In Spades

Style... in abundance

Alternative to Jeans and a Tee

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Nasa t-shirt // Anine Bing pants (similar here) // Janessa Leone hat // Calvin Klein boots (under $100 here)

Jeans and a t-shirt.  A winning combination.  While this is likely the world’s most trusted ensemble, sometimes it’s nice to change it up.

If anyone is a denim hoarder, it’s me.  I’ve talked many times before about my denim addiction – at one point I had upwards of 60 pairs (eeek!). As I was staring into my closet last weekend trying to choose from a plethora of denim options, I finally threw up my hands and said “forget it”.  I needed something different.  Kind of the same.  But different.

Enter these houndstooth pants.  They sat in my closet for way too long awaiting a trip to the tailor, but once they finally got hemmed they became a great alternative to jeans.  While I love dresses, I’m just not a dress girl.  I reserve them for cocktail parties and more special occasions.  Day-to-day, I’m wearing pants.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m wearing more 100% cotton denim these days, but having a comfy, stylish alternative to jeans seems more important than ever.  I recently gave these pants a try, and have been loving how comfortable and unexpected they are.

To style this look similar to my trusty uniform (gotta keep it practical for everyday) I opted for a long sleeve graphic tee.  It’s perfect for those chilly spring mornings that warm up by the afternoon.  To throw in a bit of edge, I added steel toed boots (check here for an under $100 version) and a black fedora.  I love that the finished product is like version 2.0 of my classic ensemble.

And of course, you can’t forget the iced oat milk latte.

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Closet Upcycle: How to Breathe Fresh Life into Your Wardrobe Without Spending a Dime

Matron Saint dressMatron Saint dressMatron Saint dress Matron Saint dressMatron Saint dressMatron Saint dress // Anthropologie jacket (sold out, similar here and here)
Valentino boots (sold out, similar here and here) // Janessa Leone hat
Love Tatum Kali wrap necklace and initial pendants

I recently came across a fascinating article in Vanity Fair that follows the haunting true story of a fake heiress.  It got me thinking about our current culture of Instagram stars, extreme excess and mass consumption.  Nowadays it’s commonplace to hear about influencers attending the Cannes Film Festival, touring Morrocco with a private butler and owning a slew of designer outfits.  While I would love to attend Cannes and wear Valentino on the regular, that just isn’t reality – at least not for me.  Further, the more common and in your face this reality becomes, the more the masses expect it.  It becomes almost normal.

One of the challenges of running a fashion blog is having content to shoot.  And by content, I mean clothes.  Nordstrom recently cracked down on bloggers who were abusing their generous return policy.  These bloggers would buy tons of clothes, shoot the outfits for their blogs and then return everything.  While I would never do that, I do feel the pressure to have new material to share with you.

I reflected on this pressure and realized that I don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff.  I can upcycle.  In other words, go shopping in my own closet!

You may remember this trench coat from way back in my archives.  It can be styled as a dress or a jacket, which is awesome because you know I love a dual purpose piece.

Out of all the Janessa Leone hats I own, this one is probably my favorite.  It reminds me of one of my favorite movie characters and has the ability to transition from fall to spring.  I love dressing it up a bit, but it also looks fabulous with a ponytail and jeans (a look I’m quickly realizing is awesome with a baby).  Read: no maintenance.

These boots are oldies but goodies – the leather still smells as fabulous as the day I bought them.

Upcycling is a great way to breathe fresh life into your closet.  Michael Kors famously told us that we only wear 20% of our wardrobes anyway.  I challenge you to take a look at what you have in your closet and see how you can re-style things into new and exciting looks.

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