http://240-sx.com/ultimate-240sx-engine-guide So I’ve been toying with design since I was a teenager and, luckily for me, my mom is an expert seamstress who has always been able to bring my ideas to life. Right now I’m into purses. This is my latest:

Saint Peters  

I think it’s gorgeous and apparently some of you out there agree with me. I’ve only carried it around a few times but multiple people have commented on it. so I’m toying with selling some custom versions of it. They’d likely run a little over a hundred bucks. Wonder how many of you would go for it…

As soon as the calendar page switched over to August the end of season sale signs came out in full force. The stores are actually already receiving the first fall arrivals and they need to clear shelf space for them – hence, the knock down prices you see on summer stock every August. And while it’s totally depressing to think of fall and back-to-school, it’s a great time to stock up on some summer staples. So here’s what you should be shopping for in the next few weeks.

1. bathing suits – It’s “two for one” or “buy one get one half off” time and what better time to stock up on some great suits. Do it early in August for the most selection in styles and sizes and be adventurous. At these prices you can afford to fall in love with a style you might not want to wear every time you go to the beach. It’s a great time to look for “sun tan only” suits or to buy that designer special you simply couldn’t afford to pay full price for earlier in the season.

2. tanks, tees and shorts – They’re everywhere and they’re going for next to nothing. This is a great time to update your tank wardrobe. Think staples such as white and grey fitted tanks for layering in the fall; loose, funky patterned tanks that you can wear with denims through September and when spring rolls around again next year, and dressy evening tanks in basic colours that you can layer under jackets all year round. Summer is the best time to buy these tops and they’re all on sale! Similarly, this is a good time to go through your tee-shirts and figure out where you’re at since they too are on the sale racks. Finally, it’s also a great time to pick up some shorts. Be smart about these though. You do not want to spend any money on anything trendy at this point in the season so stick to classic colours and styles or stock up on comfy, casual shorts in soft fabrics and cool colours as these are always appropriate for the beach, the park, or casual hangouts on the weekends – no matter the current trends.

3. Spring left overs –  Most of the stores will pull out their left over spring stuff and discount it by huge amounts as they attempt to clear their store rooms. If you’re lucky, you can find great summer weight sweaters, jeans, long-sleeve tees, summer weight coats and jackets all at greatly reduced prices. Again, do not invest any money in trendy items but go ahead and get the classic pieces you passed up in the spring – if you’re lucky enough to find them in your size and in the right colour. They’ll be great as transitional items for fall and will still work well next year.

4. Designer accessories – This might just be the time when you can actually afford that Michael Kors purse or those Kate Spade shoes – and, if you’re lucky, they’ll still have the style (and size) you were lusting for in the spring. But again – ONLY drop your credit card for these things if they are wearable four seasons or are guaranteed to still look great next spring. Because our summers are so short, and since we don’t really get much spring or fall really, it’s important to carefully calculate your cost per wear for really high end designer items. It may simply not be worth it, even at the sale price, to splurge on summer wear – and may actually make more sense to pay full price for a fall piece that you can wear from September through April (and maybe longer).  This is doubly true since fall collections often have more classic pieces than summer collections which tend to be more whimsical. The more classic an item the more value for money you’ll get!

5. Work out wear – Lululemon rarely holds a real sale worthy of your time. Their sale rack tends to be loaded with those colours that nobody liked and with the stupid tiny sizes. So if you’re a die hard Lulu fan you’ll need to pay full price pretty much year round – unless you are really lucky! However, most other retailers will sale price their summer work out wear as well as their regular clothing. It’s a great time for colourful sports bras, tanks, and work out pants – which tend to be much harder to find in the winter when everything is grey or black. If you work out indoors, your bright summer stuff can work year round  (and has the bonus feature of being particularly uplifting in January when everything and everyone is so blah…) so go ahead and stock up.

6. Dresses – If you have an end of summer wedding or other function to go to, this is the time to buy a new dress for the occasion. All summer dresses are hugely discounted and, since it’s for a special event, it doesn’t really matter if you’ll get much more wear out of it afterwards – as long as the price is really good! This is one time when I’d go ahead and sale splurge if you feel the urge.

