transition into fall

Well, it still feels like summer, but the fall dresses are starting to come out!

 

floppy cashmere coat

So, I pulled the trigger and bought a second Lan Jaenicke coat.  Everyone knows how much I wear my first one.  They are an investment.....but (especially when you have a small SF closet) better to buy one luxurious coat that you wear all the time instead of 4 so-so coats.

At our fundraiser, Edgewood, I bought a second.  This one is a different shape.  Less structure, more "floppy."  Perfect for Saturday walking to breakfast, the flower mart, farmers market......it is cozy & I also bring it for a work meeting in a freezing conference room.  I love the soft pastel color.  I roll up the sleeves & throw it on with jeans.

Lan has become a friend of mine throughout the years of working together at Edgewood.  More on her later!  Link to the coat below; tell her you're a friend of mine!

vacation clothes

I have one friend headed to Bora Bora for a honeymoon, another headed to Hawaii for an anniversary.  Time for some new clothes!  If you're tight on time for shopping, I would suggest shopbop's free shipping & returns.  If I needed 2 new dresses, I would order 10.  Try them on at home at your convenience, choose the best 2, and return the rest.  Who has time to go to the mall? 

Some ideas below.  As you an tell, I would look for something white, something embroidered, something off the shoulder, & a maxi-dress.

 

a day inside

Planning a cozy day inside with a some Netflix binge watching?  Looking for a gift for a girlfriend who needs some chill time?  Feeling under the weather?  Look stylish with this soft pastel loungewear.  The serene neutral colors give a calming effect.

vacation shoes

I have a few friends headed out on some fabulous beach vacations soon.  Here are some ideas of shoes for you.

rent the runway unlimited experiment

I tried an experiment.  Rent the Runway has a deal for $150/month, you can get unlimited access to their clothes & accessories.  

What does "unlimited" mean?  You get 3 items at a time.  When you mail one item back, they send you another.  You may swap them out one at a time or in groups of 3.  It takes a few days for the mail to get the item back to RTW.

How much do you spend in shopping per month?  If it's more than $140, you may like Rent the Runway Unlimited.  If you are someone who always likes to wear something new, this may make sense for you.  I had a few events & a vacation coming up, so I tried it for 2 months.

Some were hits, some were misses.  6 of the items I wore; 7 I did not.  A few of the pieces I really loved; see photos below.

Would I do it again?  I would.  Over the course of 2 months, I spent $300.  I would have spent $300 on just one of these outfits.  Yes, it would then be in my closet forever.......but how often do you really wear this stuff?  TIP: you always need a backup outfit.  As you can tell, these don't always work.  All in all, it is a great way to freshen up a few items in your closet without fear of commitment.  Perfect for something trendy.  And if you really love the item, you can keep it and purchase it.  Thanks to my friends Terra & Nancy who told me about Rent the Runway Unlimited!

 

Success:

  1. Black Jacket: a great jacket.  Comfortable, practical, flattering.
  2. Romper: full disclosure.  This is the romper I mentioned in a previous post.  I don't own it; I rented it!  It is darling, but I live in SF where it is usually too cold to wear something like this.  It was perfect for a vacation in Italy and another one in Palm Springs.
  3. Blue Lace Dress: a perfect dress for a cocktail party fundraiser.
  4. Light Blue Floral Dress: a perfect dress for a ladies lunch fundraiser.
  5. Red Dress: This one was a little big.  I wore it to a ladies lunch & out to dinner in Italy.
  6. Teal Ikat Dress: This one was just ok.  I wore it to work once and was done with it.

Real life examples:

Misses:

I rented these items but never wore them.  Either they did not fit or were not flattering or just didn't work for the occasion.

summer's hottest bikini

I have seen this one all over!  Magazines, Instagram, even people in Puglia, Italy were wearing this colorful festive bikini.  Which one is your favorite?

Thank you, Kiini Instagram for these gorgeous photos of these gorgeous girls below.  Thank you, Bustle.com for the adorable photo of these adorable bikinis on the rug.

jumpsuit

Here is a photo of me in Matera, Italy.  My husband and I had just slept in a gorgeous luxury cave.  Everyone wants to know where to get this outfit.  Similar looks below!

I lived in this thing on our trip.  One piece=an entire outfit.  Easy to pack.  Pants were nice instead of a dress when sitting in the car.  It was gauzy so it worked well in the warm weather.

More later on Matera & the cave hotel!

the white lace dress

No, not my wedding dress (which was also white lace).  The day after dress.  Above is a photo with my husband the day after our wedding.  I wore this white lace dress to the farewell brunch and back to the winery where we were married.  I knew I wanted something white, flowy, & bohemian for the day after.  This one was perfect!

Photos below show I also wore it on our honeymoon in Puglia, Italy.  

I have received so many questions about where to buy this dress.  It really is perfect for summer or for wedding events.  My exact dress from Alice & Olivia is a year old, so not available, but I found a very similar one for you.  Links below for shopping.

cover ups

Cover ups=essential in summer or on vacation!  Ideas below.  I was recently in Europe & noticed a lot of the longer caftan style cover ups.

my yellow dress

Still on the topic of the wine country wedding last weekend..........everyone loved my yellow dress.  I'll fill you in on my little secret.......it was rented!  I love Rent the Runway for events.  Otherwise, you buy an expensive dress, wear it once, and then it takes up space in your already stuffed closet.

I also found the dress with the help of a few dear friends.  Thanks to Terra for telling me about Rent the Runway.  Thanks to Courtney for finding this gorgeous dress!  Courtney wore it to my wedding, and looked adorable.  She was gracious enough to let me copy her.

The dress is by Monique Lhuillier.  Since the dress has a more sweet, old-fashioned shape, I paired it with huge funky bright green earrings to give a more modern feel.  I wore my hair up to show off the earrings, and added gold heels and a gold bag.  No necklace as the bright yellow color & huge earrings were already enough.

The dress was delightful , and I am thankful for good friends who led me to it!

flat sandals

I went to a beautiful wedding in wine country last weekend.  The Rehearsal Dinner was at a lovely home in St. Helena.  Since the wise & gracious hosts were hoping to preserve their gorgeous lawn, they gently requested flat shoes.  Options below reflect this summer's styles: gladiators, tassels, scallops, or simple slides.

Flat sandals are also great to bring on vacation!  Perfect for walking, especially if you're headed to Europe's charming cobblestone streets.

summer wedding: what to wear

Under $100

Under $160:

Under $300:

Under $500:

Shoes:

Bags:

pool party

Headed to a pool party?  As you build your outfit, include the following, and create a coordinated look.

  • swimsuit
  • cover up
  • sandals
  • sunglasses
  • bag
  • jewelry
  • hat

Look #1: ruffled rose gold

look #2: crisp white & navy with woven texture

look #3: bohemian teal & gold

rompers

Rompers.  Yes, they're trendy.  They are also really comfortable and really great for travel.  Evidence:  see photo above of me with my husband in Ostuni, Italy.

If you don't have one, get one to wear for the rest of summer.  You can find a normal one that you could wear to the grocery store without looking like you are going to Coachella.  Or if you want to look like you are going to a festival (I understand!), you can find that too.  Yes, some of these are $100.....but it's an entire outfit!

my romper:

other rompers:

ruffled blush romantic

Romantic ruffled blush....sounds just like a wedding, right?  These looks below would be darling for a rehearsal dinner for the bride.  Or a wedding shower or bridesmaids luncheon.  Would also work for a baby shower (especially if a girl!), christening, or ladies lunch.

old navy sale

Sale at Old Navy.  These are some good finds: