A Cloudy Monday... A Vibrant Orange Dress!

Hello Readers,

Wow! Today's earlier post has been a hit! I've never had so many people read my blog in a single day- and the day isn't even over yet! Thank you Readers!

Look at that! Those are my statistics so far today!

I realize that I haven't been as faithful in my outfit of the day posts as I have been in the past, but I am back on track!

Last Monday was exceptionally drab. Grey, rainy, and bleh. When I looked at the forecast that morning I thought "oh, what a Monday" but then an idea brightened my day and changed my perspective. I picked out my orange Whirligig Dress and raspberry tights and thought "The weather may be dreary but I'll put some color in this day."

And so I did.

The color combinations in this outfit are not at all my normal palette of colors, in an outfit or in general but lately I've been learning to embrace change. I felt slightly self-conscious in the ensemble, but the wealth of compliments I received throughout the day cleared away those feelings. I rocked in a dress in a color I've feared for so long!

What a fun Monday!

Retail Details:
Fuchsia Climate Control Cardigan: Anthropologie
Orange Whirligig Dress: Velvet from Anthropologie
Raspberry Opaque Tights: Hue
Bright Pink Flats: Jessica Simpson
Gold Necklace: gift
Green Sparkly Nail Polish: Zoya (from my November Birchbox)

Bows on my Toes

Hey Readers,

Today, I have bows on my toes. I love that that rhymes and that today is Friday! There's nothing like bows on your toes to carry you into the weekend, eh? Here is my outfit:

What do you think?

What did I wear?. . .

Hello Readers,

I bet you're wondering what I chose to wear to my friend's wedding. . . It was a tough choice, but a few suggestions via facebook comments and my mom's expert advice I made my decision. . . 

With Jake and Kerry on their wedding day!

For my friends wedding I wore. . . (drumroll please)

The Orange Whirligig Dress!

I paired it with:

These vintage clip ons

This matching necklace

And these Tan Calvin Klein Snakeskin Pumps

What to Wear?: Help me Choose!

Hello Readers! Happy First Day of Fall!

I need your help! Tomorrow, I am attending the wedding of my dear friend (and former roommate and track teammate), Kerry. During recent moves over the past two months I've realized that I have WAY too many dresses, and decided not to buy a new dress for this occasion.

So. . . my dilemma is more of a surplus of options rather than a shortage. Will you help me pick a dress? The wedding begins at 2:00, so it's a late afternoon into evening affair. I want to be dressy but not too dressy. Do you know what I mean?

Here are the contenders, let me know what you think!:

The Mompos Dress- a bit summery. . . but such a blast to wear!

I love wearing this dress, but I fear that it is too casual and summery. But, maybe I could dress it up with tights, heels, and a different belt?

The Whirligig Dress in Dark Pink/Fuschia

The Whirligig Dress in Dark Orange

Oh the Whirligig Dress. . . this dress is so versatile and oh-so-comfortable! I think of it more as a teaching dress, but I think I could add some pizazz with the right accessories. But which color? The pink is so easy to wear with my coloring, but the orange looks so rich! Oh decisions!

My dark green silk straplesss dress from Banana Republic

I've had this dress in my wardrobe for quite some time (since 2008, I believe), but I can count the times I've worn this dress on one hand with digits to spare. This may sound silly, but I feel like Heidi Klum every time I wear this dress. Is this dress in or out?

Leave me a comment here or on facebook and let me know what to choose! Also, I will gladly welcome any styling suggestions!

Sweet or Spicy Whirligig?: Vote Now!

Dear Readers,

I need your help. After waiting patiently for Velvet's Whirligig Dress to move to the sale section at Anthropologie, last Tuesday my dreams came true! I quickly ordered the dress in dark pink and stalked its journey to my front porch with my tracking number. (Which proved to be annoying- the tracking window anticipated an 8/19 arrival but it came on 8/22). Before my package of joy arrived, I visited my friend Jessica in the Chicago suburbs and we found the orange version of my beloved dress in the Highland Park Anthro.

Orange?

I tried on the orange version and showed it to Jessica, who approved of the color and encouraged me to purchase the gown (she didn't need to twist my arm!), compare it to the dark pink color when it arrived, and return the least-winning garment.

Pink?

Here's the problem: I love both! But, as lovely as the Whirligig Dress is, I do not need two. Here are pictures of each dress taken in the fitting room. Which do you prefer? Both colors are versatile and mutli-seasonal, but I can only choose one.

Pink?

The pink is stunning. In real life, the color is closer to purple than pink, but stunning nonetheless. There is something very sweet about this version, but I wonder if the color is too sweet? I think it would look great with all of the navy blue and grey already in my wardrobe.

Orange?

