Wearing my newest sweater acquisition! I mentioned in my February wardrobe update that I finally bought another sweater from my friend Jamie's clothing line - mīere the label. She is currently in between collections/stocking items but keep an eye on her site for when she launches more! This is the Frankie sweater and it is perfectly chunky, slightly oversized and super cozy! I'm sad I will probably only be able to wear it a couple more times before it gets too warm! I'll make up for that next year.
Decided to go for an (almost) monochromatic look for it's first outing as an ode to Jamie. She is the queen of monochromatic looks and simple but chic outfits! I did want to add one element of surprise to the look so I paired it with my bright purple Prada Cahier! I had been trying to rotate through other bags lately because I've really been favoring it. What can I say - I'm still obsessed.
Sweater: mīere the label "Frankie" knit sweater (currently out of stock)
Jeans: Free People 'Jax' Patchwork Jeans
Shoes: BCBGeneration Yerra slip on sneaker (DSW)
Labradorite Necklace: Indulgems (Gilt)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
*This post was made in partnership with Responsival. Thank you for supporting brands I feature*
What better way to start off 2022 than buying something pretty? If you're going to buy new jewelry this year, consider classic sustainable jewelry from Aurate! The New York based brand is doing what it can to make the jewelry industry more ethical and sustainable.
All of Aurate's gold is sustainable; it's 100% recycled and is able to be reused without losing quality or harming the environment. In addition to their gold, Aurate only uses sustainably harvested pearls from family-run farms. I found this pretty cool video showing how on farm sustainably grows and harvests their pearls.
If gold and pearls aren't your thing, never fear because their diamonds are also ethically sourced using the Kimberley Process. This ensures that the diamonds are not from conflict regions and there are no human rights violations behind the scenes.
This is what I wore for our Christmas Eve celebrations. I actually ended up changing into burgundy jeans once I got to my parents because I realized the suede coating on these was peeling away from the pants, not a cute look. So, sadly, this is the last outfit post featuring these faux-suede pants.
Sweater: Inis Crafts Fishermans Sweater (Marshalls)
Faux Suede Jeans: Blank NYC 'Persuede' jeans (South Moon Under)
Sandals: Lanvin studded leather 'City' sandal (The RealReal)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Some other sustainable and ethical brands to shop:
Everlane - Longtime readers will know of my Everlane tee obsession. Pretty much all of my tshirts are from the brand, but they're getting a bit worse for wear, so I may need a stock up soon! I also love their cashmere sweaters!
Stella McCartney - If you want some high fashion sustainable clothing look no further than Stella! I have a polar bear sweater and crazy pair of jeans I love. If budgets weren't a thing, I would own much more.
Sézane - I haven't bought anything from Sézane yet, but many of my blogger friends swear by the brand. I've been meaning to make a purchase, perhaps 2022 is my year to buy one of their gorgeous sweaters or dresses!
Resale/Pre-Loved - Another great option is shopping resale sites. Buying something pre-loved instead of brand new will keep clothes out of the landfills and give them a second life. Roundabout is one of my favorite local places (they ship too!) but I also frequently check The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective when I feel like browsing my favorite designer brands or looking for a specific item.
I was not intending on taking outfit photos the day I wore this. Christian and I had a bunch of errands to run in the morning and after having an overindulgent lunch at Chili's (to use my free birthday dessert!) we decided to take a long walk in the park. It was too pretty to not snap a few photos so you get to see a super simple outfit and no makeup. Jeans, tee, cardigan - done!
It was a PERFECT Fall day so we ended up staying over an hour just walking around and chatting. Simple pleasures. A nice change from sitting on the couch on my computer all day. We were also having a nice laugh watching the park rangers go around the parking lot giving people tickets if they didn't have a park sticker. We don't live in town anymore so we actually bought a non-resident sticker so we could continue to come to this park.
Tee: A New Day via Target
Purple Cardigan: Max Studio
Jeans: Current/Elliott skinny jean in Love Destroyed
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Apteros' in Crosta Wine (bought in Athens)
Stud earrings will always be my earring of choice because they are so easy to wear and sleep in without worry. I'm notorious for wearing the same pair for weeks on end but thanks to Aurate I've been swapping out my earrings more often because I've grown a small collection of cute pairs from the brand.
With many of Aurate's earrings you can buy singles or pairs which makes it super easy to customize stud earrings for your tastes. They have a new diamond moon, lightening bolt, gold letters, birthstones and more! All can also be made in yellow, rose or white gold so there truly is something for everyone. I bought a Pearl and Gold Bar Duo Stud Earring in rose gold so I could swap out one of my pearl studs for added interest. Such a fun addition to my jewelry box.
