Not Just for the Hippies...

There are two things that you may or may not know about me - I adore maxi dresses and I am always cold.  This slight obsession of mine has left me a closet full of dresses and not much else.  I still don't own the essential pair of white jeans, but I have the perfect maxi to wear to the playground, to a concert... even for an elegant evening out.

My biggest problem - what to wear on top.  Unfortunately I don't wear my maxis as much as I should because I am always cold and seriously lacking in the cute topper department.  Yes, I can wear my jean jacket.  Yes, I can wear my shrunken navy blazer or a colorful cardi.  But, I would like to step it up.  I want to give my dresses a little more style and personality.

What I have found is that it might not be as hard as I thought...

Take a peek at my new favorite ensemble...  this dress is from Zara.  I absolutely love it, but it is a wee bit sheer (hence the $90 price tag).

Zara Long Printed Dress

It's perfect for a dinner or possibly a wedding, and I have the perfect jacket...

A&F Libby Jacket

Yes, this is from Abercrombie & Fitch.  This is what happens when both your sister and sister-in-law work for the company.   I have visited the store much more often lately... Anywho, this jacket is super cute and very lightweight.

I am also newly obsessed with this jacket from Zara.  I do not own it, but I would like to...  I love the shape of the jacket and the casual feel would be perfect to dress down a more formal maxi.

Zara Studded Jacket with Pockets

I would wear it with a voluminous maxi to give it more shape - just like this dress from J.Crew.  Yards and yards of silk... the drape is amazing.

J. Crew Silk Maxidress

And speaking of structure, this coat from Club Monaco is gorgeous.  

Club Monaco Erica Jacket

I would pair this with a long slim-fitting maxi.  I love the idea of mixing this chic and sophisticated jacket with a boho tie-dye dress...

Young Fabulous & Broke Aphrodite Maxi

The only thing maxis don't go with... rain.  Too bad it is pouring today.

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                              - Allison               

*Photos courtesy of zara.com, abercrombie.com, jcrew.com, clubmonaco.com and shopbop.com.

Outfit Idea: Wear now, Wear later

Maxi dresses and I... we're like peanut butter & jelly.  Inseparable.  When it comes to a style that is versatile, chic and elegant, I immediately think of the maxi.  Not just for dressing up, they are a great "go to" for everyday as well.

Lately, I have begun to think about transitioning into fall (hard to believe, right!), but it will be here before you know it.  This has led me to debating which are the best styles to purchase now to get the most bang for my buck (i.e. wear now, wear later).  After much deliberation, I have put the maxi at the top of my list.

With that being said, there are obviously some maxis that are not conducive for transition while others are perfect.  This also depends on your lifestyle.  I decided to google some images for layering maxis and found several to use for inspiration...  Whether you are working in the city or carting kids around in your suburban all day, there is a style for you.

My ideal wardrobe would be a closet full of gorgeous floor grazing maxis.  However, that is not always the best choice for mobility or layering.  And, there are many beautiful maxis out there, so it makes these decisions all very difficult.  

My advice is to start simple.  As always, you should start with the basics and build from there... therefore, no fuss dresses are the best way to start.  I found a fab Rachel Pally dress at Shopbop that was styled for a "wear now, wear later" story.  Love, love, love these looks.  It is great for inspiration.

This is perfect for a night out.

This is a great look for the weekend.

And, for the Fall... love!

Plus, maxis are much more comfy than jeans!

                                                                                                                                  - Allison

*Photos courtesy of google and shopbop.com.

Outfit Idea: Layering to a Tee

Happy Monday, ladies!  The race begins yet again, and I am pretty sure that what you are going to wear is not at the top of your priority list.  Whether you are trying to keep yourself or your entire family organized, it just seems so much more difficult in the summer. 

Therefore, what better way to start the week than with an easy outfit idea?!  Let’s revisit the chic and easy tee.  Whether it is long sleeve or short, white, blue or black… the little tee should be one of your best friends.  Last time I wrote about the white tee being a great canvas for your statement jewelry.  Today, it’s all about layering with the tee.

One of the reasons I love clothing with clean, simple lines and really fairly basic structure, is that you can play with these pieces much more than ones with lots of frills and details.  I was playing around over the weekend, looking for something to wear on a cooler day… I did not want to wear another sweater and skinny jeans.

After some thought, I grabbed a navy long sleeve tee, my dusty blue ballerina dress, my ankle-wrap sandals and some trusty pearls… Don't laugh, I needed to shake things up a bit.  Don't you always hang your clothes from a tree?!

If my photographer wasn’t sick, I may have had a better shot for you.  Today, my closet will just have to do…

I felt very elegant considering I was just wearing a simple tee... easy summer dressing.

                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                   - Allison

Outfit Idea: Comfy Clothes

As I opened my eyes this morning and started to wake up, I instantly filled with dread.  I came to the realization that my body ached with every move I made, I had a dull, throbbing pain in my head, it was very painful to swallow and trying to get myself out of bed was the very last thing that I wanted to do.  I just wanted to cry... being sick with kids is no fun.