This is the dark orange. In real life, it is a subtle-but-spicy sort of hue that may be just what I need to spice up my wardrobe (apparently I think this dress is spicy!!!) My major hesitation with this color is that it is so different than most of what I wear. My other hesitation is that my skin is so fair and orange isn't always so kind to my complexion.

So what do you think? Should I go with the sweet pink dress or the spicy orange one? Leave a comment below with your vote and any comments!!! Your input is much appreciated!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

Fitting Room Reviews: July

Hey Readers!

It is July 20th! Can you believe it? July has flown by for me- how about you? I had a few adventures this month (well- visits to Chicago and St. Louis), and each of those adventures included visits to a store near and dear to my heart. . . Anthropologie! While I was there, on each occasion, I took pictures of some of the highlights of my visits.  Hopefully you find them useful! Comment on this post if you have any questions!

Chicago (Chicago Ave and Schaumburg)

Loosened Shelby Blouse from Porridge

I seem to be inexplicably drawn to the Loosened Shelby Blouse. It's not quite my style, but upon each encounter with the blouse, I try it on! This time I tried on the green motif color, but had to choose between a size 2 or a size 10 (I chose the 2) for this try-on session. Width-wise, the blouse was fine, but length-wise I think I needed a size 4. If I do end up purchasing this little ditty, I think it will have to go with a belt or a high-waisted skirt.

Crotched Tank by ?

I don't think this tank is online anymore, but I found it in the sale rack at the Chicago Ave. store two weeks ago, and again last week in the St. Louis store (size S was perfect). I absolutely love this tank- layered crotched fabric, an ultra-flattering tunic length, and a lacy hem. I was ready to purchase this tank until I checked the fabric info tag and saw that it was dry clean only. Deal breaker.

Darling Dragonfly Dress from We Love Vera

I really like the colors of this dress. I did before I tried the dress on and after I tried it on.  The horizontal stripes and brushstrokes, however, did not work for me. I tried this on in a 4, and it seemed a bit tight. If I liked the dress more, I would try a 6, but I didn't like the dress enough to find a 6. I think this dress would be better suited for someone with a petite frame- someone I am not.

Alchemilla Tee in Green from one.september

I was looking for the Side Bent Tee when I found the Alchemilla Tee in its stead.  I appreciate its similarity to Deletta's Craft and Creation Top from last summer.  I tried on a small, and it fit wonderfully, but the flowery detailing was a bit too overwhelming, at least as a full-price purchase. This will stay on my wishlist until further notice.

 --btw: Has anyone tried on the Sidebent tee?

Whirligig Dress from Velvet in Orange

OK, I tried this dress on again. For the third time? I have a few events in the upcoming future, and a new job, that call for something like this. I really, really, really like this dress. I even wrote a review for the dress, and anthro used part of it in a promo (on facebook or in an email- I can't remember). I misspelled "classically" (as classicaly- whoops), but when I saw my description again in that context I almost became convinced that the dress was perfect for me!

But look what happened for a second time!

Again? This Whirligig Dress has a mis-formed sleeve. If I buy this dress, I think I will do so in a store and not online

No sleeve! No thanks! If I buy this dress, it will not be online!

St. Louis (St. Louis Galleria)

From H&M. I'm not crazy about the fabric but I love the print, color, and fit.

While I was in St. Louis, I also made a stop in H&M and almost bought this top. I wasn't sure if it was professional enough for my new job (I know, I am being elusive! Details in August).

Quilted Pastiche Maxi from Maple by Some Odd Rubies

This lovely dress, unfortunately, was too short for me. And, unfortunately, I could find no zipper on the dress- which made for an awkward try-on with a not-so-lovely frizzy hair effect. I adore the color of the dress, but unless it becomes available in a tall size, it is not a dress destined for my wardrobe. Also, I don't know where I would wear this dress. Ideas?

Cirque A-Line from Porridge

Finally, I tried on Porridge's Cirque A-Line dress. Last week I was desperately looking for something to wear to a bridal shower with a bumble-bee theme (cute!) where attendees (that's me) were asked to wear yellow and/or black. Since I don't wear these colors very often, I was a woman on a mission during this anthro visit.  While yellow and black are fun colors, I did not find many items of clothing at my St. Louis Mall featuring this combo- except this dress. 

I tried on a 4 in this dress, which fit fabulously except for one major detail. . . it was much too low cut for my taste! Has anyone experienced any similar dilemmas when trying on this dress?

Thanks for reading!

Fitting Room Reviews (from St. Louis and Chicago)

Hello Readers!

It's almost July- can you believe it!  I don't know about you all, but my June has been jam-packed!  Like all of the other busy times in my life though, I've found the time to stop by Anthropologie.  The first review is from the Anthropologie in St. Louis and the others are from the Anthropologie on Chicago in Chicago (which, by the way, is an amazing store!)

