since i've been traveling more, i'm happy to report i have a much better grasp on packing for a week than i once did. now i can pick a few pieces that will work for me in lots of ways, ensuring i don't rupture a vertebrae trying to cram my carry-on in the overhead.
(click for larger photo)
here are the winners, the whys and the where-to-get-them of my travel wardrobe, starting from top left and then sort of meandering over the photo.
T BY ALEXANDER WANG SLIP DRESS - ashley at vermillion assured me i needed one, and i'd end up thanking her for the under $100 spend. right as always, she advised me the jersey dress was perfect for packing and easy to layer. i'll throw a blazer over it for the daytime and at night a fun necklace and some ladyboots. more causal days i can pair it with a white button up or slip a sweater over it.
RAG & BONE ACID WASH JEANS - a little something different so i can feel special and unicornly. these can go way wrong real fast, so i pair them with basic black and whites for a guaranteed not-bad trip. perhaps these are now out of fashion and i didn't get the memo, because black acid wash jeans are no where to be found on the internets. hmmmm...
SPLENDID BOOTIES - i love these so much they have a hole in the side. i turned it away for the photo. i've got my browns and blacks covered, but it's nice to bring a camel shoe to pair with grays. they're super comfy and i can walk all day in them, unlike my other boots which get pinchy after a couple of hours.
BLACK SLIM SIGNATURE EQUIPMENT BLOUSE - these are a staple for me, especially my black one. either business timez or party times, it's an no-brainer with jeans and black boots. add some simple gold jewelry or some blingy bits and you're golden.
CITIZENS OF HUMANITY ROCKET SKINNY JEANS - these are like, my thing right now. you know those jeans you have on repeat and can't really remember the last time you washed them? it's these. just enough distressing to look cool, but not those big holes that make the fat-packets that bulge out, ya know? (those are terrible)
BAND OF GYPSIES ROMPER - it's vegas and a girls gotta romp at some point. this is far from professional and worn only when i'm in a town of strangers. there's a clear and present danger of a lip slip with its centimeters of inseam, if you know what i'm saying. best paired with a tank and blazer or leather jacket over it so you maintain some shred of dignity.
LONG SLEEVE STRIPED POCKET TEE - a basic i can put with just about anything. pair a stripe with a print to look like you understand faschun. i'll wear it with the giraffe print pencil skirt and everyone will admire how i dared to mix. mine is from h&m forever ago, but target has a good tissue tee that's similar.
RAG & BONE NEWBURY BOOTIES - i am not interested in how 'done' these are, or how every blogger has them. what i know is they're great. i wear them on the daily. and if heidi klum is wearing them to soccer games, then i'm doing fine. these are black nubuck which seems to be vintage as this point, but the brown leather and the grey are also worth considering. on nye, i spilled a bowl of grits on these at an ungodly hour and thought i'd lost them. a local shop cleaned them up for me and now we're back to making memories.
ROPE STATEMENT NECKLACE - before i travel, i always snag an of-the-moment statement necklace from furbish. we're good at that - low investment pieces that can make a plain outfit special. i particularly like the ones we've had with the neon rope. paired with sparkly bits, it creates a little tension and says not too girly, but i like to party. i'll wear it with my favorite jeans, a white button down and maybe these heels (which i crammed in at the last minute. crammed. i think my bag shrunk).
IOMOI PERSONALIZED CANVAS AND LEATHER CLUTCH - i had this made at iomoi.com. it helps keep my ego in check. it's not fancy but it's special, and now you know how old i am.
MARA HOFFMAN DRESS - from two years ago, but still a favorite. i had it shortened a couple of inches because the side cut-outs didn't scream age-inappropriate enough. i'll wear it to dinner, where i can't eat because it's so tight you can see my fallopian tubes. a blazer over it allows a few bites, but let's not get carried away. faschun. (mine is older, so sold out, but this style is the same, this print is awesome, and the long one with cut-outs is fun too)
JEROME DREYFUSS SHOULDER BAG - from my pal stacey at hampden clothing in charleston, this bag makes you feel superior in that i-have-this-bag-and-you-don't way. i'm sorry. but that's a real feeling. i'm of a certain age, and i work hard, so i am entitled to a few of those feelings. i love the unexpected steel blue - it's a neutral, but not a normal one. this is great for furniture market, because it can strap over your shoulder, freeing up your hands to shake and kiss babies, and it's just big enough to shove a few business cards in for ordering when i get back home.
JCREW GIRAFFE PRINT PENCIL SKIRT - real old-school jcrew, but they consistently have a new crop of good printed pencil skirts, and this topshop one is equally rad. i can wear this twice during the week - once with a button up tucked in, and again with a t-shirt and blazer. paired with boots so my legs look less squatty, it presents a nice package, sucking you in and leaning things out.
HYLA DEWITT NECKLACE - brian meares calls this my in-a-lesbian-band-in-arizona-necklace (???), so sometimes i wear it just to spite him. hyla is a raleigh girl who crafts supremely fierce one-of-a-kind pieces that always fetch a compliment.
BELLA DAHL WHITE BUTTON UP - i will send this out to have dry-cleaned at the hotel because i need to wear it one more time. it's that good. long in the back with a bit of a crop in the front (still tuckable), it's a perfect fit, and feels like an expensive custom-tailored piece. the hidden button front is a nice touch - it makes it feel worthy for dinners and eveningtimez, but it can start working in the am just as well with jeans and some heeled boots. (pickings are slim online, but you can find some sizes here and here)
ISABEL MARANT BOBBY WEDGE SNEAKERS - there are times when i don't wear boots, if you can imagine. that's when i wear these. another victim of a well-worn hole, i'd save these in a fire. i have black and taupe because i'm a creature of habit and when i find something i love, i buy deep. i promise, they're worth the splurge.
ZARA BLACK BLAZER - sometimes it's best to just take a cue from ellen degeneres and put a freaking blazer on, and then dance. i found this one at zara several years ago, but this one at shopbop seems to be an identical cut, plus it's a deal at $130. i'll wear this with the black tank dress, again with jeans and a button-up and probably one more time with the pencil skirt and a tee. bizness and faschun.
H&M CARDIGAN - this looks a bit frumpier than it really is. for chilly mornings, it's perfect to throw over a tee, or over the tank dress for an easy pulled together look. i find really good cardigans at h&m - they've proved to be some of my favorites. they're well structured and super budget-friendly. i also have this one for when i'm feeling a bill cosby vibe, and this one is primo to fly in.
see for yourself
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