Charlotte Russe Military Vest Review

I've been on the hunt for the perfect olive green military or cargo vest for probably two years.  Old Navy had a great one a few years back but unfortunately I missed out.  I recently came across an affordable version online from Charlotte Russe.  I've never shopped with them before but I received my order no problems.  I like this vest because the olive green color isn't too light or too dark and the length isn't too long.  The fabric is light-weight and has some drape.  It doesn't have an overwhelming military or safari look.  There aren't too many embellishments or pockets and the pockets are not bulky.  These are all problems I've experienced with other vests I've tried.  I also like that the waist is cinched and can be adjusted to create a waistline which is very important for outwear/layering pieces to me because I have a rectangular body shape.

Charlotte Russe Cotton Twill Military Vest - Small ($29.99)

I ordered a size Small and the fit is fine overall if l leave it unzipped.  It is bit snug across my chest when zipped all the way up but I only plan to wear it unzipped.  I think a Medium would be a little too baggy when left unzipped so I'm keeping the Small.  For reference, I'm a 36B and normally wear small or medium tops.

I think this vest is a nice layering piece for cooler late summer nights, fall and even over thin sweaters on warmer winter days.  I live in a warm climate and rarely have to wear heavy-duty jackets and this piece is very versatility so I should get a lot of wear out of this piece.  I've already gotten a couple of outfits lined up late summer and early fall with what I already have in my closet.

Overall, I'm happy with my purchase and really happy that I've finally found an olive green military/cargo vest with the features I really wanted.  And at $30, the price is affordable!

A maxi skirt...and a dress...in one!

Don't you just love it when you find a single item that is multipurpose?  Today's post is about an inexpensive maxi skirt I bought recently from one of my frequent shopping stops:  Ross Dress for Less.  Discount stores like Ross and TJMaxx are great places to find bargains but some shopping trips can be a "hit" while others can be total "miss".  Talk to the sales associates to find out what days and times the new weekly deliveries come in and when the new items will be put out on the floor to get the best selection at your local stores.

I spent a whole, whopping $10 on this black and white striped maxi skirt a few weeks ago at Ross! 

 

I bought this skirt thinking that I would just wear it as a casual, everyday kind of skirt but I later figured out a way to style it as a dress for more dressy occasions as well.  I like it when my money spent does double duty!



OUTFIT #1:  Maxi Skirt, Casual

 

Skirt:  Ross ($10)

Cami:  Target ($6)

Cardigan:  Forever 21 ($18)

Belt:  Ross ($6)

Sandals:  Anne Klein via Ross (old, < $20)

OUTFIT #2:  Skirt as Dress, Casual

 

Skirt: Ross ($10)

Cardigan: Forever 21 ($18)

Belt: Ross ($6)

Wedges: Aerosoles via Ross (old, < $25)

 



OUTFIT #3:  Skirt as Dress, Special Occasion

 

Skirt: Ross, $10

Cardigan:  TJMaxx, (old, < $15)

Belt: Ross, $6

Wedges: Aerosoles via Ross (old, < $25)

I know its nothing new, but I really like the idea of remixing or repurposing items in your wardrobe.  You save money because you're not shopping for new items as much, and what money you do spend is well spent because you get more wear out of the item.  However, shopping for items that can be repurposed and styled multiple ways is key!  Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that you should have some unique, stand-out items in your wardrobe but don't forget the basics.  This used to be a major problem for me:  a closet full of nothing to wear!  I would have the hardest time trying to put outfits together because I never thought about how I could integrate an item into my existing wardrobe before I bought it.  I just bought it because I thought it was cute.  And because nothing in my closet went well together, I would often have to go out shopping again, spending more money, to put an outfit together!  My closet was a frustrating, money pit.  NO MORE!  I'm older, wiser, and a much better steward of my money.  Now when I'm shopping and I see something I really like, I force myself to STOP and THINK: 

1. Do I need this item for a particular purpose (ie. job interview, work, special occasion, good foundation wardrobe item like blazer or pencil skirt, etc) or do I just want it because it's cute or trendy? 
2. How can I style this item with pieces in my current wardrobe to create multiple outfits?  How much "wear" will I get out of this item?
3. Is the item really worth the price or can I find the same item or something similar for a better price elsewhere?  Does the price match the quality of the material and craftsmanship of the item?

