The Return of Corduroy

I loved Corduroy as a little girl. The texture, sure, but my mind automatically wanders to the book and the equally classic sequel, a Pocket for Corduroy. I remember reading it over and over with my Mom and loving the feeling of familiarity it gave me. It's one of those childhood memories that sticks with me and came back in a flash when I put on these ultra-soft corduroy pants. Much like the book, I haven't worn corduroy in years which I quickly discovered is a mistake because these are the softest things I have ever pulled on. That's right, pull...these babies go on like leggings but wear like nice pants, and did I mention they have pockets? I love it when comfort and functionality meet. 

When it came to styling these, I had no doubts about what to pair them with. I have been loving the return of matching sets which I first noticed this Summer and has continued well into the Fall with another luxurious trend, velvet pantsuits. My plaid sweater and corduroy leggings may not have been sold as a set but I was excited to create my own and mix rich, complimentary textures. And obviously I couldn't stop there...the matching booties just HAD to be included :) 

Wearing:

Jacket: Sheinside (similar)

Top: c/o J. Jill

Leggings: c/o Style & Co

Booties: Sole Society (similar)

Bag: E Street Denim

Necklace: T+J Designs (similar)

Taking a Masculine Turn for Spring

One of my favorite pairings is to take a super girly item, like this wrap dress, and style it with more masculine pieces. By adding a faux leather biker jacket and buckle boots it gave the look the perfect amount of edge I was looking for. Women's fashion is really taking a masculine turn for Spring and it's right up my ally. Most of us have been doing this for years, but this year it is super on trend. Which means finding (and shopping) for androgynous types of clothing items is going to be very easy. SCORE! ;)

I decided to continue the gold from my boots by adding two beautiful gold jewelry pieces from my most recent RocksBox shipment. Don't forget by using code "sadbblogxoxo," you can get your first 30 days for free! I finished the look off with my favorite neutral bag and was good to go for a night out with my handsome hubby.

Dress: Urban Outfitters // Jacket: Sheinside // Boots: c/o JustFab // Bag: c/o Sole Society // Necklace & Earrings: RocksBox (use code sadbblogxoxo to get your first month FREE!) // Sunglasses: Prada // Phone Case: Kate Spade 

I love this dress so much! It was perfect for my date night and just love the light gray color.

What do you think of this pairing?
Do you ever mix masculine items with girly ones to get an edgier look?

Rocked it & Swapped it

When it comes to sharing clothes, Kaitlyn and I have our combined style down. We generally pick items that can transition through the seasons but also items that will fit us both perfectly. This light blue pullover from Sheinside was perfect for the winter months and now we can't wait to pair it with denim shorts this Spring. 

When Kaitlyn styled the knit, she wore it with a great print scarf and combat style boots. When it was my turn to wear our top, I kept the colors muted by adding all blue hues and gray booties. 

Here is how we both styled the sweater: 

 Do you shop and share clothes with anyone?
How would you style this top? Let's chat in the comments section below! 

Rocked it & Swapped it

As Lisa and I continue to spend time together, our styles seem to merge more and more. She's always been a little more boho chic and I've always been more preppy but when we look at how we style our swaps, there's quite a few times where we meet in the middle.

We both ended up wearing this plaid cardigan wrap with our favorite jeans, ankle booties and a casual top. However, our individual style still shines through - My top knot kept things more proper while Lisa stuck to her roots with a wide brim hat.

Which style is your favorite?

Recreate the look(s):

Hello, Leather Weather!

 A fellow blogger told me, "See, you can pull off flats with that outfit because you have long legs and small hips." I meannn...I don't think you've seen my hips, but thank you Deb, I'll take it and continue my lifelong love affair with flats. As a child, I developed a lifelong crush on red ballet toe shoes (think it stemmed from White Christmas)...these may be taupe and coral but you get the gist...some things never change :)

I'm also huge fan of this skirt...it pairs well with so many different style tops (graphic t's in the summer, sweaters in the winter) and I am ecstatic to be wearing it again without tights. Time to let the legs have their time in the sun (if it ever makes another appearance!)

P.S. I found an almost identical skirt on sale for $8...how can you resist?

Top: Sheinside (similar) | Skirt: Forever 21 (similar) | Flats: LOFT (similar) 

Jewelry: Rocksbox | Sunnies: Target  | Bracelet: Shoplately

Stop by tomorrow to see this outfit in action for our #SwapintheSuburbs post! 

