Marsala Leather + Black Bustier

Blazer: Vintage (also worn here)

Tee: Target

Bustier: ASOS (also worn here)

Pants: Rag & Bone (also worn here)

Bag: Chanel

Shoes: Aminah Abdul-Jillil

Sunglasses: Dsquared2

Finally made it over to the Palihotel this weekend for brunch at The Hart and the Hunter, which was a total treat.  Amazing biscuits, cozy atmosphere, and bottomless mimosas? Yes please.  It's been a while since hubby and I have been able to have a leisurely brunch alone together, so big thanks to my sister and her boyfriend for entertaining the kiddos for the majority of our Saturday morning.  Usually when we go out for Saturday brunch I am shoveling food as fast as possible into my mouth and trying really hard not to let my eggs spill into the hair of whichever child is sitting on my lap.  Also, I dress way more shiteously whenever kids and breakfast are involved. 

This time however, I pulled it together a bit for our date-day.  I maintain that Rag & Bone makes an amazingly-fitting pair of pants.  I'm still in love with them, and even though they aren't exactly the 2015 color of the year (which I'm still on the fence about because it's like a duller version of oxblood, a color I actually love) I'm going to argue that they are in the zone of what's current and happening in the design world.  

Tribal Fringe Cardigan in Black and White

Sweater: Nasty Gal (on sale!)

T-Shirt: H&M

Jeans: BlankNYC

Boots: Rachel Zoe "Nevana"

Sunglasses: Fendi

I've been living in this sweater because temps have dropped and it feels like a nice warm hug.  And, even though it's a little busy and tribal prints are not my usual jam, I think the black and white reigns it in and gives it some sort of taste, even when worn over black pajama pants to drop my kids off to preschool (yup I sure did leave the house in loungewear aka pajamas.)  I went a little out of my comfort zone here and am pretty pleased with the results.  

I wore this particular outfit to dinner with a friend at The Wallace in Culver City, which we chose only because it's in the middle of us (she's a west-sider and I live east of Fairfax).  I knew it would be convenient and based on the website it looked cute inside, but I didn't expect to be so wowed by the food.  Everything we had was so good.  Actually, I've been to a few places in downtown Culver as of late and I'm really impressed - much less of a scene than West Hollywood and real quality restaurants in a cute and bustling environment.  I guess going out of my geographic comfort zone can pay off too.

Sheer Skirt Sequin Sweater

Jacket: Bershka London, old

Sweater: Wildfox (also worn here, cute sequin sweater here)

Skirt: ASOS (also worn here)

Shoes: Sigerson Morrison

Sunglasses: Fendi

It gets hard to dress up for the holidays without looking cliche or stupid for wearing skimpy shit that is inappropriate for cold weather.  I guess that's just what the season demands, but I think putting a leather jacket on over pretty much any holiday getup will make you look less seasonal and more timeless.  I've written about this one before (see here) and it just continues to be a bonus that every time I wear it, it brings back some awesome memories.  

Night Moth

Sweater: H&M, recent

Pants: J Brand

Boots: Chinese Laundry, old (similar here)

Clutch: Michael Kors

Sunglasses: Marc Jacobs

Earrings: Vintage Chanel

Lipstick: M.A.C. "Night Moth" lip pencil & "Media" lipstick

Supposedly, wearing super dark lipstick makes your lips look thinner.  I'm not too sure about that, since mine still look pretty gigantic here, and I feel like the bold color calls attention to them even more. You see, I have a major complex about my lips, because I still picture them during my awkward stage, over braces and crooked teeth, before I was allowed to wax or thread anything at all.  Let's just say no one escapes childhood without some battle scars and this big-lip complex is one of mine.  Over time I've learned to kind of embrace them and just live with it (no choice, really).  I even paint them in bright colors sometimes, although I swear I feel like this when I do.  They've actually become as much of an accessory as anything else - paint them pink and it's like hi, summer!  But paint them a moody dark brown and this outfit is instantly winterized.

