Day 28: Urban Schoolgirl

Sometimes when I put my clothes on in the morning, I like to imagine myself in the pages of Vogue magazine posing for an uber chic style spread. When I do this, I ask myself, "What would the photo shoot be called?" ... Does anyone else ever ask themseleves this question?

Today, that answer was "Urban Schoolgirl" or "What the high schoolers in 'Gossip Girl' get away with wearing to Constance Billard." (Go ahead, you can judge me for naming the school.) In other words, I was wearing all the elements of a traditional girl's school uniform, but none of the patterns went together. And I didn't wear a tie.*

[The debate I had with myself over whether or not

to wear a belt lasted longer than I'd like to admit.]

What I'm Wearing
Chambray Oxford Shirt (J.Crew)

LC Lauren Conrad Boyfriend Blazer (Kohl's)

Grey Skirt with Feather Print (Forever XXI)

Gold Merona Boyfriend Watch (Target)

Black Xhiliration Flats (Target)

 

*I totally should have worn a tie.

Days 26 and 27: A Wicked Weekend

I'm going to be totally honest, right off the bat. Remember the outfit from Day 25? I wore it again on Day 26. Yes, the next day. Yes, the exact same thing. Soooo, yes, I owe you an additional outfit post, just like I do from Day 20 when I only wore running clothes and pajamas. (I acknowledge that this was sort of my choice, but the alternative would have been running and then sleeping in a cardigan and jeans. Awkward.)

All this to say I only have one outfit to show you from an entire weekend. The Fella and I went to see "Wicked" in San Antonio, and I finally brought out the missing dress that took me 27 days to wear.

[We relied on a random passerby for this photo, so I didn't get picky.]

What I'm Wearing
Black and Ivory Printed Silky Dress (Express)
Black Belt (Taken from a dress-and-belt combo from Express)
Black Tights (Target)*
Mossimo Black Suede Heels (Target)*
Gold Glasses Necklace (Forever XXI)
Black and Gold Bracelet (Collected at a clothes swap)*
Black Sunglasses (Forever XXI)
*Not shown

When will I ever be on time with these posts? ... Yes, I'm actually asking you. Clearly I don't have the answer.

Days: 21-25: Five Outfits for the Post of One

Hey gals, I'm doing a few things differently today. In the interest of saving time, space, and my sanity, I'm posting five outfits taken from my 30 for 30 challenge, all at once. Not only am I waaaay behind posting these things (I actually finished the challenge last week), I am getting ramped up for the Texas Style Council Conference, held here in Austin this weekend. I'm estatic to share more about what I will learn and how I can improve my blog in the future. And you can be sure I'll want to hear from you about it, too! 

With that in mind, I was a big fan of Day 25 from this week. Which one is your favorite?

What I'm Wearing (Day 21)

Xhiliration Tan Cardigan (Target)

Black Sleeveless Empire Waist Dress (Express)

Black Tights (Target)

Black Suede Slouchy Boots (Steve Madden) 

Gold Chains Necklace (J.Crew)

Black and Gold Owl Ring (Forever XXI)

What I'm Wearing (Day 22)

Chambray Oxford Shirt (J.Crew)

Wide Leg Editor Trousers (Express)

Yellow Studded Belt (J.Crew)

Mossimo Black Suede Heels (Target)

What I'm Wearing (Day 23)

Striped Boatneck Shirt (J.Crew)

Marled Charcoal Blazer (J.Crew)

Black Minnie Pants (J.Crew)

Black Xhiliration Flats (Target)

Ivory and Green Wool Scarf (J.Crew)

Black and Gold Bracelet (Collected at a clothes swap)

What I'm Wearing (Day 24)

White Silk Blouse (DKNY, collected at a clothes swap)

Purple Bling-Button Cardigan (J.Crew)

Navy Corduroy Skirt (Old Navy)

Rose Applique Ribbon Belt (J.Crew)

Red Hair Ribbon (Taken from my craft box)

Black Xhiliration Flats (Target)

Tortoise Shell Glasses (Forever XXI)

What I'm Wearing (Day 25)

Black/White Plaid Silk Blouse (J.Crew)

Jackie Cardigan in Cerise (J. Crew)

Wide Leg Editor Trousers (Express)

Mossimo Black Suede Heels (Target)

Pink Patent Leather Belt (J.Crew)

Floral Print Fringe Scarf (Madewell)

Black and Silver Knot Wide Headband (J.Crew)

Days 19 and 20: One Outfit, One Marathon

I only wore one of my challenge outfits this weekend, on Saturday.

