First, a backstory: Back in 2011 I did a "Dream Outfit" for what I'd wear to the Christmas Tree Farm for our Christmas Tree hunt. It featured a really fun Stella McCartney polar bear sweater, red coat, suede leggings and boots. Being a dream outfit, I never imagined I would own it. However, in 2013 I was able to buy the Stella McCartney sweater from The Outnet for $229 (vs $1145) in their Summer sale and it has been a holiday season staple ever since. I love that it will never really go out of style because it's a statement piece.

Fast forward to this past weekend and visiting Marijane Boutique in Guilford. Lydia works there so I've been meaning to visit for over a year - whoops! Christian and I decided to visit a little farm store in Guilford so I figured it would be smart to kill two birds with one stone and stop by after. The store is on a super cute street on the green and is filled with all types of treasures. As I was going through the coat rack I stumbled upon a holy grail - a Burberry wool coat! It was red and very similar to the coat I used in the dream outfit. I actually think I had this coat on my wish list years ago but never bought it because of the price tag. Based on my research it was either $795 or $995 retail, I snagged it for $230 at Marijane Boutique and it is in perfect condition!

Of course the first thing I paired my new bright red Burberry toggle coat with was the Stella McCartney polar bear sweater! Dreams really do come true, especially for those who wait. 11 years later and I was finally able to pull it off! I don't have a red hat yet, but maybe I'll find one. I decided to break out my beloved Chanel for the occasion. Why not feel super fancy for the day, right?! It's crazy to think that this bag has at least doubled in value since 2012 - yikes!

Coat: Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red (Marijane Boutique)

Polar Bear Sweater: Stella McCartney 'Polar bear intarsia wool and alpaca-blend sweater' - similar version (The Outnet)

Leggings: old 

Boots: Audrey Brooke 'Mirie' (DSW)

Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop 

Bag: Chanel Classic 2.55 Double Flap (Madison Avenue Couture) 

 

Finally getting around to posting photos from Halloween, just in time for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed a perfect Dall day in the park. The trees were definitely showing off and the park was very crowded! Luckily we found a quiet corner to take some photos in. I've had this sweater since May 2020 but this is the first time it's getting outfit photos not taken in my closet. I even wore the same jeans this time because they're the perfect match.

A very similar version - higher neck, slightly different owl and a little darker - is available on eBay or Vestiaire Collective. It's actually the one I DIYed years ago. Sadly, it's not as good of a deal as I got.  I still can't believe the seller let it go for $75. WOWZA! According to the eBay listing they "bought [it] from Net-a-Porter for £1595. This piece sold out almost instantly and is now an iconic, almost impossible to find Burberry Prorsum collector’s item."

Sweater: Burberry beaded owl knit (eBay)

Jeans: rag & bone high rise ankle skinny jean in burgundy

Bag: bought in Venice

Ballet Flats: Chanel caviar leather 'Cap Toe Ballet Flat' via eBay

 

 

THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS 

Clothes:

1. FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop ($127.50, retail $170)
2. *NEW!* Burberry beaded owl sweater via eBay ($75, retail $2950 in 2012)
3. *NEW!* Stella McCartney Wild Cat Skinny Ankle Jeans via eBay ($15 after ad money, retail $735)
   

Basics:

1. J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral ($0 after $25 credit & ad money, retail $228)
2. *NEW!*  Madewell Camp Shorts in Faded Rosebud c/o Shopbop ($35, retail $50)

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clara' Sandal c/o Shopbop ($221.25, retail $295)
2. Sperry Rio Aqua Slip-On Sneaker ($14.83 via DSW, retail $64.99)

Accessories:

1. Ray Ban 'Erika' Sunglasses in Havana c/o Shopbop (retail $163)
2. Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop ($118.50, retail $158)
3. *NEW!*  Shashi Princess Leia Necklace c/o Shopbop ($55)

Activewear:

1. *NEW!* SPANX Look At Me Now Seamless Leggings in Indigo Leopard c/o Shopbop ($68)

Gifted from Brands:

1. AUrate Pearl Studs in Rose Gold (retail $150)
2. AUrate Medium Chain Bracelet in Rose Gold (retail $50)

Total spent in May: $90

Total spent in 2020: $104.83

This outfit comes with a long backstory. But it's necessary to share why I had to make this purchase.  Back in February 2012 I posted photos of Burberry's Autumn/Winter 2012 collection. In that post I said:

[...] ESPECIALLY the owl print t-shirts. I don't care how much they cost but I am going to get my hands on one of those! I'm an owl obsessed freak…maybe it comes from my Harry Potter obsession but I think they are SO cute!

