Casual Evening Outfit: Boyfriend Jacket "look"

I wore this outfit the other night out to dinner with friends.  I didn't want to feel too dressed up but I wanted to feel pulled together.  I picked the top specifically because it's flowy and unrestricting hence I could eat more LOL.

Since the print was pretty busy I didn't wear a necklace but I wore pretty bold earrings. (sorry for the quality, I'm not sure why the pictures are extra blurry here...)

Blazer:  Mexx size 32

Top:  White House Black Market size 00

Jeans:  edc by Esprit size S

Sandals:  Gap size 7

Bag:  Coach

Earrings:  mark by Avon

I really like the whole boyfriend jacket look but I have never been able to find one that didn't look like I was drowning in it. They always looked so boxy on my.   I'm not sure if the boyfriend jacket look itself is very petite friendly.  The proportions always seemed off when I was trying things on.

I was able to take more fitted blazer that I had in my closet and improvise by simply rolling up the sleeves.

Here is what the blazer looks like on it's own:

It's obviously more cropped that what a boyfriend jacket should look like.  You can see from the pictures above that it hits my hips, but I think this length just suits me better.

Well that was my attempt at the Boyfriend Jacket look!  Hopefully I pulled it off - I got a thumbs up from my husband so that should count for something ;)

Another BR dress: Summer Brights

Most of my wardrobe is fairly neutral but I do have some bright pieces that I pair with my neutrals.
I fell IN LOVE with this dress from the BR outlet and I would say it's the brightest article of clothing I own.  It just makes me feel happy when I put it on and I decided to make the look even brighter by pairing it with a contrasting coloured purse:

Wrap Dress:  Banana Republic size 00P

Purse:  Coach

Earrings:  Avon

Gah, I totally forgot to put shoes on when I took this picture.  It would've made it look nicer :P

I wore this out on the weekend for lunch with the family.  I was inspired to try one of those side swept hair do's but I'm terrible at doing hair.  It really does have a life of it's own!  I took a picture anyway so I could see for myself how it looked.  Lucky I was going for the messy kind of look LOL.  You wouldn't believe how many bobby pins I actually used to keep it in place!

I guess new hair styles is something else I need to work on!

Work Wear: Cream and Brown and a long lost skirt

The other day as I was going through my closet and discovered a long lost skirt!  I completely forgot that I had it and I couldn't even remember when the last time I wore it was.  I was skeptical that it would even fit but I managed to make it work:

Skirt:  Suzy Shier size 0

Top:  Dynamite size S

Shoes:  BCBG girls

Bag:  Coach
Necklace:  Avon

I was honestly really surprised that I forgot about this skirt!  It's fully lined and the details are cute - piping at the waist band and POCKETS!  The A-line shape worked surprisingly well too. 

I think maybe a solid cream belt would have been a nice touch.  Moral of the story:  there may be treasures hidden in the depths of my closet!

Wardrobe Dissection: More Jeans: Esprit

I did mention before that I have A LOT of jeans.  I really really do need to get rid of some, so the sevens from this post are currently finding their way to a new home.  Here is the next pair of jeans that I need to decide to keep or donate.

Up first a pair of really casual jeans, probably the lightest blue jeans I have (sorry the pics are really dark!):

Jeans:  Esprit US size 4

Side View:

Back View:

Bit of a gap at the back:

This jeans are REALLY comfortable.  I admit I don't wear them often as some of my other jeans as they are very light so I don't wear them at work.  I got these at an Esprit warehouse sale years ago.  I don't even remember if I had to get these hemmed.  If I did get these hemmed I must have been wearing really high heels at the time as they are slightly too long but I really didn't want to invest more $ in getting such a small amount taken off.  So since they are a bit long I can only wear them will heels.  Which is probably why I don't wear them that often as I'm usually in flats on the weekends.

I'm leaning towards keeping them but I'd love to hear others thoughts about how they fit me.  Since I've had them for so long I'm sure I am biased :P

Project 365: it's still going on...really!

