Super inspired by this street style look. Her sleek silver choker necklace seamlessly elevates her otherwise classic black coat, basic grey tee and skinny jeans.
**Sale alert ~ J.Crew is having 30-40% off most outerwear today, including my petite puffer vest and coat (see my review) which are 40% off. Clearance items are an extra 40 - 50% off, so be sure to filter there by size - lots of classic work trousers and shoes left in small sizes, with free ship today at any price!**
It was nearly in the 60's today which is quite a treat for Boston in December! I found these oldie but goodie red trousers in the back of my closet, and paired them with a cream jacket in the spirit of Christmas. As mentioned in a prior post, this Ann Taylor jacket is beautiful quality with great detailing, and is on the heavier side for a trench. The material isn't a traditional "trench" fabric, but rather a textured, thick twill-like cotton with a touch of spandex. I've also worn this jacket simply with black bottoms and boots, shown below. To help keep the collar of lighter outerwear clean, I usually make sure to wear a higher-neck top underneath that's easily washable, or drape a thin scarf along the interior of the collar. These striped turtlenecks (currently on sale w/ free ship at any price!) have been true layering staples, and often serve as my "shield" to protect such outerwear. They are lightweight tees so you don't get overheated under coats.
The fit of this jacket is pretty good on me in my usual 00p, The only potential alteration I'm considering is shortening the sleeves - they're about an inch long for my short arms, which causes the fabric to get pushed up and appear crinkled. Thankfully the crinkles don't set in, and fall out after hanging due to the heaviness of the material. Measurements of a 00p: 14" across the shoulders, 16" armpit to armpit when buttoned up, 20" length, 22" sleeve length. PS - I see Ann Taylor is having 50% off dresses and skirts through Wednesday! In the dresses department, the material of this tweed sheath dress is really pretty in-person and looks higher end, with a thick texture, vibrant coloring & small metallic details. The online stock photo doesn't really do the fabric justice. This fringe sweater skirt left in small sizes is very different while still classy - I can easily picture it for any Gatsby themed events too. And of course, you guys know I love this flared sweater skirt which is very comfortable for long days.
The go-to denim and boot mix for fall is hands down a pair of cropped flare jeans with frayed hems worn with sleek, tall ankle boots. Anouk and Anna show a stylish way to complete the look with a classic black coat and textured mini bag.
Recently, Maison Jules reached out to me about a fun campaign called "Pieces of Paris." I was asked to share two of my favorite spots around my hometown of Boston that reminded me of charming Paris. Caf� Madeleine is a small French patisserie in my neighborhood which instantly popped into mind as one. Their wonderfully flaky croissants (esp. the ham and cheese) rival the ones we had in France, and their other baked goods like this caramel cake are some of the best I've had. We can't indulge too often but it's a welcome treat every once in a while, especially when we have visitors! On to my outfit - Maison Jules is a new to me brand (sold only at Macy's), so I popped into a store to try on numerous pieces for sizing and fit. I was pleasantly surprised that the pieces ran small and most of the tops and skirts fit me right off the rack. I'm always looking to show different petite-friendly brands on here to help expand everyone's options! This outfit can easily be made office-friendly by swapping out the tall boots for a pair of classic black or fun fall-hued pumps. If your office is slightly more casual, black ankle booties would also work well. If you like circle skirts, I adore this windowpane one which is full but not poofy at all due to the drape. It's made with a stretchy, thicker-weight material and has two comfortable side pockets. There's a back zipper but the waist is also elasticized which helps achieve the right fit. When un-stretched, an XS measured 12" across the waist (elastic stretches up to 13.75" across) and 20" in length. And you can't tell in these photos, but this mock-neck sweater is a shorter length which can be worn over button-ups to get that layered effect. When lying flat and un-stretched, an XS measured 12.5" across the shoulders, 15" across the chest, 22.5" long sleeves and 18" long overall. I usually recommend leaving a bit of a gap between the top of your boots and the hemline your skirt or dress. I'm sure I'm breaking some fashion rule here by not doing so, but I wanted to try something different and liked the results. In addition to the lengthening effect, a prime benefit of over-the-knee boots that you don't hear much about is the warmth! My knees are usually the first to get cold, but are insulated and warm when wrapped in a taller boot. This is the first of two outfits I shot for Maison Jules - stay tuned for my second one and other favorite Parisian-inspired spot. The other pieces I will be featuring from there are this knit blazer and faux-leather cognac skirt (xs in both fit me without alterations). Thank you to Macy's for sponsoring this post!
