Resist the Temptation

Something happens in the four days following Thanksgiving

After waking up from my post-Turkey coma and 13 hours of sleep, I check my phone to discover 50-plus e-mails in my inbox, each and every one carrying the equivalent of shoppers' crack. 30% off plus free shipping at that store I shopped at once. 45% off if you buy seven pieces of jewelry at BaubleBar, plus a free gift. 40% off plus free shipping plus 15% off $100 orders plus a free puppy at J.Crew Factory.

To top it off, every style blogger and their mom has been putting together a very tantalizing roundup of their top BlackFridayCyberMondayThanksgivingWeekendSaleNonsense picks. Peplums and pleats and polka dots and cozy cute knit things and every trend that has been barfing all over you all season, except now it's half price! Great news, right?

Certain offers are incredibly tempting. You mean that jacket at Forever 21 that matches my cute mini skirt is marked down to $13, meaning after the 50% off sale code is applied, I can get it for $7? And fake leather oxblood-colored wedge booties for $5? This is CRACK, I tell you.

Yes, the aforementioned items cost the equivalent of a lunchtime sandwich and a Starbucks latte, respectively. But I forced myself to resist. I'm not knocking Forever 21. I just like to put a little more thought and planning into even the least expensive of purchases, looking for reasons other than mega-awesome sales and discounts to buy them. Will they last? Can I wear them in dozens of outfit combinations across different seasons? Is the material even the least bit nice? Impulse-driving sales result in hasty purchases that take up valuable closet real estate. I hate parting with any piece of clothing, so throwing out an altogether too trendy item that was purchased with Black Friday Sales Goggles is no good.

I'm no saint, and I did buy some things this past weekend. My big mission was shoes. I'm coming around to the idea that something you walk in everyday should cost more than $23, so I picked out some timeless pairs of shoes I hope will last for years and work with all different outfits:

• A classic pair of black leather boots. I bought a non-leather pair at DSW last year in what felt like a good buy, but the heels are already worn out. Not such a 'deal' after all. 
• A pair of black smoking slipper-style flats that may be just a bit too trendy. But they may work.
• And a pair of metallic loafers with a cool turquoise blue sole. These may seem whacky and impulsey, but hear me out. Flats are a must for my sporty, casual workplace. Loafers are one of the most classic forms of flats, with the perfect hint of menswear. The metallic color and blue sole are the risky parts, but those details feel like a perfect injection of personality and fun into an otherwise very practical pair. 

Sure, I could have bought a sequined sweater for every day of the week from Forever 21 at that price. But these feel like the smarter buys. I'll let you know how they work out.

I'll leave you with this YouTube video.

What's your sale shopping philosophy? Are you an impulse shopper? Get anything good from it? Or are you more of the planning type?

Guest Posting and Shoe Gushing

Earlier this week I was privileged enough to guest post for the lovely ladies at Paper Moss. Tuesday is always Shoesday on their blog, and they let me gush over a fabulous budget-friendly take on a gorgeous designer shoe. What was it? Visit to find out. One clue. Well, the original designer rhymes with papel (Spanish for paper) and here's the wallet friendly take. That was two.

Airline Chic

[Blazer: Forever 21; Top: J.Crew factory (old; last seen here); Shorts: DIY cutoffs from old J.Crew toothpick jeans; Flats: Old Navy; Necklace: Forever 21]

Gotta love some good ol' Pinterest inspiration. (I refuse to call it Pinspiration—it looks/sounds like perspiration.)

I always thought loose-fitting navy blazers were just a one neck tie shy of an airline counter attendant uniform. Then I saw this amazing shot of Style.com market director Marina Larroudè on Pinterest. Weeks later I somehow ended up in Forever 21 (shocking, I'm never there), saw this baby on the rack, and threw it on over my floral top and cutoff shorts.  A fabulous street style look replicated for fast-fashion and DIY prices. You can call it an impulse buy; I call it a classic piece on the cheap. And the perfect transition item: great with shorts and white jeans in the summer, and can totally work over long-sleeve tops, print blouses, and knit dresses in the fall and (no, please not yet) winter.

My most recent outfit was a transition from my stripes kick (or obsession), to a floral one. I think this one will be a bit more short lived than the last, though.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets 

Polo & Polka Dot

[Polo: Le Tigre (I think?) handmedown from hubby; Jeans: Gap; Scarf: H&M (earlier this season); Flats: Old Navy; Earrings: Gifted; Ring: Old Navy; Nails: Essie Lilacism Sass: Me]

A busy day and rain showers pushed this shoot inside. So here's your dose of primary colors, menswear, and my funny faces. Oh, and I just read this cool story on the history of the polo shirt (actually called the tennis shirt). Happy Thursday.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Neon Head to Toe

[Dress: Old Navy (old); Cardigan: Zara; Sandals: DSW; Necklace: Christmas gift from Nana years back; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban; Earrings: Rocks Paper Metal for BaubleBar]

For a long time now I had been planning to write about certain trends I am wary of buying lots of, and neon was definitely on the list. My value shopper self loves to have clothes around for seasons on end, even if they cost $20. So I've hesitated to buy any neon apparel for fear that it would be long gone next year. Until I remembered I had this Old Navy maxi dress from 2010, which is 1/3 neon yellow. Whoops.

