OOTD: Switching places.

(Quick update! Please go check out my post on Jen's blog, The Look For Less. I participated in her "3 Wishes" summer series and had so much fun doing so. Thank you, Jen!!)


Yesterday, the loverley Erinn gave me a shout-out on her bliggity blog for being a flowy blouse repeat-offender. Can't argue there! :)  Today, I'm throwing her a shout-out in the way of one of her fave staple pieces: the grey cardigan. This may be a go-to for her, but for me, it's really unusual. And I'm totally loving it. (maybe it's a cheat, because isn't it reminiscent of a blazer? oh, me.) Last night, I  paired it with my lacy shorts, a cream colored tee and a bib necklace to create what I'd like to think is "laid-back chic." Ahem.

Tee: The Limited, oldie

Sweater: Nordies Frenchi cardigan

Shorts: F21 lace shorts

Shoes: Elizabeth and James Mason pumps (only left in lime)

Necklace: Charlotte Russe

Bracelets: courtesy Maria! (from F21)

(Yay for sunburn having faded! I can now rejoin the ranks of the normal-hued civilization! Do I look tanner? Yeah, no. Oh well.)

My pearl cluster necklace, now re-stocked!

I have received lots of requests in the past to link to this grey pearl necklace I wear a lot from Francesca's; however, it's never been available online (seen here, for example). But, it looks like the boutique has now re-stocked it online (and has redone their online store... looks great, guys)! This is the best pearl cluster necklace-- it goes with everything and feels a lot more expensive than it really is! Get it here.

Thank you. :)

Giirrrrllll, I love the necklace. Isn't it such a statement? :)

(cloudy day = bad bad lighting = grainy pictures. I need an SLR, STAT.)

(and p.s. sorry for wearing the same shirt all the freekin' time. I lived in this and the pink one all weekend. It's love.)

OOTD: Real vs. Fantasy.

I feel like I can be rather misleading here on Fetching Fashions. That is, with my outfit posts. Some of them I really did wear that day! (like here) while others are more of what I would wear if dress code and appropriateness weren't a thought (umm like here). I used to only post pics of what I was actually wearing back when I didn't have a tripod and took my photos in the bathroom at work. But you could never really see the outfit and the pics were super-bad, so the tripod came along. But all that made me wanna do is play dress up. Which is all well and fine! And it's not that I wouldn't/don't wear these dress-up outfits. It's more that they're what I wish I could wear whenever I please... like fantasy outfits! (hmm... that sounds a little rated-R. Not meant to be, p.s.)  So today, I'll post two outfits: what I really wore, and then what I wanted to put on and prance around town in. I might start making this a feature to get the best of both worlds-- you can see how I dress on a hum-drum weekday aaaand my fun inspirational outfits. Yay!!

Oh. and I'll try to keep at least one element from the reality outfit to transition to the fantasy outfit. Kinda like an "inspired by" thing.

:::WHAT I REALLY WORE:::

Top: F21 ruffle top

sweater: F21 bow cardigan

Jeans: Hudson triangle pocket bootcuts

Shoes: Liliana bow pumps

:::WHAT I WANTED TO WEAR:::

 Top: F21 ruffle top

Jacket: F21 Articulate Jacket

Skirt: Rebecca Taylor Cheetah skirt

Shoes: Michael Kors cage sandals

Necklace: Free People

p.s.: hair appointment made for April 11th. so far away....

OOTN: color me casual

Tonight, the husband and I are venturing 10 minutes outside of Dallas (gasp! horror!) to the 'burbs to see a movie and, natch, eat at a chain restaurant. What else are the 'burbs good for, huh?! I love me some steak, so Texas Roadhouse it is. Oh, the kitsch! The meat! The weird throwing of peanut shells on the ground that at first stresses me out ("there's trash on the floor, husband!") and then just makes me giggle! Yep, suburbia at it's best.

Soooo I wanted to be casual, but I don't do "casual" all that well, so this is what you get:

(oh I hate how my camera changes settings on me in the middle of a shoot, argh)

Shirt: F21 satin tee

Jeans: Rich and Skinny studded boyfriend jeans

Necklace: Charlotte Russe

Shoes: Steve Madden Tristanos

Bracelet: Intermix

And I do realize, now looking closer at these photos, that the cuffed boyfriend jeans teeter on disastrous (kinda make my legs look thick?), but oh well. That's what the 'burbs deserve, lovies. Thick looking calves. Next time (ahem when I do my laundry), I'll wear my tried and true skinnies. 

OOTD, and wha'cha think?!

Yay! 

