Nine West Polka Dots

These shoes from Nine West caught my attention a while ago, but I've been trying to avoid them since I want to wait to see if they go on sale soon.

L to R: Acario, Carlen, Harpal



Of course, my faves are the peep toe mary jane Carlens that have not gone on sale yet. Figures.

Close...but no cigar...

So, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be to find myself accessories to match the last dress and so I had to come up with a plan B. I decided I was going to go with a black dress because I don't own one and it's a sin not to own a black dress that can go everywhere.

Anyway, I found this lil gem at MaxStudio.com and it's perfect for dressing up or down.

Now all I need to do is find the perfect jewelry and purse to match and I'll be good to go.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

I think.

Eureka! (Hopefully)

So I've found the dress...at least I hope I have and nothing funny will happen (like a correction saying the wedding isn't black tie after all). After walking around for about 8 hours (that ended in the Ritz) and not finding anything, I went out again today with my incredibly patient significant other and found the dress that is not only beautiful AND comfortable, but also black tie appropriate.

At left is the BCBG Max Azria Silk Halter Dress in Light Dune at Nordstom.com (although I found mine at Saks since the closest Nordstrom store to Boston is in Providence, RI).

Of course, right after purchasing the piece, I started fussing about everything else. What shoes? Purse? Jewelry? Makeup?! Hair?!? I sure am concerned over everything even though nobody will be paying attention to me...although, to be fair, I haven't had any dress-up occasions since my high school prom so this is a really big deal for me.

Anyway, the dress is an interesting bronze color that can look a little funny under fluorescent store lights (who doesn't?) and the photo reflects that interesting color, but under regular lights, the dress is decidedly brown/bronze and I look a lot better. I THINK my gold sandals go with the dress and I have been thinking about getting the Calvin Klein Leather Snakeskin Embossed Clutch from SmartBargains.com.

I'll keep pondering though...since the hard part is over.

Uhhh...Black Tie?

SO...I asssssumed that my friend's wedding would be pretty cazh, but when I got the invitation this week, I looked to the bottom right corner...and there were those words that I didn't expect to see, "BLACK TIE."

Ooooook, so back to Anthropologie went the dress I mentioned in my Season of the Dress post and I restarted the hunt for the perfect dress to wear to the wedding. I'm going traipsing around Boston with some friends tomorrow to see if we can find something beautifully black tie.










Of course, I have some online picks also (just in case tomorrow's trip doesn't yield the perfect dress)!

L to R: Vera Wang Crimson Satin Strapless, Alexia Admor Rose Gold Lace Rope Tie Dress, Tadashi Chiffon Halter Dress (in black), Vera Wang Satin Crepe Back V-neck Dress (in platinum), ABS Teal Satin Sequin Strap Dress

ONWARD! I love a shopping challenge!

Embellishment

I'm REALLY into pretty tops right now. My wardrobe is filled with plain tanks/tees/sweaters and frankly...I'm getting boooooooored. An embellished or patterned top is so easy since you can just put it on and you're already accessorized and ready to go and being a fairly low-maintenance type of girl, I like being ready to go without too much effort.









Here are my picks (Left to Right): Ann Taylor Loft Embroidered Sash Tie Top, Design History Turquoise Embroidered Cap Sleeve T, Banana Republic Jungle-Print Tie Tunic, Fash-ion-is-ta Brown Studded V-neck 'Bronx' Top, Diane Von Furstenberg Black Jersey Beaded 'Veno' Top

Luxury Loot

I just discovered today that Bluefly is running another one of it's games where you have a chance to win something big (or just score some 10% off discount or free shipping codes)!

This time you can play for a chance to win "A Louis Vuitton Chest or Other Luxury Loot."

Sounds good to me!

Season of the Dress

I am really into dresses for this summer. Partly because skirts/dresses in general are great articles of clothing to keep cool in and also because...well...you put one on and you're...dressed.

Here are 4 great dresses that I looooooooooooooove.

From Left to Right: Eyelet Dress by LaBelle (@ Alloy), Esprit Jersey Dress, Esprit Wrap Dress, FCUK Music Dress.

I love how a jersey dress will make me feel like I'm wearing a big comfy t-shirt. I've also been feeling the wrap dress and this one from Esprit looks crisp and professional but will still be light and airy...which is perfect for those hot humid days.

Also, I purchased this dress by Velvet from Anthropologie to wear to the wedding.

It's a perfect neutral color with a gathered waist that makes my waist look itty bitty skinny and it will go perfectly with the sandals and clutch I raved about on my Summer Brights post. Although the Punta Cana clutch at right from Shop Twigs (another site I've recently found!) would be a great match too...

If you want to check out some sales, J.Crew has some great new adds to their summer sale and starting TONIGHT at 9pm EDT, Planet Lulu will be opening for it's monthly sample sale! Get ready to shop!!!

Gap Sale Alert!

I normally don't post in the mornings (since I'm so disoriented in my mad rush to get to work), but I had to mention that Gap informed me of "The Really Big Sale" and there are some great deals. Here's what I'm eyeing.

Far Left: Cashmere Tank (for $19.99 from $68.00 & so far all colors in all sizes still available!)

Left: Ribbed Cotton Tank (the "Lemon Peel" color is $4.99 from $14.50, the "Hula Red" is $6.99 but the only good size ranges left are in black and white and those are $10.00 right now)

The Cashmere tank is such a great deal (70% off!) so if your wardrobe would benefit from a tank in a luxurious material (a tank for work, perhaps?), this is a perfect find!

EDIT: I'm shocked to find that the Gap has raised the price of the cashmere tank to $29.99 and the Lemon Peel tank to $6.99. Although I KNOW that this was done at some point today because I still had the window open when I got home from work and the price only changed when I added it to my shopping bag.

Summer Brights

So as I was at the checkout buying marshmallows for a BBQ I reached for a Shop Etc. and decided I would test drive an issue. Well, it's definitely the type of magazine I enjoy. There are more pictures than words and Shop Etc. is filled with goodies that even I can afford.

My favourite find was Michael Antonio shoes. I am particularly enamoured of the Adams strappy sandal and the best part? It's $35.oo! With so many great colors, there won't be any trouble matching these bad boys.

I've also been looking for a stellar clutch and I found the Latico
Olivia East-West Framed Clutch at Shoebuy.com (which has free shipping both ways btw). Plus, the clutch bonus points for being a perfect match with the Michael Antonio shoes.

Here's another bright find: The "Celery Stick" pump by Restricted. It's a great color and it's made of the softest leather. I actually found this shoe in a store that didn't have my size, but a quick google and I found the shoes AND a new online store to shop at! In fact, Lulu's Fashion Lounge is such an exciting find that I got distracted from making this post and browsing some of their amazing pickings!

Alright, that's enough! Back to browsing I go!

Stretchin' It

So I bought a pair of shoes and they were great and all, except they were a little tight on my "ring" and "pinkie" toes but I knew I didn't a size up since the rest of the shoe fit perfectly.

I tried wearing the shoes with my big thick winter socks just to see if they'd be interested in stretching just a little bit for me and that definitely helped, but not quite enough. So I went out and bought a can of Meltonian Shoe Stretch Spray from my local cobbler. The instructions were basically 1. Spray on inside of shoe, 2. Put on shoe.

I'll definitely be keeping a can of shoe stretch in my arsenal to make sure those almost perfect shoes become the perfect pair.

Out-of-Season Shopping

To get some great deals, try shopping for stuff out-of-season. It's hard to think about winter dressing when the temperatures are soaring and the humidity is over 80%, but sometimes it's worth the effort. I found these goodies at Bloomies.

Left: Tall Leather Boot by Kimel

Right: Alpaca-Blend Coat by Max Mara

Just remember that you are actually shopping for the future so always remember to get basic items that will not fall off the face of fashion. Seems like a silly thing to say, but sometimes it's easy to forget that those trends you loved a few months ago will be soo last year (by the time you get to wear your great purchases). Just remember, these are investments in the future!