As you shop at this time of year it’s generally good to remember a few basic rules. Steer clear of the fall racks – it’s too early for transitional pieces and so much more will come in in the next 8 weeks. I know those soft cashmere sweaters, booties, and funky dresses look tempting but bide your time! And do not be fooled by the low prices on summer stuff. It’s only a deal if you can wear it – no matter how cheap it is. You still need to try stuff on. You still need to focus on wearability and function. Think about your existing wardrobe, and remember that the “needs to go with three things I already own” rule still applies. There’s no point stuffing your closet with things that don’t work simply because they were cheap. But if it works, and it fits, AND it’s cheap then I say “Score!”. 🙂

So I’ve been away a while… I was on a roll – posting regularly, tweeting, pinning and posting pics. I was feeling good. Then June happened. It’s a pretty blah fashion month for me as my real job requires very casual (and easy to launder) outfits at that point. No cool heels, funky skirts, fun shorts or silk tops. It’s all casual shorts and tanks with sneakers. Boooring! And June is not a good shopping month really. Unless you’re shopping for casual shorts, bikinis and tanks. Bikinis shopping stresses me out. And shopping for cotton basics does not thrill me the way finding a sweet deal on a classic designer jacket, scoring the perfect purse or happening upon a cool shoe that actually fits me always does. Summer, like June, consists, in my world, of cotton basics though I admit I switch up the kicks with flip flops or Birks on occasion. Again… practical and comfortable but boooring from a fashion point of view. Hence my lack of inspiration for posts, tweets, pins and pics. I’ve spent July re-charging my batteries – mental and physical. I’m almost back. Almost ready to start watching fall runway shows, figure out which trends you need to be up about and tell you all about it. In the meantime, I’m posting two sets of “packing for trips” pics on the “outfit” page. Check it out for some ideas for your next weekend get-away or vacation packing. And enjoy the sun, the heat (which seems to finally have arrived) and the relaxed summer pace. Cheers!

So, I promised I would get through this and here is the updated total. When last I wrote the number was up to 347 pieces + work out wear and pj’s. Turns out I forgot 2 pairs of shoes so that number is now 50. I hadn’t counted flip flops and sneakers so I did that: 4 pairs of casual sneakers (brown, white and green, black and white), 5 pairs of flip flops and 2 pairs of chunky sandals – one in white and one in bronze. In my world these aren’t really shoes since they only get worn in the summer and a few days in the spring and fall. But still… I had also omitted to count one tote so that count is up to 28. I’ve asked mom to make me a white clutch for my birthday (it’s totally impossible to find a nice one) so that’ll go up to 29. There are also a few items that were at mom’s for tailoring that I had forgotten about so I need to add 1 sweater, a jumpsuit and 2 jackets to the count. I also have 4 pairs of leggings I hadn’t accounted for (brown, navy, black and grey) + there was one shirt in my dry cleaning bag. In the winter rotation there are 6 more skirts, 4 pairs of pants including 2 pairs of leather leggings, 1 pair of leather trimmed leggings (which are not going to make it into next season’s line-up I don’t think because too many people have them now) and 1 pair of waxed denims. There are also 2 dresses. So the final count is (drum roll please!)…..

380 (including the purse I don’t yet have!) Oh… and the two new tanks I picked up Saturday while shopping for mother’s day… so 382. That’s it. That’s everything. Not nearly as extensive as inspiration girl and all being worn regularly. I feel OK about this – and it certainly is going to make me consider every purchase even more carefully than I already did so that’ll be good for my credit card bills. 🙂

Well, as promised, I’ve started to count. This was actually way easier than I thought since my closet is very organized so it was pretty straightforward.

Here’s where the inventory stands:

