Two Belts

     I'm pretty sure I've worn this exact same outfit or something REALLY close to it before.  It's not really surprising since I love this sweater and to me, Red, White and Gray just work really well for me.  Throw in a black blazer and I was able to hang out in court. 
     Wondering about the post title?  I had to wear a second belt to keep my pants up.  I'm afraid it bunched up the pants some, but such is life.  There's only so much I can do with my existing wardrobe while I lose weight.  Once I reach a good place (and am able to) I'm going to treat myself to a shopping spree.  In particular, I hope to focus on my work wardrobe and build up a small collection of suits and work blouses.  

     I feel like I have a pretty good casual wardrobe.  In fact, a lot of my wear to work wardrobe at this point is stuff that should stay or be a part of my casual wardrobe, but for lack of other options, I have to wear them to work too.  This means I'm wearing things out faster than I would like.  And probably not dressing as nicely as I would like either.  Such is life I suppose. 

The Details:
Sweater: Old Navy
Red Belt: Target
Pants: Gap
Heels: Aldo
Blazer:
Earrings: Blue Nile
 

Wrapped in a Blanket

     Guys, so a few weeks ago eShakti.com approached me offering an item to review.  I've been drooling over their clothes since I first heard of them, so I said yes.  It took a while to figure out what I wanted. There are so many beautiful items to choose from that I had a really hard time to trying to decide.  I knew that whatever I got I wound want to wear to work, so it would have to be work appropriate and would need to work under a jacket.  Below are a few of my  favorite options.

Choices! by lawschoolfashionista featuring a shirt dress

Houndstooth print fleece knit dress - eShakti.com, $65
Surplice front knit shirtdress - eShakti.com, $50
Sash waist fleece knit dress - eShakti.com, $55
Belted cotton poplin dress - eShakti.com, $55
Cotton rosette trim dress - eShakti.com, $50
Surplice shirtdress - eShakti.com, $50

     

     I ended up choosing the Surplice Front Knit Shirtdress in Charcoal.  I wore it to work yesterday and from the very beginning I felt like I was wrapped in a blanket.  I was comfortable and warm all day long, it was great!  
     I knew from the second I chose this dress that I would want to pair it with burgundy tights.  So I chose to do that immediately.  Even though you can't tell the color, I promise those are burgundy tights.  To match the tights and incorporate the color elsewhere, I went with my burgundy/pink necklace as well.  To keep things from getting TOO matchy matchy, I went with a light blue tank.

     This tank is actually really important.  I am grateful that I had the foresight to wear a tank under this dress.  I didn't realize when I ordered it that there wouldn't be a snap or button closure where the tank is.  I'm going to have to add that myself.  So to keep from flashing anyone, I wore the tank under the dress and had the surplice front open a bit more so it looked purposeful.  In the future I hope that a snap will keep things under control so that I won't always have to wear a tank, but will keep the option of the tank still viable.  

     And to be honest, that is my only complaint with this dress.  I wish that it had a snap and pockets, but neither is necessary and I'm pretty sure I can add one if not both on my own.  The fit is a dream as I gave my measurements when ordering.  If you're hard to fit or simply want something tailor made to you, I definitely recommend giving your measurements when you order.  And for $7.50 (free the first time you do it!), it really is worth it.  My order shipped quickly and got to me a good 5 days before I expected it.  So yea, I recommend eShakti.com, and I promise its because I love this dress and the service and not just because I got a free dress out of it.

The Details:
Dress: courtesy of eShakti.com
Tank: Old Navy
Tights: Hanes Outlet
Heels: Bandolino
Necklace: Banana Republic Outlet    




P.S. If you would like an awesome coupon code, let me know in the comments and I'll email it to you.  


* I received this dress as a gift, however, all opinions expressed are my own.*

Choices!

Choices! by lawschoolfashionista featuring a shirt dress

More Mimicry!

SUPER windy day!