This round of reviews includes two dresses, a pair of shorts, and a blouse.  I hope you find these reviews helpful!

Sugared Dress- Corey Lynn Calter

Over the past year, I've found myself drawn to dresses with '50s silhouettes, and this dress was no exception to this fascination.  While I found this dress to be lovely, it wasn't the sort of lovely that I was looking for.  The print is quite unusual, but I found it to be overwhelming even to my 5'10'' frame! I took a size 6 in this dress- which fit well across my shoulders but was much too big for my bust, chest, and waist. I felt like the fit and overall look was a bit frumpy, but might look better on someone with more mature taste.

Whirligig Dress- Velvet

This was my third time trying on Velvet's Whirligig dress (I think the next time I try one on I will have to buy it!), and I was pleased to find two more color offerings in this dress at the Chicago Ave store in Chicago!  I am in love with the raspberry color, but this orange number caught my eye. The picture (on my computer) captures the color well, a delightfully warm hue between salmon and burnt sienna that you might find in a summer sunset. Unfortunately, when I put the dress over my head to try it on, I was only able to successfully get one arm through an armhole!  When I took the dress off to inspect what was going on I found that one of the armholes wasn't there. The other dresses had two armholes each, but this one must have fallen to the wayside during production.  Oh well!

Going Places Shorts- Paperboy by G-1

The Going Places Shorts, from Paperboy by G-1, are adorable! I normally wouldn't even try a cargo short, because they don't have a history of flattering my body.  But, the femininity of the short's lightweight fabric and delicate lilac color compensated for the utility pocket and boxy stitching. I took a size 6 and it fit perfectly! They still aren't the most flattering shorts, but they weren't unflattering either. I purchased these shorts and this summer they will be going places!

Adorned Azure Tank

I vaguely remember seeing the Adorned Azure Tank on Anthropologie's website, but my visit to the Chicago Ave store was my first real encounter with this treasure. In person, the tank is an azure shade, but just a bit more turquoise than the picture above. What I loved most about this top is that the adornment seemed to be a detachable necklace! This top was a pass because the fit was a bit off.  I tried on a small, which seemed to be the right size for me but the bottom half seemed a bit too wide.  Cute, but not cute enough.

I also bought a pair of white crops (Sateen Crops) from Cartonnier for only 19.95! The only size available was 8, but they were a great fit! I will feature these in an upcoming post! :)

Fitting Room Reviews

Hey Readers!

I apologize for my absence on this blog lately.  The past two (or maybe few?) weeks have been so busy with the oral defense of my comprehensive exam, finishing final papers, grading final exams, getting ready to graduate, and packing up the majority of my apartment.

Anyways. . . in the midst of this craziness I was able to make it into Anthropologie (of course!) Here are a few of the things that I tried on:

Across the Land Dress by Maple

Across the Land Dress (Maple):

I love the seafoam green and polka dots of this dress but its fit didn't quite suit me.  There was too much fabric and I wasn't too fond of the cross-over neckline.  I think the dress would have been better (for me) if it had a v-neck instead of a modified sheath neckline.  Overall, I thought the dress was well-constructed, but not for me.

Chartreuse Shoots Dress by Moulinette Soeurs 

This dress wowed me online, but in the store I found its neckline to be a bit too high and the hue of dress resembled something closer to the color of a highlighter.  I appreciated the tie at the waist, but it was placed too high on the dress for my torso. Maybe it would work better for girls with shorter torsos?

Quechua Dress by We Love Vera

This was a graduation dress contender but it did not make it to the stage on Friday.  I stalked this dress online, and eventually tried it on in the store but it was a disappointment for me.  The amount of fabric was overwhelming, the top of the dress was way too roomy and I wasn't impressed with the quality of the fabric. The only winning quality of the dress, for me, was the beautiful black and white print.

Name of dress unknown

I really wanted to like this dress: it is navy blue and it has a ribbon-tie waist.  But this dress just didn't impress.  The fit of the dress was very loose- but not in an intentional easy-breezy sort of way. It looked sloppy and I felt like I looked 10 lbs heavier while wearing this dress. No thanks!

Whirligig Dress by Velvet available here

I absolutely love this dress- the raspberry color, the romantic draping, the soft jersey, it's overall feel.  I took a size S in this dress and it fit wonderfully.  My only complaint is that the hem was a bit too short for my height (it hit my leg at an odd spot).  I really like this dress, but I think I'll wait for a sale.

My friend Mary came with me on one of my recent visits to my local store and she tried on this outfit- which looks stunning! She is wearing the Deletta Expanding Horizons Tank in Navy Blue and a skirt from the sale rack whose name I forgot.  This skirt will be perfect for her internship this summer in Florida!

Looking good Mary!