• 36 tops (That includes blouses, the 5 white button downs I already mentioned, a few dressy tank style tops, and 2 jersey wrap thingies that could count as sweaters or cardis but are hanging with my tops / blouses so got counted with those. There are actually 3 that may not last past this season: one that my mom gave me and is totally cute but may not actually prove to work with the rest of my stuff, a boxy little linen top that appeals to me but I don’t tend to go for so it’s on trial for the season – if I don’t wear it multiple times it has to go! – and 1 dressy tank that just isn’t that comfortable but is perfect for a few outfits so I tend to hang on to it.)
• 1 super dressy top – which I mentioned last time and is not in the regular rotation
• 3 pairs of pants (I’d forgotten the pair from Aritzia in the “off-the-top-of-my-head” count)
• 8 skirts in spring / summer rotation
• 2 super dressy skirts not in regular rotation
• 6 dressy pairs of shorts (suitable for work or going out)
• 10 pairs of casual shorts for the boat or the beach
• 8 tunics
• 12 dresses in spring / summer rotation
• 3 special occasion dresses (already mentioned)
• 9 pairs of blue jeans (3 boyfriends and the rest are skinnies)
• 6 coloured pairs of denims (including my cargo pants which are heavy cotton enough to qualify)
• 51 tees or tanks (give or take one or two which might be in the laundry)
• 25 jackets / blazers (including both my leather jackets and my 3 safari jackets / anoraks)
• 46 sweaters (including 2 turtlenecks, and 6 cardis)
• 5 pairs of sweats (4 that can be worn in public and 1 to fully veg out)
• 8 sweatshirts (4 of which are considered “real” clothes)
• 3 casual fall / winter jackets (including my ski jacket)
• 1 raincoat
• 3 fall / spring coats (including a trench)
• 2 dressy winter coats (including my vintage fur)
• 2 down vests
• ski pants / foul weather pants for sailing
• assorted sailing and ski wear (including long underwear, fleece wear, and quick dry tops)
• assorted running, squash and yoga gear (including 2 running jackets – spring and winter weights)
• assorted Pj’s (5 are in summer rotation currently) + 2 robes (winter and summer weights)
• 5 bathing suits (including 2 for the boat, 2 that I can wear in public without being totally self-conscious, and 1 cheap one with more coverage for the spa – because I ruined one really expensive Brazilian bikini in a hot tub and will never f*** up that way again!) and 1 cover-up tunic
• 4 pairs of sports shoes (running, misc., squash and sailing)
• 2 gym bags / carry-all for regular use
• 2 overnight bags (That I really never use because we don’t do overnight trips that are short enough but my mom made one for me so it’s kind of special and the other is a beautiful leather one that is too gorgeous to toss or give away. I know these should go.)
• 27 purses
• 48 pairs of shoes or boots (This actually surprised me as I would have thought more. But I have been culling extensively and seriously for a few years now so obviously I’ve had an impact.)
• 3 pairs of good winter boots (2 casual – brown and black – and 1 dressy wedge heeled black)
• 1 pair of Sorels
• 2 pairs of Uggs
• 2 pairs of rainboots (tall Hunters and short ankle ones)

At this point, I still  have to count belts and scarves (which the inspiration woman didn’t do but I think count) and the tops, skirts and dresses in my winter rotation (there aren’t many). I also haven’t looked at hats, gloves, and winter scarves. But you know it’s better than I feared. So far the total number of pieces is 347 + the assorted sports wear and pj’s (which I didn’t actually count piece by piece). And my count is more extensive than hers was because she didn’t count outerwear or carry-alls, bathing suits, work out gear or pj’s. Do you think it’s possible that I’m a minimalist of sorts? Who knew??? The good news is that I won’t have to feel badly about shopping in New York! Amen to that…

Still… I will finish the count. Just to see.

I was on Pinterest the other day (Nicole Style Solutions https://www.pinterest.com/wardrobestyle1/) looking for cool things to add to my inspiration boards. I have one for the new season (there are so many really funky things to wear this season!), one for transitional outfit ideas, one for brides, and I’m still adding. I also have a really cool “tips and how-to’s” one that has really cool tricks to help you cope with the million things that come up when we get dressed – from bra sizing to storing accessories, it’s all there! Plus a very funny “What Not To Wear” one. Anyway… as I was happily pinning away, I came across this pin by a blogger who had recently decided to upgrade her style and was going to start by cleaning out her current closet. What caught my interest was that she started with an inventory of her current clothing. The woman had like 700+ pieces in her wardrobe. 46 cardigans alone. 30 something pairs of jeans. 110 dresses. Jesus. It got me wondering… do I have too much stuff too?

The thing is that I have a very well edited wardrobe. Nothing in there is too big, or too small, or unflattering. Nothing is tatty or needs repairs or too dated to wear. I don’t own any clothing just for sentimental reasons or because I can’t admit I’ve grown up out of them. And, except for 3 evening dresses, my hand-beaded Donna Karan skirt, and the stunningly gorgeous halter neck silk blouse that I wore to my brother’s wedding and just cannot stand to part with, everything is in regular rotation. I carefully plan all my purchases every season and, like a believer in minimalist wardrobes, every piece I own mixes and matches with most others so I can make an almost limitless number of outfits (even without considering scarves and belts or even shoes, one season I counted over 300). I only spend real money on classic pieces that will last forever and I’m very kind to my clothes so they tend to keep almost that long. I have tons of pieces that are easily 20 years old. I upgrade those with a few trendy pieces every season to make everything feel new. These days I tend to live by a “one in, one out” philosophy so there really is very little in there I can imagine living without. However, I’ve never done a count. I’ve never lined everything up and actually added it all up. I wonder what that would look like.

