Weekly Window Shopping

I know this Weekly Window Shopping is a few days late. I had orientation for my new job last Wednesday through Friday and it was just such a crazy week. I'm also still in the process of moving into my apartment so the weekend wasn't much calmer. I had my first real day of work yesterday, and going forward my schedule will hopefully become more stable and mellow out a bit.

Vineyard Vines Long-Sleeve Cozy Tee

Everyone needs a good slouchy, soft tee shirt in the fall and winter. This one actually has 3/4 length sleeves instead of full sleeves, which makes it a great transitional piece. For a casual everyday look I would pair this with jeans, booties or loafers, and a long pendant necklace. It's a great basic done well.

Talbots Fringed Tweed Pencil Skirt

I love this shade of maroon for the fall, it's such a rich and gorgeous color. I'm all in on tweed for fall, it's such a great classic material. I love that I would be able to wear this skirt to the office or out on a date night. I would pair this with a cream blouse and a black blazer for fall, and with a slinky black top and black booties for a date night.

Brooks Brothers Red Fleece Plaid Cotton Flannel Shirt

A plaid shirt is a classic casual fall look. It never goes out of style and you can't have too many of them. The rich forest green and the navy are gorgeous colors that are perfect for the season. This top makes me want to go apple picking or to a pumpkin patch.

Kate Spade Thompson Street Velvet Sam

I hate that it's early October and I'm already thinking about the holidays, but this would be a gorgeous bag for the holiday season. I can just picture myself carrying it while wearing a tartan dress and a black coat, on my way to see a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet. The rich red color and the velvet material are both just so perfect for the holidays.

Tuckernuck Jeni Pullover by After Market

The hem of this sweater immediately caught my eye. The mixed material and the Ric Rac pattern together make such a fun combo. It's not quite sweater weather yet in New Jersey, but once it is I would love to wear this dress with skinny jeans and a pair of black riding boots.

Weekly Window Shopping

Brooks Brothers Red Fleece Checkered Wool Twill Jacket

There's nothing more Fall than a plaid blazer. The warm tones in this one are perfect for the season.  I love the gold buttons on this blazer, it adds a touch of glam. I would wear this casually paired with a simple top, skinny jeans, and brown or black booties. I would also wear this to work over a simple black dress, or with a cream top, black work pants, and black pumps. It's a versatile blazer that can be worn for so many different occasions.

Tuckcrnuck Emma Crewneck Shaker Sweater by 525 America

For Fall, you can never have too many good quality simple sweaters. I love the color of this one in particular. The warm taupe color is a Fall staple, but it has just a hint of purple to it, which adds a bit more interest to it. I would pair this sweater with some fabulous statement earrings to really make it pop.

J. Crew Collection Tie-Waist Pants

Fall probably has the most distinctive color palette out of all the seasons, and these olive pants fit right into that palette. This rich color is perfect for when the leaves start to change, and I'm obsessed with the bow in the tie-waist detail. This was a look that I loved over the summer with shorts, and I'm happy to see it transition with pants for the cooler months. This pants are great for transitioning into Fall, and for once we're in the thick of it. If it's still warm where you live I would pair these with a cream short sleeved blouse and nude flats. Once it starts to get colder, I would pair them with a taupe, cream, or black sweater and booties.

Gal Meets Glam Eva Dress

I eagerly await the Gal Meets Glam release ever month. I flip through the look book within minutes of it being emailed out, and I mentally circle all the dresses that I love. This month was so exception, and there were so many gorgeous Fall dresses. I love everything about this dress: the plaid pattern, the warm neutral colors, the neckline, the A-line skirt, the cap sleeves. This warm toned plaid is an elegant way of styling the classic fall pattern. The high v-neck adds a very feminine and sexy touch, without the risk of showing too much. The fitted waist that flows into an A-line skirt is so flattering for those of us with hourglass figures. I will definitely be ordering this dress.

Gal Meets Glam Paige Dress

Usually I try to pick only one dress from each Gal Meets Glam monthly collection to highlight in my Weekly Window Shopping, but this month, there were too many gorgeous dresses for me to choose just one. I love the feminine twist on tweed in this dress. The cream and peach colors in the dress really soften and modernize the old school fabric. The collar of this dress is absolutely darling and adds a playful touch. I would pair this with a classic camel trench and brown booties.

