Back to School

uhhh, so remember that closet project I'm working on? The one where I analyze everything I own and try to optimize my purchases?  Yeah . . . once again, I've gotten side tracked.  Honestly, it's just been a lot more fun to day dream about my new NYC apartment and distract myself with the Nordstrom anniversary sale than to think strategically about my wardrobe.  Let's just blame it on the fact that I am probably just a little delirious from this heat.

Over the next three months, my lifestyle (and consequently what I define as functional) is going to change a lot.  For one thing, I'm going to be unemployed for pretty much the first time ever since graduating college (initiate panic mode), which has already had an impact on my shopping habits.   I'm also going to be moving to a city where people dress really differently than they do in DC (probably less seersucker and bow ties).  And, I'm going to be a full-time student.

All of this means that I'm going to have to adjust my closet "model".  My original, very rough "model" only had three criteria:

Point 2 is still applicable.  After all, I'm moving to New York, not the Artic circle.  Point 3 still applies as well since that gets at the idea of utility.  But, numero uno definitely needs to change.

Instead of sitting in an office everyday, I'm going to be in classes, study groups, and (hopefully) going to interviews.  My wardrobe will need to get me through all of that and transition to after-school networking events and happy hours.  Somehow I don't think my undergrad uniform of jeans, heels, and a polo (don't judge, I was in a sorority), will cut it.  But, on the other hand, I'm not sure I'll be needing a closet full of traditional office-wear either.

As you might imagine, this makes shopping and analyzing my wardrobe a little tricky right now.  But, as anyone who's worked with data probably knows, vague goals and changing priorities are not uncommon.  So, in the meantime what's a shopaholic girl to do? How do I put together a "back to school" wardrobe? And what do I own now that will make the transition?

Monday Funday: Weekend Wrap-up

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! I finally kicked whatever bug I had, which was good because we actually had a pretty busy weekend planned.  It involved beer and swachos (I know, again), a good friend visiting from out of town, and a wedding shower (where I got to play with babies! ).  After being sick for a week, I can't tell you how amazing it was to eat some real food.

I also finished reading Lean In.  A friend invited me to her book club meeting this week and I was pretty excited to learn that this was the book they picked for July.  I'd been wanting to read it for a while, but to be honest, I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it.  I don't know if it's just where I am in life right now, but a lot of her points really resonated with me.  After the book club meeting, I'd like to do a more in depth review.

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And, some blog posts to combat the Monday blues!

• Our 4th of July in the District
• Sales--friends or foes? (Plus my picks from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale)
• The return of the skort and other scary fashion from the interwebs. (Ironically, after I linked to that skort, I saw at least three people wearing it out on Friday night.  Believe me, it's not better in person)

Friday Frivolity: Bad Fashion

Being sick for a week has given me a lot of time to browse the internets.  After all, one cannot live by Nordstrom sales alone . . . I saw a lot of things I liked, but there were a couple of items that were horrendous enough to distract me from my lifetime movie marathon. 

First off, the return of the Skort.

Zara "Mini Skort"

I am generally careful making fun of trends.  Along with almost every other woman in America, I once swore that I'd never wear skinny jeans.  (Don't judge it was 2006).  But the skort . . .  it's an item of clothing that can't make up its mind . . .  Is it dressy? Is it casual? Why would a grown woman do this to herself?  I think we can all agree that this trend should stay buried in our middle school year books, along with scrunchies and crimped hair.  However, if you're looking for a chastity belt, I think this will work quite well.  (P.S. I think this would be just as hideous as a skirt, but the fact that it's a skort only adds insult to injury).

Then, there was this . . . 

Dax Jacket

Is it a deconstructed peplum? Is it a maternity piece? Why is she wearing it with shorts?!?!?! Soooo, many questions. 

And then there was this:

Faux Leather Track Pants

WTF.  That's all.   Could we have made the harem pants even more unflattering?  Yes, we can, in leather.

Now, excuse me while I go nurse my chamomile tea and try to remind myself that there is good fashion out there.  Have a good weekend!

