Rate My Look- Yup, it's a tiny hat

I wore this outfit to work the other day and got lots of compliments as well as lots of insults:

Skirt: Zara

Blouse: Ann Taylor Loft

Jacket: Charlotte Russe (I stole it from McKenzie, though)

Hat: H&M

Shoes: Random store in Providence, RI that I forget the name of

Bag: Salmagundi (bridesmaid gift from Beth)

The majority of the outfit got the thumbs up from everyone (especially the shoes), but what caused such controversy and outcry was the tiny hat that I wore. Yes, I admit that it's not exactly in season, but we've had a few unseasonably warm days here (much like today), so I decided to wear it. I was with two coworkers when I bought this hat and they both tried incredibly hard to stop me from buying it. Phrases like, "Circus clown" and "monkey hat" and "you look stupid" were used to deter me. As you can see, none of them worked. Once at work, the opinions were split- some loved it, some hated it. There really wasn't an in-between. And I suspect some who claimed to love it were just saying that so as not to hurt my feelings. Regardless of what anyone thinks, I love it! And you can call me crazy or stupid or lame or anything else you like. I loved wearing this tiny hat all day! I'll probably wear it again once the weather warms up. 

So what do you think of my outfit and my tiny hat? Love it? Hate it? Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

I'm Addicted to Fascinators!

As you all know, my BFF Beth is getting married this fall. She's just about the best bride ever, especially since she is letting her sister Amy and I wear pretty much whatever we want as her "best maids." We don't have to match and both of us ended up buying dresses we'll actually wear again. Hallelujah for that! Since we don't match, we all thought it would be a good idea to have some type of unifying accessory or something. We agreed on a feather fascinator and I have to say, I'm super excited to wear mine. When I found it on Etsy, I emailed the link to Beth and told her that even if she veto-ed it for the wedding, I would purchase it anyway because I need it in my life. Fortunately, being the world's greatest bride, she did not veto it and I get to wear it in November! Hurray! I already broke my rule and showed all of you my shoes for the wedding, so I'm not going to do that again. You will have to wait until after her wedding to see the look I've put together. However, to hold you over until then, I'd like to show you another fascinator that I got while out shopping with Beth a couple of weekends ago. It's black and pretty huge and I love it:

I wore it to church with my grey dress, Autumn Kiss brooch and black and white spectator heels. It was a fun look. I've always wanted to be the kind of person who could pull off a fashion hat, especially at church. I think I'm gradually getting there, but for now I'll stick to the fascinators. They're bold and fun, and they hint at the idea of a hat. Maybe I should move to the south- doesn't everyone wear a hat to church south of the Mason Dixon line? 

Wondering where I got my cool headpiece? Salmagundi in Jamaica Plain. It's only the coolest store around. So what do you think of my fascinator? Love it or hate it, I want to hear what you think, so leave a comment! 

Rate My Look- Opposites Attract

You know how I'm often saying you should pair edgy with soft, dark with light, shiny with matte, menswear with feminine? Well, I wore an outfit to work the other day that was relatively new and one of my coworkers said, "I love how you matched military-inspired with sparkly and fun. Smart girl- she's on to me:

Top: Ann Taylor Loft, $19.99 (on sale)

Skirt: The Garment District, $9 (second hand)

Boots: Marshalls, $34 (on sale)

Ring: Salmagundi, $40

The whole outfit is one big bargain, if you ask me. Well, maybe not the ring, but everything else, for sure. The top I found while out shopping with Beth- we popped into an Ann Taylor Loft in downtown Boston so she could find a dress to wear to a friend's wedding (which she did). While she was in the fitting room, I found the sequin top on the 50% off sale rack and just HAD to try it on. Earlier that day, I'd been at The Garment District in Cambridge trying to spend my $40 gift card from Groupon. Do you guys know about Groupon? More on it later for those of you who don't. Anyway, the skirt was in their second-hand/vintage section, but I loved the way the pockets were sewn on and the fuller silhouette. I have been mildly obsessed with slimmer skirt silhouettes lately, but I still love me a nice gathered skirt. The boots I found while out shopping with Beth's mom a day or two before. She's a shopping pro, too. The boots are suede, from Born, which is not a cheap shoe maker, so to score these real suede boots for only $34 felt like a real accomplishment. 

It's funny how pieces in your wardrobe find their way to each other. The boots were so well made and classic, I knew they would be a good investment. The skirt was too cute to pass up at that price and then when I saw the top, I realized that I was on the verge of a really fun outfit. Shopping your closet can be much the same, actually. Pull out pieces you don't always wear and you might surprise yourself with the outfit ideas that come to mind. And if to pieces seem so completely opposite that they can't possibly go together, try it anyway. There's a reason they say opposites attract. 

Rate My Look- Another Pencil Skirt

You may be starting to realize that I've fallen in love with several pencil skirts recently. For someone who swears by a full circle skirt silhouette, I've really taken to this new-found look. I still love the full skirt look, but I am enjoying the variety that can now be found in my closet. On my recent trip to New York, I stumbled upon an amazing Nanette Lepore pencil skirt in army green sateen. It's pretty stunning and has the most fabulous detail at the waist. The best part? It was only $33 at Daffy's:

The sweater was a Christmas gift- some lovely cashmere from my mom. I guess she reads the blog, too and saw my recent tribute to cashmere. Either that, or my hints of "needing more cashmere in my life" were heard loud and clear. Although I'm normally a fan of bright jewel tones, I really liked this outfit, which I wore to church on Boxing Day. It includes quite a range of earth tones- army green, light forest green, chocolate brown and taupe. The shoes are my gorgeous suede cut-out platforms that I scored shortly before moving from PA back to NH. I blogged about them back then and you can read the original post here. If you recall, I scored them for just under $15! 

Another fabulous accessory is my super cool cocktail ring. I splurged on that ring after getting my first paycheck from my new job. I was shopping with Beth at a fabulous store in Jamaica Plain called Salmagundi. I mostly love them for their amazing hats, many of which they design themselves, but on this particular day, it was an amazing wooden ring that caught my eye: 

How super cool is this ring? I love it! it's got a wooden base with leaves on top, covered in an amber epoxy of some sort. 

So what do YOU think of my departure in terms of both silhouette and color scheme? I think it all works pretty well for me- more evidence that you shouldn't pigeon-hole yourself in terms of style. Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Featured Outfit: Jason of Salmagundi

Whenever I visit Beth in Jamaica Plain, we inevitably end up shopping. Last Wednesday was no exception. There is a shop in J.P. that I adore because it is full of the most interesting and unique accessories, bags and clothes. They also happen to have one of the best hat selections I've ever come across. Salmagundi never fails to  provide me with a new, interesting and unique accessory. Last week when I was there, it was a wooden cocktail ring that caught my eye. I had to have it- it's going to make a great addition to my collection. What else caught my eye? Jason, one of their very stylish employees:

Things about Jason that I think are SUPER cool: 

1.) He rides a Vespa. A red one. 

2.) He moonlights as a DJ on the weekends. 

3.) His middle name is Wednesday.

4.) He has impeccably manicured sideburns. 

5.) He has great personal style. Great.  

I really appreciate his polished look- it's almost as if he is dressed for another decade, for a time in the past when people "dressed" for something as simple as running to the grocery store. It's modern-hipster-meets-Don-Draper with a distinct sophistication to the overall look. I'd buy a hat from him in a heartbeat. Wouldn't you?