Does it feel like all I've been sharing lately is dresses? Well that's because yes, yes it is all I've been sharing - it's dress season, y'all!! At this point of the year, being able to (comfortably, without freezing to death) pull on a dress is so exciting to me that I end up wearing them all the time. See here, here, and here. Whoops.
As you may have seen, I recently *found* this dress in Jeff's closet (it's been hiding amongst his dress pants since we moved almost two years ago!!) and I was so excited to pull it out again. There's nothing like shopping your own closet, amiright? It's like having something completely new!
In completely unrelated news, I realized I forgot to mention my brother and his wifey got home last night!! You may or may not remember that they have lived in South Korea for the past few years, and I'm super excited to have them home for the summer again. Of course, this year they're only staying four weeks instead of the seven or eight they've done in past years (come on, guys!). I guess I can't really complain about their "short" visit this year though, since we just saw them on our trip to Asia. Speaking of which, can it be spring break again? I need some more quarter beers and bun cha in my life! Anyway, I'm going to have to squeeze in all of the family time I can in the next couple of weeks, starting with a big family barbecue this weekend! Bring on the over-processed meats!!
Oh hey there! I've been doing a lot of shopping lately (so, what else is new?) so I thought I'd share some of the hits and misses.
Ann Taylor Cold Shoulder Dress - wearing a 12
I really wanted to like this. It's trendy but still work-appropriate, the navy lace is really pretty, and you know, who can say no to a ruffle? On me though, the shoulders were a little too narrow, you can see the straps of my nude bra showing through the sides! I tried with a couple of different bras and it didn't work with any of them, and the narrowness of the shoulders looked a little weird with my bust, so back it goes. Definitely give it a try if you have narrower shoulders than me though!
J. Crew Factory Fringe Sweater Tank - wearing an XL
The fringe is what drew me in to this sweater tank (so so cute!) but this is definitely going back. I usually size up for items from J. Crew Factory because they tend to shrink, but this was huge - definitely should have sized down! Mine also arrived with some snags in the fabric in the front and center, so it's going back. I'm sad though because it's such a cute concept - hoping I can find a non-damaged, smaller size in stores when I go to take it back!
J. Crew Factory Striped Studio Tee - wearing an XL
This tee is definitely a keeper! I love anything with stripes, but most of the stripes in my closet are of the navy/white or pale blue/white variety, so it's fun to have this brighter blue. Is it crazy that I'm talking about distinctions between different colored blue stripes? Yes, yes it is. I have been buying these studio tees for years because the fabric is so nice. A lot of tee shirts these days are tissue paper thin, but these are nice and thick and hold up well through a lot of washes. I definitely would suggest sizing up because they do tend to shrink a little.
J. Crew Factory Striped One Shoulder Dress - wearing a 12
This dress is sold out, which is sad because I love it so much I want you to have it too! It's really comfortable, there are pockets, the one shoulder is really fun, and it's nice and light for hot summer days. It is, however, still available in white eyelet, which is super cute too! I did wear it over the weekend though and discovered the side that lacks the shoulder tends to slip down a little - nothing a little fashion tape can't fix though!
LOFT Striped Pom Pom OTS Tee - wearing size L
This tee is super cute. I love the pom-pom details and the bows/tassels on the sleeves. The tee shirt material is nice and soft and drapes really well. The downside? The shoulders don't really like to stay down - I had this on for approximately one minute and they managed to ride up twice. I think smocked OTS tops don't work nearly as well as those that just have a band of elastic at the top. Super cute but it had to go back.
LOFT Gingham Side Tie OTS Top - wearing an XL
I'm not sure why I thought an XL was a good idea (was it a mistake?) but this thing is huge. Like, so big that I could have gone down to a medium. I still don't think I'd like the shape of it on me though even if it fit, plus these sleeves also refused to stay down, so back it goes. It's too bad, because gingham + sleeve bow tassels are so cute.
LOFT Eyelet One Shoulder Top - wearing a size M (also wearing these adorable tassel earrings!)
