lifetime, here are some other fabulous and affordable finds below:

Aryn K at piperlime.com

$78.00

Boden - ON SALE!! 

$113.00

Banana Republic - $175

J. Crew - eyelet blazer

$148.00

Happy shopping!! 

Anthropologie Sale Alert

SALE....SALE....SALE....SALE...

New items or as they call them "fresh cuts" just appeared today on the Anthropologie website.  Need a new dress or items for the home?  Check it out!

Some of my favorites in no particular order are:

A stripe boyfriend cardigan - $40

Tank dress with flattering waistline detail - $90

Eyelet skirt - $50

Cute with flats and a basic tee or dress it up with heels and a blouse

Embroidered floral skirt - $70

A floral Maxi dress - $100 (was $228)

Pretty floral scarf - $40

Wear with your favorite stripe tee (like the one below)

Coral stripe tee - $30

Floral "swing tee" - $40

Taupe color knotted heel - $80

Will go with everything in your closet

Fun and Flirty canvas bag - $40

Perfect for the summer

Ruffle front jacket - $80

Buy now and have the perfect jacket for Fall 

Chocolate brown sling back clog - $80

Cotton tunic - $40

Wear alone with shorts/ankle pants or tuck into a skirt and add a belt

My favorite, the wedge - $70

Sweet eyelet dress with printed belt - $70

And maybe a little something for the home

Serving bowl - $15

Comes in 4 colors  

They also have some very cute jewelry, but since that is a conflict of interest, you'll have to hunt those pieces for yourselves. Hope you find something fabulous for your spring/summer wardrobe!

Happy Shopping!! 

Stripe Sale Alert

I got an email today from www.shopittome.com about a great Anthropologie dress on sale.  It is SO cute and a great deal at $79.95.  The dress comes with a sash you can also remove and add a leather belt of your own.  Create an entire different look by adding a cardigan and belt.  If you have any questions on how to wear it - shoot me a message.  Happy Shopping!!

A Wedge for All

I have struggled with spring and summer shoe trends for several years now.  I'm not sure why the fashion industry and those that dictate the trends we helplessly follow continue to torture us with the hideous gladiator sandal trend.  I mean come on folks - why on earth do I want my legs (or yours for that matter) to look like tree trunks?  Fashion 101 - having straps around the ankles do NOT make your legs look longer or thinner.  In fact it does the exact opposite.  The other problem is that they can distract from your entire outfit drawing the eye downward to your feet.  For example:

Beautiful Gwyneth - all I see are your shoes

Rhianna - I hope you fired your stylist after appearing on television in these

Fergie - this entire outfit is just a shame and then you wrap toilet paper around your feet and ankles

Well good news has arrived.  A fashion fairy must have heard my pleas and sprinkled pixie dust on those artsy, creative, brains that design our shoe selections each year.  The wedge and the chunky heel are popping up on websites galore and stomping into nearby retailers.  Can you hear the music playing as the clouds part and a blinding ray of light shines upon us all?  Okay - so I'm getting a little carried away, but I'm so excited!!  

There are a lot of choices out there from high end retailers like Neiman Marcus to discounters such as Payless and JC Penney's.  I picked a few of my favorites that are all under $100.

The Gap - $70

Nordstrom - $60.00

It's coral too - the color of the season

Old Navy - $33

Yes - you read correctly!

Payless Shoes - $27

On the tall side, but very cute.  Can't promise these babies are going to be comfortable though

Nordstrom - $80

Same shoe as above from Nordstrom but in snakeskin - $80

Nordstrom leopard canvas - $89

Can't go wrong with an animal print

BC footwear at Nordstrom - $65

A lower heel for us mommies

Payless metallic wedge - $25

DSW, Target and Kohl's are also great places to find cute, trend right shoes, at affordable prices.  

So my friends, you can now sleep peacefully at night knowing that your feet (and legs) will look good once again in some lovely little wedges.  Until the next post - happy shopping! 

Forever 36

In my attempts to keep up with these twenty-something fashion bloggers, I came across a vintage inspired clothing boutique called Ruche at  www.shopruche.com.  My observation of their clothing assortment is sort of like Anthropologie meets Forever 21.  The styles are modern with a vintage touch, but at very affordable prices.

So - I got excited and ordered two pieces, thinking I had hit the jackpot with a new found treasure.  I ordered a tank dress and an A-line skirt pictured below.

tank dress - $37.00

A-line skirt - $33.00

Oh the endless outfit possibilities that these two items of clothing could create.  I was so excited that I had made 2 brilliant choices for my wardrobe.  I even greeted our sweet mailman everyday after I got my tracking number in anticipation of their arrival.

Well, they came today and sadly I still have not recovered from the horror that I faced in the mirror after trying these two pieces on.  My new found treasure was just an empty chest filled with two pieces of clothing for a skinny "forever 21" girl with no hips and no butt (and possibly flatter abs).

I have been sucker punched into reality that I am in my mid-thirites and need to go with my gut (no pun intended).  When shopping these younger stores, stay with tops and maybe even go up a size.  There are some VERY cute pieces that I think would and could work for us normal sized gals.  I've posted a few of them for you to see.

Navy Belted Trench Coat - $47

A must have for your wardrobe

Stripe s/less tee with ruffle details - $42

Cute layered with almost any color of cardigan

Tie-neck blouse - $33

Great layered under jackets and sweaters or wear alone with skinnier jeans (notice I did not say skinny)

Feminine Tweed "Chanel" inspired jacket - $84

Great worn with jeans or a pencil skirt

Floral scarf $14

You can't go wrong with an accessory no matter how many cookies you ate today.

So today I remain Forever 36 because I'm not counting anymore birthdays and will enjoy all of life's little pleasures except when it comes to little clothes!