End of Summer Style

I took these photos just over a week ago. At that point I thought that I was going to stay at Erik's place for another two weeks before heading up to New Jersey, but Hurricane Florence changed those plans. Erik's house is in a county that was/is under mandatory evacuation so we both headed up to New Jersey last Tuesday and have been staying at my parents house, because my apartment won't be ready for me to move into until this upcoming weekend. Since we left far enough in advance of the storm, we had no trouble getting out of North Carolina and heading North. Erik can't head back to his house for a few more days though, because all the roads heading into his town are flooded. Based on power outage maps, it looks like his house only lost power for about half a day, and his house is high enough above sea level that it's very unlikely that it flooded at all. He's lucky that he's not expecting much damage to his house, given that many neighborhoods around him haven't been so lucky. We took these pictures in Swansboro after grabbing brunch at one of our favorite restaurants in the area. As of Sunday, these roads are flooded and the restaurant we were at is half underwater. North Carolina will rebuild, but keep the state in your thoughts as it continues to experience intense flooding.

This was one of my last weekends of summer, and I took advantage of the beautiful weather. Soon I'll have to pack up my shorts and sandals until next May. Tie front shorts are so much fun for spring and summer. I love a bow detail, and this front bow really elevates a pair of otherwise simple shorts. The silk scarf tied around my bad adds a pop of color and pattern to a somewhat neutral outfit. The navy in the scarf pattern ties together the navy shirt, watch, and bag. The scarf has a peacock printed on it, it was a Gift With Purchase from Lilly Pulitzer, but there are so many square silk scarves with fun prints on them out right now. I'm currently on the hunt for one with a deep forest or olive green as the main color to use in fall. Around a purse handle is my favorite place for a square scarf, but they also look super cute tied around your neck in place of a statement necklace, or tied around a ponytail. This is the kind of outfit that can be worn again and again, with different accessory variations to make the outfit pop. It would look great with statement earrings, a larger pendant necklace, a whimsical statement bag, or a bright pair of shoes. I love having a few base outfits in rotation like this one.

~ Shirt (similar) ~ Shorts (similar) ~ Necklace ~ Purse (similar) ~ Scarf (similar) ~ Watch ~ Sandals (similar) ~ Sunglasses~

Weekly Window Shopping

Vineyard Vines Button-Up Shep Shirt

Shep shirts are a classic alternative to a sweatshirt. I love how Vineyard Vines has been doing more of the button up variety in recent seasons, it looks a bit more polished than the zip up kind. This is the perfect shirt/sweatshirt to throw on over a pair of jeans when running errands or having a casual day at home.

Draper James Floral Eyelet Bell-Sleeve Blouse

This navy top is perfect to transition to Fall. It's long sleeved, but the sleeves are eyelet and unlined. It's ideal for those September days where it feels like Fall in the morning and summer in the afternoon. The two ruffles down the side give it a lovely, ultra-feminine touch, and also creates a slimming effect. I would pair this with lighter/medium wash jeans to prevent a monochromatic look, or with gray ankle pants.

J. McLaughlin Odeera Cashmere Sweater

An elegant cashmere sweater is a timeless fall and winter staple. It's one of those pieces that can be worn year after year, without going out of style or wearing out. I love the side bow details on this otherwise simple sweater. It adds the perfect amount of fun and flair to keep the sweater from being boring, but ensuring that it's still a timeless look.

Kendra Scott Tansy Pendant Necklace in Ivory Pearl

I love Kendra Scott's Ivory Pearl jewelry, it's so versatile because it works with any colors in your outfit. The petal shape of this pendant necklace is unique and adds a bit more interest than a standard Kendra Scott necklace. It can still be paired with anything, but the non-symmetrical shape gives it a slight edge.

Nordstrom 1901 Poplin Detail Tie Waist Dress

I love everything about this dress. The material and long sleeves are perfect for fall. The ruffles around the wrists and neckline create the illusion of wearing a button down shirt underneath without having to deal with constantly straightening out the different layers, and the tie around the waist gives the dress a more flattering shape. I would pair this with brown or taupe ankle boots, or brown or nude loafers for a classic fall look.

