What I Wore To Church - Autumnal Plaid Dress

Dress: ModCloth About the Artist Dress in Autumnal Plaid 
Scarf: WalMart
Tights: ModCloth Layer It On Tights in Light Grey
Shoes: ModCloth Dynamic Debut Heel in Navy
Belt: Target (Merona)

It was a bit blustery out there today so I decided layers would be a good idea. I always have fun styling with layers because you have to get creative with what coordinates and what doesn't. I opted to ditch my signature cardigan and replace it with a long sleeve tee. The cardigan would've looked fine (I probably would've done navy if you're wondering), but I like to switch it up every now and then.

I had been drooling over this ModCloth dress for weeks, and they were teasing me with a "coming soon" label under it. It FINALLY came in stock and lucky for me, I had a $15 credit and a 20% off code. The stars aligned and the dress was mine. I absolutely adore plaid and this color scheme was just too perfect.

I tried a couple different things, but settled on the scarf and belt with confirmation from my mom that it wasn't too much mustard. Since I have an obsession with mustard, I tend to go a bit overboard with it, and I need to be reeled in occasionally. This time I think it was just the right amount.

The tights were an add on to a previous ModCloth order so I could get free shipping (I hate paying shipping!), and I knew it wouldn't take me too long to find something to wear them with. Colored tights (yes grey is a color) are one of my favorite accessories. They add fun detail to an outfit and keep you warm at the same time!

The shoes are another ModCloth fave. I'm still debating if I need them in burgundy too. The thick heel makes them easy to walk in despite their 4 inch height, and the cut out details paired with the t-strap is just too much cute in one shoe!

Overall I thought it made a great fall outfit and I'm glad the weather is finally cooperating so I can work with layers. I didn't mean to be a walking advertisement for ModCloth, but sometimes it turns out that way.

If you haven't purchased from ModCloth before, use my link and get $15 off $50! (No this is not a sponsored post, but I do get $15 referral credit if you sign up. It's appreciated so I can continue my addiction!)

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - Touches of Leopard

Dress: eShakti Fall Floral Embellished Poplin Dress

Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Sage

Scarf: Christmas present last year (similar, similar)

Shoes: B.O.C. (similar, similar)

I'm a believer that leopard is a neutral. It's a semi-controversial topic in the fashion world but that's where I stand. It can be paired with almost anything if done right, and it brings a level of interesting detail to any outfit. I thought it complemented the embroidery on this dress quite well.

I got the dress in eShakti's summer sale (which I find funny since part of the name of it is "FALL floral") and almost sent it back. It fit fine, but I wasn't sure if it was enough of a statement piece. I have so many dresses, so I'm always looking for dresses that pop. I seriously almost sent it back without even trying it on, but my mom convinced me to at least put it on and I'm glad I did. Not only is the embroidery beautiful, but it was a lot of fun to style. Also, it had been awhile since I'd worn an eShakti dress, and I forgot how awesome they were because POCKETS! Machine washable is also a plus when it comes to dresses. 

Is that the same awesome sage cardigan that I wore in my Thursday post? Why yes it is. I almost feel like I'm starting an outfit chain. Boots carried over from Sunday to Thursday. Cardigan carried over from Thursday to Sunday. Maybe on Thursday I'll wear the scarf or flats again. We shall see.

eShakti is doing their Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal again so it's worth a second of your time to pop over and check it out. I have a feeling my mom and I may be pooling our resources to get a couple dresses.

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore to Church - Fall Florals

Top: LOFT Shoulder Button Boatneck Tee

Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy

Skirt: ThredUp (Down East)

Boots: JustFab Landry
Scarf: Walmart

Soo...This wasn't the outfit I had planned for today, but alas, I had a button crisis and not enough time (or coordination) to sew so this is what we have instead. When the going gets tough, the tough make lemonade (bonus points if you get the reference).

As you may have noticed, I love florals, and I'll be darned if I let a tiny thing like seasons determine when I wear them. It's helpful when you have florals that come in fall colors. I found this magnificent skirt on...I'll give you one guess (or you can cheat by looking above)...ThredUP of course! 

I've been asked how I find such awesome stuff on there. My secret? Scan the app constantly on my phone. While most people are waiting in line playing Kwazy Kupcakes or whatever game is hip these days, I'm scrolling through skirts, Commercial break while watching Brooklyn 99 on Hulu? Checking out shoes. Taking a mental break at the office? Take a peek at the dresses. You get the drift. You'd be amazed what you can find. I've revamped my entire wardrobe and for a fraction of the cost. Wow, this is starting to sound like a sponsored post. Is it? Nope! I just seriously love ThredUp.