     So about a week and a half ago Elena of Caffeinerd posted this outfit.  I (incorrectly) thought that I had the very same dress.  It's not exactly the same, but its pretty damn close.  Anyway, seeing her wear it, I realized that I hadn't worn my dress in a while.  So that day, I decided to wear it to the Latino Festival that was going on in town.
    You see those tights?  They're actually gold.  In my head, this outfit was going to be really cool.  The gold tights would really stand out against the brown of the dress and the black of the boots.  They were supposed to be eye catching and unique and ultra awesome.  Instead, the tights just look like they're my skin tone.  Granted, I'm not quite that gold in tone, but they just didn't live up to my expectations.  I guess this means that I can probably wear them to work without causing too much trouble in court.

    I was actually really excited to go to the Latino Festival.  I may not have mentioned it, but I'm an interesting mix of cultures and ethnicities.    I was born in Miami, Florida to a Colombian born mom and a Puerto Rican born dad.  In addition, growing up we traveled to Mexico on a regular basis.  On top of that, we lived in Barcelona, Spain for two years, from July 1998 to August 2000.  My parents stressed the ability to read, write and speak Spanish to my younger sister and I, so we're both fluent and have used our language abilities extensively.  Let's just sum it up by saying I'm rather Latin, k?  Anyway, so I was really excited because I was hoping to expose the Fiance to some awesome food.  They did have a Colombian booth, but they weren't serving a whole bunch of Colombian food.  Nonetheless, he got to enjoy an empanada.

Isn't he cute?

    Speaking of the Fiance, he agreed to pose for a picture just for all of you!  I had to talk him into it, but he allowed me to take a quick pic of us for the blog.

Just had to share this pic!

The Details:
Dress: Banana Republic Outlet
Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft
Tights: DKNY via Hanes Outlet
Boots: Target
Necklace: gift

Baubles & Ruffles

Sorry this is so late today.  Normally I try to post by 8:30 am on MWF, but we had a deposition yesterday (my first) and I got home late.  I did not want to stare at a computer screen, so this post is going up late.  Sorry!

     About 2 weeks ago I was scanning slickdeals.net because the Fiance had shown me a great tupperware set and I was considering buying it.  Cute, right?  So as I scanned the site, I saw that there was a red wrap from Coldwater Creek for about $8 with free shipping.  Of course I went straight to their website to see what else they had on sale.  Well,  I found this jacket and a couple others.  I fell in love with the tweed.The ruffles just had me.  And the paisley!  As you can see, I bought the jacket.  With all the little specials it cost me $29.09 including shipping.  Pretty great deal if I so say so myself.  

My go to court outfit

     When it got here, I was a bit hesitant.  As it had been squished in transit, the ruffles just didn't ruffle.  And I wasn't sure that it fit well.  I tried it one with a skirt to wear on Monday, and it just wasn't working for me.  So I left the tags on it hoping I could find a way to wear it.  Tuesday rolled around and I tried the jacket on again, but this time with pants.  And that was apparently all I needed in order to decide to keep the jacket.  I'm actually wearing the jacket again today (Friday) but this time with jeans which work equally well with the jacket.  I'm going to have to try the jacket + skirt combo again to see if it was just that one skirt that didn't work or if all of my skirts won't work with the jacket.  By the way, am I the only one that does the whole "let's try the piece on with different outfits" when deciding to keep or return an item?

Notice my super pretty hair? <3 Hana Shine Shield!

    As the title of this post suggests, this isn't just about my brand new ruffle-y jacket.  Its also about this necklace.  It might surprise you, but my uncle made this necklace.  And I love it.  Part of me doesn't want to put it on etsy, but I know my aunt and uncle need the money so I'll be putting it up this weekend, hopefully.  This necklace has a distinctly different look to it than the other ones my uncle has sent me.  It feels as timeless and classic as pearls, but a bit quirky because of the color of the clay beads and the stones.  Also, way less expensive than pearls (it'll be priced about $24).  

My around the office comfy outfit

Ruffles! Paisley! Tweed!

The Details: 

Jacket: Coldwater Creek

Pants: Old Navy

Heels: Aldo

Cardigan: Target

T-shirt: Old Navy

Necklace: Tio Gordo

Rocker Chic(k)

The Details:
Dress: Loft
Tank: Old Navy
Cardigan: Target
Boots: Target
Tights: Hue

Red Skirt!