This is more of a note for myself so if I happen to lose my mind in the near future I can go back and read this blog post.  I will stop posting Project 365 pictures on this blog as I want to keep this blog more focused (at least for the moment) on my wardrobe.  I have been taking pictures everyday as part of Project 365 but some are rather personal of people and things I love and I don't want to violate their privacy by posting pictures on a public forum.

So, I will continue to take pictures but will keep them for only myself and a certain few others to see in a private album.

This blog and Project 365 has already taught me a lot in the short time I've started both!  Mainly that I'm a really bad photographer and that even though I'm carrying my camera with me all the time I STILL forget to snap a shot during the day!  Oh well, it's only been 11 days, so I think I'll be easy on myself for now :)

Work Wear: Black and White

In general I'm a really organized person.  While I don't need every single minute of my day planned out I do like to have an idea of how my day will go in my mind. 

This includes what I will wear for work.  If things go well in my day and evenings I usually plan out what I will wear the following day.  This usually ends up only working for Mondays and Tuesdays.  The rest of the days I end up staying up later than intended (this is even MORE true now that I've discovered the blogging world!) so the next morning I hit my snooze button one (or two, or three...) too many times to get that extra few minutes of sleep.  This routine ALWAYS leaves me scrambling for work.  On those days I tend to gravitate towards my "go to" work outfits.

This combination has become one of my favorite "go to" outfits for work.

Skirt:  Mexx size 2

Blouse:  Mexx XS

Camisole:  unknown

Shoes:  Westies by Nine West size 6.5M

Necklace:  mark by Avon

The skirt is admittedly a bit lose on me as it sits more on my hips than at my natural waist but I think the height of of the skirt suits me well.  The blouse itself is completely sheer so a camisole is a must.  I have many camisoles as I usually don't fill out a lot of shirts so I always need to layer!

I really like how the skirt is pretty full too so it swings when I walk :P

Another reason this is a "go to" work outfit is that the blouse doesn't need to be ironed!  I HATE ironing so this is DEFINITELY a bonus :) 

The skirt is super comfortable too.  It's a mix of linen and viscose so it's light and airy but it doesn't get wrinkly throughout the day.

Any other ideas for great "go to" work wear?

Wardrobe Dissection: Pinks and Purples

Another piece of clothing I've had in my closet forever is a pinky-purply dress I got YEARS ago from a store called anne.x.  I'm pretty sure they're out of business now because I couldn't find anything on them.  Anyway, it was a really last minute purchase as I was invited to a casual garden wedding. 

Dress:  anne.x - XS

I really like this dress.  It's hard to tell in the crappy picture, but it's the top material is actually sheer with a lovely pattern all over it.  The lining is a light purple.

Back View:

The straps are pink and are adjustable.

It doesn't fit PERFECTLY as there is a bit of room at the hips:

But I think the material and the pattern disguise it well.

Lately I've been pairing it up with a little sweater to be a little more modest:

It's a really comfortable dress to wear and I think it could be easily dressed up with heels and the right jewellery but it can also be a casual summer dress with flats and a casual jacket.

I'm glad I have one old item so far that is a keeper!

Casual Work Wear: Capri Pants

My current place of employment has no real dress code.  For real.  Most days people are in jeans, some people wear track pants and sweaters with holes in them. Some ladies reveal a little too much in my opinion and some guys need to leave their logo t-shirts at home. Some departments have uniforms depending on the job function.  I'm mostly in the office and while I can wear really casual outfits, I like to dress up a bit but I don't want to be so done up that I'm uncomfortable.

Top:  H&M size 4

Camisole:  Smart Set XS

Capris:  Jacob size 1/2

Shoes:  BCBG girls

Overall I think the outfit is "okay".  It's comfortable, I'm not pulling or adjusting anything.  I think the shirt fits well and the capris fit nice on my waist and butt.  But I think I need to accessorize more.  I need to make this look a little more special.  I'm also not sure what the ideal length of capri pants should be (am I even spelling 'capri' properly????)

