Category: what i wore

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outdoors vacation what i wore

What I Wore- Into The Woods

I’m not the type of gal that typically looks forward to vacationing in big cities. There’s a reason I live in New Orleans– miles of metropolis doesn’t appeal to me. Perhaps growing up with a swamp literally in my backyard had some effect because when I want to get away from it all I do mean all of it. No cell phone reception, no internet, no nothing. A few weekends ago I took a digital detox by renting a cabin in rural Mississippi in the Homochitto National Forest. It was so utterly blissful that I didn’t want to come back home.

Just because I was having a John Muir moment doesn’t mean I want to totally dress the part. Actually, he was probably pretty snazzy looking- the clothing in the 1800s was far superior in construction than what we buy in stores today. Anyway the trick to looking good is to not really worry about it. Pick comfortable clothes that are somewhat stylish and please, leave the heels at home. Easy, right?
This is a simple shirt but I love the details. The big buttons in the back are just enough detail to add interest without being distracting. The dolmen sleeves update a classic cut so I can own this for years and not worry about looking dated. It’s also by Billy Reid, one of my favorite southern fashion designers so the quality is superb.
Nadia is such a bitch, stealing another shot. You know how everyone supposedly looks like their dogs? I’m still waiting to get tall and skinny just like mine but I shouldn’t hold my breath. I guess we both have big ol’ *ahem* athletic thighs so maybe I’m on my way after all.
If you are seeking your own transcendentalist moment read about my first experience at Forest Retreat on this guest post I did on NO Adventure.
Dolman sleeve shirt- Billy Reid via BillyReid.com
Jeans- Seven for All Mankind via Buffalo Exchange
Shoes- Toms via Gnome
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skirts what i wore

A long skirt for short legs

When you are a measly 5’1 like me hemlines are a headache. What’s going to look right on? Is this going to make me look too short? With all this worrying it is really easy to talk yourself out of trying things on, much less buying them. I’ve been fearful of long skirts because I always assumed they’d make me look even more petite than I already am.  However a friend of mine with similar sizing woes pulls off long skirts with ease, so I thought it was about time that I try it too.

I kind of feel like I’ve been missing out on wearing a long skirt due to my own silly insecurities. I got a lot of compliments on this outfit, which made me feel great all day. To stay clear of sister wife territory with this length keep things in balance by pairing your skirt with something more fitted on top. You don’t want to get lost in folds of fabric, especially if you are short like I am. 
I never thought I was big on floral patterns but I’ve decided that I really dig ’em. Good thing I guess, since I’ve got magnolia tattoos on each foot.
Tank- H&M
Skirt- Funky Monkey
Ring and belt- Armoire Boutique
Earrings- Buffalo Exchange
Flats- Melissa
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spring what i wore

Simple Spring Solutions

Every damn year when the seasons change I promise myself I’ll be prepared and well stocked on good wardrobe basics, fun stand out pieces and have the accessories to match. Every damn year when the seasons change I complain that I’m not prepared and I scramble to fill in the gaps from the previous year. Whatever. I wore this outfit out a few days ago for an intense sewing session, a solitary trip out the house for a mani and fro yo, then some great late night fashion conversations on my back patio with a good friend of mine.

Spring and summer dressing are all about a sense of ease. After the admittedly not so long New Orleans winter I want to focus less on layering, more on stand alone pieces that I can just throw on and go. While the weather has been perfect these past few days humidity is on the horizon which means no fuss dressing. This simple dress is going to get a lot of action starting in summer.

I’m usually big on leather bags but this metallic silver canvas was too cute to pass up. It is certainly huge but it opens wide enough that I can find everything quickly.
I love the detail on the handle, it is actually a rich, ultra dark brown which is an unexpected yet pleasing alternative to basic, boring black.
Like how I have no eyebrows in this picture? I’m the poster child for not over plucking. Please kids, no matter what shape is in don’t conform to it or you’ll look like me. Actually I have more eyebrow than this picture indicates but regardless let the pros handle your face framers. 
My husband surprised me with this necklace from Symmetry Jewelry for my birthday a month ago. We were only supposed to be going to dinner and drinks with friends but he threw a little lagniappe my way. It matches my wedding ring, which was a nice touch.
Love this black pearl ring* from Mavens Jewelry. The swirls were inspired by a flamenco dancer’s skirt, which is evident in the design. And how about that shiny nail polish? I got my first experience with shellac and I’m already in love. I’m not very good at keeping up with my nails but this stuff stays put for 2-3 weeks. The coral color is perfect for spring.
Dress- Calvin Klein via Swap Boutique
Flats- Really old Cole Haan
Tote Bag: Gap via Buffalo Exchange
Necklace- Anatoli from Symmetry Jewelry
Ring- Mavens Jewelry
Shellac Manicure- Retreat Spa
I did receive this ring at a discount for featuring Maven on this site.
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spring what i wore

