Graphic Blouse

I've been looking forward to this outfit for weeks- mostly because this shirt has been sitting in my closet calling to me. When I set foot into Loft in January I fell in love with this bold floral print, and I plotted. I schemed all the possible ways of getting my hands on it- everything from teacher discount to Retail Me Not coupons, until Loft basically handed it to me by putting it on sale and then adding the extra 60% off they seem to do every other week. The wait was worth it! I love it.

Loft blouse (still on sale, by the way), Gap cardigan (similar), Mango jeans, stolen rainboots from my mother (similar)

Not sure how I feel about this cardigan. Its my spring replacement for my giant drapey black cardigan I wore 5,000 times the past few months but its just quite as cozy (like here, here and here). But the gray is way better for spring, don't you think?

Anyway, hopefully I'll only be wearing it a few times before the Texas sun comes to its senses and starts shining again. Until then, grandma cardi to the rescue?

Red, White, and Cold

This is my first spring capsule outfit, and it's a warm one. It's cold and rainy, so I'm bundled in a warm sweater, chambray, and my trusty red rainboots. I relish any opportunity to rock these rainboots, so that's basically the only exciting part of this nasty wet weather that seems to be going on and on.

This is also the last day of the Baha'i celebration called Ayyam-i-ha, and tomorrow starts the 19 day fasting period. We don't eat or drink from sunrise to sunset, in an effort to detach ourselves from the material world and become closer to God. It's very difficult at times, especially because I'm a huge snacker and my days are long going from work to class. But the whole process is really uplifting. I'm looking forward to it!

Gap sweater (similar), Loft Chambray button up (on sale!), Gap jeans, rainboots (courtesy of my wonderful mom who never made me give these back!) (similar)

Spring Capsule Wardrobe

Not going to lie friends, I'm a little wary of transitioning to my spring capsule when the coldest temperatures of winter are upon us and I see snow out of my window... But we'll press on.

I'm loving the simplicity of this capsule. Nothing fussy, nothing that stands out too much or is hard to wear. Thrifting gave me a taste for kind of random things that can sit in my closet all year and be worn once because it happens to work for the situation, like the plum leather pencil skirt I found right before starting my winter capsule. I put it in the capsule thinking I could make it work, maybe I still can, but for now I'm going to tuck it away and add in some skirts I know I want to wear. I'm hoping that the weather warms up quickly so I can wear these with no tights! I'm definitely excited for this capsule.

I kept 20 pieces from my winter capsule, pulled 13 from storage, and bought 2 new pieces.

I love these colors- they feel fresh and easy to me. Also note there are only 35 pieces pictured... I'm still working on the last few things. I think I'll swap out the tank tops for sweaters until it warms up sufficiently. I'm not sure how taboo that is to switch items- the tank tops and sweaters would be in my keep pile anyway... Also have I mentioned I haven't cleaned out my closet? Maybe as I'm likely to be stuck inside this weekend, I'll write about that trauma.

It was definitely really fun to plan this capsule, it's full of items I really want to wear and will easily work well all together. Bring on the spring! 

"Fun" Friday

At my school we do jeans with a school shirt on Fridays thus Fridays are always a struggle for me- I don't like wearing hoodies and sneakers at work because I don't wear hoodies and sneakers in real life. But that seems to be the trend on Fridays for most teachers. So "Fun" Friday is not very fun.

I've been trying to elevate my Fun Friday style by adding some more interesting pieces with my school shirts (which are not included in my capsule). Today I wore the vintage sweatshirt my lead teacher lent me, it's super cute alone but it was real cold today so I layered a scarf. I also love wearing high-waisted jeans with my school shirts, it adds something a little more detail into the mix. And they're so darn flattering.