There used to be a time when I wished for the flu to strike.  Those days in high school when I hadn't studied or had a paper due then next day (and I hadn't started it yet).  Once I started working in the "real world", I happily accepted the occasional cold or flu that kept me home.  It meant that I could lie in bed all day catching up on my soaps and have a little "me" time. You knew work wasn't going anywhere and when you were feeling like yourself again, you would simply catch up.  Now that I have children, I never want to get sick again.

The only thing that comes with being sick with kids is a very long day of dragging yourself around while you try to take anything you can to dull the pain.  Nothing stops with kids.  There are no "sick" days, and the worst part is you get sick much more often with kids.  They seem to bring home something constantly!

Obviously, clothing is not the first thing you care about when feeling lousy.  But, you still have to pick yourself up, take the kids to school, ballet, art class... whatever it may be you are going to have to appear in public.  Rather than wearing your pajamas or sweats, I have got the perfect solution for you.  The maxi dress.

A maxi dress in a soft, comfortable jersey is a girl's best friend on a sick day.  It has the comfort of a nightgown, gaucho pants (do you remember those?!) or even your favorite yoga pants.  There is one exception, though... you look much more polished in a dress vs running around in yoga pants and a sweatshirt.

My dress of choice today was a T by Alexander Wang dress that I bought last spring.  I love this dress to death!  It doesn't drag on the floor, so it is easy to move around in and I can wear it with flat shoes.  The styling of the dress is simple... a basic tank dress that has a bit of an uneven hem.  It is a perfect blank slate for dressing up or down.  I am feeling a little more chilly than usual today, so I layered a white tank and a fitted crewneck cableknit sweater over it and slipped on my favorite cowboy booties.  Perfect!

I am so excited about my "under the weather" ensemble that I may need to add more pieces to closet that can be used for these types of days.  Some things I came across...

This Ella Moss dress is perfect!  I love the stripes and the versatility of the style and pattern. I must own this dress!

When I am not up to par, I usually don't feel very colorful.  On an "under the weather day" I would probably add a black, cozy cocoon cardi.  However, a bright color would look super cute as well.  Since black doesn't show up as well, here are images of both the black and white Wilfred Diderot Sweater from Aritzia.  This is a must have for those "icky" days or just to throw on at the beach. 

As far as shoes go,  I need something flat and comfortable.  A biker boot would be perfect with this look on chillier days and a cute sandal would be great as the temp rises..  Who can go wrong with the Frye Phillip Harness Bootie... love!

This might have to be my new "go to" sick day look... time to go shopping!

                                                                                                                                - Allison

*Photos courtesy of shopbop.com and aritzia.com.

My Favorite Combination... so far...

While attempting my holiday challenge over the last couple of weeks (which turned out great!), I ended up putting together a look that I love.  We were going out for our annual Christmas adult family dinner (i.e. the perfect excuse to get dressed up) and I had nothing to wear.  Every year I look forward to this dinner, not only because it is fun, but it is a reason to get a fab new outfit!  I would have liked to purchase one of the zillion dresses that was sold out or backordered until February (which I have already complained about), but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.  So, I had to shop my closet.

When forced to make your creative juices flow, it really is amazing what you can come up with.  I have been very proud and excited about some of my new combinations lately.  I guess it is really all about rediscovering an older piece of clothing that fits really well.... and then you start to fall in love all over again.

I started with this amazing Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent dress.  I absolutely love this dress, but rarely get to wear it.  It fits like a dream and is very comfortable, but it is hemmed to wear with heels (not so practical with kids).  I am thinking that I should start fooling around with some sort of double-stick tape, and just maybe I could temporarily hem it to wear with all of my flat booties...

Once I had the dress picked out, I needed a topper.  I honestly would have loved to just wear my fur neckwarmer, but since I was going to dinner, live in the 'burbs and I get cold very easily, something didn't feel quite right.  I found several sweaters and jackets that would be good for different occasions, but by far the best was my black hacking jacket from J.Crew.  I love this blazer.  It fits so well and can be worn with anything!

Next up, shoes.  I had been dying to wear my animal print booties, but it just didn't feel right with the blazer.  Then, I caught sight of my leopard print clutch and thought that would be the most perfect bag to finish off my look.  However, if I used this clutch, I would need a black shoe.  I realized that my black bootie selection needs some improvement.  *Note-to-self - pointy toe, hidden platform black booties are a must have.*  So, I was back to the drawing board.  I could go with pumps, but I felt a little weird wearing pumps with a long maxi.  It just doesn't feel very "new" for a less formal event.  I stewed for a few minutes and finally decided to pull out my platform snakeskin pumps.  I figured that I could get by with a pump if I am mixing prints and it has a noticeable platform... I think it worked.

I didn't wear much jewelry... just some "go to" oversized crystal earrings from J.Crew and my beloved Alexis Bittar cocktail ring (I should probably put that on my Obsessions page).  For a bag I went to me always handy Rachel Zoe QVC black patent clutch.  By the way, this one of my best purchases... ever!  I use it all of the time and it looks great!

The result...

I felt very regal and polished... a bit like Kate Middleton!  Now I just have to work on my poses. 

                                               - Allison