If I don't have a good argument for these questions, then I have to leave the item in the store.  It's not always easy but with time it becomes easier to walk away.  The money I save makes me feel better!  Not to mention the time I save when getting dressed in the morning because my closet is more cohesive now, not a bunch of random, hodge-podge.  Along with having the closet organized and color coded, it's much easier to pull an outfit together.

 

Well, that's all I have for today.  Thanks for stopping by!

Yes, I'm Still Alive!

Yes, I am still alive!  I apologize for being MIA for the past 3 months but I've been busy with grad school.

There have been lots of good sales and cheap (but cute) clothing finds that I've come across since my last post.  I'll do my best to "show-n-tell" as many of my favorite, recently acquired items as I can in my next few posts.  Yesterday I went to shop LOFT's 50% off clearance racks because I had a birthday reward voucher that would have allowed me an additional 15% off of my purchase!  Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with my store's selection and found nothing that I wanted to buy.  However I did spy a few newly arrived items that I will be keeping a close watch on for sale-clearance price... which I'm sure will not be for long.  I've learned to NEVER pay full price for anything at the LOFT.  Exercise a little patience and you can usually get the items you want for 30-50% off within a few weeks, either by a sale promotion or clearance mark-down.

I didn't have any luck at the LOFT but I did find a few cute and affordable things in Forever 21 to brighten up my wardrobe:

 Colorful Stripes top (Oatmeal/Taupe, Medium, $14.80)

 Summer Fun shorts (light blue, 27, $14.80)

Eyelet Adorned Woven top (Cream, Medium, $19.80)

Embellished Knit tank (rust, Small, $17.80)

Here are a couple of outfit ideas I came up with:

Outfit #1:  Colorful and Casual

 Top: Forever 21

Shorts: Forever 21

Sandals (pictured below):  Merona via Target

Belt (pictured below):  Kensie via TJMaxx

Merona Emeline Sandals (pewter, $15)

(currently out of stock on line but may still be available in local stores)

Kensie Skinny belt ($4 on clearance from TJMaxx)



Outfit #2:  Dressing Up Bright Stripes

 

Top:  Forever 21

Wide Leg Trouser Jeans:  Gap (link here)

Belt (pictured below):  Forever 21

Wedges (pictured below):  Guess via Ross Dress for Less

Forever 21 Wide belt

(bought a few months ago but may still be available in some stores; $4.80)

Guess Tavish Wedges via Ross Dress for Less

(bought a few months ago; mostly likely no longer available; don't remember price)

Outfit #3:  Dinner with Friends

Top:  Forever 21

Wide Leg Trouser Jeans:  Gap

Wedges:  Guess

Outfit #4:  Celebrate with Friends

Tank (detail pictured below):  Forever 21

Wide Leg Trouser Jeans:  Gap

Wedges:  Guess

Sequin/Bead Detail

It's surprising to see such beautiful detailing like this on a piece of Forever 21 clothing!

Well that's all I have for now.  Thanks for stopping by!

EmersonMade Goldie Pocket Skirt

I WANT...the Goldie Pocket Skirt by EmersonMade.

I LOVE this yellow skirt by EmersonMade but it costs $158, a bit steep for my budget. The color is wonderful and I like the drape and length.  AND... it has pockets, my new favorite feature for skirts and dresses!  I could get a similar look with the yellow Anthropologie Field Skirt:

 

However, the Field Skirt is no longer available online but some are available on Ebay for about half the price of the EmersonMade skirt - but still too expensive in my opinion.  Let me know if you guys out in blog-land come across an even cheaper alternative for a golden/yellow skirt (pretty please!).

I have a black & white chiffon blouse that would look great with this golden yellow but a navy & white blouse would look equally nice.  Inspired outfit created via Polyvore:

EmersonMade Goldie Skirt Inspiration by connie-nicole on Polyvore.com

Click HERE to see another cute look on Janelle on her Basic Cravings blog featuring the Goldie Pocket Skirt.

Ann Taylor LOFT Deals

Yesterday I scored a couple of good deals on some "perfect for spring" items from the LOFT.  I got this champagne colored Floral Print Sheath dress and multicolored Abstract Floral Print Pencil Skirt.






And get this, I only paid $50.10 for both!  "How?!", you ask.  Well they were both on the sale racks and there was 40% off sale items plus I used my $20 Loft Rewards I recently earned! The dress was orignally $79.50 and the skirt $69.50, so I saved $100 bucks - oh happy day!  I recommend going in-store for good sale deals because the sale price in-store seems to always be cheaper than the one's online.  The online sale prices are $70 for the dress and $65 for the skirt.  My sale price tags were $60 for the dress and $50 for the skirt.  However, the advantage to ordering on-line is that there is usually a wider selection in size availability than in-store (at least in my experience).

I also wanted to note that I got both items in the petite sizes (size 4P) even though I'm not petite (5'5") because the regular sizing hemline fell too far below my knees. I felt like a mean, matronly school teacher - even in these bright pretty patterns.  Here's a few fitting room shots with the petite sizes on:

The petite sizes fell at or just above my knees, and they passed the bend-over and sit-down test.

I think both of these are so pretty and will be perfect for spring.  The colors of the pencil skirt are kind of on the bold side for me (I normally live in neutrals) but its so pretty and it was such a good deal I couldn't resist.  I have a peachy-pink sateen tank that I think will go well with it. 

I think the sheath dress will be perfect for church or a wedding.  One of the stock photos on Loft's website show it with a brown belt at the waist, I may try that.  The belt gives more definition to the waist.

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Dresses

Quick post today sharing a few inexpensive dresses that are on my shopping list for summer.  I think these dresses should carry me through most of the typical summer events (i.e. trips to the beach, barbecues, warm alfresco dinner's with friends, etc.)! 

Summer Dresses by connie-nicole

 

The first dress is a navy and white nautical themed dress from Ruche ($39.99) that would be perfect paired with espadrilles for a trip to the beach.  My sisters and I usually take a trip to St. Augustine, FL each summer.  I think the army green shirt dress from Old Navy ($29.50) would be perfect for a backyard BBQ.  And the dotted dress from Forever 21 ($22.80) is a nice choice for the warm and muggy summer evenings here in Florida when my friends and I go out for casual outdoor dinners.

For more information on the items styled in these summer dress outfits, follow the links below:

european escapade striped button down dress
$40 - shopruche.com

Dotted Woven Dress
$23 - forever21.com

Old Navy Womens Linen-Blend Roll-Up Dresses
$30 - oldnavy.gap.com

 

H&M gladiator sandals
hm.com

Old Navy Womens Espadrille Wedge Sandals
$30 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy Womens Braided T-Strap Sandals
$20 - oldnavy.gap.com

Ring-Cinched Belt
$48 - anthropologie.com




Thanks for stopping by!

Inspiration Recreation: Cardi and Print Dress

Quick post today about an outfit I was inspired to recreate.  Scanning through Google Images, I came across this daily outfit post by Sascha at saschasdailydrama.blogspot.com, posted January 6, 2011.  I thought it was a very cute outfit but I'm not really a big fan of floral prints, (I mean I don't hate them but I don't love them either... they're okay sometimes), so I opted for a geometric print dress from Forever 21.  I'm not sure what shoes Sascha wore in the inspiration outfit but I think brown lace-up booties or my new Target lace-up cage heels will look good with this outfit.  She also appears to be wearing tights in the inspiration photo. I may wear some black tights as well, especially if I decide to wear the lace-up booties.

Inspiration Recreation: Cardi & Print Dress by connie-nicole

Pulling It Together Sweater
$68 - anthropologie.com

Cracked Vintage Skinny
$32 - topshop.com

Mossimo Black Cognac Paulette Wmn Heeld Sndl - 8.5 : Target
$30 - target.com

Forever21.com - Dresses - 2079723042
$20 - forever21.com

Sascha's Daily Drama: Fragments.