 

Vintage school sweatshirt, Target scarf (similar), Gap jeans, Zara boots (similar)

Here are some other looks for "Fun" Friday:

Sporty with sneakers and a bomber jacket

Nordstrom Rack bomber jacket (similar), Gap jeans, Target shoes

Preppy layering a button up

Mango button up, Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots (similar)

Adding some sparkle with a statement necklace

Target cardigan (similar), Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots, Target necklace (similar)

Stacking up a scarf to keep it cozy

Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots, scarf was a gift from two beautiful friends!

Professional with a blazer

Lauren Conrad blazer (similar), Gap jeans, Gap loafers (similar), 

Ebay necklace (this is the necklace, I painted it to be blue instead of orange)

This is what I would wear on a Friday I knew I'd have a walk-through... Its like "Yes its Friday, look at my school spirit, but man I am so professional I just have to rock this blazer."

Spring Purchases

Well friends, it's been almost 2 months since I began my capsule wardrobe. It has definitely been an adjustment. Its not always comfortable, nor is it always fun. I've had a few moments of inner panic as I look in my closet and see only outfits I've already worn and longing for the box full of my other clothes. But then I remember that I haven't been shopping because I'm sad or bored or alone, and I'm not spending unnecessarily. I reflect on the outfits I've come up with and how each one is really something that I want to wear and feel confident in... So I think I'll stick with it, at least one more season. Change doesn't happen overnight, or even in a few weeks! The shopping habits and mindset I've created took me a long time to develop, so if I want to create a more thoughtful and efficient system for myself, that will also take a while. Plus, to be honest, I think planning and calculating and searching for the perfect piece is kind of fun.

I like to play a word game when setting up goals and expectations (coincidentally, this is a great technique for older students). I like to choose 5-10 adjectives to describe what I want out of the process or experience, or to describe myself. I did this a few months ago when I felt like I needed an attitude adjustment, and it was so effective I've been doing it every few months about different things: my home, going back to school, the new semester, and my clothing. The adjectives for this upcoming capsule are:

Fresh

Effortless

Classy

Simple

Cool

Like I said when discussing my spring inspiration- spring will be kind of boring. I feel like winter is so fussy, with all its layers and jackets and scarves and generally too much of everything. The prospect of warmer temperatures makes me want to relax out of my 46 daily layers and ease into something simpler.

Now, I know I'm going against one of the rules set down for capsule wardrobes by Caroline at her amazing blog Unfancy, but I haven't been including my outerwear in my capsule. This matters less and less the closer to summer I get, but for spring, Texas weather is like a pinball machine and the temperatures are likely to continue bouncing all over the place, so I'll still need a variation of jackets to reach for. It would be a huge pain if one day I needed a winter coat and the next I'd be in sandals.

So, according to  capsule wardrobe plan, at the beginning of March (Wait what? Here is my explanation) I will do my switch to the spring capsule. Based on an evaluation of what I already have, I really only needed to add a few things to my closet to be ready for spring. After these purchases, I still have $30 left in my budget. 

What I bought:

Upgraded Moto Jacket (not a part of the capsule, but I wanted to share!)
Check it out, its lovely. Although a little squeaky and still faux, it definitely is an upgrade from my last moto jacket which was from an equivalent of Forever21. Great investment!

Topshop Moto Jacket

Graphic Blouse

I fell in love with this dreamy graphic blouse from my beloved Loft, which was on sale for $22. With shipping it was $32, so about 1/3 of my budget. That might seem a little strange, but I know that this is something I can wear not only this spring, but in any season because of its neutral palette. I'm not one for patterns generally, but this is just the bit of spice (yes to be a black and white blouse is spicy) that I wanted for spring.

The Perfect Striped Tee

I've searched high and low, and it is no where to be found! I want slightly longer sleeves, a loose but not baggy fit, and I want mid-sized stripes. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. 

I went for this one from Gap. Partially because it was on sale... But also because Caroline from Unfancy has pretty much the same shirt and it looks about perfect on her. (Let's pretend I'm not borderline obsessed with Unfancy. Ok, thanks.)

