Top It Off

I turned on the heat in the apartment today. I feel it is far too soon for such an action, but the below-freezing overnight temps convinced me otherwise. I'm just not ready for this yet! Give the lovely temperate briskness of autumn its due! The temps are supposed to return to more seasonal levels later this week, so until then I'll reminisce (read: catch up) with even warmer weather outfits, such as this one.

Mia Top - Sealed with a Kiss Designs / Jeans - Lane Bryant / Sandals - Nine West

The top is actually my first purchase from Sealed with a Kiss. I'd been browsing their site for some time, but never felt up to a purchase until settling on this cute little top. It's nice and long, has a flattering neckline and elasticized waistband, and presents lots of possibilities for layering options yet this fall. I'm also a fan of its elbow-length sleeves, of course. It's definitely not made to be tucked in, and its length is proportionally too long for any skirt of mine, but I could see topping it with a belt if desired. (And I'm sure I will desire.) Jeans - skinny or flare - are this top's best friend. The colors it comes in are wonderfully cheery - summery turquoise, yellow and coral - and a black option (which I also got) makes it a great basic.

Ring & necklace - Banana Republic / Earrings - The Limited

Though I'd worn my hair down here, this outfit is also one of my favorites to wear with my straw fedora (first/last seen here), snapped ala Instagram with one of my admittedly multiple wearings. Now that I think of it, I wanna wear the black one with the hat next!

Handbag - Coach (gifted)

White Out

So maybe this better qualifies as casual? It's all about the material (in this case washed denim), I guess. And an easy, breasy, beachy, white top.

Crochet butterfly top - eloquii / Pencil skirt - Lane Bryant / Sandals - Nine West /
Necklace - Urban Outfitters / Earrings - Kohl's

I'm actually at a loss for cute white tops in my wardrobe. I think I have just the one, and I'd like to do better. So I was determined to unearth said cute options across the Internets, and I came upon this butterfly top from Eloquii on clearance. Once it arrived, I decided that all that material wasn't doing it for me, though. I thought I'd only end up wearing it with jeans, and what fun is that? So back into the box it went, and on top of my kitchen table it waited to be returned. And waited... I never managed to send it back before the return window passed. But what the heck, for less than $20, I could find some way to work this bad boy up. It's really nothing a little animal print belt can't fix...

Handbag - Coach (gifted) / Ring - Ruche / Belt - Gap

Of course, now that I've actually worn it, I've started envisioning all sorts of ways to wear it. Bottom line, it'll be a summer staple.

Let's Polka

There isn't an H&M near me, so I don't get to shop there very often. The few times I had been able to pop into a store, I never found much of anything than interested me - always a total bust. Well, recently one my of my employees started a lengthy stint of seemingly wearing nothing but H&M, and I coveted loved all of it. Seriously, every outfit she wore, I would ask, "Hey, where did you get that?" and "H&M!" would always be the answer. Solution: must get to H&M ASAP. Happily, there was one near Bob's parent's house when we visited over the holiday...

Black blazer - Lane Bryant / Polka dot top - H&M / Jeans - Lane Bryant /
Shoes - Nine West /Belt - Talbots

This polka dot top might have been the exact same polka dot top she had sported so amazingly one day. I might have found the lone one (in my size!) in the fitting room returns and it might have been on sale. And I might have bought it. Or definitely. Obvi.

I thought I'd venture out of my usual pencil skirt routine and wear it layered under a blazer with jeans. Peachy pops of color (wearing the same new and totally fabulous necklace I wore yesterday) gave it a little something extra. Not that it needed it - I mean, they're polka dots, for goodness sake! I like to think of them as stripes' spunky little sister.

Handbag - Coach (gifted) / Ring - Ruche / Earrings - The Limited / Necklace - Anthropologie