I can start the count from memory. I own 3 evening dresses – a blue one, a black one and a full length grey one. I have two evening skirts and 1 stunning evening blouse. I own 2 pairs of pants (I’m not really a pants kind of girl) and a dozen sweatshirts + 5 pairs of sweatpants. I know I own 5 white button downs and that 3 of those won’t make the cut next season because of yellowing. But then it gets kind of more difficult. So, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to count. Not tonight and maybe not even this month. But really soon – I swear! I will count everything. Every pair of shoes. Every shirt. Even the T-shirts and the scarves (which I kind of collect so that might be scary). Winter stuff, summer stuff, all of it! Just to see… Maybe it’ll convince me I don’t need to go shopping in New York come August. I’d be surprised but hey you never know right?

I’ll let you know what I find out!

I love sunglasses! My first real designer purchase was a pair of Chanel sunglasses that I’ll treasure forever. But it can be really hard to find the perfect frames. This website is awesome: http://www.frame hsdirect.com/landing/a/face-shape-guide.html It will help you figure out your face shape and show you all shapes and styles of glasses that will suit you and it’ll show you which ones to avoid.

Here’s a synopsis to get your started.

First you’ve got to figure out your face shape.  Basically, there are 4 face shapes determined by the width of your forehead, cheeks, and chin as well as the shape of your jawline. If your forehead is wider than your chin which tends to be pointy you have a heart shaped face.

If your forehead, cheeks and chin are approximately the same width and your face is longer than it is wide then you have an oval face.

If your face is as wide as it is long and your features are soft with a rounded chin you have a round face.

And, finally, if you have strong features with well-defined angles in the forehead, cheeks and jawline you have a square face.

Oval shapes are considered the easiest to “dress” and most frames styles will suit an oval face. So you can choose aviators, round shapes (so fashionable this year), rectangular or aviators for example. The only thing you need to remember is to watch proportions so that the scale of the glasses matches that of your face.

Round faces are widest at the cheekbones and lack hard edges so rectangular and angular frames work really well. Wayfarers, cat eyes, square or rectangular frames will all be flattering. Avoid round or over-sized frames.

Square shapes are fairly easy to dress too. Avoid oval frames or frames that have heavy dark top “brow” frames but aviator styles, wraps, cat eyes, wayfarers and rectangular or square shapes will  all work.

Heart-shaped faces need well proportioned glass shapes such as wayfarer or sport styles, aviators, or round shapes. Avoid anything too heavy, too embellished or too wide.

For those of you who aren’t even sure what all those frame names refer to check out the pics below.

Aviator:       Wayfarer:   

cat eye:      wrap:      

Round:        rectangular:   

Square:      embellished:     

Heavy Brow:    oval:  

over-sized: 

There you go. This should give you something to work with. Happy shopping!

Well, it’s now mid April and my spring shopping is officially done. I’m not regretting the flares at all but I’m totally loving the cropped jeans – wearing them tons!!! – and I’m getting a huge amount of wear out of the new shoes from the crazy shopping at Heel Boy in the Distillery District. So yeah for that!!! Since then, I’ve added a few more things. I know that it sounds like a lot but I’ve honestly not spent a lot of money; I’m still well under a grand. However, here’s the add-ons to the inventory:

I’ve added cute little cropped rain boots in black. They’ll be great when I’m wearing boyfriends which really don’t tuck in to Hunters. They were super cheap but are adorable.

I’ve also picked up a cute little flared red skirt at Zara’s. Cheap and cheerful and it’ll look awesome with my little tennis inspired sweater. I really wanted a colourful flared skirt for just that reason. I was pretty open minded about the colour – I tried one on in a really vibrant “fresh grass green” and a little pleated orange one as well as a bright yellow one – but none really worked until this little one caught my eye. It’s fun and at $20 it doesn’t matter if it only lasts for the one season.

Finally, I updated my lounge wear with a new white cotton bathrobe for summer and my running gear with new sneakers and tank in vibrant purple. It’s making me want to get out there and run (if only I can get rid of this stupid cold!).