     This is the skirt that I told you about here.  I was so excited to get it and even though I love the color and the sheen and the shape, the fit isn't 100%.  I should have gone a size down from the one that I got, but because I didn't want to be *too* optimistic about my weight loss, decided to go with a size 14P instead of a 12P.  I chatted with a customer representative that told me the measurements of both sizes, and based on that I went with a 14.  The 14 fits fine, but I think that the skirt is supposed to be more fitted than it is on me, hence why I probably should have gone with the 12.  It would probably be more high waisted in a 12 too.  Nonetheless, I love the skirt and just have to make sure that my tops don't make the skirt bunch up around my hips so that it looks like the skirt is too big.  If I end up losing more weight so that it becomes noticeably big, I suppose I would just get it tailored down to fit me better.  

Notice the bunching?  Also, no idea why Bella is checking out my shoes!

    Speaking of tailoring, I've got a question for you all.  So, as I've mentioned, I'm on a quest to lose weight and get healthier.  The only downside is that some of my clothes just don't fit anymore.  My bottoms and pants in particular.  Now, I'm able to wear my pants if I use a belt or wear my skirts lower towards my hips rather than my waist.  My question is, at what point does this "making do" start to look sloppy?  I guess my fear is that while I lose weight and am not in a financial position to buy clothes for the intermediate sizes I'll pass through, I won't look as polished as I would prefer.  Am I worrying over nothing or is there a legitimate concern?

    Speaking of not being able to replace items in my closet.  This will be the last time you'll see these, my favorite heels, for a while.  I have worn the heels down to the nail, and sadly, I don't know of a cobbler nearby nor how much it might cost to get my super awesome shoes repaired.  :(  Anybody have an idea of what kind of price range I should expect to for my heels to be replaced?
    Lastly, I *loved* how my legs looked in these tights.  That the skirt hit me mid-knee works perfectly with my height.  It allows my legs not to look stumpy, but I'm still conservative and professional enough to hang out in court all day if need be.  And of course the tights keep my legs warm and make them look amazing.  Isn't this cooler weather just amazing?

The Details: 
Skirt: Talbots
Top: Loft (via consignment store)
Heels: Nine West
Tights: Hue (?)

Product Review: Hana Shine Shield

    A few weeks ago, the lovely people at Misikko.com approached me about doing a product review and giveaway. After checking out the site and seeing that they're the home of the "Best Flat Iron" and being the great big fan of hair products that I am, I jumped at the chance.   A few days later a box filled with a whole bunch of goodies was waiting for me on the counter when I got home from work (The Fiancé brought it in for me).  I went eeny meeny miney mo and decided to try the Hana Shine Shield first. 
     After washing my hair I poured about a quarter sized dollop of Shine Shield in my palm, rubbed it between my hands and finger combed it into my hair from roots to tips.   I brushed through my damp hair to make sure it got spread evenly, then threw my hair up in a towel turban (as per my routine).  A short time later I went to sleep with my hair wet and woke up with fluffy, full of body and soft curls.  It only got better as second day hair was equally gorgeous.   Having seen what Shine Shield did in my hair as normal, I decided to throw it a curveball by ironing my hair. 

     If you've followed this blog for a while, you'll know that I don't iron my hair all that often.  It tends to take a bit of time and actually requires effort, 2 things I don't have a lot of.   But to test this product I wanted to make sure I threw everything at it.  So I ironed my hair and the Shine Shield performed spectacularly. My hair was soft, nongreasy, and beautifully straight even after having slept on it. Some products have a tendency to get my hair really greasy after a few hours after I've ironed it, but the Hana Shine Shield did not at all.  My hair stayed straight without any creases and didn't grease up at all, even into the second day.  Yup, that means that there were no creases or random curls after sleeping on it, TWICE! (Ironed my hair Sunday night and wore it straight Monday and Tuesday). 

     I very much recommend this product. It handled my hair very nicely and has a very light and pleasant scent. AND it doubles as a body lotion. The directions say you can apply it to skin, and being the curious blogger that I am, I applied it to my legs post-shave and they felt silky smooth.  At the current price of $29.99 or the reduced price of $18.99, the 2 oz bottle is a bit steep, however the 6 oz bottle that normally goes for $49.99 and is currently at $29.99 seems more reasonable.  I'm not 100% sure I would buy either size as they are rather pricey and currently out of my league, but I would at least seriously consider the 6 oz bottle for $29.99 as this product has worked really well with my hair. 
    Just an FYI, I will also be hosting a giveaway, but will do that when I review the second product Misikko.com sent me. 


