Father’s Day Fishing

Hat: Gifted (last seen here), Sunnies & Tank: Charlotte Russe, Striped Snood: Downtown Threads, Shorts: Old Navy, Mocs: Lands’ End, Leather Bracelet: Goodwill, Beaded Bracelet: Rome, Bag: H&MAfter an insanely busy work week that spilled over into the weekend it was blissful to unplug and spend Sunday fishing with D and his Dad. We took the boat out on the Lemon Fair River for the  day and even though I was the only one who caught anything (a 4″ blue gill) the three of us had a blast.

I’ve been keeping my outfits very simple lately, partially because of the heat and partially because of how busy I’ve been. When I’m short on time I opt for simple pieces (like this off-white tank and pinstripe shorts) that are easy to mix and match and rely on colorful/interesting accessories (like this striped snood and bright orange moccasins) to add personality.

What are your go-to looks when you’re short on time? How does your wardrobe/outfits change when you’re busy?

Flora, Fauna, & Stripes

Sunglasses: Dollar Store, Jacket: Forever 21, Floral Print Scarf: H&M, Striped Sweater: Gifted, Polo: Ralph Lauren Outlet, Jeans: Target, Blowfish Boots, Cameo Watch: Dub’s Duds, Ring: GiftedMy stripe kick continues. I thought the motorcycle jacket and grey boots were the perfect contrast to the sunny yellow striped top and floral scarf. The cameo watch was a gift (thanks Dubs) and the kidney bean shaped opal ring found it’s way to me via a friend’s mom who had QVC/HSN on speed dial. I love hand me downs, they come with so much personality.

What pieces in your collection have the most personality?

Jeans, Unicorns, and my new Love of Stripes

Sunglasses: Dollar Store, Blazer (from suit set): Talbots (via Goodwill) Beaded Necklace: DIY, Tee & Jeans: H&M,Watch: Yard Sale in Maine Belt & Rose Necklace: Forever 21, Heels: Nine West via TJ MaxxI don’t know what’s more elusive, unicorns or the perfect pair of jeans.

I have a love hate relationship with these pants. I love the wash and rise but the length is where I struggle. They’re too long to wear with flats but too short to wear with most of my heels. Luckily I managed to dig out these tortoise shell kitten heels (one of the first pairs of heels that I ever purchased!) and they were the perfect height. The elongated pointy toe barely peaks out from under the dark denim and I like how the tortoise shell looked paired with my striped tee.

I’m not sure what prompted my new love of stripes (see here, here, & here) but I’ve had a lot of fun mixing them into my wardrobe. I found stripes to be easy to mix and match with other patterns especially florals and brights. In this case I loved how my striped tee popped when paired with the bright green blazer. It added the perfect punch of color and the cut of the jacket worked with the rise of the jeans to create a flattering silhouette.

Do you struggle when it comes to styling a certain style/pair of jeans? What patterns/prints have you been mixing into your spring wardrobe?

Booties and a Lightweight Chill

Sweater: LOFT (via Clothes Exchange), Tee: H&M, Belt: Downtown Threads,

Bracelet: Gifted, Ring: GILT, Skirt: Clothes Line,

Booties: Guess (via T.J Maxx)

We’re finally getting a break from the heat and boy has it been nice. I was so excited  it was chilly enough to wear a lightweight sweater on my walk to work  this morning. Granted temperatures are still in the mid to high 70s but it feels much cooler than that after so many days with temperatures in the 90s.

These Guess lace-up booties from T.J Maxx have quickly become one of my favorite pairs of shoes. Every time I put them on I always think to myself, “why don’t I wear these more?” They are so comfortable and I love all the detailing from the laces to the  scalloped edges and they were less than $30!

 

What pieces do you love wearing over and over again? What’s your favorite under $30 piece in your closet?

 

Neonautical, yeah it’s a word

Sunnies (below): Chinatown, Blazer (below): Target,

Bangles & Ring: Charlotte Ruse, Tee: H&M, Shorts: Downtown Threads,

Clutch (below): Downtown Threads, Wedges: Charlotte Ruse

I’ve been looking for the perfect pair of high-waisted shorts since the snow started melting and it wasn’t until last week that I finally found the perfect pair. I was drawn to their color but the shape and style of the waist really sold me. I love how sexy and feminine they look while covering up almost all my problem areas (fupa & thundering thighs I’m talkin to you!) I ended up hemming/cuffing the shorts becuase they were closer to Bermuda shorts than I liked and despite my extremely limited sewing skills I’m pretty pleased with the outcome.

Since the shorts were center stage I decided to keep the rest of my look clean and simple. I love how the brightness of the pink really brings out the blue stripes in the top (and the hot pink streak in my hair!). To combat freezing office temperatures I layered a simple black linen blazer over my tee and used black accessories to tie the whole look together. I took a chance on this outfit and really ended up loving how it all came together.

James from Downtown Threads allowed me to harangue him into taking my photos again and since he had pink pants on too I insisted that he get at least one shot of us together.

The notorious pink pants posse

What trends are you embracing this summer? What would you pair with hot pink shorts?

Milkmaid Braids & Nautical Stripes

Oh my gosh the Clothes Exchange was so much fun last night! I left with some seriously amazing finds (including 3 rocking new coats and 2 smokin hot pairs of heels!) I can’t wait to share them with you so be on the look out for a post about all my new treasures this weekend!

