Umm, woah.

Where in the heck did October go? Seems like I closed my eyes and here's November already! I won't apologize for the break, not because I don't care about my readers but because it's just par for the course at the moment. It's weird moving from being a daily blogger to a when-I-get-a-second blogger, and I hope you will all bear with me! I've definitely had moments of just calling it all quits, but something stops me. For now, I'll have to be okay with being a bit sporadic, which kind of sucks for my readers. But I'm not giving up just yet! :)

It's getting a little chilly (finally) here in Dallas, so I've been able to bust out some cozy pieces. My fave so far has been my BB Dakota Branson sweater jacket, (on sale at Shopbop now). I totally recommend-- it's crazy soft and warm and is perfect a substitute for a coat. At least when temps are above 35 degrees! (

And my most recent purchase/birthday gift? New sunglasses (since my Diors tragically broke whilst getting shoved into my school bag. Ooops.) :

Chanel's 5185 Sunglasses!

I love these babies-- not too big, not too small, and the color is just right for my skin tone/hair. The shape is bordering on the cat-eye shape, but it's much less pronounced.  Purrrrfect. :)

What I'm lusting after: Madewell's Last Dance dress. This dress is lit.ter.ra.ly. perfect in person. The picture does not do it justice!

And my smartest purchase? Has to be the AG Stilt denim in 2Y wash... (shown below in the Orlin wash)

For any gals out there like me (ahem, lacking curves), AG is a great fit. Only second to Hudson and the cute triangle pockets, in my opinion.

Have you bought anything splurgey or savvy lately??

On the Hunt: The Cape

In early August, I began my hunt for fall clothes. I did this because I had no idea what the money situation would be like with me back in school. So I bought a few essentials: a new strong-shouldered blazer, a chunky knit sweater, cord leggings, cargo skinnies, an oversized blouse (or two)...

But now that we can officially start thinking about fall (well, most of YOU can. I'm still sweating my tooshie off here in Dallas) and more trends have emerged, it's about that time to re-evaluate wishlists and figure out what's missing from my closet. The one thing I must say I really want and don't yet have? The cape.

Not sure about y'all, but the cape seems like the perfect topper for cool weather. Warm and cozy, like a blanket with arm holes (snuggie-capes?). Bonus points because they work better with puffy sleeved blouses than do traditional coats with narrow sleeves. Here are my top 3 picks!

THE STRETCH

Nanette Lepore Get a Clue cape

THE PENNY SAVER

Newport News cape-style jacket

THE IN-BETWEENER (aka, that for which I'm saving my money)

Anthropologie's Everything-In-Place Cape

Just love all these and think they'd be super versatile... what do you think? Are you shaping up for capes this fall? 

OOTD: Hi fall, it's me, Justine.

As if by miracle, Dallas had a cold front come through yesterday! It was amazing. 75 degrees and I almost considered the need for a sweater. It might not sound "cold' to some of you, but I cannot tell you how grateful I was to step outside in jeans (!!) and not sweat right through them. Getting in my car was not like walking through the gates of hell! Whooooppeee!!

(it's the little things, my readers. Little.)

Top: Seventy Two Changes boxy tee

Jeans: AE Super Skinnies

Flats: nicole (DSW) metallic buckle flats

Necklace: Topshop

I am quite intrigued, by the way, with this box hair color. It started out as a nice brown... then the blonde started showing through... and now it seems somewhat golden-like with red roots (you can kinda see it in the last picture if you click on it to make it bigger). Hmmm. I'm still ok with it considering the cost! But about this top... I've worn it before with shorts but I just love the way it looks with a fancy necklace and jeans. So cute! Plus it will be great with a chunky sweater when the temps get even colder than 75, sort of like they did on the product page of Nordie's site. (Which I'm not a huge fan of after the change. Thoughts?)

The Cargo pant: my pick...