Apparently I forgot to actually take a picture of this top when I tried it on, but look, instead I'm wearing it! So, in case you couldn't tell, it's a keeper :) The reviews suggested sizing down, I'm usually between a large and medium at LOFT and the medium fit perfectly. The white is just the tinist bit sheer, but not so much that I felt self conscious about it. I love that the bottom material is like a tee-shirt, it's super comfortable and flattering.
LOFT Fiesta Dress - wearing a L on the left and a M on the right
I described this dress to a friend as a combination of all of my favorite things. Off the shoulder? Check. Stripes? Check. Embroidery? Check. Blue and pink? Check. Bows? Check. It also has a cute bow in the back. I tried it in a large and a medium, the large was definitely way too big so I went for the medium instead. I'm thinking I'll wear this casually all summer, but it's also a contender for my cousin's casual wedding at the end of the summer.
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So we have the little black dress, and the little white dress, but what about the little pink dress?? On first glance you might think I'm wearing white here, but this dress is actually a really pretty blush color. And I have to tell you, this blush is really feeling more like a neutral to me than anything else - it seemingly goes with everything! Like, all of the coral accessories in my closet. Plus, this dress works in the way a little black dress does, in that you can dress it up or dress it down. I'm not sure how I haven't shared pictures of it before, because I've managed to wear it to work, on the weekends, and even to a wedding since I bought it! Which, really, is the trifecta of clothing.
...met up with Jeff for post-work drinks that quickly turned into post-work dinner at Waterhouse. It was 80 degrees and sunny on Friday, so obviously we (and what felt like everyone else in the city) had to find a patio! This is my absolute favorite time of year in the city, and soaking up all of that outdoor time is a must.
...ran out of LOFT to return an embarrassing number of items, and had to walk out with this dress. It's like, all of my current favorite trends in one item. Plus, between their current sale (50% off all dresses!) and my rewards, I ended up getting it for almost 75% off.
...went to a Cubs game with Jeff and a couple of friends - yay for baseball season!! I'm not really into sports, but I still always love going. You get a little bit of sports, and a lotta bit of sunshine and junk food and beer!
...flew out to San Francisco for work! I'm heading to a design conference today which I'm super excited about - usually when I go to conferences I'm working the conference, so it'll be nice to be on the other side of things! Don't you worry, I have a new outfit post coming your way tomorrow while I'm out!
I hope you had a good one!
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You guys. Why am I most excited about the warm weather? This dress, of course! I bought it on clearance at the tail end of last summer and only got to wear it a couple of times before bare shoulders became a bad idea. Little white dresses have long been a favorite of mine, and with the tassels, ruffles, and pom-poms, this one's definitely the best in my closet.
Shop more little white dresses:
While little white dresses have less options for wearing, because, you know, you can't wear them to bridal showers, engagement parties, or weddings (aka basically all of the times I have to dress up), I love them for a good old fashioned date night. I wore this over the weekend for a date night at Ampersand, and miraculously made it through the evening without spilling any red wine on myself. I love Ampersand because no matter what I tell them I'm looking for in a bottle they always seem to manage to find the perfect one. Sometimes Jeff and I get really vague about our preferences, and the waiter will bring out a few wines for us to taste before committing to a bottle! The perfect bottle of wine plus a whole lot of cheese equals my perfect night!
I'm actually excited right now because I just booked a date night for our wedding anniversary - we're almost at two years!! How did that happen?! It feels like it was just yesterday that I was pulling on that giant white dress to say, "I do." To celebrate the milestone, we're going to do a cocktail tasting at The Aviary because we're several years behind on restaurant trends, and then heading to Bar Siena for dinner because we went a few months ago and I can't stop thinking about it - more pasta please! We've decided on no gifts though, partially because thinking about "cotton" gifts mostly makes both of us think of Gone Girl, and partially because that reservation at The Aviary is almost $200!! There's our gifts right there ;)
