It’s Friday, gang! Get excited! Age doesn’t matter when it comes to Friday because I love to kick off the weekend just as much at 63 as when I was 17. There’s just something FUN about Friday. Oscar is here for his weekly gig and I’m dishing up a yummy Trader Joe's Greek Chicken Salad along with a scrumptious cocktail the mighty Cosmo. So come on in and sit a spell. Let’s get the weekend started!
Can you believe the 4th of July weekend is next weekend?! That’s right. Next weekend… Would someone please stop the time train? We’re barreling through 2022 at breakneck speed. I can’t believe half of the year is over. But before we slip into holiday mode let’s enjoy today. The temps have fallen back to the low 90s. I’ll take it!
Today, I'm featuring a shirtdress from Ann Taylor
The dress is modeled, and I pulled together 2 alternates
The dress is shoppable via a text or image widget
Each alternate is shoppable via a text widget
I've also go a great cocktail and a Trader Joe's Greek chicken salad that's super simple to make
On a hot summer day, there’s nothing better than a dress. It’s one and done - no muss, no fuss. Just how I like it. The striped shirt dress is from Ann Taylor and is lined which is a bonus for those of us who wonder if we need to wear a slip.
I slipped into a pair of white sandals although I was tempted to wear red. I exchanged the self tie belt with one from my closet, added a few accessories and this outfit of the day is complete. Didn’t I tell you dresses are easy to wear?
Dress (Ann Taylor available in Regular, Petite, and Tall) | Alibi sandals (Tuckernuck) | Rope toggle belt (Ralph Lauren) | Bracelets (Nest, Neiman Marcus) | Earrings (Julie Vos) | Watchband (Lagos, Nordstrom) | Beaded bangle (Lagos, Nordstrom)
Dress (Ann Taylor available in Regular, Petite, and Tall) | Alibi sandals (Tuckernuck) | Rope toggle belt (Ralph Lauren) | Bracelets (Nest, Neiman Marcus) | Earrings (Julie Vos) | Watchband (Lagos, Nordstrom) | Beaded bangle (Lagos, Nordstrom)
2 ounces vodka
1 1/2 ounce Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1-ounce cranberry juice
Rim a coupe glass with sugar. Pour vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, and cranberry juice into a cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds. Pour into a coupe glass. Enjoy!
Dress (Ann Taylor available in Regular, Petite, and Tall) | Alibi sandals (Tuckernuck) | Rope toggle belt (Ralph Lauren) | Bracelets (Nest, Neiman Marcus) | Earrings (Julie Vos) | Watchband (Lagos, Nordstrom) | Beaded bangle (Lagos, Nordstrom)
For the Salad
6 cups chopped lettuce, such as iceberg or romaine
1 8- ounce Greek Marinated Chicken Breast, sliced or chopped
2 cups Mediterranean Tomato Salad or sliced tomatoes
1 cup sliced Persian or hothouse cucumber
1/4 cup kalamata olives
1/4 cup feta cheese, broken into chunks
For the dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add the lettuce to a large serving bowl or two individual salad bowls. Top with the sliced chicken, tomato salad, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese.
To make the dressing, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt and pepper to a small canning jar. Top with the lid and shake well until blended and emulsified. Season with more sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to taste.
Yesterday, was all about linen and my favorite Summer linen outfits. Click the title or image below to read the article.
Happy Monday, ladies! We're heading into some warm weather here in Athens. Sun is out and Spring is fully in bloom. Such a pretty sight to see. As you probably know, we're continuing on travel week today. I'm featuring 3 On-Trend Vacation Outfits I wore during my stay at The Ritz last week.
All 3 outfits are perfect for lunch, brunch, and any shopping expeditions you may have planned. And of course, they all feature a lovely pop of color.
Today's featured items are 2 dresses and a skirt from Banana Republic, Anthropologie, and FARM Rio
All 3 outfits are modeled
All outfits are shoppable via a text or image widget
The first outfit features a popover shirt dress from Banana Republic. The feel is great and it works perfectly as a neutral backdrop for accessories.
I went with the cutest handbag to add color to the outfit. Bamboo handles are in this year. (Honestly, when aren't they?)
Ramie Popover Shirt Dress (Banana Republic) | Bamboo Elisabetta Slouch Handbag (Mark & Graham) | Sandals (old Aqua, similar here and here) | Earrings (old Tory Burch, similar here, here, and here) | Sunglasses (old Prada, similar here)
My second outfit features this tunic dress from Anthropologie. Wear it alone or put it on top of a pair of denim like these frayed jeans from Frame.