Shopping Confessions: Navigating Sales

I was going to do a different post this week but a stomach virus that's knocked me out for the last few days got in the way.  I'll spare you all the gory details, but one of the few things that cheered me up (aside from Mr. C bringing me gatorade and ginger ale.  He's a keeper), was getting an email from Nordstrom reminding me that I qualified for early access to their anniversary sale.

Not going to lie I have been looking forward to this sale for quite a while.  This is where Nordstrom rolls out a lot of items for the fall/winter season and the markdowns are usually pretty fabulous.   Now, I may have a slight weakness for a good sale.  But, in the past, I've often let my love of a good deal lead me to buy things that I didn't really need or love, just 'cause they were a good price.  It's one of the reason I ended up with a closet full of clothes that I don't like to wear or that aren't practical for my lifestyle.   I'm staring at you, wool dress shorts.  What was I thinking that it would work for business casual?

My first instinct when I realized that sales weren't the BFFs I'd always thought they were, was just to avoid them all together.  A cold break-up.  But, who am I kidding, that didn't last a hot minute.  Instead, I find it's MUCH more productive to come up with a list of the things that I'm looking for.  That way, if I see an item from the list, that's on sale, I can pounce on it without any buyers guilt.  It also helps me ignore all the shiny pretty things calling my name.  Not on the list? Get behind thee behind me silky maxi-dress siren!

Of course, it's not fool proof, but that's what free shipping and free returns are for, right?.

So, what are the items I'm looking for right now?

Number 1 on my list is a bag for grad school.  I'm pretty picky.  It has to be large and sturdy enough to carry around my laptop and any school supplies (Do kids these days even carry books anymore?), but also professional enough to take to interviews.  Here are a couple of the current contenders:

Vince Camuto

 

Kate Spade

I'm also in the market for a new pair of boots.  I bought a cheap pair last year and they didn't hold up well at all, so I've been thinking of investing in something nice that will (hopefully) last.

This Tory Burch pair is kind of the ideal but the shaft might be too long for my short legs (err, that's what she said)

Less of a priority, but also on my list are a pair of booties.  I want something that I could throw on to toughen up a girly dress (ideally, with some sort of leather motorcycle jacket that I don't yet own.  Hmmm, something else to add to the list).  

Sam Edelman

Joe's Saki Bootie

Clark's Rosepoint Dew Bootie

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So, those are my top items for the anniversary sale.  Of course, if a few shiny pretty things make their way into my wardrobe, please don't judge.   What about you? Do you have a strategy for shopping sales or do you just wing it?

4th of July in the District

I hope everyone had a lovely 4th of July!  We had a low key day that involved beer and swachos (pulled pork nachos) at American Ice Co, trying Churchkey's homemade "fireball style" whisky (surprisingly easy.  I'm going to try it myself and  I'll report back with how it turns out), and ending the night by clambering on top of a friend's roof and catching the fireworks.  We may or may not have burst into an impromptu (and out of key) rendition of the Star Spangled Banner . . .

Beer, whiskey, and fireworks.  The perfect way to spend what might be my last 4th of July in the District.  Though I hope you all are having an easier time than I am transitioning back to the work week.

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On another note, did anyone else catch some of the 4th of July sales that went on this weekend?  Zara and Massimo Dutti were both having huge sales and I picked up a couple of items that I'd been looking for for a while, including a new trench coat.

I've been a little bored with all the stores I normally shop at (Banana Republic, J. Crew, etc) and I'm also trying to push myself style-wise so I'm trying to branch out a little bit.  I know Zara might not seem like that big of a risk, but baby steps, baby steps ;)

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Also, I decided that posting weekend re-caps on Saturdays wasn't really working for me.  I like this blogging thing, but I think we'd all rather be brunching than scrolling facebook and blogs. So, I'm going to try posting the recaps on Mondays.*  So, if you missed them, here are last week's posts:

• Our big NYC move
• How to pack for a weekend of apartment hunting in New York.  There's nothing like deciding to put all your stuff in Mr. C's suit bag to cut down on how much you pack.  On the plus side, I didn't have to carry a bag all weekend . . . sneaky, I know. 

