Outfit Idea: Ballerina Moment

I love dresses!  I especially love longer simple tank dresses.  They are easy, elegant, comfortable and above all else... versatile.  As everyone knows I love myself a piece of clothing that can be "played with"... there is nothing more exciting to me than coming up with a million different ways to wear the same dress, skirt, shirt, etc!

With that being said, I could hardly contain my excitement as I passed by Aritzia (at the mall) several weeks ago and saw the most simple and beautiful dress in the window.  The simplicity of the design reminded me of a dress that a ballerina might wear in a performance.  It's long, but not too long.  An empire waist keeps the top fitted and allows for a fuller skirt, but not too full.  Just full enough to make it pretty and add a little movement.  

Obviously, I couldn't resist the dress.  I had to have it in black and blue (I have a problem!).  And, after three weeks, I am pretty sure that I have already gotten my money's worth from my purchase.  This dress has inspired many looks already.  I can guarantee that this won't be the last time you read about this dress.  Today I wanted to share my favorite look thus far...

This is my ballerina look.  I am not quite sure if a ballerina would wear this, but I felt pretty, elegant and graceful wearing it... so, close enough!  Saturday was a warm and sunny day that was filled with a lot of errand running and playing outside with the girls.  I wore the dress with my flip flops... simple.

We ended up going to a fun, dressier place for dinner with the girls - I needed something chic, child-friendly and quick.  I added a black ballet sweater, a chunky bracelet and my favorite Madewell Old Town Boot and my trusty black RZ clutch.... dinner ready.  I loved my outfit and more importantly, I felt very Audrey Hepburnish.

Unfortunately I can't find the dress online, but I wanted to share a few other drool-worthy tank dresses.  

The Miguelina Whitney Tank Dress from Free People would be a perfect addition to my closet... 

I am crushing on this BCBGMAXAZARIA Edita Pleated Maxi Dress as well... so many possibilities.

As I find more dresses, I will share them with you.  It is hard to come by the perfect dress that allows a lot of versatility. The hunt continues...

                                                                                                                           - Allison

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

Between Seasons: Old Favorites with a Twist

Nothing squashes your creativity like your husband going out of town for 5 days... I am pooped!  I have been trying to sit down to put together a post, and cannot quite gather enough energy to accomplish this not particularly difficult task.  Not only cannot write a post, I have had an equally difficult time putting together some fun looks.

I guess we all get stuck in a rut at one time or another, but I think the extremely warm weather and the fact that I have not done any spring shopping might be part of the problem.  With the beginning of a new season, I need some fresh blood to get my creative juices flowing.

In the midst of all this, I had a bridal shower to attend on St. Patty's Day.  It was going to be a gorgeous day with a group of fab ladies and I had nothing to wear!  Normally I would have gone shopping for some sort of new piece... top, skirt, dress, etc.  However this time around there was no time.  As you can imagine, with feeling so drained, I was having a serious case of stylist's block!

After spending a good hour trying on various combinations, I finally pulled out an old friend.  A beautiful strapless dress (fitted bodice, straight skirt) with a print that I love!  My only issue was that I have a serious void in the jacket department.  I have yet to find a navy blazer that fits really well, and I don't have a brown leather jacket (which I have decided would solve all of my problems).

Back to my point, I layered a slub cotton ivory long sleeve tee and stuck that under my dress. I added my trusty brown leather belt and my new Madewell booties.  I kept the jewelry simple - gold hoops and an oversized cocktail ring.  All in all I felt pretty good.  I would have liked to wear something new, but when that is not possible it is always a good idea to fall back on a pieces that you love.  No matter what, at least you feel good when you wear one of your favorites.

Lesson learned:  When in doubt, reach for something you love and start to think outside the box.  A new twist on an old classic equals something completely original!

                                             

                                                                                                                             - Allison

Trend Alert: Sunny Days Ahead

It is time to tackle the spring trends.  Last week I presented you with "The List" courtesy of Kareen Mallet and Neiman Marcus.  Today I want to address the first item on this list... Yellow: the new neutral.

First, this doesn't mean that you should head straight to the store and purchase a new yellow wardrobe.  Rather, think about adding a key piece this season in yellow.  Depending on how fond you are of this hue, it could be a clutch, heels, a jacket, skinny pants or even a dress.  If you are a bit more hesitant, a pair of earrings, a clutch or even a belt is a perfect way to start adding this color du jour to your ensemble.

Next step, wear it with everything.  Yellow is one of those colors that really does look great with just about every shade out there.  To give your look a modern feel use yellow as accent with khaki, pair with it olive, grey or teal or soften your favorite black biker look with a touch of yellow.

And, for a visual aid, scroll through for more ideas on using yellow this spring.

A golden topper, bag and shoes at Mulberry.

Toughening up a yellow dress at Burberry Prorsum.

Head-to-toe sunshine from Isabel Marant.

 A yellow bag from Phillip Lim.

 Accented with yellow from Vera Wang.

A few street style looks... this one I like, but I would have made it a more rugged look with the camel coat and brown belt.  Maybe add the Madewell Old Town Boots...

I like the idea of creating an edgy look when combining yellow & black.

A perfect way to add a touch of yellow.

Now it's time for you to add a touch of sunshine to your life... 

                                                                                                                                - Allison

       

*Photos courtesy of nymag.com and internationalstreetstyle.com.

The Perfect Bootie: Western meets Lady Chic

I have been looking for the perfect brown bootie for about... forever!  I never seem to have a problem finding something in black.  In fact, I would have at least 20 pairs of black booties - varying in heel height and style - if my budget allowed.  But brown, I can never find anything that jumps out at me (that I can afford!).  

To clarify, I do have my Frye cowboy booties.  They are great.  I wear them almost everyday with just about everything, but I desperately need something with a heel that I can dress up more.  The times that I have found something that I loved, it is not feasible with my budget.  Then I am left to daydream... 

After years of agonizing over my bootie situation, I finally felt like I had discovered gold.  Why?  Madewell introduced "the old town boot" back in January and I immediately fell in love.  I have been crushing on these booties since I first laid eyes on them.  They are the perfect mix of cowboy and lady chic - I love myself a pointy toe!  

I know my affinity for classic/boho/cowboy style is not everyone's cup of tea, but these booties really are a great solution for many dresses that need to dressed down a bit (so you can wear them more often).  I kid you not, they would look fab with a bunch of different dresses...

Go casual with Madewell's Roseblossom Sundress.

Go feminine and chic with DVF's Claudia Floating Flowers Dress.

Everyone needs a little lace this spring. A western "ish" boot would look so fresh...  J.Crew's Frances Dress.

I would live out my bohemian fantasies in the DVF Penelope Embellished Dress with the booties.

Just wondering... how much do you think your father's personal style influences you as an adult?  My dad had a penchant for cowboy boots - they seemed to be his shoe of choice.  Keep in mind we lived nowhere near a farm or Texas.  Hmmm...

                                        - Allison

*Photos courtesy of madewell.com, dvf.com and jcrew.com.