No, I didn't get Coyote Ugly or anything on Sunday, and I'm also not saying I cheated and wore something else in my closet. I promise I have a really good excuse as to why Sunday was a fashion wash. ...

I ran the Austin Marathon.

And after I ran it, I changed out of my sweaty, sticky running attire, took a shower, and put on my pajamas. And I didn't get out of them until I peeled myself out of bed on Monday morning. Both days were great.

[Ballet flats are crucial the day before a 26.2-mile run.]

What I'm Wearing (Day 19 Only)
Black/White Plaid Silk Blouse (J.Crew)
Purple Bling-Button Cardigan (J.Crew)
Black Minnie Pants (J.Crew)
Black Xhiliration Flats (Target)
Yellow Leather Skinny Belt (J.Crew)

Day 18: Fashion Question Mark

When I think about the ensemble I wore on Day 18, I am still not sure how I feel about it. It's a fashion question mark in my mind.

But, in loyalty to my Type A personality, I have laid out a list of "Likes" and "Dislikes" about it.

Likes 

• I took a risk. Two patterns are never easy to pull off in one outfit.
• I wasn't afraid to accessorize.
• The skirt. I just love this skirt. It's twirly and has velvety feathers printed on it.

Dislikes

• The blues may have been in that limbo-ish place where they don't match, but they are still too similar to look good and instead look awkward.
• I don't think my mom would like this outfit. And that's still a huge litmus test for me.
• I had a few people laugh at me when I walked into meetings today at the office. They thought I was being ironic. I wasn't. Awkward.

 What side are you on?

[Prints with prints ... Thoughts?]

What I'm Wearing
Navy/White Plaid Oxford Shirt (J.Crew)

Grey Skirt with Feather Print (Forever XXI)

Houndstooth Print Brown Tights (J.Crew)

Tan Saddle Shoes (Steve Madden)
Yellow Studded Belt (J.Crew)
Gold Merona Boyfriend Watch (Target)

Day 17: Sweaters and Blue Jeans

There’s something to be said for comfort. No matter how concerned I may (or may not) be about the number of accessories I have on – or, in this case, the number of ways I can wear certain clothes – I know there are some things that will never change:

• I take a sweater with me most places I go.
• I am faithful to each well-fitted pair of blue jeans I can find.
• I may never wear anything longer than a 16-inch necklace.
• Even though I should embrace high heels, I am obsessed with ballet flats.
• Peter Pan collars may not be sexy, but I feel great when I’m wearing a blouse that has one.
• Some belts still scare me.

[My suede heels, which you can barely see in this photo, 

are one of only of three pairs of heels I own.]

[Cooper and I matched with our white and tan shades, so he decided to join for this photo.]

What I’m Wearing

White Silk Blouse (DKNY, collected at a clothes swap)

Xhiliration Tan Cardigan (Target)

Wide Leg Editor Trousers (Express)

Mossimo Black Suede Heels (Target)

Gold Owl Necklace (Forever XXI)

Floral Bunch Gold Ring (Forever XXI)

Day 16: Crossing Over

At this point, I have crossed the halfway point of the challenge, and although I am looking forward to wearing some of my other clothes again, I still have a lot of ideas on how to build some outfits for the challenge. A few other epiphanies are listed below:

Lessons Learned

1)    It’s not always a good idea to include five dry-clean-only items in a 30-day clothing challenge. On the bright side, I have spent so much money at the cleaners that I got a $5 coupon to use on my next visit. Jeeeeealous, much?

2)    Nearly all of the seven skirts I included in my challenge are basically the same style: A-line and a few inches above the knee. Does this mean I have a signature look? It might. But at least I know what items I don’t need more of when it comes time to build a wardrobe for the upcoming seasons.

3)    Holy H, did you just read that last sentence? … I know what items I don’t need more of …  Do you realize what this means? I may have actually discovered the meaning of the challenge – to shop your closet instead of the stores. Woah, progress.

[I had to wait until the weather was warmer to wear my Minnie pants, 

because I only really like wearing them with flats.]

What I’m Wearing

Chambray Oxford Shirt (J.Crew)

Olive Green Sequined Blouse (J.Crew)

Black Minnie Pants (J.Crew)

Black Xhiliration Flats (Target)

Black and Gold Bracelet (Collected at a clothes swap)

Glitter Gold Headband (J.Crew)