*This is a requested review.  I did not receive compensation for the review other than the products to be reviewed.  Nonetheless, all opinions are my own and are shaped by my experiences testing the product.*

Black & Gold

    Turns out that my law school colors are black and gold as are the two main (only) colors in this outfit.  I got this dress about 2 weeks ago from Talbots.com.  I am a dividends member, so after spending a certain amount of money, they sent me two $25 dividend payments.  These are essentially gift certificates that can be used in store, online or by catalog.  I also had a coupon for $5 off shipping and an extra 30% off sales items, so I went online shopping.  Since I had  $50 in dividends, I decided I would not spend more than $20 out of pocket for whatever I would order.  Let me tell you, it was incredibly difficult to decide what to order.  

    There were four skirts to choose from: the Sateen pencil skirt (in red), the pique A-line skirt (in green), the cotton pique pencil skirt (in turquoise), among others.  There were also several dresses to choose from including the one I eventually bought (no longer online), the loop trim dress, and the cotton pique split-neck sheath.   In the end I went with the sateen pencil skirt and this dress as I figured I would get more use out of them in classic colors and shapes than the others.

    I first wore this dress last Wednesday.  For the first wearing I wanted to keep things simple and focused on the awesomeness of the dress.  All I added was a pair of heels, my obligatory blazer (not shown) and this awesome necklace.  I didn't realize when I got the dress that it would have gold and black buttons.  I don't often wear gold accessories, but I did happen to have this necklace which matches the dress and its buttons perfectly.  (Sorry for the weird color on my face, the camera and the lights on my porch were not getting along that night).  

Fierce, eh?

    Lastly, I just wanted to let you all know that I really enjoyed shopping on Talbots.com.  I did not know what size to order so I did their sales chat and it was incredibly helpful.  The sales associate was able to give me the measurements of the pieces so that I could figure out what size to buy.  As you can see of this dress, their help was exactly what I needed to find and buy this gorgeous well-fitting dress.  I definitely recommend utilizing their shopping chat support as well as signing up for their dividends rewards.  


The Details:
Dress: Talbots
Necklace: Banana Republic Outlet
Heels: Nine West


*This post was not asked for nor compensated for.*

Mimics

    When I saw Sally rock this outfit, I just *knew* I had to find a way to copy her outfit from my own closet.  It just looks so cute on Sally and maybe, just maybe, I could harness the cute for myself.  So I went and looked in my closet for the first piece of my copycat outfit, the vest.  It just so happens that I have a vest that I've worn a total of maybe 2 times and don't ever know how to really style it.  From there I looked for a suitable button down shirt.  Unfortunately, mine isn't as tunic-y as Sally's, but because its so damn difficult for me to find a button down that fits, my go-to pinstripe button worked fine.  Its nowhere near fitted and long enough that it would still hang out from the bottom of the vest.  Lastly came the pants.  Since this outfit was to wear to work which includes going to court, I couldn't wear leggings.  Instead, I grabbed these black pants and voila!  I mimicked Sally's outfit.

      Now, I'll be the first to admit that Sally's look was way cuter, but that's not the point of my taking inspiration from her look and interpreting it through my closet.  I think that one of the coolest things about this blogging thing is that we give each other so many ideas.  I can't even begin to count the ways I've taken aspects or whole outfits from other bloggers and made them work for my closet and my body.  And it is just so cool to have such a diverse group of women as inspiration.  So, thank you ladies for being my inspiration, you rock!

P.S. So those black pants?  I bought them during the spring of 2007.  I think I wore them, washed them and didn't wear them again because they shrunk a bit and just didn't fit.  UNTIL I tried them on last week and they fit perfectly!!!  As hard as it is to watch what I eat and exercise regularly, it is so worth it knowing that I'm fitting into pants that I haven't worn in years.  The downside of course is that most of my blazers all now fit too big as do most of my pants, but such is life.  I'm thrilled with my progress and know that I'm on my way to a healthier me.    

The Details:
Shirt: Old Navy
Vest: NY&Co
Pants: Express
Boots: Nine West