*Let's be honest.  Most Saturday mornings Mr. C and I sit around drinking espresso, easting soft boiled eggs, and listening to music.  Spontaneous dancing optional. 

Apartment Hunting in NYC

Living in DC, I am used to having to schmooze, charm, and finagle your way into the landlord's good graces so that he/she will deign to rent to you.  I also know something about paying a lot for small spaces.  Or sacrificing comfort (such as slightly lower ceilings in our current place) for location.  That said, New York is a whole other ball game. 

First, there are brokers fees (where you can't rent the apartment without paying someone up to 15% of the annual rent just for the privilege of signing a lease).  There are the bait and switch scams: You see a nice apartment and then find out it's unavailable BUT, the rat infested postage stamp is free for the same amount.  And, of course, there's the whole size issue . . . I'm still flabbergasted by how people live in some of those spaces.  But, of course, it's all worth it to live in the greatest city in the world, right? Right.

I knew that the apartment-finding process was probably going to be frustrating and tedious.  And, I wanted to make sure that I brought the right things to get me through the weekend.  We were going to be on our feet for most of the day, while we explored neighborhoods.  So, comfort was key.  But, we knew we would be meeting up with friends for dinner so we needed to look semi-presentable.  To top it all off, we were trying to pack light since we knew that we might be carrying all of our stuff with us if we went to see apartments on our last day (which actually happened).

This is what we fit into one suit bag and a tote:

(the striped dress I own is actually this one and I highly recommend it)

P.S. we did end up finding the PERFECT apartment at the last minute.  Literally, we saw the apartment at 11, signed all the paperwork by 12 and still managed to navigate our way through the Pride parade in time to make our 1 o'clock bus.  We were a sweaty mess but at least we looked cute :) )

New York State of Mind

So if you haven't guessed (or if I was so excited I already told you) . . . I have some pretty big news (sorry, Mom, no, I'm not pregnant).

We are moving!!!! 

To New York!!!!*

Why, might you ask? Because we're a little bit crazy I'm enrolling in a full-time MBA program.  I'm pretty excited, giddy, and a little freaked out.  I've lived in DC for nearly 7 years and I know I'm going to miss it.  But, this is the right move for me, professionally, and I've always wanted to live in New York.  

This is from when we were recovering from apartment hunting on Saturday with Micheladas (for me) and beer (for Mr. C) on the rooftop bar at Pod 39.  Mr. C must have been exhausted because somehow I managed to convince him that it wasn't at all hipstery (also I was obsessed with that girl's green dress)

People definitely dress differently in New York.  And, it's not just because it made me re-think the mullet dress style or because I didn't see a single woman wearing tennis shoes with a suit there.  If you do this and I know you, I'm sorry . . . but please stop.  There are way too many comfortable, cute commuting shoes out there for you to go out in public like that.

Walking around, I was struck by how much variety there was.**  It seems that in DC every one has the same litany of J. Crew, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor and so on, and so on. . . (not judging, I'm definitely guilty of this!)  . . . It was refreshing and inspiring to see people of all ages dressing in such a wide variety of styles.  It's also forced me to think (I know, more thinking) about what this will mean for project.  Obviously, I'll still need a semi professional wardrobe for interviews, etc.   But moving to a new city and becoming a student is going to change what a "functional" wardrobe means, for me, and I have a feeling New York is going to have a pretty big impact on my personal style (err, hopefully it will give me one)

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• Anyone have any tips for navigating a big life change like this?  
• How did you adapt your wardrobe without breaking the bank?

*Well, I'm moving first and Mr. C is going to (hopefully) follow in by the end of the year.  

**Though, funny story, Mr. C was wearing his new favorite combo of a chambray shirt and red pants and we ran into another couple where the guy was wearing the exact same thing.  So, not everyone is unique in New York ;-)