Couple more pics:

It's hard to find "work wear" tops so this top is staying in my wardrobe for sure.  I tend not to have as many button down tops because the seams at the bust never fit right and I find that buttons are spaced too far apart causes gaps if you're not careful.

So...what is the ideal capri length?

Wardrobe Dissection: Seven jeans

Tell me I'm not the only one that has a tonne of (ahem - unhemmed) jeans.  Please?

Probably the biggest part of my closet purge will be going through all my jeans.  I don't even know how many I have.  I just know it's a lot.

Here is the first pair:

Seven Jeans from Winners size 25 slim fit, Front View

These feel very tight on; I can see a bit of a "muffin top" in these jeans.  Then again these are my only slim fit jeans and I don't really know how they are supposed to fit.  And yes, I know I have to get them hemmed still, but I've been debating on keeping them or not so I didn't want to spend the money until I was sure.

Side View

Back View

I don't really like how the pockets placed so wide apart.

(wow, I look like I have really broad shoulders in this picture!)

I think I'm leaning towards "give away" on these.  While I don't think they look bad, I'm not sure if I'm willing to give up feeling comfortable in my jeans.

Thoughts?

Give Away at Shorty Stories

Click here to enter the RW&Co giveaway.  Contest closes August 1st, 2010.  Up for grabs a pair of earrings and a bracelet:

Project 365: Days 7 and 8

Day 7:  July 18, 2010:

Our first "garden"

We officially sold our first house - we haven't lived there in over a year but now that's it's official I'm kind of sad :(.  The landscaping was a first anniversary gift to us from my parents.  I hope the new owners will take good care of it!

Day 8:  July 19, 2010

Perfume Bottle Collection

This is part of my perfume bottle collection!  I have mostly mini's but I have a few full sized bottles as well.  I try to get them at Christmas time when the perfume sets are being sold.  A lot of them are gifts from my mom, my mother in law and friends.  The rest of my collection is in boxes because sadly there just isn't enough room to display them all!  I may need a whole room soon.

Wardrobe Dissection: Not so pretty in pink

One of the reasons I decided to start this blog was to help me purge my closet.  I have a lot of clothes, but seem to only wear a small percentage of what's in my closet and even then, there are times when I'm wearing something and think "why in the world did I buy this?".  But then the item which caused me distress throughout the day gets washed then hung back up only to have me put it on again months later and am uttering the EXACT same thoughts.

I need to make a change.

 My thoughts were to try and take pictures of myself in everything that I own and "dissect" them so I can truly see if they are keepers or if I should give them away.  Pictures have a funny way showing the TRUTH!  Even looking in the mirror does not reveal all the flaws with an outfit or an article of clothing.

Here is the offending article of clothing:

Wrap Blouse:  Old Navy XS

Ugh, seriously, what WAS I thinking?  The length is awful, there is no shape to it - all it does is give me a really boxy shape and my proportions look all wrong!

 I think it's even worse from the side:

You can see how the front is way longer than it is in the back. 

What did I like about it in the first place?  I think it was the dusty rose colour, the lacy detail and the ribbon trim and tie which when all put together should go beautifully.  But in this case not so much.

Ironically the tag says "Perfect Fit":

Perfect fit huh?  Obviously not for me!

This one is going into the "give away" pile once and for all!

Project 365 Days 5 and 6

Day 5 - July 16th, 2010:

Row of townhomes in my complex

I still find it amazing how many people actually live in my "little" townhome complex.  Only once in a while do I see people out on the balconies, but imagine if everyone was out ALL at the same time?

Day 6 - July 17, 2010:

This is a not so good picture of the "white bridge" as I call it (LOL I don't know the real name!) by the lake.  I don't think anyone really knows the name but when you say the "white bridge" everyone knows what you're talking about!  This is a TERRIBLE picture as I took it while we were driving by.  I've been in the house all day today just cleaning up so I was truly uninspired.