It doesn't get much more classic than a pair of cropped jeans and Chanel cap-toe flats. Throw on a minimal black coat and an edgy croc-embossed bag, and you've got a great street style-inspired outfit for fall. I would live in this if I could!
Maybe it's because this winter was so relatively brutal, but I don't remember spring in Boston being so gorgeous in past years. My morning commute to work takes almost double the time needed, as I'm stopping every block with mouth agape snapping photos (see some of my favorites on Instagram!). I hope no one here dislikes blossoms, as there might be a small overload of them coming right up : )
In the sale world, take 40% off most items at Ann Taylor using code SUMMER40 (ends Thursday morning). I picked out this online-exclusive dress, in case anyone else was curious about the fit. The design is simple but elegant; it can work casually around town with low sandals (as shown) or style it with an updo and drop earrings for fancier events like a wedding. After trying it on in my usual 00p, I'm confused by a few of the reviews that complained it was too long...I'm even on the shorter end of the petite spectrum (at ~ 5 feet tall) and am wearing it here with 1 inch heels! Although, it was a little close to dusting the ground here so I'd do a slightly higher heel next time, but I thought the length was good for petite sizing and required no alterations. Please see the bottom of this post for measurements and other details. Here's a few items I own and love that are part of the 40% off sale: - Breezy 100% linen sweater - on my spring / summer must-have list. You guys are probably sick of hearing about this versatile sweater - see it here, here, and here just to name a few. - Embroidered dot button-up shirt - now marked down and on sale, so effectively 50% off. See my review here with it dressed up, and I've also dressed it down with distressed denim shorts on the weekends:
And if you like this chevron pattern but prefer it in other formats, I noticed AT has the same "mitered stripe" in a navy & white maxi skirt as well as a black & white shorter skirt, both included in the 40% off sale. The wider striped skirt is adorable but given my experience with AT skirts, I'm not sure if it'd fit someone my size without waist alterations (although, the one review there mentions it might run a little small).
Please note this dress is a sheath style and does not nip in at the waist - rather, it flares out gently in an A-line starting from the armpit down through the hips and then bottom opening. It does come with a black tie belt so you can cinch the waist in to your liking. I swapped that out for a leather belt, but the resulting belted silhouette is the same. Measurements of the Mitered Striped Dress in 00p: 16" across armpit to armpit, 50 to 51" in total length. The outer material is 100% poly and it is fully lined, with an invisible back zip down the center. I know poly comes in many different forms and this one is a smooth one, not knit, with little stretch (the lining has no stretch at all). Tag says dry clean only, but I'm very tempted to test hand washing it cold since the material feels similar to other AT poly items that are labeled machine wash cold.
Here's a few newer pieces I'm eying from the 40% off sale, but haven't had the chance to try yet:
- Stripe tweed dress - very cute with the wide stripes against the pink tweed blend. At first glance my guess was the wide stripes would only be on the front half of the dress, given shortcuts that most retailers are taking these days. Happy to see that the stripes wrap around the back of the torso. - Crepe tie-neck shell in lots of colors and prints. An office and weekend layering staple - I just hope the material isn't too thin in person. - Chevron shift dress - a mod but classic look, and the material seems like it would be on the more substantial side with the embroidered-on dots.
Also, I was in a store recently and was pleasantly surprised by how pretty their new stone costume jewelry pieces are. I've collected a few favorite costume jewelry pieces from AT over the years and these are certainly a new contender. While in store, I unfortunately wasn't able to find any rings in size 5 to try on for size, nor did I see the cuff bracelet below that looks like it could be bent/shaped to fit smaller wrists.
I did get to see the faux stones in person and thought the coloring of both the rose quartz and lapis against the gold looked nice. Please note the first ring set trio is excluded from the 40% off, but half of the purchase price gets donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
As always, let me know if you have any favorite pieces & recommendations from this promo!
PS - I see Ann Taylor is having 50% off dresses and skirts through Wednesday! In the dresses department, the material of this 