Quick vacation style tip: if you're bringing a dress, bring a bottom like leggings or jeans. Two readymade outfits at your disposal.
Maeve Embroidered Tunic Dress (Anthropologie) | Mini Boot Raw Frayed Jeans (Frame) | Caged Raffia Tote Bag (Demellier) | Sandals (old, Banana Republic similar here and here) | Earrings (old, Tory Burch similar here, here, and here)
My final outfit features this printed skirt from FARM Rio. Such a fun outfit and perfect for both Spring & Summer.
I've paired it with a long sleeve, but you could obviously swap it for just about anything: a linen popover or button-down comes to mind. And depending on where the temps are, a short sleeve or sleeveless would work perfectly too.
Also, one more vacay style tip for the road: if you can fit it in your luggage, a tote is a travel essential. The perfect bag for a day at the beach or out and about shopping.
Tee (Ralph Lauren, ) | Our Stamps Linen Midi Skirt (Farm Rio) | Espadrilles (old, Michael Kors similar here and here) | Caged Raffia Tote Bag (Demellier) | Earrings (old Tory Burch, similar here, here, and here) | Hammered Bangles (Nest) | Sunglasses (old Prada, similar here)
Travel week kicked off yesterday. If you missed what I packed for The Ritz, make sure to click the title or image below to read the article.
Hello! It’s great you’re here today. Shirtdresses are one of my favorite dress styles, and they come in so many varieties; straight or full-skirted, long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless…you’re sure to find a style that works for you. But being petite, sometimes it's challenging to get the sizing just right. So here's how to size a shirtdress for petites.
Today's featured item is a shirtdress from J.Crew Factory
The dress is modeled, and I pulled together 2 alternates
The dress is shoppable via a text or image widget
Each alternate is shoppable via a text widget
This floral shirtdress from J.Crew Factory is sold as a mini dress, but they don’t offer it in petite sizing. So for us petites, the length ends up hitting just above the knee, rather than mid-thigh. I am wearing a regular size 0.
Despite it not being a petite size, the only real difference is the length of the skirt. The sleeves and waistline hit at just the right spot. The dress fits TTS.
For a looser, more casual look, you can forgo a belt. Since we were headed to dinner, I went with a belt to accentuate the waistline. My plain, warm gray-colored belt hints to the wood tones in my wood and cane clutch.
Tip: When my belt is too stiff to wrap or tuck the tail under, I use a small piece of double sided Scotch foam mounting tape to keep the belt tail in place. As long as I remove the tape after each wear, I haven’t had any issues with tape residue on my leather belts.
This belt is old, but here are similar options:
The belt options are what can really change up the look of a shirtdress and this is probably the most fun part of shirtdresses in general, you can get creative with your accessories: wide belts, skinny belts, wrap belts – there are so many options!
At the first blush of Spring, I am in my closet pulling all of my espadrilles from the dark corners of winter storage and swapping their placement with my winter shoes on the front shelves. I love espadrilles. Flats, wedges, lace up, mules, slip ons – I love them all.
The latest addition to my ever-growing collection are these lace up wedges from J.Crew Factory. They are a natural canvas color (so they go with literally everything) and they have light metallic threads woven into the canvas. These wedges fit TTS and are very comfortable for walking around.
J.McLaughlin is a great go-to brand for cane, wicker and woven bags. Recently, I went for this Genevieve Wood and Cane Clutch.
I love the wood frame of this clutch. The wood adds such a great natural look and feel to any outfit. Beautifully made and perennially on trend for summer, I know this wood and cane clutch will see years of use.
Yesterday, Beth showed you 5 comfy casual outfits perfect for the upcoming Spring-to-Summer transition. Click the title or image below to read the article.
Happy Friday, ladies! Can you believe Easter weekend is here?! This holiday has to be one of my favorites. So many memories of my childhood are centered on Easter.
Like clockwork, a week or two before Easter Sunday my mother and I would go on a shopping spree to buy a new dress, hat, patent leather Mary Jane’s, handbag, and gloves. Remember when hats were a requirement for ladies to attend church?
Although there were quite a few fashion statements made with wide brims, bold colors or even feathers wearing a hat to church was a symbol of reverence and respect. I miss the good old days!
But rest assured I still venture out to buy a new dress just for Easter. And I still love Easter brunch with a spiral honey ham as the main attraction and hot cross buns.
This year I’m only responsible for a side dish so I couldn’t resist making easy deviled eggs for Easter that will disappear into thin air in a matter of minutes! A simple yet refreshing cocktail is on the menu too. One that will give a Mimosa a run for its money---an Aperol Spritz. Oscar has stopped by to say hello so without further ado let’s get this weekend started!
