Happy Halloween!

Hope you have a fun and festive day! 

Wednesday's Look For Less: Striped Sweaters

I am a slack blogger and I know it. Thanks for still tuning in during these sporadic post times. My real world job has kept my full attention as of late and when I'm not at work, I'm pretty much worthless. For those reasons, the posts on S-F will not be any fluff pieces just to have a post for the day. They'll discuss topics that I actually feel are relevant, interesting and/or inspiring. Don't give up on me yet though! There are some good ones in the queue...just need the timing to be right. 

So enough with my chit-chat. Take a look at these two gems. Three cheers for sweater season! 

Both of these sweaters look so cute and cozy. The sweater on the left is from J.Crew and costs $98. Considering J.Crew runs a 25% off sale every other week, you should be able to score this piece for even less. The option on the right by 3.1 Phillip Lim rings up at a stifling $475. But if you liiiiiive in sweaters and take good care of them, then it might be worth the investment to you. It's not to me here at the 78-degree North Carolina coast but I might consider dropping some dough if I lived up North...and it was on sale!

Stay tuned for more. It's a quality not quantity situation around here these days...

Wednesday's Look For Less: Lucite Bib Necklaces

Last week, Lulu Frost debuted her Deco-inspired collection of jewels for J.Crew. The pieces, composed of touches of lucite, 14k gold and crystals, can fulfill everything from a gal's everyday classic jewelry to night-out show stoppers. The balance of small to statement presents a refreshing change in the pace of overpowering accessories these days.  

I must say, though, that J.Crew is not always the most affordable. Luckily, Bauble Bar has some great alternatives for less. Take a look at the two options below. Can you tell which one costs more than $200 and which is less than $40? 

The lucite necklace on the right from Bauble Bar rings up at only $36. It's a stunner, isn't it?! The Lulu Frost for J.Crew necklace on the left is $228. It is so gorgeous but not everyone is in the market for a $200 piece of costume jewelry. Either way, you'll have a great piece to pair with everything from casual tees to simple little dresses. You choose whether to invest or not. Isn't a little purchasing power nice?! 

Life's Luxuries

via Guardian.com

If I could have one little luxury in life, it would be a driver. And the driver would specifically be Ryan Gosling from "Drive." It's not that I don't like driving- I actually enjoy it. But every single day, I swear, on my way to work I either get stuck behind a car going less than 20 mph, catch every red light (mind you, I only go through THREE stoplights and somehow never make green) or sit and wait for a truck and trailer to get outta the dern way. I need a fearless, skillful stunt driver to weave me quickly and safely out and around these slow downs and get me to work before I'm five minutes late yet again. (And, yes, I leave with enough time to get to work.) It would also allow me to look at my morning Instagram feed without breaking any laws.

So, Ryan Gosling from "Drive," if you're reading this post, please let me know your availability. I pay in hugs, thank-yous and endless opportunities to walk dogs.

via Refinery29

PS- Can I borrow your jacket? It's so Proenza Schouler Fall 2012.

Fancy a Jog?

 

via Pinterest 

via Harper's Bazaar

 via Style Me Yesterday

They're the Holy Grail of pants- cute, stylish, functional, comfortable, affordable. I'm talking about joggers, the chic and cheeky British term for sweatpants. Moms-on-the-go, office-bound ladies, workout fiends, single gals on the prowl, you all need to look into these pants and then learn how to style accordingly. How about I help you? 

I acquired these Lululemon pants over the weekend because I was in need of not only another pair of barre pants but a comfy and cute number I could wear to work. (I stay in my work clothes from 7 am to 8 pm so I have to be comfy. Feel me on that?)

Track To Reality Pant via Lululemon

Today, I styled the pants with a white Alexander Wang tee, Helmut Lang leather sleeved jacket and Toms wedge booties. The result yielded the three c's: comfy, cozy, chic.

Honestly, if there was ever one pair of pants that could take you anywhere, these are it! The key to their transformation is very simple: It's all about the shoes. You could wear the same joggers with a plain white t-shirt and be ready for the next part of your day with the simple switch of a shoe...

Playground: Puma Sneakers

Office: Faith Pointed Toe Pumps

Date Night: ALDO Strappy Sandals

Joggers: Topshop

Still not convinced? Check out all of these options! 

1- Topshop Satin Back Joggers/ 2- Topshop Leather Joggers/ 3- Annie Griffin Kellie Block Print Pants/ 4- New Look Olive Green Zip Pocket Jogger/ 5- Rag & Bone Jean Pajama Jeans

If you still don't believe me, perhaps you will believe the Glitter Guide? Their slouchy pants style guide appeals to everyone from fashion girl to stay-at-home mom. Seriously, try a pair of these pants. You might even feel like working after spending the day in these!

Om, Yes.

To this...

and this...

Can we say "holiday"??

Rebecca Minkoff Look for Less-ish

image via Shopbop

Y'all, I'm obsessed with this look for fall. Shopbop did a fun little feature on Rebecca Minkoff last week and I can't get this chic outfit out of my head! Let's break it down now...

Chunky Cowl Sweater

Telescope Leather Pants

Iva Flat

So maybe you don't have $400 to spend on leather pants. I don't either. Luckily J.Crew has a great pair of pants that look somewhat similar for less than half the price. 

While they are not the exact same as Minkoff's, you will save about a million dollars (or $230) with this option. Pants can be really hard to find, especially as a 5'4" curvy chick. I was really please with the way these fit and how flattering they were. They will be ab fab this winter with some saucy black leather boots or even over the knee boots...if you're nasty! 

As for less expensive sweater and shoe options...

ASOS Sweater

Report Flats

What do you think? Can you see yourself wearing a look like this for fall?

Underpinnin' Honesty

Brenda Strong as Sue Ellen, "The Braless Wonder" on Seinfeld via YouTube

Ladies, I'm about to get personal with you. If you don't want to talk underpinnings, then exit now... 

Have you ever felt a little bit like Sue Ellen Mischke from "Seinfeld"? (If you're unfamiliar, see here.) After noticing my chest was splayed out across my biceps in barre class and feeling like some of my tops weren't fitting right, I took a trip to the old lingerie department for a fitting. No, it's not my favorite bit of human interaction but it is a necessary one as a lady. I'll spare you the details of my personal experience- just know that I had been buying the wrong sized bra for years and realized I was in need of a major overhaul. 

While it's tempting to fully restock your entire lingerie drawer in this panicked state, it's also EXPENSIVE. There are so many different options: push-up, demi cup, bralette, multiway, oy vey! I've taken a little time to gather my thoughts and develop the underpinning essentials guide. Hopefully it helps you and me stay on task in the sea of lace and silk at Dillard's or wherever you happen to be shopping.

T-shirt Bras (top to bottom): Wacoal Embrace Lace Bra & Chantelle C Essential T-Shirt Bra

Weekend Bras (top to bottom): Wacoal B Fitting Bralette & Wacoal Halo Bra

Black Bra: Chantelle So Sublime Plunge

Sports Bras (top to bottom): Wacoal Sports Underwire Bra & Lululemon Tata Tamer II

Fun Bra: Wacoal Pure Contour Bra

Pushup Bra: B Tempted B Wowed Push-Up Bra

Lingerie Wash: Forever New Fabric Care Wash

Once you've acquired the essentials, normally in nude and black, then you can start adding in fun bras in different colors, patterns and fabrics. Y'all, there are so many options in the world. It's kind of overwhelming. So go into your shopping war zones with a P.O.A. and conquer the battle of the bosoms with confidence!