A Bumblebee I am Not

Just a quick outfit post for today.  I was in crazy Monday mode so didn't bother to stop anywhere on the way to or from work to take some photos.  Some days are just like that. The weather forecast keeps calling for thundershowers and I'd rather not get caught in one so that also kept me from taking a more leisurely approach.  Anyways, I decided to wear Maeve's Otta dress today since I haven't worn it that much this summer.  I love its bold yellow, black and white geometric pattern, the dropwaist silhouette and even the covered buttons along the side.  One thing that bothers me about this dress is how much the colors have bled. I've washed it out by hand a few times and have had serious problems.  I really wish designers would colorfast their garments.  I still love this dress but wish I could say that it looked the same as the day I bought it.  

To style it, I paired it with a simple black cardigan embellished by a white lace collar which I think shows off the geometric pattern but also plays off the vintage design.  Black opaque tights help to ground the outfit and playful white flats add just enough quirky flair to keep this outfit from looking old fashioned.  Yellow, black and white really is a favorite color combination of mine...there's no need to fear looking like a bumblebee if you find patterns, hues and accessories that work for you.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old) - Otta Dress, Anthropologie

Cardigan - Cable and Gauge Lace Collar Cardigan, Lord and Taylor

T-shirt - J Crew Perfect Fit Tee

Shoes - Pinch, Lash, Smidgen Flat by Loly in the Sky, Modcloth

Bringing the Beach to the City Streets

When I first saw this dress it was love at first sight! First, turquoise and yellow are one of my favorite color combinations.  Second, I love the V shaped back with exposed zipper (which I really should of photographed too…sorry). Third, you can never go wrong with a fit and flare style. Fourth, a beach scene….on a dress…who doesn’t like the beach?!! And fifth, Tracy Reese is THE designer who consistently creates dresses that I not only think are beautiful but also which feel comfortable on.  Sometimes there are gorgeous dresses that feel too precious to wear or where you feel you have to be careful how you move either because of the shaping, materials, detailing, etc. Dresses should be more more than pretty, they should fun to wear.  Bright colors, playful patterns and great silhouettes, Reese’s dresses never lack in style or detail, but most importantly they make wearing them a complete joy. Basically, Tracy Reese dresses are magical.

P.S. Last Fall I got to meet Tracy Reese and she was as gracious as you might imagine. You can check out my post from that experience here.

Outfit Details:

Dress - Plenty by Tracy Reese Frock, Beach Print (purchased from Bloomingdales)

T-Shirt - Perfect Fit Tee from J Crew (can you tell I love these t-shirts?)

Shoes - Me Too Kailani Patent Embellished Flats in blue (purchased from Lord and Taylor)

Cardigan - Beaded Collar Cardigan in Rose Gold (purchased from Lord and Taylor)