Another awesome find in this outfit? That scarf. I'd been eyeing one on ModCloth for awhile, and I was about to buy it, but I took a quick trip to Walmart with the mom and what do I find? This lovely dupe. It was marked $5 which was a steal so of course, I took it up to the register. How much did it ring up? $1.98!!!! I'm not kidding. I love when the stars align.

I was planning on wearing this outfit with heels, but since it was a tad chilly this morning, I opted for the boots (which is also why I threw on the cardigan). I think it gave the outfit just a touch of country styling without going full on "hay ride". I'm pretty particular about which outfits I wear boots with. There needs to be a little bit of space between the top of the boots and the bottom of the skirt for it to work. Otherwise, your legs end up looking stumpy. This skirt was the perfect length. Just a bit of my knobby knees peeking out and we're good. 

I really liked how the outfit turned out. Although I like to at least try on an outfit the night before to make sure it'll work as imagined, I got lucky with this one. 

If you still haven't checked out ThredUp despite my weekly badgering, use my link here for $10 off your first order. 

If you haven't spent any time on ModCloth, use my link here for $15 off $50.

And If you'd like to check out the extensive brown, black, and grey boot collection on JustFab, use my link here and get 20% off your first order. Fair warning it is a monthly shoe club so be sure to read the terms and conditions. 

Happy Shopping!

Everyday Style - Military Styling

Top: Old Navy Women's Perfect Crew Neck Tee

Vest: Old Navy Canvas Utility Vest (no longer available, similar, similar)

Pants: H&M Slim Fit Pants

Shoes: ShoeDazzle (no longer available, similar, similar)

You can take the girl out of the military but you can't take the military out of the girl. Military styling is huge this fall which pleases me greatly. I'm absolutely obsessed with the color olive right now. I've already collected this vest from Old Navy (thanks to my sister for the birthday present!), a cargo jacket, a cardigan, and I'm on the hunt for some pants and a scarf. 

I bought the shoes last year on super clearance at ShoeDazzle. I really debated buying them because at the time I thought, "I wear camo 5 days a week. Why wear it on my off days?" But I'm SO glad I did. Not only are they some of the most comfortable flats I own, but camo is big this fall, and I find myself missing the camo now that I don't wear it daily. It's a win/win. 

One tip for styling the typically bulkier jackets and vests that are big right now: The rest of your outfit should be form fitting to counter balance and maintain that femininity. It may be common knowledge to most, but some of us are slow learners. 

Hopefully you can find some good military pieces for this fall if you don't already have them in your closet. 

Happy Shopping! 

What I Wore To Church - Learning to Love My Arms

(Outfit details have been moved to the bottom of the page!) Happy Sunday! I have a confession to make. I have a love affair with mustard. I love that fall is rolling around so I can wear it all the time. Any time I see it on a rack, I have to investigate that particular piece of clothing, and I usually end up walking out of the store with it (after paying of course). I'm sure I've mentioned my obsession with polka dots too, so you can see why this top appeals to me. 

The one thing about this shirt that I'm not in love with? The sleeves. They have elastic hems so they accentuate my not perfectly toned arms, but my honesty last week has inspired me to continue the trend and to work on loving myself more. So today, I wore the shirt, sans cardigan with my arms out in all their chubby glory. Guess what! Nobody cared. No one jeered or looked away in horror. No one made rude comments. No one shunned me for my less than perfect body. 

It's clear to me that what we perceive to be our "problem areas" are usually not a problem to anyone but ourselves (and if someone else does have a problem with it, they aren't worth your time). So don't be afraid to wear something you love because you're worried it doesn't perfectly conceal your tummy. Don't over layer (and over heat yourself) just to hide your "chubby arms". Don't give up wearing capris or shorts just because you're concerned someone is judging your super white (or scrawny, or scarred, or whatever!) legs. Wear what makes you feel confident, because that confidence is the first thing people will notice. You can pull off more than you think you can. 

Outfit Details:

Top: Cato Fashions

Skirt: ModCloth Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Stem Green

Shoes: H&M Ballet Flats

What I Wore To Church - My Fashion Truth

 

Top: Pink Rose Stripe Roll Sleeve Henley
Skirt: ModCloth Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Orange
Scarf: H&M Tube Scarf in Woven Fabric
Shoes: ShoeDazzle Omaira (no longer available)

ModCloth has a campaign going on that I absolutely love. It's called #FashionTruth. They say to "be what you want to see in fashion", and to show off your fashion truth. So I'd like to share mine.

I'd always loved shopping and clothes, but fashion and blogging has been so much more to me than I expected. I was going through a really rough time about a year and a half ago. I lost a baby at 23 weeks, and I was just devastated. It was a very traumatic experience for me, and I spent a month and a half doing nothing but grieving. I rarely left the house, and I was lucky if I got into more than yoga pants every day. I was looking for something to get me out of that slump, and my sister encouraged me to get into blogging. I chose fashion blogging because I got to showcase my styling abilities (that have come a long way since then), but I didn't have to get personal. It was a great distraction and a creative outlet.

