Friday Fantasy #9

When I was younger I absolutely loved to wear dresses ALL-THE-TIME, which also included wearing them in winter when it was just too cold.  My mother however allowed this IF I wore pants underneath the dress.  Not only pants, but usually plaid ones at that.  So this is my 'winter' dressing up of this dress that I bought at Nordstrom Rack for $9, minus the ostrich feathers, which I actually added to it to give the dress a little more sophistication.  It was after all a juniors sized dress, but I feel in love with the stripes of course.

Shoes w/Jeans: Yves Saint Laurent Tribtoo Platform Pump, Nordstrom Rack $80/$795

Shoes w/Dress: Kate Spade via Ebay, $40

Jeans: Guess  Guess Starlet in Noisy Wash, $89

Bracelet: Vintage store in Ouray, $16

Earrings: Vintage

Wristlet: Coach sequined special occasion wristlet, $60

Riding again...

Here's a fun one for you:

I've worn each of these items before on Sparkle Style Shine!, do you know where they are?  See if you can find them!  Wearing something more than once does not lessen the worth or specialness of your clothing.  In fact it makes it that much more valuable, to be able to select something in your closet that you know you can wear over again the same way or by mixing it up a little.  Again we talk about CPW - Cost Per Wear.  It is an important decision to consider when purchasing clothing or shoes for that matter.  How many times will you be able to work an item into your wardrobe and feel that it is versatile enough to create a few more outfit possibilities for you?   Off the top of your head if you can create that magical 3 outfits with you existing clothes an the new, you've got a winner.  Now get to it!

Fantasy Friday #8 - J. Crew + Floral Skirt

Thankfully today is a day off for me, which means a day to recover, relax and not worry about waking up and having to shop at the crack of dawn.  You may find a deal or two online, away from the stores and madness or you may not.  Not to worry though sales come to those who wait.  I still keep checking to see if  these Jason Wu Oxfords are on sale.  Currently they are $650 and I just can't justify them at that price, but I would love to be able to.  The brocade skirt I found above is gorgeous in person, heavy and a little large, but nothing a belt couldn't fix.  The workmanship on the skirt is so detailed I decided to take the plunge an buy it mainly because I have never seen anything like it before.  At $40 I am glad I took the risk because I think it turned out beautifully here.  

Shirt: J Crew Three-Quarter Sleeve Stretch Perfect Shirt similar, $30
Belt: Vintage via my attic
Skirt: Vintage via Goldmine Vintage, $40
Shoes: Pelle Moda Fabia Kitten Heels in Buttermilk Snake via Nordstrom Rack $60/$180
Bracelet: J. Crew, $14
Rose Clutch: Urban Outfitters (old)
Earrings: NR, $10

Shades of Blue Two

And here it is, that same Marc Jacobs dress with a layer of happy polka dots over it.  What could be more fabulous than polka dots?  Well stripes could be,  but that's another topic altogether.  This polka dotted shell, I am sure, had a slip that went with it, which was lost many years ago, however it is quite a versatile piece  on its own.  One could add a slip underneath it or even a skirt and tank top and it would look dreamy.  More things to try in the future.  Just wait and see what I come up with.

Dress: Marc by Marc Jacobs Aurora Ombre Dress via Nordstrom Rack $120

Shell: Vintage polka dotted blue shell, handmade via Goldmine Vintage $30

Tank: J. Crew Factory Sequin Tank $20

Coat: Hazel via NR $40

Shoes: Coach via NR several years ago

Handbag: Kate Spade 34th Street Treesh similar here

Braceets: J. Crew & handmede resin from Ouray, CO

Shades of Blue

This dress is one of my favorites for many reasons.  First, the fabric is divine and feels incredibly soft with a mix of silk and a few other fibers.  Second, it can actually be styled several different ways to fit from summer into fall.  I'll show you a second look tomorrow.  The dress price is a little on the high side however I can see it working in my wardrobe for many years to come.  The earrings you see here were remnants of a vintage jade necklace, that had been taken apart and sold in pieces at 25 cents each, through a local antique store.  I picked out 8 leaves and experimented with making the earrings.  I fell in love with them and immediately went back to the antique store to see if the rest of the leaves were still available.  They were and I bought them all for a whooping $5.25.  I don't regret for one moment buying either the earring pieces or the dress.  They were both well worth the price. 