saschasdailydrama.blogspot.com

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Wardrobe Do-Over

I have been busy taking inventory of my closet and I've decided its time to do a wardrobe do-over.  As I'm nearing the end of my grad school career, I need to starting building a more grown-up wardrobe.  I'm gaining some fashion confidence and discovering my own personal style so I'm breaking out of my plain-jane rut to include more stylish things in my closet.  My sense of style is changing but my closet does not fully reflect that.  But there is one small problem....I'm a graduate student!  I don't have the money to buy a completely new wardrobe so this will be process.  In the meantime, I'll continue to edit my closet, make lists of what I need and want to add, develop a clothing budget, and collect inspiration for more creative outfits using what I already have.  Take for instance, this outfit inspired by January Jones (via Polyvore):

Celebrity Inspiration: January Jones by connie-nicole featuring side zip boots

Nothing special about this outfit but I'm trying to do better about putting all of the items in my closet into a regular wear rotation.  I have a similar paisley burnout shirt from TJMaxx that I purchased months ago that still has the price tag on it, never worn....SHAME!  This is a bad habit of mine that I desperately need to break. 

The 30 for 30 Remix Challenge by Kendi, of Kendi Everyday blog fame, is a great idea.  I'm not currently participating in the challenge but it is inspiring me to put what I already have to better use.  Her blog has been a great source of inspiration for me; I love her style! 

Kendi of Kendi Everday (kendieverydayblogspot.com)

Kendi also did a series (Creating a Working Closet) on her blog that addressed assessing your closet, taking out the junk, and remixing to make the most out of your wardrobe.  This 5-step series (Purge, Assess, Organize, Shopping, and Remixing) has been very helpful to me.  After going through my closet, I realized I had alot of junk to purge (things I had not worn in forever, things that I should have let go years ago but didn't because I'm a pack-rat, things that I no longer want or can't remember why in the world I spent money on in the first place!).  To Goodwill they went!  Clearing out the junk and having the closet (somewhat) organized has made putting outfits together easier.  I started color coding my closet about a year ago but I still have a probelm with having clothes sitting and hanging in areas around my bedroom other than the closet.  And my shoes and accessories are not organized all that well but I'm working on it! 

After clearing the clutter, I started assessing the pros and cons of my wardrobe.  What are my good goes-with-just-about-everything pieces?, what is my wardrobe lacking?  Does my wardrobe reflect my current style and wardrobe needs? etc.  As I mentioned earlier, I don't feel that my wardrobe fully reflects my current style.  I also noticed that accessories and tops with brighter colors and patterns is what I am especially lacking in.  I have done some shopping but I have been much more mindful of:   how will the new item fit into my current wardrobe, is it one of the items that my wardrobe is lacking and that I need (not just something I want because its cute and on sale!), do I already have something similar in my closet, on what occasion will I wear it, how well does it fit (will alterations be needed & is it worth the cost of alterations), the quality, how much wear will I get for the price? 

Next, I started thinking about what items in my wardrobe have I not used to its full potential?  Can I put together 3 or more outfits/looks with each item in my closet?  I'm currently looking to celebrities, fashion magazines, fashion blogs, and Polyvore to get inspiration for remixing and including more color & accessories in my outfits.

This has all been such a fun process and recommend everyone do this - even if you're not looking to do a wardrobe overhaul like me but just for the sake of making your wardrobe as stylish and efficient as you can! 

Anthropologie Sale Purchase

Just a quick post on a couple of items I ordered on sale from Anthropologie this week:

First up... the All Along Knit Jacket, black, size small, $49.95 (orig. $88).

I had been eyeing this jacket in the sale section online for a couple of weeks but was kind of hesitant to buy. Although most customers had given it positive reviews, some comments mentioned that it may be kind of boxy if you have a tiny waist or too short if you have a long torso because it has a cropped hem and 3/4 sleeves.  I have a rectangular shape and my torso is not long so hopefully this will not be a problem for me. It looks as though it will be a good all around work to casual wear jacket.

Next... the Konnichiwa Sweater, Pink (read tomato red, currently sold out in this color), size small, $39.95 (orig. $128).

I really wanted the teal blue color but it was sold out in my size so I went with the "Pink" color but it looks alot more like tomato red. This color is outside the norm for me but one of my new year's resolutions was to add more color and patterns to my wardrobe this year...I think this fits the bill!

And some possible outfit ideas via Polyvore...

Anthro All Along Knit Jacket by connie-nicole featuring anthropologie jackets

Konnichiwa by connie-nicole featuring anthropologie tops

Find me on Polyvore