So that’s it – I’m done. No more til it’s time for fall shopping and that will happen in New York City this year so I will definitely keep you posted on that! I can’t get excited yet though because I’m trying to live more in the moment. It’s not really working yet but I’m trying…

There was recently a lot of shopping. Like a lot! I had so much fun… I did, in fact buy those flares we talked about last time – a gorgeous pair of perfectly faded J. Brand. Lovely. I wore them around the house, tried on multiple tops with them, then took them back. I just couldn’t get use to how curvy they made me look. What I’ve learned from all this is that flares accentuate your curves. I’m not sure why or how but they definitely do. So, if you’re not into looking curvy, or you’re already curvy enough thank you very much, then flares aren’t likely the right jeans for you. If, however, you are tall and lean these may just be perfect for you. And they are undeniably cool. They have this edge that skinnies just don’t have – a little retro, a whole lot cool, and more than a bit sexy.

I also picked up cropped jeans (mid calf length) with a slightly flared legs. Not quite the culottes shown at Gucci that I so, so love (check out their show on the inspiration page to see what I mean) but definitely edgy and new. I’m totally keeping these. I’ve already paired them with the new button down and these amazing new booties – black with green pony hair. The jeans will also work really well with the mesh sweater, sexy pumps and a structured bag, or platforms and a flowy top. Love these! And in the fall they’ll still be right on trend – I predict everything will be cropped! Just you watch and see.

Then I happen to wander round the Distillery District and, OMG!, Heel Boy had an 80% off sale. You want to talk shoe heaven?? Wow. I actually bought 4 pairs – for not much more than the price of one of them. Amazing! Not all of them are really spring buys but all of them fit so well into my wardrobe. Couldn’t resist – and, at those prices, didn’t need to! So  – damage report here:

1. the black and green booties (So cool and will wear so well all next season because they’re funky and edgy but not so trendy as to look out-dated – which is really important when you’re shopping end of season sales. You do not want to pull out your brand new shoes next season to find you have no interest in wearing them. That is not a bargain. It’s just wasted money you could have spent on summer clothes instead!)

2. beige lace up booties with a really cool heel (These will wear really well all the way through mid June and will look amazing with my khaki jacket, cargoes, full skirts and bermudas. Plus they look freakin’ awesome with jeans. They’ll be just as cool next fall when I pull out wool skirts and cozy sweaters.)

3. grey suede riding boots (Simply awesome! I’ve been looking for the perfect pair of grey knee-high boots for 3 seasons now so I know I’ll wear these forever!)

4. brown platform sandals (I’m sure they’re from last summer’s stock but they are perfect for this season’s 70’s looks. I’ll pair them with the cropped jeans, shorts, and A-line skirts for a perfectly on-trend look. And at $23 they really didn’t break the bank!)

Finally, I topped up my underwear drawer with a full length, light weight nude slip and nude cami (for all the lace I’ll be wearing this summer).

Still on the list for spring: a colourful skirt (I desperately want orange or bright green) and maybe a denim dress or tunic.

Things I’ll re-imagine from my closet:

1. The Birkenstock sandals I bought years ago for a trip to Greece cause they were so comfortable are coming out again and will be re-invented with a new buckle and maybe a heel strap. My own version of the ugly, bulky sandal that is oh so cool right now!

2. My jumpsuit which I bought last summer. It has fairly slim legs so it feels less now. I’m hoping to find cool coordinating fabric and have the legs widened and shortened to turn it into an edgier, slightly boho culotte jumpsuit.

3. A little cropped boxy top in blue linen that had studs on the collar. Totally cool last year but a bit done now. So I cut the collar off. It’ll now be perfect with cut offs, midi skirts, and jeans.

The moral of the story here is that putting together the perfect wardrobe does not need to cost a ton of money. Rather it requires some planning, a bit of luck, and some creativity. It’s not about buying outfits. It’s about picking pieces and colours that work together, finding the accessories and shoes that will pull it all together, regularly shopping your own closet for new ways to wear things, and owning your style.

Oh I couldn’t resist…. The colours, the soft flowy skirts, the silk and delicate lace, the beautiful cotton tees. It was all too much temptation. I was suppose to be taking my mom out shopping for one outfit to go out on Saturday night. It was suppose to be one skirt (or great jeans), a great top and a sexy pair of shoes. What it turned out to be was a solid beginning to my spring shopping (and hers!). So here’s the damage to date:

One gorgeous silk chiffon floral  tunic top – So not me really but beautiful in its own unstructured, feminine way. On the hanger it looks like more like a scarf than a top. On me, it morphs into a drapey, seriously sexy top. The print and colours are perfect for this season – light blue, artsy florals on a cream background. It looks amazing with distressed boyfriend jeans and heels, and will look ajust as hot with shorts in a few months. I could go full boho glam with a maxi skirt but that would be too much for me. I’m just not that girly. No, it will do nicely paired up with tougher denim bottoms – or, over my bikini at the pool. 🙂