Stripes in Sonoma

I went to back to California last week with Erik for an extended Labor Day weekend. We started in L.A. to visit college friends. We went to undergrad in L.A. and a handful of both of our friends stayed in the area following graduation. I try to go back at least once a year to see everyone and enjoy the California sunshine. After a few days in L.A., we drove up to Sonoma County for a few days for some wine tasting. We stayed at Erik's friends' house, they rent the guest/side house of a gorgeous house in the hills of Sonoma County. The land that the house is on has a huge and beautiful garden, a fish pond, and there are vineyards next door and across the street. It was the most beautiful place to stay, it was so lovely and quiet. I grew up in the Bay Area, but my parents moved to New Jersey a few years ago. Since they moved, I've only been back for about 48 hours during this past Christmas, and I barely left my grandparents house while I was there. It was nice to be back in the Bay Area and enjoy the views and the greenery unique to the area. It felt like going back home.

The first full day that we were in Sonoma County we visited two different wineries. The first was called Red Car, it was in a cute, glammed out barn type of space, with a cute little patio. The weather was perfect for sitting outside and the Pinot Noir that we tasted was delicious. The second place we went to was the Russian River Vineyards winery, it was all outside and had more of a rustic vibe. There were cute tables with wine barrels as the base and cool vintage trucks around the property. The wines here were even better than the first winery. We were all raving about the Rose and the Barbera. Our second day visiting, we drove over to Bodega Beach and walked along the beach. Even though it was September in California, the water was very cold and the beach was windy and chilly. Northern California beaches tend to be like that all year round, they're very different from Southern California beaches, were you'll find people sunbathing year round. Northern California beaches tend to be hauntingly beautiful, and they feel more like you're in nature than Southern California ones.

 Since we were in California, I opted for a looser, less structured dress the day we went wine tasting. California fashion tends to be more casual than on the East Coast, so I went with my version of more casual. This dress is one of my favorite everyday dresses. It's loose and swingy like a t-shirt dress, it's made of a soft jersey knit material, and it has pockets! I throw it on all the time to run errands, because it instantly makes me look a bit more put together when I have no makeup on and my hair is in a ponytail, but it's still incredibly comfortable. The diagonal pattern is currently sold out, but J.Crew came out with it in solid colors, and I'm very tempted to grab it in black. Even though its easy to wear more casually, it can also be dressed up with the right jewelry. Since my shoes have gold details on the main strap, I decided to stick with gold jewelry. I wanted to keep my jewelry relatively dainty, since the diagonal stripes are bold enough on their own, and this Kate Spade bangle and earrings were the perfect compliment. I felt comfortable and cute all day!

~ Dress ~ Shoes (similar) ~ Earrings ~ Bracelet (similar) ~ Sunglasses ~

Weekly Window Shopping

J. Crew Point Sur Tiered Ruffle Mini Dress

I love burgundy in the fall, it goes great with my coloring and it reminds me of the leaves changing. This mini dress is a great fall party dress. The ruffled tiers add great texture and depth to the dress, and the wrap neckline is flattering without being too low cut. This dress would look great paired with beige or brown booties, or with black chunky heel pumps with an ankle strap. The color makes enough of a statement that I would stick with dainty, simple jewelry with this dress.

Talbots Classic Cotton Shirt- London City Print

A timeless button down shirt will never go out of style, and I love the London print on this one, it adds a something extra that makes the shirt more special. I love the Tower of London and the London Eye sketches, and the colors for each sketch go together beautifully and don't overwhelm the shirt. London is one of those classic cities abroad that everyone should have a chance to visit, and this shirt perfectly encapsulates it.

Brooks Brothers Red Fleece Boucle Coat

This is a great transition coat. It's warm but not too heavy or thick, perfect for chilly fall days. I love boucle, I think it immediately makes anyone look more put together and polished. The color of this boucle adds a lovely bit of femininity to the coat, without making it too "girly." This is a great coat that can be worn over office wear to work, or it can be worn over a little black dress for a night out on the town.

Tuckernuck Smooth Navy Crossbody by Neely and Chloe 

Navy bags for fall are a classic look. I love how smooth and clean this bag looks, I just want to run my fingers over the front of it. This is a great sized bag for when you're going out and don't want anything too bulky. It's slim, but can fit all the essentials.

Anthropologie Rosebud Peplum Sweatshirt

I love sweatshirts that masquerade as sweaters. They're always so soft and cozy, while looking for put together than the average sweatshirt. The feminine details in this sweatshirt are absolutely darling. I love the peplum style, I think peplum tops always look so great paired with dark wash skinny jeans, and the tiny little rosebuds add a pop of color and fun without being an overwhelming pattern.

Weekly Window Shopping: Lilly Pulitzer

While I was abroad for 3 1/2 weeks, I didn't have access to the Lilly Pulitzer website, I think it's blocked outside of the U.S., and I missed a lot of great new arrivals. So this week's Weekly Window Shopping will be spotlighting Lilly Pulitzer.

33" Bal Harbour Palazzo Pants in Bright Navy Jungley Stripe Vertical

If I was taller, I would swoop these up so fast. They are great pants for the transition from Summer to Fall. They're breezy and loose while still offering full pants coverage. They look great with sandals or ballet flats. And they can be paired with a simple tank, or layered with a cardigan. The stripes offer so many options for a solid colored top to pair with them. In the Fall, I would wear these with a plain navy tank, a camel cardigan, and nude flats.

Inez Top in Resort White Diamond Geo Lace

White eyelet tops are perfect for almost every season. I love the detailing around the neckline on this one, and the slight ruffle in the sleeves. If you're somewhere that is still hot and summery in September, this would look great with navy shorts, nude or white sandals, and a delicate pendant necklace. If you're somewhere that will start getting cooler in the next couple of weeks, I would wear this with dark wash skinny jeans, nude or brown heeled booties, and bright statement earrings.

Rorey Dress in True Navy 

I'm a sucker for classic Lilly navy dresses. I have over half a dozen in my closet already, and I'm dying to add this one. This dress is such a timeless and flattering style, and as an added bonus, it has pockets! The higher v-neck is feminine, without showing too much, and with the detail around the neckline you have the option of adding a delicate gold or pearl necklace, but it would look just as good with no necklace at all. This would be a great dress for end of summer weddings and brunches.

Taryn Maxi Dress in Melon Fig Ginger Jar

Another piece that makes me with I was taller. The ginger jar print on this dress is to die for. The details in the print are gorgeous, and the melon pink color is unexpected in this print, but it works. Since this pattern in so busy, I would keep my jewelry relatively simple with this dress, maybe a pair of blue or white studs, or a simple gold bangle. I would really let this dress speak for itself.

Leighton Shirt in Bennett Blue Beachy Stripe 

This top really gets back to Lilly's classically preppy roots. You can't go wrong with a blue and white striped button down, it never goes out of style, and the ruffles on the sleeve add that something special to really elevate the shirt. You could get away with wearing this shirt to work in an office environment, I would pair it with either a beige pencil skirt or navy straight leg dress pants, and nude pumps.

Tour of Tangier

I'm finally back home from my big trip to Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, and I've been enjoying just lounging around on the couch doing nothing. This is my last outfit post from the trip, it's from my brief stop in Tangier, Morocco. We only had one full day in Tangier, and two half days, but we made the most of our time. We booked a tour guide to take us around to all the sites outside the city center, and to take us through the various markets in the city. Morocco was very culturally different than Spain and Portugal, and since we were two young women traveling alone, we felt much more comfortable with a tour guide than we did walking through the streets of the Kasbah area by ourselves. We made an effort to be respectful of the Muslim culture, and dressed so that our shoulders and knees were covered each day.

We started our day driving out of the city to the coast. We went to a few gorgeous look out points, including where you can see the Atlantic Ocean meet the Mediterranean Sea. We drove along the beach and stopped to meet some camels. We had the opportunity to ride them, but I was too nervous to do that. I never really liked horses as a child, and a camel is kind of like a weird horse. After watching the camels stand up with people riding them, I was glad that I didn't participate, because they way they stand up is super weird, and everyone looked like they were about to fall off. Then we went to the famous Hercules caves, where Hercules from Ancient Rome is said to have stayed and slept in the caves before completing his 11th of the 12 Labors, getting the golden apples from Hesperides Garden. I minored in Classical Civilizations in college, which was basically just studying Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, so I was very excited to visit the caves. We drove back into town and ended the day with a late lunch at a local family restaurant, and wandering through the various markets.