What I'm still searching for:

Gray Sheath Dress

Every time I browse my pins, I regret not buying this perfect one from H&M! I may or may not be stalking this on ebay.

I might wait a while on the sheath, because anything worthwhile is likely to send me over my budget, but I might also spend a few weekends thrifting for one! They are surprisingly hard to come by, even on the internet.

Cool Sneakers

Between my extremely picky sense of style and my big feet, I've really had a hard time finding some colorful sneakers to add a kick (harharhar... sorry) to my closet. These are some of my favorites, notice the trend?

I'll be out and about today in this cold, rainy weather, seeing if I can use up that last bit of budget on some worthwhile investments!

Friday!

Happy Friday! I had crossing guard duty every morning this week and you better believe I'm glad this week is over. This is my Goodwill dressing room selfie after I changed out of my "fun Friday" clothes and got a haircut. I may or may not be searching for the perfect jeans to make cut offs for the summer. I don't think its too early... even though its definitely February... Because soon all the hipsters will be trolling Goodwill for high waisted mom jeans to chop and shred. So I'll be searching. If you're out there, perfect mom jeans, I'll find you!

Loft blouse, Topshop jacket, Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots (similar), Target necklace

Enjoy the weekend! Hopefully where ever you are you're inside and not dealing with the so called "arctic blast," which is anything from -30 and 40. Break out your old man sweaters people!

Spring Brainstorming

I'm dreaming of spring... Consistently warm temperatures and actually seeing my shins and ankles is far too seductive to ignore. I searched my Pinterest and found some common themes that make me excited for rainy days, blossoms, and that amazing hue new grass has as it pokes up through the ground. Sorry guys, it looks like its going to be a boring spring. Basically, all I want to wear in the coming months is black and white, good jeans, and full skirts. And florals, because spring.

Here is my moodboard for spring... I was a little worried about making a moodboard but then I realized that a moodboard is essentially a glorified collage... And pre-k has that on lock, so I went for it.

I've already done most of my spring shopping, if I'm being honest, and I'll share an update on that in a few days. Somehow I have a very short list for spring. Now I just have to wait 2 weeks to enjoy the boring! (What? Two weeks, Kate? I thought you were changing in April like everyone else who does capsules!) (Yes, good reader, I was, before I made this fancy diagram!)

The problem with capsules...

The problem with capsule wardrobes is not an actually issue about capsules. The capsule so far is great! The problem I discovered has to do with how the capsules are split up.

As I usually do in the midst of winter, I was daydreaming about the beautiful (read: ungodly hot and unreasonably bright) summer months ahead. I imagined me frolicking in the Texas sun, lathering sunscreen on my pasty arms and legs and inconveniently forgetting that corner of my forehead that always seems to be more freckled than the rest...

As I reminisced about lovely days in shorts and sandals, I began to wonder when these long, hot days will begin. Last year it was super hot (read: anything over 85°) starting in mid-May and lasting until the last breath of October (see diagram below). I've always preferred hot to cold, so it's a good thing I ended up in Texas. But as I began to think about the implications of this persistent heat and general unpredictability on the contents of my future capsules, I got a little nervous. How am I supposed to predict Texas' bizarre weather choices? Or really any states',  I know Texas doesn't have a monopoly on wacky weather.

If I follow the schedule prescribed by my capsule wardrobe guru Caroline at Unfancy, then my summer wardrobe will be worn from July to the end of September. While this might reflect the weather generally in Texas, it poses a huge problem for a teacher. Everyone knows that as soon as summer vacation opens its welcoming arms, teachers shed their cardigans, slacks, and flats for a real person wardrobe of cut off shorts and tank tops. Many a former student has been startled by this transformation as they stumble upon their teacher a week after school gets out and they've gone from buttoned up matron to sunburnt beach bum. Or at least a sunburnt teacher in shorts. So I was sad that it seemed that I would have to keep my slacks in my capsule year round. Don't ask me why slacks depress me, thats pretty much self-explanatory. I just don't want my capsules to have items that I will only wear for half of the three months. I only get 37 items (give or take) for the whole season, so I want them to be wearable.

