Black & White

Dress: Nordstrom Shoes: Jessica Simpson Coat: J. Crew Watch: Michele Sunglasses: Ray Ban Attache: Coach Handbag: Emma Fox (sold out)  Bracelet: David Yurman

Fall is definitely my favorite season for fashion. If you've been following me on Instagram, you know I basically wear these shoes every single day! I can't recommend them enough, and considering the 4" heel height, they are pretty comfortable! Now that I'm an attorney, I decided to get a "briefcase" to carry my files in. I picked this one up at the Coach store a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely love it. It's so professional, yet feminine at the same time. One of the hardest things about working in the legal profession (okay, maybe not one of the hardest, but still!)  is the conservative and uptight dress code. I HATE wearing suits! If I have to go to court, it's inevitable, but for days when I'm in the office, I try to compromise fashion-wise. This outfit is professional, yet fashion-forward. It's also great for transitioning from chilly mornings to warm afternoons. What do you think? Do I look like I mean business? :-P

Kimberly's Wedding Shower

So this past weekend, I did a very grown-up thing that I had never done before: I helped throw a wedding shower for my cousin, Kimberly. You first met her here. She's getting married this June, and the festivities are now officially in full swing.  The shower was hosted in my home town, Wilson, North Carolina by Kim's Aunt Robin, a long-time family friend, who provided the venue and most of the food. Kim's maid of  honor, Ariel, and I coordinated the decorations and games. The shower was definitely a big success! Here are some of my favorite shots from yesterday. 

White and Wine

Primary Colors / Colores Primarios

Serious Business

J' Adore

I love outfits with romance!

Scarf Weather

Well, it has happened. The weather is finally going to dip below freezing. I don't know if I'm ready for that!

Leopard Suit

I had to go to court today, so I did have to tone my outfit down a little. 

However,  I believe that just because you work in a stuffy profession doesn't mean you have to dress frumpy. 

When you wear a black suit, it's so conservative in and of itself that you can pretty much get away with any top.

I'm convinced that animal print is one of those things that never goes out of style, but when you wear it, it always makes you look "in style."

This picture was pretty scary because it's actually about a 20 foot drop on the other side of that ledge! 

The skirt is elastic waist and the jacket is stretch jersey material, but it has the look of a tailored suit. Win!

Shop my outfit:

Skirt: Vault Denim. Find out how to order in this post. 

Shoes: Nine West

Top: Kohl's (old)

Jacket: Tart Collections

Cotton Candy

I am IN LOVE with this outfit. 

Clean and Classic

I love trying bold new trends, but sometimes you just have to go with a clean and classic look.

It's Friday. That means jeans at the office!

Don't you love these mint pumps? I love the color mint. It's one of those universal colors that looks good on every skin tone. 

I talked about this coat in an earlier post. I highly recommend investing in one. You can find them new with tags on eBay for about 50% off retail! They run slightly large, so I would size down one size from your normal coat size.

I keep collecting more colors of this coat each year. It will seriously last you forever. That's how well made it is.

Doesn't the fall just make the most beautiful scenery all on its own?

It seems like fall took forever to get here, but now it's here with a vengeance! Leaves are falling like crazy and temperatures are in the 40's!

I love the fall, because I love the weather and love looking forward to the holidays.

Ya'll knew I wasn't going to leave you hanging for a statement necklace right!? Today is my debut for this beauty. 

I love how all the elements combine for a clean and crisp look.

This white top is AWESOME! It is so figure-flattering and comfortable and comes in a bunch of colors for about $23.00. Check the bottom of the post for the link!

TGIF! Have a great weekend everyone!

Coat: J. Crew 

Jeans: HSN

Shoes: Sole Society (old) Check out these similar ones.

Necklace: Chico's

Top: Lord & Taylor

A Lesson in Contrast

If you're like me, you LOVE the classic look of black and white!

Black, White, and Red All Over.

Work and school are crazy right now, so today's post is basically just a photo dump. 

Cool Palette

I decided to throw this together this morning on the spur of the moment! Sometimes the things you anticipate the least end up being some of the best! Cool colors can usually be combined pretty freely without looking weird. With warm colors, you have to be more careful.

Palazzo Perfection

I have been wanting to try the palazzo pant trend forever. I bought a pair about 2 months ago, but I hadn't worn them yet because I was unsure how to style them properly for work. 

Indian Summer

What is up with this weather? It's really hard to know what to wear when the temperature fluctuates 35 degrees throughout the course of the day!

Today I decided to share my attempt at being current with the season but also comfortable with the weather!

My answer? Scarves and t-shirts. Scarves will keep your look "fall-ish" and you won't be too hot in the t-shirt when the temperature reaches 80 degrees later in the day. 

Remember the boot skirt from this post? Well here it is in gray. I think it's a nice crisp look with the white t-shirt and dark gray scarf. With the temperature being in the 40's in the morning, I think it's too cold for a short skirt without tights. But 80 degrees in the afternoon is too hot for a short skirt with tights. Long skirt without tights = warm enough in the morning and cool enough in the afternoon.

It's also too cold for sandals in the morning, but too hot for boots in the afternoon. Closed-toe leather pumps were a compromise for today, though they are still a little too hot for 80 degrees!

Not too bad overall! I am ready for some cooler weather though so I can start breaking out the sweaters, boots, leggings, tights, and coats! How about everyone else?

Skirt: Dress Barn

Top: Kohl's

Shoes: Nine West

Scarf: J. Jill

Electric Elegance

 A few months ago, I started watching the television show Revenge on Netflix. In my opinion, the best dressed of all the characters is Ashley Davenport. Once I saw her in one of the episodes with this dress I knew I wanted to try it out for myself!

Image Source

Unfortunately, her dress is L'wren Scott and retails for about $1,000. Who has that kind of money to spend on a bold statement piece that you will probably only wear once or twice? Or any dress for that matter! Not me!

My Solution: eBay!

Can you believe I got this dress for $21.84?

There were tons of colors available, so if you've got $20 and 3 weeks to wait for it, (it comes from China) this dress can be yours!

(A word to the wise: cheap garments tend to run small so SIZE UP if you get this dress! No one sees or cares what size is on the tag! )

I think when you wear a dress this bold, you should tone down your accessories. I know I say this all the time, but balance is pleasing to the eye!

If you're like me, and feel like your outfit just isn't complete without some sparkle, try keeping the bling away from your torso and face, for example, by wearing it on your wrist or your fingers. It won't make your whole ensemble look too busy that way.

Electric yellow isn't exactly the most slimming color in the world, so a form fitting black jacket and a black belt give the illusion of a smaller waist. 

I think that every woman can pull off a bright dress. What is most important is how you frame the bright dress. Your jacket, shoes, jewelry, and belt will make all the difference in whether your final look is classy or cheap.

I hope everyone has a great week! 

"'Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it." - Yves Saint Laurent

Dress: eBay

Belt: Nine West 

Shoes: Franco Sarto

Jacket: Tart Collections