Packing - 15 days in Spain

This post was inspired by the 'packing consultation' I had with my Mom, who is going to Spain for 15 days. She is a serial over-packer and for this 15 day trip, she is only allowed to bring 1 20 inch carry-on, and a purse.  Most people hate packing, but I thoroughly enjoy it, as I shared in this post - Tetris with clothes. 

A few things we considered before we started - weather and activities. The weather will reach highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s and they will often be on the go all day with no time to change clothes for evenings. Knowing this, my strategy was to pack lightweight layers that were interchangeable with each other.

We started at the bottom. We knew she would only be bringing 2 pair of shoes, both black. A sporty, walking shoe that would replace a sneaker, and another black patent loafer that could dress things up a bit. 

Next, we chose pants 1 black, 1 navy, 1 dark wash jean, and 1 charcoal jean (later we added a colored jean for some variety). We included a black and white printed skirt for dressier evenings. Then I started picking tops from her closet that were lightweight, layer-able, and preferably wrinkle-resistant - 9 tops in all. All tops could be worn with any of the 4 neutral pants, and half of the tops could be paired with the colored jeans. Finally we picked 3 blazers/jackets, 1 cardigan sweater and 3 scarfs. I lined everything up using a rolling rack, building and eliminating as we went - you could also lay it all out on your bed. Then I put together 13 outfits pictured below.

5 Bottoms: Dark Wash Jean, Charcoal Jean, Black Pants, Navy Pants, Black/White Skirt
9 Tops    Solids: Red Ruffle Tank, Royal 3/4 Sleeve Blouse, Light Pink Blouse
             Textures: Cream Lace Top, Purple with Purple Polka Dots
             Prints: Floral Blouse, Paisley Blouse, Black Stripe T/Flower, Black/White Print
3 Jackets: Denim Jacket, Black Knit Moto Jacket, Cream/Gold/Silver Boucle Jacket 
3 Scarfs: Global Print, Solid Purple, Solid Dark Pink

Below you see I fit it ALL of the items above into the 20 inch suitcase, except for the travel outfit (striped flower t, black cardigan, dark wash jeans and 1 pair shoes). I rolled the 4 pair of pants and lined them in a row across, and then I squeezed in as many rolled tops in a row across just like the pants. Photo 2 shows another layer of tops rolled and laid across the bottom layer, and the opposite side of the suitcase shows jackets and shoes. Plenty of room for toiletries. 

A few side notes.....

- Finding comfortable shoes to walk around in all day proved to be the most difficult part of this. Thank goodness for Zappos and Nordstrom - free shipping, free returns.

- We ended up removing the Black Knit Moto jacket because the forecast was even warmer than expected

- We didn't discuss jewelry, but I suggest pick either gold or silver or if you has a piece that has both - perfect!1 or 2 necklaces at the most and 1 or 2 pair of earings - an everyday and a dressy maybe.

- The 1 purse was a small, gunmetal cross-body purse 

- If this were me packing, I would have thrown in 2 knit dresses.

- My Dad was ridiculously EASY to pack for. 1 Black Jeans, 1 Dark Wash Jeans, 1 khaki pair if pants, 2 long sleeve woven shirts, 6 polo shirts, 1 jacket/activewear piece and 2 pair of shoes. 

- I fully expect my Mom to throw in a few random things at the end just because she has room

Coming soon - I helped a family of 5 pack for 2 weeks in Italy!! 

The $5 Rule

There was an article in the WSJ this morning about the current shift in shopping for few items, but spending more money on key pieces. Quality vs. Quantity. I thought that was just something that was happening to me as I grew up, apparently I'm not the only one.  

Then I got to thinking about how I choose what items to spend more money on, and the arbitrary 'rules' I use for purchasing. For example I don't like to by tops over $40, pants must be under $80 - I'm talking "trousers" here, work pants, but denim is a whole other story. I've been contemplating some 3 digit denim for almost a week now. Don't judge. I'm working on a whole post about denim varieties and the necessity of said varieties - if only for my husband to read and maybe understand. 

So, I was brought back to something a customer shared with me years ago (I have no idea if she was the originator of this rule, this is just where I heard it). She used a rule of $5. An item needed to be worth $5 per wear. So if you bought a $20 top, as long as you wore it 4 times, it was money well spent. I actually find this to be pretty helpful. It helps justify those 3 digit jeans - I will totally wear them 40 times a year - AND since I keep most of my jeans for-ev-er it is fine -right? 

One area where I can't use my rule is the purse. I can't seem to invest in a purse - even though it is something you carry/use everyday, I can't get the $5 rule to work. I always think I want to buy one, but I just can't. No judging here - just sharing a oddity in my arbitrary shopping rules. 