Remix: Plaid Cardigan Coat

Statement coats or sweaters are just as important to your wardrobe as a great statement bag or shoe. Sure, you may not wear it everyday, but when you do, it's all you need to stand out. Plus, the outfit takes on an entirely new look by adding such a piece so we are both all about this plaid cardigan coat! 

Here are a few ways we have styled it so far:

(source) // (source)

(source) // (source) 

Do you own a statement cardigan or coat that you just can't stop wearing? 

What is your favorite statement item that you own? Let's chat in the comments section below! 

Confessions of a Blogger: Volume 1

Sometimes, you don't want to take outfit photos outside when it's -7 degrees. Sometimes, you don't  have time to blog your look until 8:00PM because you worked out, went to work, threw dinner together and worked an upcoming event until it was time to sleep and do it all over again. 

Sometimes you realize that you've already worn this sweater three times and somehow managed to not snap photos so you have to throw it on and just make it work. Sometimes, you feel so bloated due to so much weekend fun that you can't stand the thought of posing for an #ootd...

Let me back up a bit: Lisa and I spent this evening together getting ready for our upcoming #SwapInTheSuburbs event and decided to squeeze in some outfit photos. I'm not typically a fan of shooting inside (especially so late in the evening with no natural light) but I'm getting real cranky about the wrath of Chiberia, so alas, here I am on my couch. Before Lisa started snapping, I quickly grabbed my favorite coffee cup and started rearranging our PILES of party decor on my table and Lisa said, "wait, what are you doing?!"

Than I stopped and thought for a moment: I don't drink coffee at 8:00pm. My table was nowhere NEAR clean. My dog had dropped crumbs (in the midst of sharing our snacks with him) all over my carpet. And lezbihonest, if Lisa wasn't over, I would have been in a really embarrassing (but SUPER comfy) pair of pj's by this point.

This situation brought up a point I continuously encounter in my head: Why do we as bloggers feel the need to stage every second of our lives? I realize this makes me sound like half a hypocrite because I love lay flat photos and lovely detail shots on Instagram as much as the next #fblogger (and fully intend to continue sharing these because I actually love creating a beautiful picture). 

However, it tends to makes me feel a little fraudulent. Sometimes I question how blogging, which is supposed to essentially read as an online novel about your life, has turned into more fiction than non.

Sweater: c/o Sheinside | Scarf: Target | Jeans: LOFT (similar) | Boots: Sole Society (now just $20!)

Earrings: Kate Spade | Bag: Sole Society | Mug: Coffee Mill | Swap Pillow: custom made on Tiny Prints

So, no...there wasn't coffee in that cup, and while it's one of my favorites, it just didn't serve any purpose in this moment. And while I'm debating whether or not that's okay with me, I'll just continue to let my 50 lb dog sit on my lap, because that IS real life and one of the best chapters in my story ;)

What are your thoughts on staging photos for the blog and social? Let us know...

A Little Bit Biker, a Little Bit Boho...

Who says you can't mix two totally different styles to make one functional outfit? I love boho items but I also love more masculine clothing too. Why not mix them up for a "little bit of biker & a little bit of boho?"

I decided to kept the color palette all black, white, and gray to pull this outfit off. I think the chevron blouse and my jewelry items are very feminine but the jacket and boots make it more masculine. Then toss on the hat and there's my boho. Mix them all up and you get one biker chic (is that a thing?) look ;)

Jacket: Sheinside // Top: Express // Jeans: Loft // Boots & Necklace: c/o Just Fab // Bag: c/o ShopBop // Hat: Nordstrom // Sunglasses: Prada // Ring: House of Harlow 1960 

Do you ever pair these two styles together?

What do you think of my outfit choice here?

Rocked it & Swapped it

Lisa and I typically favor different styles and trends (which always makes our swaps even more fun), but two things we never disagree on are plaid and leather. It was love at first sight when we eyed this Sheinside coat which is the ultimate layering accessory. The leather belt adds an edgy element and makes for a figure flattering waistline which you don't find in most jackets or coats.

The jacket is lightweight so it's easy to wear over another long sleeved top, just like Lisa did with a bright blue blouse, but still warm enough to keep me cozy on a dreary midwest day.

Shop Plaid + Leather:

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