Phillip Lim for Target, again.

Ever since the Phillip Lim for Target line launched, I have been obsessing over this dress.

But I have never been able to find my size in stores & ordering online seemed risky with such mixed reviews. 

I was so excited the other day when I found it at Target... and on a clearance rack!

I was with a friend and I grabbed the dress, checked the size, and gave it a nice hug

I think my exact words to her were "I need this dress! I have been wanting it for so long & it's on sale! I am buying it!"

She didn't argue, but I don't think she was thrilled with the purchase- her facial expressions gave her away. 

When I tried it on at home, I loved it by itself but it didn't feel too office appropriate and there is no way this dress was only getting pulled out on date nights and weekends. 

Adding the blazer and rolling up the sleeves seemed to give it a more "office feel" and I was giddy over the pops of mint & red. 

(The dress pre blazer) 

What do you guys think? 

A: does the blazer make it office appropriate? 

and 

B: is it office appropriate without the blazer?

Have a great day!

Xoxo,

Nicole

Linking up: What We Wore and Trend Spin Linkup and Because Shanna Said So
The Pleated Poppy and Kiki Women Style

Mixing Reds

I love, love, love mixing reds.
In my opinion, the key is not mixing the same red- but instead, a brighter or lighter red with a deeper red.
I also love that this sweater is child size XL from Old Navy. I had never thought about ordering a kids size due to weird fits, but sweaters seem to be a different story because they are a little more snug.

However, be warned, if you wear a sweater that relates to a popular parody, people will stop and tell you.

I never want to hear "what does the fox say?" EVER again.

Jeans: JcPenney

Sweater: Old Navy

Glitter Plaid Button Up: Target

That's all I have for today!

Happy Monday!! 

Neutral Loving

My battery charger is here & just in time for casual Friday!

Because these riding boots are pretty casual, I wanted to counter balance the casualness with a blazer to still keep it office appropriate. The blazer is actually cotton, so it's super cozy- but the lining is silky to dress it up a little.

People always ask me why certain things work, so I thought I would begin to incorporate that into the posts (when appropriate). 

So why does this work? Because everything is neutrals- literally everything. When dealing with neautrals you can mix and match beige, black, brown, and tan. I kept the belt simple with denim, but there's also a good chance to be a little bolder with neutrals and add color right there. Neon green would be cute, red, yellow- really any color would add a little extra something. 

It feels so good to be back!

P.S. is anyone else loving Old Navy as much as me lately? I'm loving these graphic tees (also worn here) 

so sorry!

Hi friends,

So sorry that I haven't posted in almost TWO whole weeks! The funny part about being a fashion blogger is that when you  lose your camera charger, you are pretty much helpless until your replacement arrives. That's exactly where I am at.

But I want to thank you all so much  for consistently checking back every day. I promise that a new charger is in the mail and good stuff is ahead!

High item replicas

Before making a purchase, especially a larger one, it's important to understand what options you have available to you.
So many times I have fallen in love with an item in the $150-$400 price range, only to find a very similar item for about a quarter of the price.

Tonight I was looking through blogs and fell in love with these little booties.
& instantly I recognized that I had seen these $130 shoes before, but with a much cheaper price tag.

Dolce Vita $130

 Mossimo $35

That's almost a $100 difference. 

And yes, there are differences between the shoes- but not enough to pay 100 extra dollars. 

So before you buy a higher priced item, shop around a little for a potential replica.

Legging Loophole

I've said it once & I'll say it again- casual Friday is where it's at. 
I don't know what "it" is- but I'm confident it involves the option to dress casually.
Don't get me wrong- I love dressing up just as much as the next girl... but I want it to be by choice.
You can find me in professional attire from Monday to Thursday and on Friday, I refuse to wear anything that is acceptable on professional attire days.

However, casual Friday strictly excludes leggings.
And much against my pleading, it doesn't look like leggings will ever be approved.
When I found these pants at H&M, I knew I found a loophole to the no legging rule.
Technically- these aren't leggings, they are just really tight pants.
Do my legs know any difference?
Nope. They share the same comfort as my trusted leggings.
& here we have it folks, the leggings loophole. 

 

Shirt: Old Navy 

Pants: H&M (12.95 right now!)

Happy weekend, lovies!

Thrifting. Part I

Thrifting is one of my favorite subjects in the world.
Yes, in the world.
It's just like Pringles- once you start, the fun don't stop. (Is that how the saying goes?)

But, there are a few rules to thrifting- because if not done properly, you could end up spending a lot more money than retail.

Thrifting Rule #1: Buy nice pieces. 
Sounds simple right? Right.
Buying nice pieces will ensure that you you are still buying quality pieces that won't fall apart after one wash.
I get really excited when I find Banana Republic and JCrew pieces; and to date, some of my thrifted items are still my favorite & most worn.
But within this rule, there is another rule- don't buy something simply for the names sake.
I have fallen victim to buying pieces simply for the name and I never wear them because I don't really like them- I just like the name.
Moral of the story: look for items that you like & that are from a known store. 

**Exceptions do apply- sweaters, skirts & sometimes dresses may be exempt from this rule. This rule is really important for all shirts. 


This sweater was $7 from Goodwill. Scroll down and check the tag to see where it originally was from.

Do you have any thrifting secrets to share??

Xoxo,

Nicole