Pretty quickly I figured out I absolutely LOVED it. It gave me reason to get out of my yoga pants and start to feel beautiful again. I gained back my confidence, and I started taking better care of myself. I don't blog a ton, but I've been realistic about how much I'm capable of doing so I didn't let myself down. I've blogged at least once a week, almost every week since then. I still look forward to putting my outfits together each week, and even though my blog doesn't get a ton of hits, it's important to me.

So my #FashionTruth is that fashion and blogging pulled me out of a rut and helped me get back to me. I'm not always on the forefront of fashion, and my outfits aren't always edgy or hip, but I love doing it. Fashion blogging helps me feel confident and beautiful.

What I Wore To Church: Getting in on the Plaid Trend

Shirt: H&M Basic Top
Cardigan: Tilly's Essential Elbow Sleeve Cardigan
Skirt: Cato's
Boots: JustFab Wilma

If you haven't noticed plaid is big this season (is there ever a fall where it isn't big?), and I absolutely love it. I'd been eyeing a couple of the skirts on eShakti to see which ones I could make work over the bump, and then I realized I had this skirt in my closet from a sale at Cato's years ago. I was skeptical that it would fit over my belly, but surprise! It did. I'm really trying hard to use what's already in my closet instead of buying all new maternity clothes. Not only because it saves me money, but also because then I know I can continue to wear these once the baby is born. Almost any a-line skirt can be worn over the belly instead of under during the first few months of pregnancy, at least while the high-waisted skirt trend is still a thing.

As you can see, I threw some mustard in there for the pop of color. I just can't get enough! I'm definitely trying to stock up while stores have it readily available. It's just such a great color for standing out, and it looks good on almost everyone. I paired it with my navy cardigan (that I've spoken of many times before) to tone it down a tad. Since the sleeves on the cardigan were shorter than the sleeves on the shirt, I rolled them and created a contrast cuff, which I think turned out pretty dang cute.

I finished off the outfit with these grey JustFab boots, both because I liked the way they looked, and because it was a bit chilly today, and they are faux fur lined on the inside. My legs were toasty warm. I also could have paired this with my mustard mary janes or any navy heels if it were a bit warmer outside.

I was kind of proud of myself when I pulled this look together this morning. It turned out better than I thought it would. It definitely makes me want to go out and buy another plaid skirt, because it's so much fun to play with. Maybe I'll find something in a hunter green. I'll definitely be on the lookout.

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - Using Grey as a Neutral

Dress: eShakti Arbor Melange Knit Dress
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Honey
Boots: Soda Like-H (no longer available)

Another great purchase from eShakti. I wanted this dress since I saw it on their facebook page ages ago, but until recently, they were sold out. As soon as it came back in stock, I snagged it, and I'm glad I did because it's sold out again. Don't be sad though, it's come back and sold out again twice since I bought it, so clearly they recognize the demand. Just keep an eye on it, and I'm sure it will be back soon. It's crazy comfortable, like wearing pajamas to church, and it's such a great blank slate to accessorize from. Grey is fantastic for that. I used to think that it really could only be paired with black, but after some playing around, I've finally come around to how versatile it is. It can be paired with almost ANYTHING.

I bought this cardigan from ModCloth a couple years ago on sale, but it's one of their bestsellers so they keep it in stock on a regular basis. It also comes in a variety of fun colors, and I am forever checking their website to see if I can snag it in other colors on sale. I'm definitely glad I grabbed this mustard color because a) I love all things mustard, b) it's a great piece for layering and bringing a sunny pop to an outfit, and c) it goes great with my red hair.

The boots were a steal from one of Tilly's summer sales. I think I paid about $5 for them, but they have been in regular rotation in my wardrobe. They are a great color, a classic shape, and have the perfect heel height for every day wear.

Last thing I want to talk about is that last picture. For those that haven't been told (or figured it out) I am pregnant! I'm 4 months along and due in April. I've been doing my best to keep it under wraps, but with this growing bump it's proven to be quite the challenge, especially when I'm posting outfits on the internet week after week. I'm sure some of you saw right through my guise of high-waisted skirts, flowy tops, and empire waistlines. I'm just glad I can set the bump free now. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun finding ways to show off the bump, while still keeping my playful, feminine style.

If you're interested in purchasing from eShakti, their referral program is still going strong. Use referral code ELIZABETH92SP for $30 off your first purchase. My sister just took advantage and got a super cute knit dress in the overstock section for $15!

Happy Shopping!