Three sweaters – It was spring sweater heaven in the stores. I was won over by a little white mesh sweater with a zipper running up the back. Fun and perfect for the sports inspired trend this season. It’ll be amazing with my flowered full midi skirt and pointy toed pumps, but will work just as nicely with a pencil skirt, jeans or bermudas. I also have nice thoughts about mixing it in with my little navy short suit for a casual work day. Then I fell in love with a blue and white striped over-sized linen and cotton blend knit. It drapes wonderfully in back and looks amazing half-tucked into denims (for just a bit of structure). It’ll also be awesome with white jeans for that classic nautical look. Very french! While white denim and navy and white stripes are not one of the super trendy looks for this season (the little white dress and colourful stripes are the newest incarnations), they are a classic for a reason. It always looks right in the spring. Both stripes and navy (or any shade of blue for that matter) are  signature looks for me. I am drawn to them like a proverbial moth. So there was no way I was passing this sweater by. It’s totally yummy. Finally, I couldn’t resist the little white tennis V-neck sweater in the softest rayon blend. It really looks and feels like silk. It has a great royal blue trim at the neck and at the hem. It just about screams for a white pleated tennis skirt but it will look just as good paired with a midi skirt, bermuda shorts, denim cut offs, and boyfriend jeans. It will also layer perfectly over my new trendy white button down. I know – I tried!

One amazing button down – It’s long (tunic length in the back), lean, and has the most amazing over-sized cuffs. It also has this great back striped trim hiding along the front. It’s going to look awesome over narrow ankle pants with heels, with bermudas and pencil skirts, but also tucked in to midi skirts à la Michael Kors or distressed denims. Awesome! And it looks totally fun layered under the little V-neck sweater because the two trims are just slightly off (black and royal and different scales) enough to avoid looking too matchy matchy. This was a particularly great buy as all my white shirts were starting to yellow under the arms. You know how that goes – I’m lucky I can get two seasons out of a white shirt before it’s relegated to the layering only pile. Though my mom swears that drying a white shirt in the sun can actually reduce (or remove) the yellow stains. More on that in a later post when I’ve had a chance to actually test it out.

One great military inspired khaki jacket. – It’s a little safari but with a little more structure and edge. Lots of brass buttons and epaulettes. Amazingly, the waist hits at the right place and the jacket’s not too long. That’s usually an issue for me and this one fits perfectly. It was more money than I would have liked but I can really imagine it working with what I already have. It would be amazing over my lace tunic with my khaki lace up, open front booties – totally funky and trendy. It would looks great with short and a tee, over a silky slip dress, over my light yellow and grey leopard print empire waist dress (which I bought for like $10 on sale because I thought it would be a great layering piece under one sweater and which I’ve worn a ton because it seems to work with everything!), as a beach cover-up even – not to mention as a spring jacket! Still debating whether I’m keeping it – the price ate up a lot of my spring budget. We’ll have to see how many times in the next few weeks I want to wear it.

Finally, I picked up a lace and mesh tee-shirt. It’s a very cleaver mix of sporty and girly so it’s not too over the top for me. It’s a little boxy and a little cropped but not too much. It’s funky but simple enough to be wearable. I can’t with for it to be warm enough to match that with denim cut offs and sandals. In the meantime, it’ll look good under a jacket with jeans, with distressed denims. and with most of my skirts. I could even make it daring by foregoing the tanks I would usually wear underneath it and showing off a great bra underneath to embrace this season’s sheer trend. I won’t – but I could!

All in all, it was a very successful shopping expedition – if slightly more expensive than I’d planned. I’m disappointed by the chunky sandals that didn’t fit but I think I’ve made a good start on upgrading my spring looks. And, because, like usual, I shopped Marshall’s, it wasn’t over the top expensive either. All of that set me back less than $400. There’s a couple more hundreds in my spring budget and I have a few more treasures to hunt down before I’m done. I’ve done the sports trend and I’ve got boho and lace covered. On my list still are a pair of chunky sandals (but they’ve got to be pretty so that might be hard to accomplish) or clogs (I really want the Marc Jacobs ones but at over a grand that’s just not going to happen!), a fit and flare dress preferably in white (I want the lace one that opened the Chloe show but it’s well over $5000 so not really an option), culottes if I find some in a fabric that will carry over to the fall (when I predict they’ll be even bigger), and, if I get brave, flared denims. I won’t get it all but any one of those would really round off my spring wardrobe. Let the hunt continue! God, I love spring!