wore: sunday.

it has been a long time since i have done one of these posts. and i am happy to be back to it. i am happy it is fall and time to wear layers. it makes getting dressed much more fun and allows you to be able to wear more of your favorite things!

this fall, i don't feel like i added too much more to my wardrobe than what i already had. with moving and packing and unpacking and all that, it made it a little hard to focus on much else. and not to mention having less spending money, it was easy to not buy many new things. however, in this outfit, i am wearing two of the few of my fall must haves.

you may or may not be familiar with the baader-meinhof phenomenon. well i recently learned of it, and like so with this phenomenon, i heard about it again and again. (the phenomenon is when you learn about something new, you start to see or hear about it multiple times soon after). well when i saw this sleeveless j.o.a coat, i fell in love. i didn't buy it because it was not cheap. but i kept thinking about it. at the same time that i kept thinking about how i had to have this coat, i kept seeing this type of sleeveless coat everywhere. (get the connection, now?) well, my days were numbered as an urban employee, and so was my discount. so i did it. and i am pretty darn happy i did. this may be the first look i put together with it, but it will be fun to try more. with the before mentioned layering that this season brings, i will be able to show off more than just my coat.

as for the rest of the look, the boxy windowpane plaid sweater comes from the loft. while i do like what they sell, it tends to be a bit more business casual than i wear. i went in a couple weeks ago with my mom and found this on the sale rack. it was exactly what i had been looking for. not to mention, exactly what i had envisioned with this coat. a 50% off sale surely helped me make the purchase. and an added bonus, it buttons halfway down the back. 

and then the jeans. for those of you who have a hard time buying jeans, these are my all time favorite (so far). they are bdg brand from urban outfitters, which means they are moderately priced. these ones are the high rise twig. i do prefer a super high rise, but these fit almost as well. the best part of them, and the reason i want them in all colors, is that they are a grazer length, which is 26 inch inseam. they hit just about my ankle bone, look great with all shoes, and show a little skin when you want it.  

oh, i wouldn't want to forget the shoes. these were a recent $3.99 find from the salvation army. they are vintage jordache, with a little heel, cute tassels in a great green color. score.

to describe this look, when my sister saw me, she asked why i was dressed so fancy. i told her i am not. i was wearing three pieces; a sweater, a coat, and jeans. not to mention flat shoes. to me this outfit was simple, easy, and comfortable. knowing that i looked 'fancy' made me feel confident and chic. just think how you can look with a few simple, nice pieces..

birks, baby.

to some of you, saying birkenstocks are back just isn't true. there are many people out there who never stopped wearing them. but to those who haven't had a pair since the late 90s or maybe have never even owned a pair, that statement is real.

i'm not sure we ever thought that they would be a 'fashion forward' item, but here we are. we've seen them on runways, in editorials, and of course, on our favorite street style celebs. what was once very hippie has become something very modern. 

now that you know my feelings (and see my birks below), what are your thoughts??

photos via pinterest.

saturday // portland, maine.

when i come home to maine for the weekend, i am lucky if i even pack a full outfit for the whole weekend. i kind of rely on whatever is in my laundry basket. and most trips, this one being no exception, i don't do my laundry in time to get dressed for the next day. i did, however, purchase a few new pairs of jeans from urban outfitters for $10 each (they have 50% off all sale until monday!) that i was really excited to wear. i also brought along this shawl that i got from swapmaine just incase the weather was less than spectacular. luckily for me, it all worked out into an outfit i was really in love with. i've said it so many times, but what you wear really can make or break how you feel. if you feel good, you act with more confidence, have more fun, and look better.

the laid back feel of this outfit is so perfect for a saturday. i tried a much looser fit jean than i usually do. it feels more modern because of the high (mom jean) waist and the cuffs at the bottom. the t-shirt is a project social t. these look and feel like designer t-shirts, but for a much lower price. they are cut in a way that makes you feel sexy, but super comfortable. and they are made in la. this shawl i got for the low price of $0 from swapmaine last weekend. the colors are so beautiful.. oatmeal, grays, and brown. i brought this hat to maine with me on the off chance i might want to wear a hat. i don't know about you, but i buy hats like this with the full intention of wearing, but don't always seem to find the time to wear them. bring them with you somewhere and make yourself do it. you will see how easy it can transform the whole look.

and as for this particular sunday in portland, i spent most of it with my mom. having lunch at the crooked mile, running errands for a special someone's (my sister) bridal shower, and getting coffee at one of our favorite coffee spots, coffee by design. later, i had dinner at terry's parents house... crab with rice and his mom's amazing garlicky spicy fish sauce. it was a lot of work but totally worth it. before heading out, we went down to thompson's point to take a few photos. the only thing i would love more than looking at these old places would be occupying this old places. i love all the details, the textures, the colors, the history.. anyone knows of a cheap, cool fixer-uper, sign me up! the evening ended with checking out the new top of the east, meeting up with some favorite people at novare res, and ending with a late night snack at blue rooster. it was a real good saturday.

adventure: south end boston.

first of all, this is the last time i will show this coat! you just know how much i love it..

lately, there has been a vast difference in dressing for work and dressing for the weekend. i actually have seen the difference and i am trying to fix it. the way i feel when i get dressed on the weekend is full of confidence and i want to have fun. when i get dressed for work, it has been about comfort. i move a lot and i sometimes get dirty. i need to get out of that mindset and pretend that it is the weekend. the next part of this is time. probably planning in advance is going to help as well.

while we were making breakfast on a saturday with no other plans, i suggested we walk around the south end. we don't go there very often which makes it feel like some where new. we both went with a cool, casual look. we didn't know how far or how long we would be walking or be outside. i went with whites and brights. stripes and a bright green hat made this outfit fun. terry pushed the limits a little with his camo joggers. and if you asked me (and all the people who gave him compliments that day) i think he looked pretty great.

we went to an art gallery, walked all over, and found some super cool shops, like sault, olives and grace, and niche. it was a good day.