Naturally, in order to orient my understanding of how the seasons work, I made a diagram.

I hope this makes clear how confused I was. Capsules say the seasons are one way, society tells us they're another, and Texas is just Texas. You'll note I had to make a new season for Texas, what I called Autumnal Summer, because the calendar says fall and the temperature says "Don't make me laugh!"

I decided, after examining my diagram and comparing it to the schedule I follow for the academic school year, that it makes the most sense for me to follow the traditional description of the seasons, as follows:
Winter: December, January, February
Spring: March, April, May
Summer: June, July, August
Fall: September, October, November

There are two implications of changing my own capsule wardrobe schedule:

• I'll be off of the schedule of the rest of the capsule wearers, but I also get to change out my clothes earlier!
• I change out my spring capsule for summer when it makes sense to, and will have only two weeks of overlap with summer and the fall semester beginning. But I will still suffer through 2 months of a fall closet that in no way resembles the fall clothes of the rest of the country. But we get like three months of what other people call fall and we call winter, so I'm good on boots and sweaters regardless. 

Clearly I think way too much about the weather, but ever since I found this quote, I've begun to really consider the temperature when making my clothing decisions. 

Food for thought! Look for my posts on my spring capsule inspiration and purchases in the next few days!

Valentine's Blush

Before the color blush came into the world of fashion like 3 years ago, I never wore pink. Actually, I haven't worn pink by choice since I was 6. I have only brothers and loved running around with them and wearing hand-me-downs, so for the past 17 years or so, I've avoided pink because I thought it was too girly. To be honest, I still don't like pink. But blush is like pink's older, more elegant cousin who only comes to visit when you need to look cool and feminine. Pink wants to go see a rom-com and Blush stays in to cook a fancy romantic dinner that is somehow low maintenance and relaxing.

Regardless of the differing extracurricular activities of colors, blush has become one of my favorite this season. With the exception of summer, which I think requires a little more punch, blush can be part of any palette for spring, fall, and winter. It pairs beautifully with so many colors! These are my favorites.

For Valentine's Day, I figured I'd put to use my favorite Loft purchase and wear some pink blush. I paired this blouse with a full black skirt and nude flats. E and I went with a group of friends to sushi in Dallas, then wandered around the Galleria. The day was warm, sunny, and all-around stunning, so even with my reputation for always being cold, my moto jacket stayed firmly in the car until the sun went down.

Loft button up, Banana Republic skirt (I love this longer version), Chinese Laundry flats

Thrifted Favorites, Part One: The Tale of the Amazing Camel Leather Riding Boots

I've mentioned before that some of the pieces in my wardrobe are thrifted. What I did not mention is that thrifting may or may not be my biggest hobby. There is something so rewarding about digging through racks and racks of weird 90s cropped sweaters and brightly colored capris and finding a gem that adds a little extra oomph to your closet. Some of my favorite items are thrifted, and I want to share my all-stars with you to give you an idea of why thrifting can be a killer way to spend an hour or two. Or four, if you're me.

The Tale of the Amazing Camel Leather Riding Boots

I found these at a Salvation Army in Wichita, where there was nothing good on the racks. I turned to leave, then I spotted their enormous shoe display. Usually thrift stores don't have a plentiful supply of shoes that can fit my obnoxiously large feet (I wear size 10, which for someone who thrifts is annoying because all the shoes seem to be size 7). I rarely check out the shoes for this reason, as well as its slightly gross to think of someone else's foot sweat touching your feet.

