Big Girl Pants

Dress (currently on final sale, fits TTS - until 10am today take an extra 50% off with code FLASH!) - LOFT / Bag - Rebecca Minkoff / Heels (similar block heels here and here) - Sole Society / Necklace - Stella & Dot / Earrings - Sugarfix by BaubleBar

I don't know about you, but I've been working in a casual office space for so long now that being asked to dress up throws me into a tizzy. (Did I just use the word tizzy?!) But seriously though. I manage to get myself dressed every other day of the week with no problem, and am usually more dressed up than everyone around me. But ask me to find something business casual in my closet and I freak out.

The main problem is those dress pants. I mean, really you guys, the only pair I have and like I bought over five years ago and are a skinny black pant. So really, they're basically a pair of leggings. (I think it's actually this pair, but mine seriously are from 2012 so who knows if they've changed something.)

As soon as I look past the dress pants option, I always end up realizing I have a closet full of things that would work for business wear, including this adorable dress I snagged on final sale at LOFT. Normally I wouldn't advise buying things on final sale online, because duh, you're stuck with whatever you buy even if it doesn't fit. But I had actually tried this particular dress on in a different size a month or two ago, so I was pretty confident that it would work. Winner winner chicken dinner. If you really want this dress, I keep seeing sizes pop in and out of stock - I'm wearing a 12 here (my normal dress size at LOFT) and would say it fits pretty TTS for a shift dress.

So what did I have to dress up for? At the last minute, my boss asked me to step in for him and give a presentation at a conference last week! Now, I actually did a lot of theater in high school so I like performing, but public speaking is a whole different animal. It's one of those things I don't think I'll ever feel fully prepared for, but I went up and did it anyway, and you know what? Once you start talking, it's not so scary anymore! Oh, and it helped that the session I gave was only for about 75 people ;) And to the sweet reader I met at the conference, thanks for saying hi! It was so fun to meet you!!

Dress (currently on final sale, fits TTS - until 10am today take an extra 50% off with code FLASH!) - LOFT / Bag - Rebecca Minkoff / Heels (similar block heels here and here) - Sole Society / Necklace - Stella & Dot / Earrings - Sugarfix by BaubleBar

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The Cutest LBD

Dress (sizes keep popping in and out of stock so keep checking! I also love this one and this one) - Felicity & Coco / Heels (these are surprisingly comfortable, I also want them in black!) - Sole Society / Earrings - BaubleBar / Clutch (similar and budget option) - Target (this is the insert from another bag)

How did we get to Thursday again?! I swear, the weeks go by so fast these days - not that I'm complaining that we're almost at the weekend. I get Monday off of work for President's Day (which was a surprise to me - I just realized it haha ;) which means three day weekend!! Jeff doesn't get the day off so I'm planning on using it for a lot of me time - hopefully a barre class, a mani pedi, and a little organizing are on the menu.

I think part of the reason why this week felt so short was because of Valentine's Day. Jeff usually works from home most weeknights (and I'm usually busy freelancing or blogging!) so our weeknights usually follow a pretty standard routine. It was so fun to break up that routine with a mid-week date night!

Let me tell you, I heard so many people complaining this year about how they didn't want to go out to dinner for Valentine's Day because of the crowds and the prices, but that was not the reality I experienced. Seriously, the restaurant we went to wasn't even full (and you usually need reservations even on a weeknight!) and didn't have a fancy special menu. Maybe all of the Valentine's Day haters out there helped us out because we ended up having a great night (thanks in part to that bottle of wine we shared ;)

I don't usually dress up for Valentine's Day - Chicago is seriously so casual that I really only ever see people dressed up for New Year's. I decided to go for it this year though, because, you know, dressing up is fun. Plus, I managed to snag this pretty bell-sleeve dress on sale - it was initially sold out, but I stalked it obsessively enough to notice when my size was available again and jumped on it. The dress is really just a simple black shift, but the pretty lace-trimmed sleeves make it! Paired with some pretty blush accessories (would you believe that the clutch is actually the insert from one of my work bags?!) and I was Valentine's ready. Well, my hair helps too ;)

Dress (sizes keep popping in and out of stock so keep checking! I also love this one and this one) - Felicity & Coco / Heels (these are surprisingly comfortable, I also want them in black!) - Sole Society / Earrings - BaubleBar / Clutch (similar and budget option) - Target (this is the insert from another bag)

Linking up with Trend Spin Linkup, Friday Fab Favorites.

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That Swing Thing

Dress - c/o SheIn / Scarf (similar & only $29!) - Hinge / Flats - Tory Burch / Earrings - BaubleBar / Necklace - Madewell (I was wearing it, I swear!)

I don't know why, but I've been resisting the swing dress. I mostly just assumed they would look terrible on me because of my body type. Well guys, turns out I was wrong. This one SheIn sent me is so cute and weirdly flattering despite the flowy cut. I guess it's the same principle as the poncho or oversized sweaters - as long as you find the right cut, they can definitely work on a larger bust. And sidebar - while I was wrong about swing dresses, I learned this weekend that I was correct in my assumption that OTK boots wouldn't work on me - turns out my legs are long (umm, guess I knew that) and every pair barely covers my kneecaps. Oh well.

Anyway, back to the dress. Not only is it flattering, but it's also super versatile. I wore it over the weekend for a casual lunch date with the family, and then swapped the ballet flats for heeled booties and the scarf for a sparkly necklace for a fancy dinner date with Jeff at Siena Tavern. Another bonus? No one could tell that I basically inhaled a pound of pasta at dinner. So shhh, let's just keep that between you and me.

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Previously on KDTI - more LBDs:

 

Linking up with Mix It Monday, HowIFall, Flashback Friday, Style Me Wednesday, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday.

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