Sunnies: Greece, Necklace: Dirt Chic, Tee: H&M, Jeans: Charlotte Ruse, Pumps: Steve Madden (via T.J Maxx) No, this isn’t a proactive before picture (please excuse the zit on my chin) it’s me trying to show off the braided look I’ve got going on.

Refinery 29 featured a super chic and simple braided updo in early April and I finally got around to trying it out! Since my outfit was so casual I wanted to add a little bit of pizazz with my hair. I didn’t add ribbon (as shown in R29 slideshow) but I was still pleaed with the end result.

I parted my hair normally (I rock the side part but really you can part it anyway) into to low ponytails, I braided the each section and then pinned them to the top of my head. Since my “bangs” were a bit too short to make it into my low braid I left them out.  After pinning the low braids to the top of my head I braided my bangs and pinned them behind one of my larger braids.

I went with the messier more boho look but if you wanted a more polished look you could work a smoothing serum or mousse through your hair before braiding and then finish with a smoothing spray. There are some great products featured in the Refinery 29 article as well.

Can you tell I’ve always wanted to be a Rockette?

literally two left feet

I left the house feeling less than thrilled with this outfit but the longer I wear it the more I’m loving it. It’s decidedly casual but I think the peep toes (which have quickly become a favorite of mine, seen here), statement necklace and messy milkmaid braid updo helped ramp it up a few notches. 

How do you dress up casual outfits? Would you rock my messy milkmaid updo or go with the more polished version?

A Prairie Home

Sunnies: Greece, Top: Gifted, Belt: Vintage via my Mom, Skirt: H&M,

Slip (not seen): Vintage (via Etsy), Jean Jacket: T.J Maxx, Tote: Gifted

Cape Cod Bracelet: Gifted, Ring: Gifted, Mocs: Lands’ End

I took these photos over the weekend while it was still sunny and spring like in Burlington. Now we’re facing over a week of rain with a chance of “some sun” on Monday! Burlington like many other Vermont communities affected by the record high flooding this spring are bracing for the worst as Lake Champlain and Vermont’s rivers begin to swell again while the rain continues to fall.

While D and I were on vacation I dragged him into H&M in Philly and proceeded to spend an hour (my given time limit) frantically trying outfits on as fast as I could. I’d been searching for the perfect white maxi prairie/hippy skirt for a while so when I spotted this gem I didn’t hesitate. It was exactly what I’d been looking for and while it is a bit sheer the vintage slips that I picked up from Etsy (a million years ago) worked like a charm.

I wore this outfit over the weekend when D and I ran errands downtown and went out for a quick dinner. Since we were walking I wanted to wear flats but I was worried about the skirt dragging so I decided to try and wear it high-waisted and ended up loving the result. I’m looking forward to trying it with other skirts in my closet. By adding a thick waist belt and tucking in my sweater I was able to completely changed the look and feel of my outfit. Playing with proportions and adding simply accessories are quick (and cheap) ways to make your wardrobe really work for you.

Will you be rocking a maxi skirt this summer? What accessories do you pair with your maxi skirt?

Stripes and Spurs

Why didn’t you tell me my hair tie was ruining the shot?

So I have something to confess, I feel terribly awkward posing for photos and I’m afraid it’s starting to show! Now that I have almost two weeks of posting under my belt I’ve been able to see what areas of Wore Out need more work and I just want to say thank you for sticking it out with me as I smooth out all the rough edges. I feel like the crappyness of my camera combined with my bush-league posing skills have made my outfit posts resembling facebook candids rather than styled looks.

D promised to help me find a camera this week so upgrades are abound! I’m also excited because Burlington is getting some amazing post Daylight Savings light which means I’ll be able to take more outdoor outfit shots (natural light makes such a difference!)

Can’t decide if the stripes are more “cat in the hat” or “prison-esque”

Locket: Vintage

Cardi: Kmart

Dress: H&M

Belt: (taken from above cardi)

Owl Ring: Forever 21

Tights: The Sox Market

Boots: Steve Madden

just laying around…

my owl ring is much friendlier in person

The first change I plan on making is not smiling (as much) or looking at the camera. (Don’t worry, I have no intention of mean mugging in all future post) I just want to play with more subtle, natural facial expressions.

memo to self: invest in orange/reddish hair ties

When I’m putting together an outfit I find one piece that’s really speaking to me and then build the rest of the look out from there. In this case I had my heart set on wearing my striped tights. Since the focal point of the outfit (my tights) were a bit outside of my comfort zone I decided to stick with more traditional color pallet and accessories.  Rich brown and navy blue really compliment each other (I wear the two together a lot) so when I wanted to add a little height and interest to this look I reached for one of my favorite pairs of well worn boots!

downtown or hoedown, you decide!

I bought these boots right before my sophomore year of college and almost 5 years later they’re still in rotation. These were my first pair of cowboy boots and since then I’ve acquired quite a collection, but these are my favorite. Boots have long been an indulgence of mine, D calls them my gateway drug because my love for fashion and style (which is still very new) grew out of my love for boots.  Fabulous boots need fabulous outfits right?

What got you started on fashion? How to you put together your outfits?