But then I saw these. Two thoughts came to mind- they're not my size, and they're not real leather. I pulled them out of the rubble of nasty kitten heels with peeling soles and tried them on, my eyes only slightly popping when I found that not only could I zip them over my heel, but they were essentially brand new and therefore not grossly sweaty. These beauties were in pristine condition, and even though the material was questionable, I gladly paid all $14 dollars and took them home to wear as I pranced through fall leaves and sipped tea wearing gloves. 

Since buying these boots, which was quite early in my career as a thrifter, I feel like my style was really kicked up a notch. I have always considered shoes one of the most important parts of an outfit; they say so much about the person's idea of style and comfort. If you put two people in the same outfit in front of me, one in well-cared for suede loafers and the other in Champion sneakers (athletic brand from Target), I can tell a lot about how they perceive themselves and want to be perceived by others. I loved these boots immediately because they made it seem like I had put thought into a more expensive purchase rather than the Target flats and sneakers I had been running around in. They also made me feel way more polished and grown up. Thus started my love for good shoes.

An extra bonus is that, after much research, testing, and speculation between E and I ((Full disclosure: I just googled the brand)), the boots turned out to be real leather. I thought they must be real because the Thrift Gods were smiling on me that day. Regardless, for the last 3 years I've worn these boot so much that last winter I had to get the heel replaced because I had worn through the rubber and could hear the click of the nails every time I stepped.

I don't know how fashionable riding boots are these days, everyone seems to be exclusively wearing ankle boots, but I'll always love them because darn it, they keep my legs warm. I love styling them with black skinny jeans and an oversized sweater, or with button up layered with a sweater so I look like I'm about to go play polo with the lads at the club. They're a fall staple for me because that camel color sings bright leaves and jackets, despite the fact that now they're significantly more scuffed up that I would like. However, I'll probably wear them I find another pair of perfect brand new riding boots from Salvation Army. So I'll wear them forever.

Head to toe thrifted: similar scarf and dress

Forever 21 shirt (similar), Gap jeans

Target sweater (similar on sale!), Mango button up (similar), Gap jeans, 

Apartment 9 necklace (similar)

Can't thrift your own? Here are some similar options:
Lauren Ralph Lauren at DSW
Zigi Soho at DSW
Loeffler Randall Marit amazing perfect boots that are ungodly expensive!

Gray and Blush for a gray day

This time of year usually gives me the blues- it's cold and gray, sometimes my expectations for the holidays are unfulfilled (I have three holidays this month- Valentine's Day, the Baha'i celebration called Ayyamiha, and my birthday which  I consider a holiday!), and spring still seems so far off.

But this year the usual feelings are absent, I'm feeling more positive than I expected. Hopefully it'll carry me right into spring!

Target cardigan (similar), Loft button up (on sale!!!), Banana Republic skirt (thrifted, similar), Gap ankle boot (similar), H&M necklace (old, couldn't find similar)

Sorry I'm a little glowly in this- I forgot to turn off HDR!

Simple Gray

As I put together this outfit this morning I thought, "My! this is boring." But is it? I'm not sure. I don't know if classics can be boring. I saw the white and the gray together and it felt so fresh and clean I had to wear it.

Mango button up, Gap sweater, Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots (sold out, similar), Target necklace (reallllly old, similar)

In case you were wondering, this is my team's jeans week at school. We can wear jeans with non-school shirts for a week, whereas usually we can only have on jeans with school shirts on Fridays. So usually I'll be sharing workwear that doesn't involve denim, it just happened that two weeks into blogging I had this fluke. Back to normalcy next week!

Layered Stripes

The other day I came up with this shirt combo and I definitely questioned it... Until I saw it on. I don't think it looks like two different shirts, it seems to be to look very intentional. I love layering button ups in unexpected ways- theres only so many times you can put a collared shirt under a sweater! Trust me, I do that every other day. But this was a refreshing change!

Another refreshing change was the lack of extra layers for most of the day- I didn't have to wear the blazer (same as yesterday) for most of the afternoon! I actually got hot. A miracle! Sorry for anyone reading this in the northeast who isn't enjoying the piles of snow.

