I Heart Puffy Hearts

While the aesthetic of novelty purses is appealing to me, their price tags usually aren't. I'm okay with paying more for an investment piece but a bag in the shape of a tea cup, popcorn box, boat, heart  or flower (Gorgeous!) doesn't exactly qualify as that (unless I win the lotto, in which case that tea cup and flower purse will be mine). 

Speaking of novelty purses, I saw some darling clutches in a window along Fifth Avenue. I didn't catch the name of the store but you can't miss all the glittery objects in the window. I think the tiger and the pink rose clutches are my favorites of the ones I saw. 

Recently I popped into H&M, and came across this soft puffy heart purse. I looked at it and thought "I heart this heart purse."  There weren't many left and according to the cashier she was surprised any were left at all....apparently a lot of us really love these little purses. Mine has a slight crease on it but I'm sure that will come out with a little steam action.  Frankly, I can't put much in this purse but it's not intended to be a workhorse kind of purse anyways. I think the day these photos were taken I had some kleenex and some lip balm in it and there wasn't much room beyond that. There's something kind of decadent about carrying around a little purse that sort of looks like a Valentine's Day box of chocolates. A fun (and inexpensive) addition to my wardrobe, and one that I can't wait to style with other outfits.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): thrifted

Denim Leggings (old): BCBG

Heart Purse: H&M

Is it a Dress, a Blouse or a Skirt? All of the Above

Excuse how wrinkled my skirt looks in these photos. I hate ironing on my day off and did a rushed job of it this morning.  Since I was only running a few errands today before heading back to work tomorrow I didn’t put much effort into ironing as I normally might. Even though I know that as the day wears on I’m likely to end up a little rumpled, I still like to start the day off looking fresh which includes neatly pressed clothing.  

I’ve had this BCBG pull-on tunic dress for years and it’s one of my favorites to throw on and be out the door. Unlike the skirt, it does stay mostly wrinkle free. In fact, I pulled it out of the drawer today and didn’t even touch it up with the iron.  What’s great about pieces like this is how easily they can be styled in a variety of ways. Some days, I wear the dress simply over a pair of leggings. In the fall, I often wear with skinny jeans, a chunky crop sweater and boots. Put a long sleeve thermal shirt under the dress and add a pair of cord leggings or wool skirt along with  a long sweater cardigan and you have a toasty and stylish winter look.

Today, I wore it tucked into a shirt so that it appears to be a blouse. The attached belt on the dress sits in just the right place so that when I paired it with this skirt from Zara it lays just about the waistband. And of course, the neutral colors and subtle pattern in the dress increase the possibilities for re-mixing in new ways. It’s great when you find a piece that you can integrate into your wardrobe in new ways with each wear.

Outfit Details:

Tunic Dress (old) - BCBG (similar idea here, here and here)

Skirt (old) - Zara (similar idea here, here, and here)

Necklace (old) - Submerged Necklace, Anthropologie (similar idea here and here)

Bag (old) - Dear Parsy Tote, Anthropologie

Ice Cream Social

This dress reminds me of a beachside carnival with its colorful chevrons and draping.  The fabric is really light, almost like the kind of material used to make kites or pendant banners.  I could imagine this material being used to make little flags for a fleet of toy sailboats as it catches the slightest breeze and feels light as a feather.

I found it at Steps in the South Street Seaport, the same place where I found these pants.  It may not be the most well constructed dress (and in fact resembles more of large shirt without the tie belt), but It more than makes up for that with its happy coloring and easy-going nature.  Also, it was $10! Even though I had this dress for a couple of months, I just wore it this past weekend as the weather finally seemed appropriate for such a summery look. I actually wore it to an Ice Cream Social event at work and was kind of amused that the dress fit with the decor. I do like a good theme….

Anyways, it just goes to show you that personal style is all about what you like; there are no rules. One day you might wear a high end dress by a specific designer and the next a super inexpensive one with no label, or you may even mix things up (something I love doing). There are no trends or colors of the year in style. It’s all about choosing what appeals you, and not caring whether it’s “in" fashion or not.

Outfit Details:

Dress: Steps

Jean leggings (old): BCBG (other jean leggings here)

T-shirt: J Crew Perfect Fit Tee

Earrings (old): somewhere along Queen Street West, Toronto

Necklace (old): detachable detail from a dress