A Shopping Trip in Instagrams

My friend, Margaret, and I took a trip to J.Crew last week to develop her spring wardrobe. Margaret has great instinct about what pieces will work with those she already owns and new trends she wants to incorporate. Another great habit she keeps is walking in the door with her budget already set, in order to make better decisions and not overspend.

One hour, two bottles of water, and a dozen outfits in the fitting room later, Margaret was done! I think Efficient is her middle name. My favorite items she ended with were the No. 2 pencil skirt in citron and a plaid perfect shirt. (And I took these home to play!) Check out some Instagrams I took of the fun evening.

1) Margaret in the Dolores dress in prospect purple
2) Before trying on the clothes
3) Items purchased
4) Margaret in a winning outfit, including the Minnie pants and Rainy Day Bow Ballet Flats in blue grotto

Citrus for the Springtime

Thanks to all the gals who commented, e-mailed, and posted via Facebook for the upcoming "Wardrobe Love" series, which will take place right here every Thursday! Why Thursday, you ask? Because it's my favorite day, that's why. Really -- that's the only reason.

Lemons, Limes, and Oranges, Oh My!
Also as promised, I'm here with some springtime sunshine via a citrus-filled palette. As I have said before, you can embrace new colors without wearing them from head-to-toe. I am a big fan of this strategy, because I think it helps maximize your wardrobe basics while you transition into new seasons.

To further illustrate this point, I took a very season-less outfit -- a white blouse under a black dress -- and made three springtime-appropriate ensembles using a few different accessories.

Enjoy, ladies!

Lemons

[These shoes are actually rubber, which means they are the best footwear choice

for the "April showers" days.]

[I love the huge bows.]

Limes

[This dress has an empire waist, but that doesn't stop me from adding a belt.]

[It's difficult to see in the first photo, but the belt is a perfect lime green color.]

Oranges

[It was done purely by accident, but this cropped cardigan looks great with the empire-waist dress.]

What I'm Wearing
White Silk Blouse (DKNY, collected at a clothes swap)
Black Sleeveless Empire-Waist Dress (Express, circa 1998)
Cropped Cardigan (Old Navy)
Gold Chains Necklace (J.Crew)
Black and Gold Bracelet (Unknown brand, collected at a clothes swap)
Green Leather Belt (J.Crew)
Yellow Rainy Day Flats (J.Crew)
Nude Heels (Unknown brand, Plato's Closet)

Where to Buy*
Yellow Flats (Target)
Price: $17.99

Lime Green Belt (ASOS)
Price: $14.34

Orange Cropped Cardigan (Old Navy)
Sale Price: $7.99

*My goal is to direct you to exactly what I'm wearing in the photos, but sometimes items are already out of stock or not available online. In those cases, I try to direct you to a similar, low-priced item that is available online.

Style Diary -- The Perfect Spring Outfit

Anthropologie is by far one of my favorite stores. I'm on the mailing list, and the daily e-mails to my personal account are both a blessing and a curse. Beautiful clothing (when it's on sale) is on its way with the click of a button. Never has there been a company that so clearly understands what it would be like to live inside my brain. However, Anthropologie constantly forces me to practice self-control if I intend to indulge in other luxuries such as eating and paying rent.

Its recently released "Finer Things" collection is exactly what I want this season -- the clothing includes all the delicate details I love to combine with more masculine pieces. Fortunately, I can purchase the Friendly Competition top (at full price!) without feeling that terrible ache in the bottom of my stomach, otherwise known as buyer's remorse.

Photo source: anthropologie.com

What I'm Wearing
I'm pairing this with grey cargo pants and thin-strapped leather sandals, probably something in a brighter, jewel-toned color because I'm a big fan of one pop of color among neutral shades. 

Because the neckline is already so intricate, I'll skip a necklace and try adding a heavier bracelet or maybe even a vintage-looking gold men's watch.

Where to Buy

anthropologie.com

Price: $68

How would you wear this top? Post a comment!