Dress: Marc by Marc Jacobs Aurora Ombre Dress via Nordstrom Rack $120
Jacket: Gap (long ago)
Scarf: Sheer-ly Crow Scarf at Modcloth $18
Shoes: Mia Preta Flip Flop $25
Earrings: Handmade by yours truly
Necklace: Handmade

Handbag: Kate Spade 34th Street Treesh in Bone $135

Riding Jacket

Do you ever wonder where amazing boots come from?  I don't anymore, they come from Rue La La.  I have comfirmed this with several of my friends who are secret Rue La La shoppers.  It doesn't take much after that first purchase, which gets you free shipping for the next 30 days.  It's almost as if they are taunting you, buy something, you know you want to.  It arrives in a cute white box with cursive writing labeled Rue La La, what's not to like?  You'll want to keep the boxes as souvenirs of your expert hunter ability to find shoes and clothes at a fraction of their normal price.  It's addictive I tell you, but you won't regret it.  Rue La La, from my experience, has one of the best customer service departments I have ever had to deal with.  It is for this reason and because they have the best pricing out of all the other flash sites around, that I wholeheartedly reccommend you vistit them. 

T-Shirt: J. Crew Vintage Flower Tee via Common Threads $15 Jacket: Halogen via Nordstrom Rack (old) $20
Jeans: Guess Brittney Skinny Jean Phantom Wash via Ebay $30/$98
Boots: Alberto Fermani Fesuede Velour Boots Marrone via Rue La La $90/$515.  Similar here via Gilt $89 and here via Piperlime $139

Military Again + Suede

As booties go, these are the only ones that I could fathom wearing because, well, I just think it's odd to chop off part of a boot.  But, when I saw these booties there was something about them that drew me in.  It may have been the caramel against the chocolate leatherwork that had so much detail, or that they had tassels...  So I bought them for a steal and then had to figure out how and what in the heck I was going to wear them with.  I think they go wonderfully with jeans and they look to have enough of both fancy and casualness to not be overdone.  By the way, here is that darn military jacket again!  It's getting colder outside and it's perfect for fall, so what can I say?!

Dress worn as Top: Urban Outfitters $20/$50
Jacket: Lucky Brand Fur Collar Air Bomber Jacket via Nordstrom Rack $38/$100
Jeans: Guess Starlet Noisy Wash, $89
Booties: Plenty by Tracy Reese "Daida" Bootie via Rue la la $40/$160
Earrings: Ralph Lauren via NR $10/$30

Military Glamorous

Who says you can't mix military with soft, sparkly details like these kitten heels?!  Not me of course. This military styled jack by Lucky Brand has worked with everything from causal to somewhat dressy ensembles.  And with a purchase price of $38 the cost per wear keeps going down exponentially, which is something to consider every time you buy an item of clothing or shoes.  I know, shiny object syndrome can blow the cost per wear rule right out of the water, when you see something that just has to come home with you.   This is why you must take a deep breath and think about the many ways you can use the new item in your current wardrobe.  If you can successfully put three outfits together in your head with the new item, then go ahead and buy it.  I approve:)

Scarf: J. Crew last fall $10/$50
Jacket: Lucky Brand from Nordstrom Rack $38/$100
Shirt: Three Dots from NR $15
Jeans: Sanctuary Surplus from NR $20/$100
Shoes: Pelle Moda Fabia Rhinestone Kitten Heels in Buttermilk Snake from NR $70/$180
Handbag: Milly Victoria Handbag from Nordstrom Rack $135/$395
Earrings: NR $14
What I paid/Retail

Fantasy Friday #7 - More Sequins

You know I love sequins to the Nth degree. so finding this dress was a dream come true, particularly because it was $40 instead of $352.  I know, steal of a lifetime and I wonder how this keeps happening with me, but I am grateful it does.  I have two ideas for styling this dress, the first for an evening or more formal event with heels and the second a more casual event with sandals.  It's great that this dress stands on its own so hardly any accessories are needed.

Dress: Parker Sequin Draped Cowl Neck Dress via Nordstrom Rack $40/$352
Sweater: Vintage from Goldmine Vintage $30
Wristlet: Coach $15
Heels: Charles David from Nordstrom Rack $42
Flats: MICHAEL Michael Kors Hamilton Python Sandal NR $42/$109