Adventures of the Fitting Room

Back in the day, during my long stint in the retail world, my favorite place to spend my work hours was scurrying around the dressing room. No, I wasn't hiding from the frequent shoppers... I was looking for them! And I was always trying to figure out a way to making them let me help them find the best pieces to fit their wants/needs. Some think... weirdo, but I really do find enjoyment in this sort of thing.

I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment when someone walks away from my fitting room with the dress they're going to wear for that special occasion, with that perfect fitting jean that they were sure they couldn't find, or the outfit that makes them feel more confident than they have in years.

It's been a while since I've worked in a dressing room. It's also been a while since I've been able to do any personal shopping for pretty much anyone... well, almost anyone.

Though I'm not pursuing the clothing racks for other shoppers, I am definitely still pursuing, and I definitely haven't stayed out of the fitting room.

The fitting room is such a wonderful space to try new ideas and styles you may or may not ever be brave enough to try to pull off out in the real world. I get that many shoppers only enter in a store if they are on the hunt for specifics. They have purpose. For me, what usually begins with purpose, (aka running to the store for "one thing") many times ends up with me browsing the entire shop to see what new ideas have made there way through the doors and onto the shelves (or clothing racks). Sometimes, I honestly feel that there is no purpose other than to look, see, and dream of what could be. I love to see new designs, fabrics, and prints, all representations of someone's inspired mind. I love using those ideas to create... and I love to see others' creations as well and how they express themselves so uniquely.

All that aside... here is some fun from a browsing session with a few fitting room appearances. 

Chambray Romper

Honestly, I never thought I could pull off this Chambray number, 

but in the fitting room, it doesn't matter whether you can or can't, 

you just try. I loved it paired with tan heels and this chunky necklace.

 

 

Oh, and don't forget the ponytail... 

this happened by sheer mistake when trying 

to "fix" my messy hair, but I think it's a must.

  
Cloth & Stone

And this... such a simple piece. But so well made! 

And soft! Some days I just really want to be a minimalist, 

and have my closet filled with modern simplistic items like 

this dress (tunic? maybe I'm too tall?). Either way, once 

I see the price tag which accompanies simple pieces, then I'm 

drawn back to reality to why my closet isn't filled with so many. 

Still, so soft. 

Only strong basics here. My favorite leather 

bag with this Cloth and Stone top.

 Yep, love.

For comparison... here is an outfit breakdown. 

But all prices aside, which do your prefer? 

 

Outfit Breakdown  

Romper Old Navy $35   

Necklace Banana Republic $2.00  

Shoes old  

Outfit Breakdown

Top Marshall's Cloth & Stone $50  

Pants Old Navy $20

Shoes Marshall's Franco Serrato $32 

Banana Steal

Well now...

It's been a while. I can't say that I have a good excuse, other than the same excuse that most everyone has: I've been busy. I guess it's been a bit busier this year than most. In the last year, I have accepted, started, and worked 2 new jobs, gotten engaged, planned a wedding (helped plan really... my fiance did most of the planning), and entered into the life of a married woman. I guess it's been quite a year. And although there has been a lack of clothing posts, there has not been a lack of clothing... and opportunities to wear them.

I felt compelled to bring my threaded inspirations back from the dead, so I could have the opportunity to share a great clothing steal. Please use the below pictures to check out one of my newest fantastic finds.

Clothing Store: Banana Republic

How I found it: Stalking the sale section and any extra "codes" that were available for discounts (don't judge)

Availability: Go online! It's only left in black; such a classy dress! 

(Look at the bottom of the page for a price break down... its actually discounted even more right now!)

 I paired this dress with a "pop of color" shoe to add a little twist.

 One of my favorite parts of this elegant Banana dress. 

I wore my hair up to show off the cutout back.

Classy statement jewelry is easy to add to a simple piece. 

Depending on how you change up your jewelry,

 you can vary your look with this simple dress.

 My husband took this... he wanted to make sure I noted that.

 Had fun playing with some eye shadow. 

Purple hues are said to complement brown eyes. 

Loved to choose this color with this dress.