Mango button up, thrifted striped top (similar), Gap jeans, Gap loafers, vintage necklace (similar)

Florals and Black

Today I went with a thrifted floral top, a black blazer, and my favorite DIY project, waxed jeans. Simple with a little flavor!

Lauren Conrad blazer (sold out, similar), thrifted floral top (similar), waxed jeans (DIY, similar), Gap ankle boots

Blush, plum, and gray

First day of the spring semester! It definitely felt like spring today! Yes please, keep the 60 degree weather coming. I love these colors together- there's something feminine and relaxed about blush, plum, and gray together. Sorry for the super baggy knees- I was on and off the floor all day today with the kids.

Target pants (this color is sold out, but the gray and black on clearance!), Gap sweater, Loft blouse, Gap boots, Citizen watch

Discussing "Basics"

The past few days I've had a series of excellent conversations with my dear friend M, who is also a university student developing her own personal and professional style. We've mostly been talking about what piece you need in your wardrobe to get started- your basics. I searched Pinterest for an embarrassingly long time for a list of basics that would actually be helpful but I kept running into the same problem. One list would have almost everything that I thought was necessary and then throw in something like a pair of stilettos. As a future elementary school teacher- probably one dealing with young enough children that I will sit criss-cross apple sauce more often than in my desk chair- I have zero interest in stilettos. Or any heel, regardless of the thickness. I then thought of M, who I've never seen in heels. I then thought of about 20 other women I see regularly in flats.

This made me realize that, even if I did think that stilettos were for me, they certainly wouldn't be for everyone. Then I began to question the entire institution of "basics." I can easily describe my own basics- neutral colored button downs, black skinny jeans, a pair of ankle boots, and an oversized sweater. That's what I consider my uniform. I could wear it every day and be happy. But what about M? She doesn't wear skinny jeans- so my own list of basics isn't 100% useful.

At the risk of continuing on describing the pitfalls of basics lists, let me just say this. One of the most important things I've realized about fashion is that what we do every day getting ready for the day isn't actually fashion- its style. Fashion seems to be the institution of creating new ideas for clothing, while style is the personal application of clothing.

Instead of looking for other people's ideas of basics, we could be looking at the things in our closets that we love wearing, that make us feel excited and confident and ourselves, regardless of whether or not that fit of jeans or style of jacket is fashionable at the moment. If we know what we love to wear, that will guide our future style choices and help us shop smarter. Here are some questions that might help you decide what your basics are.

• What does your perfect (shirt, pants, shoes, jacket) look like? How does it feel?
• Think of the people whose style you most admire. Why do admire them? Do you like what they're wearing, or how they wear it?
• Think of your daily life- your profession, hobbies, family life. What is practical for you to wear? Could you function in heels and dresses? Is it work appropriate to wear jeans every day?
• Look in your closet. What items do you have a lot of? If you have a lot of colorful dresses or muted t-shirts, that you actually wear and love, then that item should be on your list of basics.

Here is my own list of basics, both for work and play.

Neutral button ups

Loft utility blouse

Loft tunic blouse

Skinny jeans

Gap skinny jeans, black

Gap skinny jeans

Oversized sweater

Target turtleneck pullover

Nordstrom Chunky Sweater

Ankle boots

Gap ankle boots, sold out (similar)

Reasonable flats

Mercanti Fiorentini Darlene Flats

Steve Madden Hiko Flats

Moto jacket

Black moto jacket

((Full disclosure: my own jacket is faux leather from a teeny bopper shop in Kansas City. However, this one is a much better alternative.))

Men's watch

Bulova Watch

These basics work for winter and most of fall and spring, but come summer I replace jackets and boots with sandals and tank tops. But the formula stays the same, generally neutral colors with skinnies and flat shoes. I know that where ever I go, that will keep me comfortable, functional, and confident!