Plight of a Petite

The two bloggers that inspired me to start a blog of my own are Alterations Needed and Petite Asian Girl .  I am petite myself standing at a whopping 5'1 and 3/4" (yes...I ALWAYS include the 3/4") and I have always found it difficult to find clothes that fit.  I honestly just accepted it.  Clothes looked decent on, or as long as they weren't falling off I thought they were ok.  Being in my 30's (but still sometimes looking like a little kid - just ask the lady at the convenience store who asked for my ID when I wanted to buy a lottery ticket!) I think it's about time I felt good in ALL my clothes.  When I found out there was an entire community of fellow petites out there my outlooked changed!  I shouldn't HAVE to settle for ill fitting clothes.  I should be able to look just as chic and fashionable as my average height friends right?

And so I've been inspired.  Unfortunately living in Canada it seems there are even LESS options for petites here - on my budget at least.  Since I've been pickier with what I spend my money I've only been able to find a few tops at select stores in the city however on trips I've taken to Florida I have been lucky to find great fitting items from the Banana Republic Outlet in the petites section.

Here is one of the dresses I picked up on one of my trips:

Dress:  Banana Republic 00P

Necklace:  mark. by Avon

I really love the fit of this dress.  It fits well at the bust and under the arms and is very comfortable to wear.  It might be slightly shorter than I'm usually comfortable with for work, but I think petites can pull it off without looking too sexy or inappropriate.

Here is a close up so you can see the light blue line in the pattern:

It's really hard to pick up in the photo but you can see the subtle blue along with the charcoal.

Since the A/C is always blasting at work I paired with an old cardigan I have:

Cardigan: Old Navy XP

This would probably be one of my first real "grown up" work outfits :P

Project 365 - Day 4

Ok, this will get me all caught up.

Day 4 - July 15, 2010

This is a painting that my cousin made - yes MADE for me on my birthday one year.  It's hanging in the stairway hall way outside of our bedroom.  I wish I could capture all the beautiful rust colours and the textures but a) there is no natural light in the hallway and b) I only have a really crappy point and shoot camera to work with for now.  This painting has a lot of meaning to me of course since she made it especially for me (the colours were the colours used at our wedding!) and the sad fact that we hardly communicate now :( 

Aside from the yearly "Happy Birthday" emails to each other I haven't heard from her in years.  I'm not quite sure why, I've reached out to her as best as I could but my best guess is that she's needing her time alone and sometimes family just isn't who you want to share with.  I'll always love her dearly and I'm hoping that one day we can reconnect and be as close as we were when we were kids.

Project 365 days 2 and 3

Look at me, I'm already behind in posting my Project 365 pictures!  (Bad me!)  BUT in my defense at least I've been good about taking the pictures in the first place.  Can't win them all, right?

Day 2 - July 13, 2010:

So I took a picture of my blackberry because it's my latest toy.  I've only had it for a couple of months and I can see why people call it the crackberry!  I still don't know how to use all the features and probably won't even learn how to use it to it's full capacity.  I also decided to include it in my project 365 since it's something that I look at every day of my life.  At that was the point of this blog right? 

On to Day 3 - July 14, 2010

This is a vase and an adorable necklace holder both found at HomeSense.  These are in the master bedroom and they sit on one of my dressers.  The necklace holder holds all the beautiful gifts from my husband <3.

Project 365

What is Project 365?  It's basically taking one photo day, every day for an entire year.  I thought it was an interesting concept when I first heard about it, but then, as most things do it just disappeared from my mind.  Then a really good friend of mine sent me this article from http://www.smartcookies.com/ .  I thought is was a really interesting take on goal setting, focusing on what I already have in my life and saving money!  So, this friend of mine and I decided we would start.


So here is my first photo taken July 12, 2010:

What is it you ask?  It's a headband that I picked up from the Spring One of Kind Show from a designer called Jahanna Martinez.  Why did I choose for this to be my first photo?  Well, because for one thing...I'm not creative...but I was wearing it that day and it's something that I really love wearing because I channel my inner Blair Waldorf and I get tonnes of compliments on it.

First post!

Not much to say in my first post.   Been thinking about starting a blog for a while if only to take more pictures and put more thought into my "wants".


Let's see how long I can keep this up!