Spoiler alert: I ended up not getting one of the owl tees. Instead I DIYed my own version because I couldn't justify the $300+ price tag. The sweater version with the beaded owl retailed for $3000.

Even though I had my DIY version I still searched for the real version. I had alerts for "Burberry owl" set up on eBay and a couple other sites. Owl sweaters & tees came and went with me resisting purchase. A few months ago I got an eBay alert that one had been posted. I watched it knowing I probably wouldn't buy it since it had been so long.

But then quarantine happened and I got an offer from the seller to purchase it for $75. How could I resist? Luckily I was able to make the splurge because my recent Disney trip was cancelled and I had a negative balance on my credit card from the refunds.  The rest of the refund money will go back into my vacation savings account.

This isn't the exact version I had posted 8 years ago, the sweater is a little lighter and the neck isn't as high, but it is pretty darn close! You can even tell that the owl I recreated was this owl - the colors I chose were very similar. I couldn't replicate the design exactly because I couldn't find small enough beads in colors/shapes I liked.

We're getting in to warmer weather now but I really wanted to post this before it goes away until Fall. Luckily last week we had some cold days so I wore it lounging around the house.

It was a Burberry day a couple weekends ago when I wore this cardigan coat and animal print loafers. Both pieces are from Net-a-Porter's End of Season Sale almost a year apart. I bought the sweater near the end of their 2012 Winter sale (in January 2013) and the loafers on the first day of the 2013 Winter sale in November.  I knew the shoes would sell out so I snatched them up before that would happen, good thing too because I'm pretty sure they sold out that weekend.

The cardigan is actually a size or two too big for me but I loved it when I saw it and all other sizes were sold out so I took a risk and bought the large. I'm glad I did because it allows me to double layer thick sweaters and acts as a coat on colder days. To offset the chunkiness of the sweater I paired it with skinny jeans.

Cardigan Coat: Burberry Brit (Net-a-Porter), Turtleneck: J.Crew 'Tissue' Turtleneck (shop more turtleneck sweaters), Jeans: rag & bone high rise ankle skinny jean in burgundy (shop more rag & bone), Loafer: Burberry Prorsum (Net-a-Porter), Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop

I had two weddings to go to in October, one for a cousin and the other for a friend I've had since I was very young. This is what I wore to my cousin's wedding up in Newport, Rhode Island. It was a chilly and windy day on the island so I needed this sweater to not freeze. Luckily the tent the reception was held in had heaters and we were seated right next to one, perfection!

The wedding was lovely and the bride's dress was GORGEOUS! I wish I could show you all a photo. My cousin married a very stylish woman, which I appreciate.  The location was the Eisenhower House at Fort Adams State Park.

I chose one of my favorite dresses  that sadly doesn't get out that much because it's pretty dressy.  I bought this Burberry London dress in Net-a-Porter's End of Season sale in 2012 and it has been worn to two (I think) weddings before this. One in July and the other in June. This was it's first Fall outing. I paired it with low block heels since we would be in the grass and topped it with a simple black cardigan.  If we weren't going to be in the grass I may have opted for a higher, thinner heel. But I like how it looks with these Lanvin sandals.

Dress: Burberry London printed silk chiffon dress (Net-a-Porter), Sandals: Lanvin studded leather 'City' sandal (The RealReal), Cardigan: Banana Republic Italian Cashmere-Blend Boyfriend Cardigan (shop cardigans), Italian Leather Bag: shop mini bags, Simple Pearl Necklace c/o AUrate