Fall is by far my favorite season. The weather cools off, no one looks at you funny if you wear a scarf, and there’s something pumpkin flavored available within a 2 foot radius of anywhere I find myself. Plus I look really good in boots.
Fall is also when “fashion” comes back, in my opinion. I actually get excited to put outfits together, instead of jumping into whichever summer dress will make me sweat the least. I love Baltimore, but the summers here are hell on earth. So when late September finally gets around to showing up, I am SO EXCITED. When I spot the first Honeycrisp apple (objectively speaking, the best apple) on shelves, I know it’s time to start thinking about skinny jeans and booties!
This is what you’ll be seeing me in a lot for the next couple of months:
1. Loft Modern Skinny Jeans in Gray Wash – Currently $69.50 (plus 3% back at Ebates!) I get warm fuzzies every time I step into these jeans. I love them so much that I have not one, not two, but three pairs of these exact jeans, plus one that I got in a size too small as a pair of “goal jeans” because I love to set lofty goals. It always happens that when I love a pair of jeans, I wear them to death and then discover that the store no longer sells them when I need to replace them. Not this time, karma. Not this time. I love Loft, but it is a store where I never, ever, ever pay full price. I got these $70 jeans for $30 from just a random sale they were doing. If you find something at Loft that you like, rest assured that it WILL go on sale in a couple of days. And their sales are usually pretty awesome. In fact, right now they are giving you $20 off all jeans, so that proves my point.
2. Crown Vintage Minnie Bootie – Retail is $155, but they are available at DSW for $99.94! (plus 1.5% back at Ebates!) This may end up being The Autumn of Crown Vintage, since I have now bought three pairs of Crown Vintage shoes that I am head over heels for. These booties are my absolute favorite because they are totally unique without looking ridiculous. They also work well with both skinny jeans and dresses, and they are good for days I wish I could be wearing boots but it’s not quite cool enough to justify those leather leg warmers. I feel they are the perfect balance of vintage and hipster, but neutral enough for someone who is damn near 32 to wear.
3. Jessica Simpson faux leather jacket in black – $59.99 at TJ Maxx, $120 retail Some people may associate leather jackets with biker chicks, but I LOVE them. They can look super sleek and really hip at the same time, and that makes them very versatile. I would prefer actual leather over faux, but this is some realistic looking material. It looks way more expensive than it is. This is actually a jacket that was big last year, but TJ Maxx just started carrying it again (YAY!!) for just $59.99. The retail price was $120, so that’s one hell of a savings. Plus it’s an extremely cute jacket that is RIDICULOUSLY flattering. I was torn between a real leather Michael Kors jacket and this one, and I chose the Jessica Simpson. That should say something, because Michael Kors makes some gorgeous leather jackets. I couldn’t find an exact picture of the jacket, but it looks exactly like the picture above.
4. Soixante Neuf Large Vintage Inspired Horn Necklace – $155 When I got this necklace in a PopSugar Must Have Special Edition box a few months back, I literally fist pumped in my kitchen. I absolutely fell in love with it and wore it all the time. It’s such a cool necklace, and it is large enough to be noticed. I got a ton of compliments on it, basically every time I wore it someone would say something about how cool it was. And of course that just reinforced my obsession with it. Last month, when I was trying on some clothes in a store, I left it hanging on a chair in the dressing room. I didn’t realize it until 3 hours later, and by the time I called the store in a panic, someone had already made it their own new favorite necklace.
There are few things that are more of a bummer than losing your favorite necklace. UGH I still kick myself. I actually came really, really close to buying it at full price from the Soixante Neuf website. After all, this is a necklace that celebrities wear. I guess I could be a baller and toss up some cash to replace my beloved horn necklace. But I didn’t, and let this be a lesson for all of you subscription box-heads out there – if you love something from a box, trust that there are about 100 people who received the same item and hated it. And those people will sell that item to you for way less than retail. I am a sales rack junky and I hardly ever pay full price for anything. So when I found this necklace for $45 on ebay, I started fist pumping again. I’m not even kidding, I actually fist pumped. My necklace and I are happily reunited once more, and I could not be happier. It definitely completes my favorite outfit.
5. Marchesa Voyage scarf – $140 This was another item included in a PopSugar box (just another reason why it’s one of my favorite monthly boxes). It’s also another item that you should, under no circumstance, ever pay full price for. I guarantee that there are dozens of people willing to sell you theirs for way less than the $140 price tag. Anyway, this scarf is awesome. That gorgeous blue goes with any neutral, and it gives a good pop of color to the largely black outfit. It’s also very light, soft, and comfortable. I won’t go into further detail, since I reviewed it already, but suffice it to say that this scarf looks pretty cool with the jacket. If you ask me, since I am wearing the outfit.
6. Mary Lee by Julep – $14/$11.20 for subscribers (plus 1.5% back from Ebates. Have you seriously not signed up yet??) Mary Lee was part of the September 2014 Julep Maven box, and it is now one of my favorites. I got it because I thought the simple description of “oxblood” was pretty badass, and it turns out it is even more badass in person. It’s a deep brownish red, and it is perfect for fall. With the exception of some brow filler (thanks Lauren!), I wear zero makeup – but I always have my nails painted. My favorite polishes are dark neutrals, and Mary Lee fits the bill.
The best part about this outfit is that I can wear just about any shitty t-shirt with this outfit and still look cool. Alternatively, I can wear something nicer, like a flowy blouse, and suddenly I’m ready for a night out. Though I’ve had many wonderful nights out in shitty t-shirts, because they can always be dressed up with a big horn necklace and a pair of cool booties.
xo
Jill