Spring has Sprung

It feels like we’ve finally escaped winter’s harsh grasp and have moved forward with springtime in New Orleans. While I’m loving these warmer days and having dinner on the back patio I’ve been fighting with allergies and a head cold thanks to the temperature change.


 Trust me, I’m not complaining about the beautiful days ahead and I am looking forward to riding my bike everywhere once I start feeling better, which hopefully will be soon with the start of three New Orleans fashion weeks, one of which I am attending this Wednesday at the Contemporary Arts Center. Oh yea, and Mardi Gras, the biggest and best holiday of the year, is wedged in there as well. No rest for the wicked right?





I bought this long, flowy tank top a few weeks ago when it was still cold and I’ve been itching to wear it ever since. The day I purchased it I was wearing a coat and gloves and now I can safely go outside with bare arms. See why I’m feeling under the weather, even if it is perfect outside? 

I’ve been having a golden moment and while I’m not sick of silver I’ve been craving more gold tone accessories. I love this big ring that I just bought last week. Oh the scaly guy? Relax, He’s just a ceramic rattlesnake inherited from my dad, rest his soul.
My birthday was on Groundhog’s Day and while I’m not sure what the little mammal’s prediction was I’m enjoying this cream and burgundy infinity scarf that I received as a b-day gift from Armoire Boutique. I figured the colors were close enough to do the pattern on pattern thing.
I have a long neck and these earrings are still grazing my shoulders. They’re a little tacky but I kind of don’t care.

Check out those greasy bangs and beat up shoes. My shoes take a beating, it’s hard for me to keep them looking nice so I usually don’t even try. I know, sometimes I really fail at fashion blogging but I like to be honest y’all. So what are you wearing now that the weather has warmed up?
Tank Top: Jack by BB Dakota via Lola Boutique
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity via Buffalo Exchange
Scarf: Gift from Armoire Boutique
Earrings: Buffalo Exchange
Ring: Armoire Boutique
Shoes: J. Crew via Buffalo Exchange (swear they were perfect when I bought them)


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what i wore

Jean Challenge- Style These!

I believe in buying good jeans. This means I’m willing to spend a lot for good denim since I wear it so often. I’d rather buy quality and not have to replace my favorite pair after a few months, hell even a year.

  I’ve certainly plopped down the debit card on some wardrobe staples but why shell out big bucks if you can find it cheaper secondhand? My inseam is stupidly short so it is hard for me to justify paying $150-$200 on jeans that aren’t 100% perfect. I’ve never found skinny jeans in petite in New Orleans and even then petite lengths are sometimes still too long.  Besides the obvious perk of saving money when you buy secondhand you don’t have to worry about garments shrinking since they’ve already been washed.

Normally I like to buy jeans that are dark wash, skinny or straight leg with nary an embellishment or logo in site. However variety is good at times and since all of my jeans look the same I decided to mix it up and buy these babies:

These jeans are…let’s call them edgy. Over sized zippers on the front and back pockets, weird panels on the front. I’d usually shy away from this but something was calling my name, probably the fact that these make me almost look like I have hips.
Now the problem is what in the hell do I wear them with? That’s why I’m turning to you, dear readers. I’m seriously at a loss here since these take me so far out of my comfort zone. 
So how would you style ’em? And no burning them isn’t an option as I happen to rather like them.
T-shirt: Jolie & Elizabeth
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity via Buffalo Exchange
Loafers: Ferragamo via Bloomin’deals 
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what i wore

What I Wore- A New Orleans Night Out

One thing I rely on too heavily when getting dressed is easy outfits. I’m not the type of person to take something “so ugly it is cute” and turn it into something fabulous. When I was younger I was more daring with thrift store finds but the older I get my desire to reduce the risk of looking like a jack ass goes up.  That said I’ve been feeling fairly bored with my outfits and want to break away from my tried and true combinations and bring some fun back into my fashion.