Pixels

Jumpsuit: Nastygal (last worn here)

Duster: ASOS (last worn here)

Mules: Aldo

Bag: Burberry

Sunglasses: Stella McCartney

I decided I didn't like having to roll the legs of this jumpsuit up, so I took a pair of scissors and snipped off about 5 inches.  Hopefully I can get around to hemming this properly before it completely frays and ruins the jumpsuit.  My sewing machine is around here somewhere.  

That little tiny alteration completely changed the feel of this jumpsuit for me.  Instead of emphasizing how short I am due to the too-long inseam, it now makes me look taller and less ratchet (always a plus).  Tailoring - because that's what we're going to call what I did to this jumpsuit - is everything for those of us who weren't born with sample size proportions. Never be afraid to get a 20 dollar item (or $9, as was the case here) of clothing fitted perfectly to your body.  No matter how much extra it costs, it's always going to be worth it.

Crop + Mesh

Top: ASOS (also worn here)

Pants: ASOS

Shoes: Steve Madden "Lanii"

Bag: Banana Republic, old

Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Necklace: Nordstrom, old

It's officially Fall and I couldn't have had a better Labor Day weekend.  It involved a lot of food and alcohol though, so it's time to really detox and stop pretending I'm 21 and that my body can actually handle that kind of binge eating and drinking.  In honor of this weird limbo period we're in with the seasons, this outfit is kind of a mashup of things too - sporty (the mesh top & sport bra), summer (espadrilles), fall (leopard bag), classic (the high-waisted black pants that I rolled up about 5 times) and tribal (the necklace).  I just wanted to be comfortable and also appropriate for a somewhat professional setting (you never know who you're going to run into).  Cropped black pants (or black jeans) usually make most things look more polished.  Even furry espadrilles and a spiky necklace.

Just Add Stripes

Jumpsuit: Maje (also worn here)

Crop top: H&M

Shoes: Aminah Abdul-Jillil

Bag: Gucci

Sunglasses: Prada

Sorry for my brief absence - sometimes keeping up with everything gets overwhelming and something has to give, or else my husband will Baker Act me and that will be the end of blog posts forever.  This time, I took a break from the blog and just stopped thinking about whether my outfit was photo-worthy for a few days.  It helped me remember that I didn't start this blog to only post photo-worthy outfits; I started it so that other people in my boat (crazy harried working moms/young professionals who want to do everything perfectly and kill themselves trying) can see how I pull it together day after day and face the world, hopefully without looking like shi* and actually looking kind of put together.  That, in essence, is The Fancy Routine - being fancy should be such a natural part of your day (your routine) that it requires no thought on those mornings where you just want to be like #girlbye to whatever thousand things you have to do that day, but don't have the option.  You  can and should STILL look good on those days.

p.s. I wore this outfit to the farmer's market on Sunday morning; originally I was going to just wear the romper but it looked too dressy so I put the striped top on to dress it down, because stripes dress everything down.  Even sequins.  Try it and see.

Black + Floral

Blazer: Target (also worn here)

T-Shirt: Zara

Jeans: Old Navy

Shoes: Steven "Lanii"

Bag: DVF

Sunglasses: 

Ear Cuffs: Vintage, found on Ebay

Something about this blazer makes me always want to wear it with black.  It's just way too cheerful and preppy or something; I don't know.  It's definitely made to go with things like white linen pants, and white a-line skirts, or a pink pair of shorts even; but that's way too garden party for me (I don't even go to garden parties).  I'd like to think that this outfit is a perfect example of the power of styling, and how your clothes and accessories can say a lot about you before you even open your mouth. 

keep it simple

 Cape Blazer: Nastygal (also worn here)

Pants: H&M

Belt: J. Crew

Necklace: Vintage

Shoes: Celine

Sunglasses: Fendi

Guys, I got these pants at H&M the other day for THREE DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS.  Sale season is upon us and I personally have been extremely successful.  I mean, these pants cost me less than PARKING.  Less than a pressed juice.  I can't even buy 1 gallon of gas with $3.50.  I have no idea if they will last, but even if I wear them two times, they are worth it.  Kept it simple in my favorite color combo and let the silhouettes (high-waist, wide leg, cape, strong shoulder, etc.) be the focus here.