So a few days ago, I posted about the Cargo pant trend for this fall and decided to indulge myself with a pair. The ones I ultimately decided on were the Blank Denim skinny cargo pant in Army. The choice was easy-- the price, fabric, style and retailer (ahem, free shipping and no tax, hellloooo Shopbop!) made it a no-brainer. I was a little worried that they wouldn't work, but lo and behold, it's love at first sight! Here's a quick review:

I got a size 27, which promptly sold out hours after I purchased (I kinda love when that happens!). One weird little annoyance: they smelled funky when I opened the package. It's probably the fact that they sat in the heat for days whilst being shipped, but still... a strange, sour smell. They're currently in the wash and I'm sure the odd odor will go away, so no biggie.

The detailing is super cute. The pockets are on the side rather than the front, which is my preference. The zippers near the calf go up to the knee, which would make it difficult to hem if you're a shortie. These are just the right length on my 5'6 frame, if not just a teense too long. So that's a consideration. There are some tabs and non-functional zippers placed horizontally at the back of the knee (the knee-pit?). Overall, just really cute and comfortable! The material is super stretchy, which is a plus in my books, and really soft. I can't wait to wear these when the weather cools a little.

Also in the mail today was my BB Dakota Branson sweater. Ladies, fear not the kinda-poor product shots and baggy look of this sweater. It is adorable in person, really soft and chunky and right on trend for this fall. Way more expensive looking/feeling than the $40 I paid. Get one while you can! Its sure to be a staple in my closet, I just know it.

The Fall Checklist.

If you can't already tell, I'm starting to warm... errr, cool? to the idea of fall. Its so hard when you start seeing the pretty colors and luxe fabrics the cooler months bring! So, as I do biannually, I find myself creating a loose list of what sorts of things I'll be buying in an effort to nail down some sort of style aesthetic for this half of the year. Here it is so far.

1. Olive green.

I don't care if I end up with a jacket, sweater, pants or top in this color as long as I own it. I have been drooling over the moss and army green shades I've been seeing and know it will be a big color for the fall/winter seasons. This J Crew silk jacket is very, very high on my wishlist right now, though! (Why must it be more than $100... why?!)

2. Blazers.

This is no shocker, people. My love for blazers and structured jackets is nothing new. But this season, since school will be in the picture, I plan on really getting some versatile blazers to mix and match with different tops and dresses. I love the vintage-like print on this one from Topshop! So fun.

3. OTK boots.

I've been talking about these since last year, yes I know. But I really love the look. The problem is the price. I don't want a leg full of pleather (teeters on trashy...), but the leather boots are a little hard to swallow. These Boutique 9's are perfect, but I will have to save my money!

4. Leopard.

Again, this is nothing new. I heart animal prints way more than I should. But I'm thinking I need some leopard booties as the quintessential expression of the fall leopard trend. *Dreams.*

5. Comfortable sweaters.

Duh. I mean, this is on everyone's wishlist, right? But I'm talking luxe, thick sweaters to be layered with and cozied up to. Very much like this cabin sweater by Anthro. Sigh.

6. Et Cetera.

This includes: cargo pants; a trench coat; clogs; lace up/peeptoe boots/booties, and so on. These are more wishlisted than needs, but should be included nonetheless. I'm organized here, people. :) 



What's on your must-have list for Fall 2010?

Lust for fall: The Mason.

A few months ago, I scored the hot pink suede version of Elizabeth and James' Mason pumps (seen here, for one). Despite their slightly ankle-breaking quality, these babies are amazingly adorable and are the perfect Barbie shoe!

I was pleasantly pleased to discover E&J recreating this pretty spring/summer style for the colder months. I bring you my shoe lust of the fall: The reinvention of the Mason (sure to become a staple E&J shoe!):

Clockwise: E&J Haircalf platform pumps; Suede platform pumps; Metallic platform pumps; Snake platform pumps. All at Shopbop, and all extremely covetable. :)