Welcome to Fetching Fashions 2.0   :)

You afternoon/evening readers get to see the unveiling a little early. :) An anonymous reader yesterday commented that she's happy the "lady giving birth" is gone. Heh. I'd never thought of it that way (I just liked Ms. Jacobs' shoes and the fact she "shopped til she dropped") but hey, it's gone and no more frightening birth scenes here! Wahoo!

Let me know what ya'll think. That stupid header took several hours and tons of YouTube scouring to figure out. I am so bad at this.

Anyway, figured I'd slap an OOTD post on here for my first post of the new look. And yes, I'm back to my old spring ways. Then again, can't deny it's spring when it's almost 70 degrees every day and there's beautiful sunshine. Lovies? THAT is why I'm staying in the good ole' Tejas. :)

(Justine, doing her best Miley Cirus a la the Oscars)

Top: F21 stripey tunic

Skirt: F21 pink side ruffle skirt

Jacket: Charlotte Russe military blazer

Shoes: N.Y.L.A. Extravaganza pumps

Necklace: F21 flower statement necklace

Belt: F21 bow belt 

(Hey F21? You can send my check whenever, kthanks)

(HA! Only kidding... (kinda))

Etsy Designer Spotlight: Talulabelles

I haven't forgotten about this running feature! I've just been bad about it. :)

And real quick before the post ensues: thanks for the responses yesterday! I'm actually a little shocked that most of you feel you couldn't pull off the look for one reason or another... especially because Oprah herself has deemed it an "easy look" to wear. Hmmm... Shows us how much she knows, huh? :)  I hope a few of you try it at least once, 'cuz lemme tell ya-- it's like wearing pajamas without having to wear the Pajama Jeans. And I swear, if I catch any of you wearing those, I'll be forced to bring out my styling AND psychology skillz on yas.

On to more interesting things: Etsy is known for the myriad of jewelry designers who make spectacular baubles, and Talulabelles is no exception. She hails from the UK, but don't fret, US buyers-- shipping is always free. And that's impressive for a small business! She uses a mixture of new and repourposed materials to make stunning pieces. Let's take a gander, shall we?

Chrysanthe Lace Applique necklace, $54

Baileys Over Ice earrings, $26

Olivia Corsage Necklace, $115

Hedgerow Fairies bracelet, $74

Chrysalis Butterfly earrings, $26

My fave has to be the lace applique necklace in the first picture-- the gold gets me every time. Gimme gimme. Check out her other stuff, too.... it's all worth a look!

OOTD: Travelin' garb

Yes, it's a wee bit late in the eve to be posting an outfit post, but this is the first I've gotten some time to blog in a few days. This outfit was my traveling outfit on Friday. I know a lot of people have very specific needs for traveling garb and I'm one of them. Here are my rules: 1. Must be comfortable (duh). 2. Must be a dress and leggings. Yes. MUST. I hate wearing pants and feeling restricted, especially when sitting in a car for 5 hours, so a jersey dress is key. 3. Must be light and airy. I know lots of people think it's better to dress warm just in case, but I always find I want to just layer if I get cold instead of tie myself down to thick or heavy fabrics.  So here's a great rendition of Justine's Traveling Ensemble:

 

  

  

  

Dress: French Connection abstract art dress

Leggings: Nordstrom BP

Necklace: Anthro's Stormy Seas necklace in the amber hue

Shoes: Steve Madden fleur de lis flats

lip gloss: courtesy Johanna, thanks love!

There's a reason I posted so many gratuitous photos of myself... to show the lipstick wear. In the first photo, I had just applied the Marina Cosmetics lip gloss I received from the lovely Johanna of 101 Things I Love. By the end (hell, by the second photo), it was generally worn off. I do have to say it's not my normal color (I prefer pinks when I wear any color at all), but still, it didn't seem to last as long as I hoped. I usually have a lot of trouble finding colors that last on me-- this could have something to do with me personally, but I have no idea if that's logical or not. Anyway, there's one review for ya, Johanna!! :) 

Also, please notice the necklace, which is apparently on sale at local Anthropologies for $30 instead of nearly $50. As I love my F21 version and have been drooling over the Anthro version for so long (fortuitously, I wanted this particular color, too!), I decided to finally make a commitment to an item. I'm so excited that I did because I just lurve this thing. Yay!

Kickin' out the winter, part 2

Ha! You can't get me, winter! I'm too cunnin' for you. I wear cute dresses in spite of you.