Outfit planning for Tangier was a little bit tricky because we wanted to make sure our knees and shoulders were covered. I had been wearing a lot of sleeveless and above the knee dresses on the trip, but those weren't an option. I opted to go with my Lilly Pulitzer Travel Pants and a pearl embellished t-shirt. The Travel Pants are incredible, they're basically fancy, more structured leggings. They have an elastic waistband and they're stretchy, but the material is thicker than most leggings and they have a seem up the front of both legs which adds an element of sophistication. They're incredibly comfortable, I wore them on our both of our trans-Atlantic flights, and they were perfect for spending the day touring Tangier. I chose my pearl t-shirt, because it was such an easy way to cover my shoulders without getting too hot. I like to have a couple of cuter t-shirts on hand for things like this. The pearls around the neckline of my t-shirt make it more fun and feminine than just a simple plain white t-shirt. I added the scarf as a fun pop of color against the white t-shirt, and the navy in the scarf went well with my navy pants, it was the perfect accessory to elevate an otherwise simple outfit. I opted for comfort sandals this day, because we spent a lot of time walking around in the sand and dirt, and the ground in the markets was not the cleanest, so I didn't want to ruin a cute pair of sandals. Finding a pair of comfort sandals that are somewhat cute is crucial for any long trip with a lot of walking, they will save your feet.

~ Scarf ~ Top (similar) ~ Pants ~ Bag (similar) ~ Sandals (similar) ~ Sunglasses (similar) ~ Watch ~

Magic In Madrid

Madrid was one of the cities that we spent the most amount of time on this trip. We spent four entire days there, getting in at noon the first day and not leaving until 10PM the fourth day. Madrid was very different from most of the other Spanish cities we had visited so far. It was very urban and more modern than San Sebastian and LaGuardia, it even felt more urban and modern than Barcelona. It was a very convenient city to get around. Almost all of the tourist sites are in the same area of the city. The Royal Palace, the Cathedral, Plaza Mayor, the Prado Museum, and the Mercado de San Miguel are all within an easy walk from each other. Because everything was so close together, we got tourist sites checked off our list pretty quickly, and we had more time to relax and enjoy the culture of the city. We ended up spending a lot of time at the Mercado de San Miguel. It was the perfect place to grab lunch, because we could try small samples from each stall, instead of committing to one cafe or tapas bar. Our favorite stall was a burrata and mozzarella stand. They sold little pieces of bread piled sky high with an extremely pillowy and soft burrata, topped with some delicious flavor of jam or jelly and a bit of meat or nuts. My favorite one was topped with blueberry jam and sliced almonds. The contrast of the sweet jam with the salty burrata was absolutely delicious.

We also enjoyed wandering around the Sabatini Gardens. There has been a bit of a heat wave in Spain this August, and Madrid was very hot in the afternoons, so we woke up early one morning to get to the gardens soon after they opened, so we could enjoy our time there before it got too hot to be comfortable. This white romper came in handy with the heat. I'm usually not a big fan of rompers, they don't always look right on my body type, and I just generally don't feel comfortable in them. I love this style that Lilly Pulitzer has started making. It has an apron skirt in the front and back, to make it feel a bit more like a dress even though it is a romper. The apron skirt makes it more flattering, because it covers up any potential unflattering bunching of the shorts in the front. This romper made me feel like a greek goddess while I was wearing it. The pattern of the white lace is a more fun and summer pattern than a traditional lace pattern, and the gold detail around the neckline and shoulders adds the perfect amount of glamour, but it's still appropriate for daytime. I stuck with gold and white for my jewelry, to have a more cohesive look, and I love how it turned out. The gold bangle plays well off the neckline, and the white beaded earrings match the fun and summery tone of the lace print. I felt very cute and confident as I walked around Madrid that day. If you're someone that's on the fence about rompers, I highly recommend checking out Lilly Pulitzer's Donna Romper. It comes in different patterns and solid colors, so there's something for everyone.

~ Romper ~ Sandals (similar) ~ Earrings ~ Bracelet ~ Sunglasses (similar) ~ Purse (similar) ~