 That's all I have for today. 

Hopefully, it was worth reviving this page to share. 

Much love.

Outfit Breakdown

Dress: Banana Republic $29.99

Necklace: Banana Republic $10

Shoes: Ross Calvin Klein $20

Print it out.

How do you feel about printed pants?

I found these white printed
jeans at Marshall's for $19.

I'm not going to lie, I have only a couple pairs of my own. I'm usually pretty simplistic with the prints, and even the colors, I wear. However, when I spied these pair of jeans, I couldn't help but pull them off the rack. There was something about this print that caught my eye. So I took them home to give them a try.


Though patterned pieces can take a little more effort to mix and match and create outfits with, they can offer endless possibilities for a creative mind that's up for the challenge!


I liked these because they are only 2 colors, white with a blue floral pattern. Also, the floral pattern didn't consist of huge blooming petals, but of a smaller more symmetrical vine print. I liked the white and blue because I felt that I could pair these with most colors... if I decided to ever pair them with colors. (I had yellow on my mind ;)


Check out and see how I styled this print below! 

I kept the rest of the outfit pieces as simple as possible.
The pants made enough of a statement on their own.

Nine West sandals from Ross. $21. Love these
cognac sandals and the cutout detailing!

I found this infinity scarf at Marshall's for just $12.

Love the small detail of the scooped back on this simple charcoal tank.
I found this leather bag at Banana Republic. After an awesome promotion
and a fantastic coupon, I spent about $5 on this beautiful bag!

I personally liked the overall look, but didn't LOVE  these pants on me. Also, my sister said they reminded her a bit of pajama pants. (Love the honesty... and actually, I know an "on trend" style right now is wearing pj style pants ;) I was torn myself with keeping them, but liked them with this outfit at least.

What do you think? Do you like wearing printed pants? And what are your thoughts of the new new pj pant trend? Have you seen it?

 Feel free to give me your thoughts! 

This Dress.

Alright, I have a great find to share with you all.

THIS DRESS.

Or should I say, these dresses?

I found these dresses on oldnavy.com, read some positive reviews, and decided to give them a try. I liked all the colors and couldn't decide which one I liked best, so I got them all... of course. 

I am so glad I did! These dresses fit so wonderfully! They are tailored nicely so they look professional, but the material stretches and is comfortable. Perfect for a long work day. These dresses are simple, but classy. Easy to be dressed up or down depending on the occasion you are needing a dress for. Work? No problem! Put on some heels, and a blazer and your ready for the office. Casual wedding? Great! Pick one of the brighter dresses and pair with strappy heels or wedges and some fancy jewelry and you're guest-list ready!

THE BEST PART: You know I am a bargain shopper (and if you didn't know that, now you do), and I know that great style doesn't mean high price tags. I find it a great (and fun) challenge to seek great deals when I am on the hunt for pieces to add to my wardrobe. These dresses were no exception! I was fortunate enough to snag them during a promotion week when they were on special for $15 and they were offering an additional promotion for 30% off. (That made the dresses about $10 each! Steal! ;)

Out of all the colors I tried, the "Dreamy Green" and "Dark Gray" were the two I liked best on me and the two I would use most often. I will mostly likely keep those two and return the neon pink, but am posting all so you can see all the different options.

Outfit Breakdown

Dress Old Navy $10

Shoes Ross Guess $26

Outfit Breakdown

Dress Old Navy $10

Shoes Ross Calvin Klein $20

Bag Nine West $35

Necklace Banana Republic $10

Outfit Breakdown

Dress Old Navy $10

Shoes Ross Calvin Klein $20

Bag Nine West $35

Necklace Banana Republic $12

So, there is your "steal" for the day! I highly recommend trying these out for yourself if you are in need of adding some simple, structured, and easy to wear dresses (that look good!) to your closet. If you want more styling ideas for these pieces, leave a note and I'll give you my feedback.

Have a lovely day <3

(P.S. Theses dresses are on sale right now online! Look for Women's Ponte-Knit Shift Dress and pick the color you like! They are available in tall and petite sizes too!)