Dress: UO Blue Chiffon Wildflower dress
Leggings: Nordstrom HUE
Shoes: Go Jane booties (many of you have asked about comfort, and yes, these are the pair I wear to the mall because they are so freekin' comfie)
Necklace: Baker's multi strand necklace

Oh I love this dress. It's funny, because I frequently find myself lusting after dresses, tops and shoes online, then get to the mall and buy something completely different. Maybe I prefer the seat-of-the-pants purchases, because they make you feel that "thrill of the find." This dress was like that. Never saw it online, never dreamed about it, but when I saw it (and the price) I was sold. Done. Mineohmine. Oh, but that necklace-- different story. I stalked that thing online for a while and decided to see if my local Baker's carried it, figuring I'd be SOL. I was pleased to find it, and for $14, it's a steal. It's so heavy and seems so well made that I kinda felt like I was doing something wrong when I walked out of there for as much as I would spend on a drink at the Ghostbar (heh!... no, I don't go to the Ghostbar. I'm not cool enough.).

About the outfit-- I'm excited to try this with a chunky sweater and a belt, and then pair it with my brogues and a vest when it's warmer. Yay! But I still think it looks cute just the way it is, with rather "light" styling.

And thanks for the feedback on the skirt yesterday. That poll thing is fun, I'm going to try it more often with outfits. Looks like the teal top lost... which is ok, because that just means CHALLENGE TIME for ole' Justiney. :)

ALSO ALSO. Check me out on Twitter, yo!

One romper, three ways

This past summer, I was on a quest to find "the perfect romper." Although there were many contenders, the budget never seemed to work with my desires. Ain't it always the case? So I spent the entire summer romper-less. But... this October, I found "the one." It was Anthropologie's SINE romper, can't remember the actual name they gave it. It satisfies my criteria: 1) it's not jersey. I wanted something dressier, or else I'm afraid I might start looking like I'm wearing some sort of sleeping outfit. 2) It has a defined waist. 3) It's generally neutral. 4) I don't look like Amelia Earhart. It's just so darn perfect (and has pockets! Eeeepp!) I had to finally post some pics with it. Believe it or not, there are endless possibilities styling this pretty. I'm having a hard time deciding how I want to wear it today! I'd love your opinions... which way do you like it best?

Way 1: Boyfriend Blazer

Romper: SINE black silk romper (similar here)
Blazer: F21 Stripe Trim Blazer
Tights: Anthro's geometric patterned tights in Plum (similar here)
Shoes: GoJane booties
Necklace: F21's Anthro lookalike (here's Anthro's take)

Way 2: Color Splash

Romper: see above
Sweater: NY&Co Antique Button Ruffle Cardigan
Tights: see above
Shoes: see above
Necklace: see above
Belt: random cheapie

(This one isn't much different, huh? Just a bit more color, maybe a little less edgy...)

Way 3: Shimmer and Sparkle

Romper: see above
Sweater: F21 Sequin Bow Cardigan
Necklace: ModCloth
Tights: Sock Dreams leg warmers (similar here)
Shoes: Madden Girl zebra pumps

(Note: I apologize about the color differences in the photos... I'm still trying to find the right combo for Photoshop... I am so not tech savvy enough.)

I'm personally leaning towards one over the others, but I'm curious to hear what you think.... Hmmm??

This is big! GIVEAWAY big!

NOTE: Thanks for the entries; the giveaway is now closed.

This isn't a normal outfit-of-the-day-type-post, no no no...


(Even though I'm diggin' this boyfriend blazer, yes'siree.)

This is a veritable, true-to-life, no lyin' GIVEAWAY!

Yay! Two items for you, lovies:

First up for keeps is this super crazy cute F 21 necklace with a Parisian flare. It pains me to be giving her away as I spotted this pretty in the store today and grabbed it up. I think it will be in a better home with one of my lovies, anyway. :)


Ohh, but that's not all. I also swooned over this pretty wallet/clutch and also want to give it to you. It has a pretty floral print with a shimmery overlay to add some glam. Again, a tough choice for me, but hey... maybe I'll just get one for myself, too. :)

You can see both sides of the print in the first two photos, and the inside with accordion pleating to keep your goodies. Obvi, both of these items are new and never been worn-- bought today at Forever 21 (except for my modeling them!). Although I couldn't come through on the Rodarte belt (dagnabit), I actually like these two babies better. Believe it or not!!

Here's how to enter:

1. Leave me a comment (or email me) with your name and email address so I can contact you. Unfortunately, those who forget to do so will not be able to win (cuz I won't know how to tell you, derrr).
2. Please do not leave me a message in the CBox, as it might get overlooked.
3. Tell me how you might style these pretties! I'd love to know how you'd incorporate them into your wardrobe.

This giveaway will end on 1/2/2010 (that's Saturday, folks!). Get your entries in by then, please! And one entry per person. Merci.

NOTE: I am not affiliated with F21 and their products; these were not provided by the company. They were provided from the bottom of my heart. Oh yeah, and a shopping trip. :)