Something else that came to mind here is DON'T buy something just because it is a good deal. I used to fall for this a lot. OR I would buy something just because it was a brand name and I found it at Marshalls for really cheap, and then I would be so made I wasted money on something I didn't really like. 

But my point is, if you are going to invest in a few key pieces, make sure it is something you LOVE, that it fits, and that you will wear it often.

I would love to hear what you all splurge and save one. 

And just so this post isn't totally boring, I have a funny story about fringe. I mentioned here that I thought 'western wear' - or at least fringe -  was a trend for fall. I thought I would grab onto this trend with both feet and ordered these boots. I was going to make them the replacement for my fake-uggs (I could have used my $5 rule for real ones several years ago, but instead bought cheap ones every year or two from Target - I kept thinking they were going out of style the next year.) Anyway - here are the boots I ordered. Minnetonka 3-Layer Fringe boots.

Adorable right? I thought so. Or maybe you hate them. But I was convinced I could totally pull them off. Weeelllll, they make the most annoying swoosh, swoosh, swoosh noise when you walk. You think corduroys or wind pants are bad? (are they actually called wind pants? you know what I mean)  I was laughing out loud walking around my room. Just for fun I super-seriously asked my husband if he liked them - he replied "ridiculous". Which almost made me want to keep them :)

So I have ordered these to squash both my Minnetonka craving and my fringe craving. We'll see if they are a keeper. A little fringe goes a long way. 

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Long Time, No Blog

Oh I can't believe it has been such a long time! I have several excuses and places to lay the blame, but really I blame the HEAT!  It is 100 degrees with 90% humidity here and I don't care how much you love clothes, almost nothing is fun to put on but a swimsuit. That combined with the fact that at this point of the season I am generally bored of most of my summer clothes. I'm looking forward to fall fashion and all we have here is heat. 

Sooooo I have been perusing some of my favorite sources to see what is coming up for the fall. And you'll be happy to hear everything is in style! I'm only half kidding. Depending on what add, magazine, website, store you see, you might see totally different things labeled as THE trend for fall. As always I will say, choose what speaks to, fits your 'style' and flatters your figure. 

Here is my interpretation on some of the things you might see this fall - in no particular order...
1. High-er rise jeans. I talked about this a bit in this early post, but you will see high rise and mid rise more and more. I am a fan of this as it manages the muffin top and accentuates your waist. Make sure to check out your butt - my fear of the high-waist is the long, flat butt we all know from 'mom jean's - avoid. And I'll make a 1A here - denim - colored, distressed, skinnies still in but I have an odd sense other shapes will be inching back. 
2. Leather, faux leather, vegan leather - whatever you want to call it. It looks like leather and there is a lot of it. Most of it seems to be black - biker, rocker, moto chick.
3. Grey - love. I feel the same way about grey as I do about navy - I love to use them instead of black. 
4. Animal prints - many of you who know me, know I have been a fan of leopard print for at least 20 years - and it isn't going anywhere. 
5. Western Wear - I'm not sure this one has legs. I feel like I see it more in accessories  - cowboy boots and purses with fringe are my favs so far. Maybe I'm making this up. 
6. Cozy fabric
7. Graphic, colorful, global prints 

I don't know that I would call this a trend, but I am obsessed with jackets, blazers and coats. They are one of my favorite things about fall and winter. Jeans, boots, sweater and a fitted coat or blazer - yum. 

Here is what people who actually have a job in fashion say is on trend for fall
Elle

All right, a lot of text, no photos and some ideas you might not like, but I'm back! I should be back to posting more often these days. 

Happy Heat Wave.

Bold Choices

I am always looking at different sources and images for fashion ideas and inspiration. I was scrolling through the 'hot pics' on E! the other day and I saw this outfit on Hillary Swank and I loved it! I love the big bold print of the skirt with the bright orange top. Your tendency might be to pair just a plain black top with this, which is another great option - but look at how striking it is with the orange. If I was wearing this A-line skirt, I would want the skirt to hit just above my knee - anything below the knee messes with my short proportions. 

Bold doesn't need to come off as crazy or even in your face. This is a perfect look that shows bold can be classy. 

Here are some similar items available now that can help you recreate this look. I also showed a deep teal tunic in case orange isn't your color. I love jewel tones like this teal for fall, which is right around the corner. (I have this tunic and it is awesome!)

OR you don't have to take the inspiration quite so literally. Instead of a polka dot skirt, find a bold floral or geometric print like the one below. I added an open toe bootie and a chunky statement necklace to complete the look, but you could also pair with sleek pumps and pearls as another option. 

5 stages of fashion grief

It is a special milestone when you come of a certain age, and a trend comes back. One that you lived through, that you survived. 

These are the 5 stages of fashion grief.

1. Denial - There is no way I am old enough for this to be 'retro' . This is not really back "in". It will go away. I will not pay any attention to the stone-washed denim, keds or neon. 

2. Anger - WHY?!? Why are people wearing super high-waisted shorts again? We spent years suffering with the long butt look and we found a better way. Why would you go back? 

3. Bargaining - Okay so maybe it doesn't look that bad. I guess I could try it if I were younger. 

4. Depression - am I going to have to wear these again? 

5. Acceptance - maybe we get here, maybe we don't

Really, everywhere I go I see more and more of these. 

I'm all about accentuating a smaller waist and I am not condemning high-waisted shorts, this is just not my favorite way to do it. If it is yours, keep on keeping on. Fashion is an individual expression - have fun!

My Favorite Things

I have been meaning to use this topic to create a page since the start of my blog. I will use this post to start that page and add to it!

I thought of it today because I had to dig out a cardigan because it is CHILLY here - feels like fall. 

My favorite cardigan is made by MOD.lusive by Bobeau - available at Nordstrom. It is the softest cardigan I have ever had. And oh my gosh they are on sale right now! I have both the Open Front Cardigan in black and the Ruched Sleeve in white. They are PERFECT for travel, lightweight but warm because they fit snug to the body. I was very picky about my cardigan - many were too long, too bulky, to flappy in the front. Anyway, these are my favorite. (Special note - wash the black one alone in cold water before you wear to prevent bleeding)

Jeans. I am constantly searching for the next best pair of my favorite jeans, all the while telling myself that I have enough jeans. At the top of my list right now is the Avedon Slick in Blitz by Citizens of Humanity. I got them last Spring at The Clover - a local boutique here in St. Louis that has a niche for denim. I explained I wanted a comfortable pair of 'everyday' skinny jeans and these were prefect. They almost feel like sweatpants they are so soft. The description says Soft, super-stretch denim. 44% rayon/29% cotton/25% cupro/2% polyurethane. I did go up a size in them as they are definitely a skinny fit, but they do stretch a bit as you wear them. And since I was planning on wearing them almost everyday, they were a bit of an investment. 

Next on my list is probably these shoes - Sperry Angelfish in Metallic Gold. I love them. They do need a day or two of breaking in, but then they are like a slipper. And they are the perfect in-between - not a flip flop, not a tennis shoe and since I have them in gold the shine always helps add to an outfit.

And my last item for this post is the Basic Jersey Tank from H&M. I typically am a bit overwhelmed by this store, but I ventured in one day and these were on sale for $5.00 (reg $5.95). I bought one in black and white and they are the perfect mix of soft and stretch, nice enough to be worn by themselves or as a layering piece. And they cover a normal bra strap, too! I have countless layering tanks from Target and Old Navy, and none of them have been as perfect as these. 

I will use these to create a page and update with new items as I find them! If only I could be like Oprah and give you all one of each!

Summer Sales!!

Well even though it just feels like we have settled into summer (and I JUST posted about swimsuits) - you will soon start seeing transitional or fall merchandise in the stores. Which means summer stuff is ON SALE!! 

Everyday I get multiple notifications about sales - 40 %, 50 % 60 % off summer styles. This is a great time get a deal on a summer trend or something you have been pining for - maybe a jumpsuit like I mentioned here ? Or maybe you have been holding off this summer waiting to see what trends become most appealing? We have a solid 2 months of summer weather left here in St. Louis, so you will have plenty of time to wear your new summer purchases. IF it is an item you think you will not wear that often in the next 2 months, try to think ahead and make sure you will love it next summer OR if it has year round wearability. 

Some great summer sale items to look for that can be worn year round
- layering tanks and tees
- skirts that can be paired with tights and boots in cooler months
- jeans (always)
- printed tops that can be versatile for work or play - check out this post for more info
- dresses - of course. Think ahead to next year - do you have a wedding or big occasion you need something a little bit fancier for? Now is a great time to get a deal. 

If you are already tired of your summer wardrobe use the sales to spice it up with 1 or 2 new pieces to carry you through. For me a top gets me more mileage than a bottom. If you really can't wait until fall, a lightweight jacket/blazer or some booties can help bridge the gap. I was skeptical about the bootie a few seasons ago, but I have become a fan. It is a perfect item for in between summer/fall and spring/summer. Peep toe booties are wearing on me - they are adorable but I find the window of wear in this climate too small for money I would have to spend for a pair, but I feel my resolve crumbling. Nordstrom Anniversary Sale catalog had some GREAT deals on boots and booties. 

And it is not too early to start editing your wardrobe - get rid of summer clothes you haven't worn since you got them out. De-clutter your closet. Message me if you want help!