But neon accessories are a different story. I can confidently say I love using them to explore the color trend. Like with these cap-toe flats (also from Old Navy), this scarf, and now these earrings. BaubleBar is one of my favorite new discoveries this year. Their jewelry costs slightly more than what I was used to spending at my go-to Forever 21, but it's so unique and interesting that it's worth the bit of extra dough. I often find store e-mails annoying, but BaubleBar is certainly an exception on this front. I'm always lured into checking out their inventory, and recently took the leap on this pair of earrings from their newest designer collection.

I was even inspired to submit a photo to a neon styling contest on their Facebook page. If you feel inclined, it'd be great if you toss a vote my way. I'm kind of a newb when it comes to contests like this and haven't really done any self promotion, so don't judge my low tally of votes.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Ray of Light

[Striped top: Forever 21; Jeans: Gap; Necklace: Banana Republic outlet (old); Shoes: Old Navy (sold out)]

I'm fighting this dreary weather with an all-white outfit and a finishing touch of neon.

And celebrating the fact that I didn't get this dirty even though I ate ribs for dinner right after these pictures were taken. 

Happy Wednesday (some call it hump day). 

All photos by Mikhail Glabets 

Colorblock Frock

[Dress: Forever 21 (sold out); Flats: Zara; Necklace: Banana Republic outlet (old); Sunglasses: Ray-Ban] 

I had a blast at Forever 21 this weekend in the Northshore Mall. More and more I find myself wondering why I bother to look for clothes anywhere else. Their cute summery dresses are especially to die for, and this colorblock one is no exception. I bought it a few months ago online when I was really ready for some warm spring weather. I styled it with minimal accessories and nudish flats to let the colorblock scheme get all the attention.

I was happy to kick off the unofficial start of summer with this dress and some tacos in Allston. It was my recovery treat after a half marathon that morning. More on that later.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets

Tough Floral

[Cardigan: J.Crew factory (old); T-shirt: Two Arms Inc.; Jeans: James Jeans via Gilt, Necklace: J.Crew factory (old); Flats: Zara]

I've had this cardigan for two years now, before these big floral patterns became ubiquitous this season. I'm still not sure what to do with it at times, because it reminds me of a dress I'd wear when I was little to a fake tea party (yes, my friends and I had those). And there's my husband's cool grey Brooklyn T-shirt, which was too small for his gym-frequenting self. We popped it in the dryer to get it even smaller for me. Yay!

It's May and I'm almost completely burnt out on the pastels, neons, florals, and pattern mixing trends for spring and summer. I love color and I love all of those things on their own, but seeing them EVERYWHERE has made me retreat a little bit. That's what I get for packing 60 fashion blogs into my Google Reader. It's really my own fault.

I love discovering and following new trends, but I see them as a starting point. I think they should be tweaked and re-worked to reflect your own personality, not simply regurgitated from catalogues and style mavens (no matter how fabulous they are). So I decided to pair this pastel, floral, five-year-old-girl-inspired cardigan with a dude's grey T shirt to give it some edge, rather than going for the Easter egg look with more pastels. Oh, and my favorite turquoise necklace. I don't care if that color is in or out, I plan to wear it until I die. Like, paint my wheelchair that color when I'm old and senile.

You'll notice these photos are indoors and not sunlit. That's our kitchen and these were taken at 11 pm on Friday night. I'm a rebel, I tell you.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets 

The Blush Gray Lady

[Blush & Gray Jacket: Forever 21 (similar); Blouse: Forever 21 (similar); Gray cords: J.Crew Factory (old); Shoes: Old Navy; Earrings: Old Navy]

This blazer looked odd but awesome on the rack at Forever 21, and I'm so glad I bought it. The menswearish shape, muted palette, and different colored sleeves set it apart from the other more tailored, bright blazers I've been gravitating towards.

This outfit is another in a string of style blogger inspiration I told you about last week. I had been pairing this jacket with grey T's and jeans and had been wearing the blush print blouse separately, and then I saw this post in eat.sleep.wear. The color tones are bit different, but the shape of Kimberley's blazer is similar and inspired me to pair my blush pieces together and pull out the grey cords that have been sitting in my closet, mostly untouched this season!  Oh, and these flats were such a fun last minute buy at Old Navy and added my twist on the outfit, with a pop of my absolute favorite color.

Side note: today's blog post title is a play on the New York Times' nickname, The Great Gray Lady. That's what you get from journalism dork like me.

All photos by Mikhail Glabets