I lived in tanks and skirts last summer and I’ve been trying to wear this combo more in the winter. I wear tank tops year ’round since the weather is so unpredictable here in the Deep South. On this particular night I winterized a cotton summer skirt, by New Orleans standards anyway, by throwing wool tights on and adding a cardigan. In lieu of wearing all black I opted to wear this grey cardigan with white sequin appliqués and kept it in check with grey tights and grey and black shoes. 
So where did I go on my night out? My too cute for words friends Joseph and Zac came with me to the Style Lab relaunch party followed by dinner at the Ste. Marie, a new restaurant located downtown. We ended the evening with a glass of wine, fries, and dessert at Delachaise. Yea, because only in New Orleans would you go out for more food after dinner.
Gotta love finding a bright orange chair to use as an impromptu prop. I’m pretty sure Reginelli’s didn’t mind too much since we were only outside!
Cardigan: Coco Bourgeois
Tank: H&M
Skirt: Velvet
Tights: Sock Dreams
Shoes: Gianni Bini
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what i wore

Bundle Up!

I know everyone is tired of hearing about how cold it is but damn y’all it is cold in New Orleans! At the very least my sweaters have been getting lots of love lately.

I don’t buy sweaters very often and I really don’t own that many. One of my new favorites is this ultra comfy Lia Molly sweater that I bought a few months ago. It is so snuggly, warm and most important easy to wear! I just throw it on with a pair of jeans and go. I normally wouldn’t wear white since it washes me out but I really like this tank underneath as it breaks up the grey. Don’t mind the red nose, I had just got back from walking my dog.

The best thing about this piece is the back. Unfortunately I don’t get a chance to admire it while I’m bundled up but it is a really pretty design yet feels tribal at the same time.

 Long sweaters require long jewelry so I layered up two of my new favorite necklaces, a rabbit skeleton and a bevy of arms and legs.

So how are y’all staying warm this winter?

Sweater: Lia Molly*
Tank: Project Alabama via Buffalo Exchange
Jeans: Current Elliot via Buffalo Exchange
Shoes: Steve Madden via Nordstrom Rack
Necklaces: Arms and legs via Buffalo Exchange, rabbit skeleton via Fairy

*Seema Sudan was kind enough to let me purchase the sweater at a discounted press rate after featuring Lia Molly on Slow Southern Style.

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new orleans what i wore

What I Wore- Bounce Night

Look y’all fashion blogs are serious business. I mean why get dressed in the morning if you aren’t going to painstakingly document every minute detail of your outfit? Don’t you know that the internetz solely exists for women all over the world to show off what they bought at Forever 21 and how they tried to make it look more expensive by pairing it with a Dillard’s handbag purchased on sale at TJ Maxx?

*Ahem* Okay clearly I try not to take myself too seriously.

When I threw the question out “Should I do a what I wore to bounce night post?” I received a resounding yes, including a message “Write it or I’ll write it for you” from Chris Trew. If you aren’t familiar with his work Chris is a comedian living in Austin but went to high school in Covington. He did a hilarious recap of my night out  on his site that I insist everyone read.

So who did we go see? Ricky B is a bounce legend and it was certainly evident why at this show. It’s always fun to hear songs live that you remember listening to in grade school.

Partners n’ Crime were great too. They’ve been around forever and put on a great show.

Someone made flyers of Magnolia Shorty and threw them off the stage. This sort of looked like a temporary memorial to me so I had to take a picture. So sad and absolutely unnecessary when people are murdered.

So what to expect if you’ve never been? Get ready for a workout.  My thighs are almost always sore the next day, a sure sign that I had fun.

Okay so I don’t really stretch beforehand but it wouldn’t hurt. However I do wear clothes with a lot of stretch. Leggings and bounce night are BFFs. And since I’m a white girl with no butt I keep it covered. No need to scare people with my pasty white legs.