This order was the first time I chose items that weren't in stock at the time of purchase. This means that I got to follow along the progress of my earring being made! Aurate doesn't keep a ton of pieces on hand so that you don’t pay for extra inventory costs and they produce less waste. I got emails throughout the whole process so I knew when to expect my jewelry.
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| Status emails from Aurate |
Since my jewelry collection is growing it may be time to figure out a new display solution. Currently I have a wooden jewelry box my grandpa made where I store old pieces. I also have a clear plastic tray organizer with multiple boxes so I can grab my most worn pieces with ease. For some of my bigger necklaces I have a really cute wall hanger that my Mom made with fun knobs on a piece of teal painted wood, similar to this piece. I did get Aurate's Travel pouch for when I go on longer trips and want jewelry options, super convenient! How do you store your jewelry?
I was going to wear the pearl studs for my brother's wedding reception last month but there was a delay in shipping due to a hurricane and they didn't arrive in time. I opted to go for my fun rose gold Sensu Ear Jackets from Aurate along with my pearl necklace instead!
He got married in a small ceremony last year so this year was technically the reception. I wore the same dress to his small scale wedding but wasn't about to not wear it for the big gathering! To make it different I just switched up my accessories. Easy peasy!
Dress: Ba&sh "Perla" dress in Green Light c/o Shopbop
Shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood Lola pearl sandals (Net-a-Porter)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Simple Pearl Necklace c/o Aurate
Sensu Ear Jackets c/o Aurate
Opal ring + bracelet: Grandma's
An outfit featuring a nice mix of old and new. The sweater tank has been seen MANY times on the blog but I think it's time for a refresher for those that have missed the original story. My late Grandmother - Dad's Mom - made this sweater for my Mom many years ago, I would assume when I was a baby. She also made them for my 3 aunts. My Mom had two because she asked her to make a second in a white/cream color, she still has that one. It was passed on to me back in 2012 and became a Summer staple. I love that whenever I wear this sweater it brings me closer to her (she passed away right before I turned 13.)
These Zara shorts are also a pretty old item - bought in 2012. I'm pretty sure this is one of my most worn tank/short combos. They go so perfectly together. When paired with my new purple Prada Cahier the purple flowers on the shorts pop even more!
You can never go wrong with a pair of Ancient Greek Sandals. This time I wore the Faye embellished sandal, a pretty apt choice now that I'm writing this blog post. My middle name is Faye, after my Grandmother who made the sweater! How funny that I chose this particular pair to wear. Must be a sign.
Sweater: Made by Grandma
Shorts: Zara
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Faye' embellished sandal (Net-a-Porter Sale)
Ring: Vintage Emerald Cut Ring with London Blue Topaz c/o Aurate
Necklace: Shashi Princess Leia Necklace c/o Shopbop
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Italy)
Whoops! Had a bit of a dry spell for posts there, didn't we? I've had a busy past few weeks and haven't had my usual weekends to take outfit photos. For the 4th of July we went on our annual camping trip to Vermont and this past weekend we took a last minute trip to the beach in New Jersey with Christian's brother. We took photos a couple weekends ago but then the following week was crazy so Christian didn't have time to edit them.
I wore this to run a bunch of errands on a Saturday morning before heading to my parents to wash and wax my new car with Dad. Yep, huuuuge update! After 11 years I finally got a new (used) car! Long story short-ish:
We downgraded to 1 car in May when Christian sold his to his brother for his niece. We planned on Christian getting a(n electric) car first, but the ones he
want (also used) are insanely overpriced due to shortages so he's going
to wait a few months to see if they go back to their true value. My Cobalt is 16 years old so it's not the most spritley. We had to repair it last month so it would pass an emissions test. It's also going to need new tires so we don't want to drive it much to avoid any more costly repairs/etc.
I've been thinking about getting a Mini since my Mom got hers years ago but never though I would actually do it. I got super lucky and found a used 2018 in the color I wanted with super low mileage and had to do it! (I wanted a purple one but they haven't made Minis in the shade I want since 2005)
Sadly this means even less clothes shopping than I'm already doing since I have a car payment for the first time in my life...YIKES! (I got the Cobalt very cheap in 2010 without a loan.) Fingers crossed I can do a few big payments and pay it off early like I did with my student loans. I'm not a fan of debt so this is very weird for me.
Dress: Splendid Zebra Print Dress (NETAPORTER)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop
Apparently Splendid loved this print so much they made it in multiple pieces! I bought my Mom pants in this print for Mother's Day quite a few years ago, we've definitely twinned while on vacation. Shop a bunch I found below.