Representing my dawg. No seriously, my greyhound’s name is Nadia. 

Going hands free is important so keep the handbag to a minimum. This bag is perfect since it is large enough to fit camera, phone, ID and keys but still sit nicely just under the arm. You don’t want a big purse swinging around when you are trying to pop, lock and drop it.

No idea what bounce is? Watch this video featuring a few sissy bouncers.
Tunic: French Connection
Leggings: American Apparel
Shoes: Cole Haan
Necklace: vintage
Bag: Botkier
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what i wore winter wear

What I Wore- Vaguely French

I”m a pretty lucky gal when it comes to the dress code at work. Basically, there is none so long as I look presentable. No suits, no uniform, I don’t have to hide my tattoos and I certainly don’t have to limit my creativity come costume season. That said I hesitate sometimes to post pictures of my favorite outfits here. Would it be lame to run into someone and I’m wearing the same thing over and over again? Should I care?

Today I’m feeling generous so I’ll let this one slide. This dress feels vaguely French due to the scoop neckline and the stripes. I’m Cajun French on my dad’s side so that works for me.
I love a dress with tough looking boots and no these aren’t Frye. I picked up these vintage engineer boots when I still lived in Arizona. I’ve owned them for a few years now and I’d like to think they go with everything. 

Two years ago I got hooked on sea horses when I went to the aquarium for the first time in ages. They float around like sea nymphs, some of them so dainty and small that you can’t believe they even exist. These earrings look more like sea dragons to me, which is even better.

A good cuff bracelet is always a chic move. Erin of Armoire was sweet enough to give this to me as a gift  last week and I’ve already worn it twice!
My favorite sweater, which I wear seemingly on a daily basis. I throw it on over everything, even over PJs. 
Sweater: Juicy Couture via Nordstrom Rack
Dress: Be Bop via Buffalo Exchange
Thigh High Socks: American Apparel
Boots: Vintage Ranchero
Earrings: Buffalo Exchange
Cuff: Armoire
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hammond holiday what i wore

Festive Frock

The best part of the holiday season and having a significant other is getting invited to multiple events. Parties equal party dresses and I love getting gussied up for a night out! Last week we went to his company holiday party and this week was mine. This year I selected Domenica, a great Italian restaurant in the historic Roosevelt Hotel here in New Orleans. I had eaten at Domenica three times before so this was a great excuse to go back.

Making reservations for 13 employees and their guests can seem like a daunting task so I was really only focusing on great eats without blowing the budget. I completely forgot that the Roosevelt decks the halls and the beautiful decorations were the icing on the cake. Or should I say the star on top of the tree?
I had purchased my dress from Shop Imagine in Hammond, LA over the summer and I’ve been dying to wear it ever since. I knew right off the bat that it would be perfect for the holidays and was worth holding onto for so long.
My husband isn’t shy when it comes to clothes and he went out and bought a shirt the day of to coordinate with my dress. How cute was that? I’m pretty lucky to have snagged such a stylish man.

Of course no festive frock is complete without a little lagniappe. The last time I went to Fairy, a sweet little boutique across from Whole Foods, I spied this little gold rabbit skeleton necklace. I knew I had to have it but forgot to make the purchase. Owner Elizabeth Laird was kind enough to set one aside for me when her next shipment came in* so I snatched it up when she told me it was in again!

Isn’t the detail on this incredible? It is handmade by a San Francisco artist, whose name escapes me at the moment.
I was unsure about wearing these sparkly gold tights with the dress. After all the last time I wore them was on Mardi Gras Day. They turned out to be a hit and coordinated nicely with the gold zipper detailing on the dresses neckline. Since the tights and dress had so much going on I decided to go simple with these black patent leather Cole Haan heels. 

Oh yea, you wanna know what we ate? Domenica is a John Besh restaurant that is run by executive chef Alon Shaya. Everything was excellent but the mushroom soup pictured above was a real stand out, as well as the panna cotta dessert with salted caramel and pears featured below. We reserved the private dining room, perfect for a group of 26 or smaller.

So do you have any holiday parties that you are looking forward to? 
* Fairy was kind enough to give me a discount on the necklace for featuring her shop here and elsewhere. Thanks for the generous offer Elizabeth!
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