Today's featured item is a shirtdress from Talbots
The dress is modeled and in-stock
The dress is shoppable via a text or image widget
And of course, we've got Aperol and easy deviled eggs for Easter recipes
For the past three years, I’ve purchased a shirtdress from Talbots and I have to admit this year was no exception. I’m loving the simplicity of this year's dress with its classic black and white color scheme.
No frills, no drama but this dress will serve me well all through spring and summer. Add a straw belt, and patent leather sandals, and I am ready for Easter Sunday.
An Aperol Spritz favored by the Italians is as easy to make as it is to drink. 3 ounces Prosecco, 2 ounces of Aperol, and 1 ounce of club soda is all you need.
Deviled eggs were a favorite of my dad and Mr. Style. There are lots of different ways to create this tried and true side but my favorite has to be classic deviled eggs with equal parts mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and relish as the only ingredients necessary.
To pipe the whipped egg yolks into the shell I simply grab a sandwich bag, snip one end, and you have an instant pastry bag.
Yesterday, Kelly showed us how to wear a monochromatic outfit. Click the title or image below to read the article.
Happy Sunday, ladies! As you've probably noticed, we've been playing with a lot of stylistic changes to our posts lately. After a lot of feedback from you, I think we're honing in on something fresh and modern. My hope is that you're gonna get something more pleasing visually and easier to shop. For our inaugural post, I'm modeling six dresses for all occasions, all styled 3 ways.
We've spent a lot of time on dresses this year. A few weeks ago, we ran our 2022 Guide to Spring Dresses. And today I've rounded up my personal favorites this season.
The reason is simple: so many of us are back, out and about this year. Some of us are heading off to work; others are meeting up with friends for drinks; and most of us are celebrating some occasion or other this Spring.
So without further ado, here are 6 of my favorite dresses, styled in multiple ways to give you an idea of their versatility.
6 dresses for all occasions
Each dress styled 3 ways, 1 modeled and 2 alternates
Each modeled dress is shoppable via a text or image widget
Each alternate is shoppable via a text widget
Striped Dress (Veronica Beard) | Sandals (Marc Fisher) | Handbag (old, Ralph Lauren similar here and here)
Maxi Dress (Ralph Lauren) | Sandals (Marc Fisher) | Handbag (old, Talbots, similar here and here)
I'm really loving Veronica Beard's dress selection this year, but this shirtdress is my favorite. This dress pairs with a variety of different shoes, including sandals or mules.
Ralph Lauren is my all-time favorite designer, and this Jacquard dress is simply beautiful. Layer it with a sweater and dress it down with a pair of white sneakers. Perfect for Spring.
Simply elegant. This dress is perfect for evenings or special occasions. I've paired it with gold accessories to bring out the dress' highlights. But you can easily go all black and let the dress speak for itself.
Perfect for graduations, weddings, and the like, this floral dress most embodies Spring out of all the ones I chose. Try pairing it with a wrap for a classic elegant look.
I had the most fun styling this dress and its alternates. I can't wait to wear it with a pair of riding boots.
The casual but versatile of all the dresses. Layer it with a denim jacket or a blazer for a preppy look. Nothing but fun, this one.
Kelly shared a delicious falafel with tahini yogurt sauce yesterday on Kelly's Kitchen. Click the title or image below to read the article.
Happy Sunday, ladies! I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend so far. With society continuing to open up, 2022 looks like it will be chock-full of in-person special occasions—much more so than the past two years. Maybe you’ll attend church services; celebrate a wedding; or simply get together with family for brunch. This all means one thing: it’s dress season. So today, I’ve put together a guide to Spring dresses.
First: this guide isn’t exhaustive. I’ve restricted it to 6 dress types:
If this post is successful, we can certainly extend the guide to include more dresses.
For each dress type, I’ve i ) gone through the archives and pulled examples of how I’ve worn that in the past; and ii) put together shoppable widgets from the following retailers:
If you don’t see anything you like, in the widgets, you can click on the above links to take you directly to new dress arrivals. So let’s get to my guide to Spring dresses 2022.
To help you out a bit more, I put together a quick definitional guide for each dress type. I’ve also created a collage of the general silhouettes that you might find useful as you think about what dresses work best for you.
A wrap dress has a closure in the front. It’s formed by wrapping one side across the other. The ties are then tied together in the back.
A sheath dress is a fitted, straight-cut dress. It’s nipped at the waistline with no waist seam.
A flared dress has a top bodice that is fitted and a skirt that flares out.
A midi dress is any type of dress that rises above the ankles but falls below the knees. It’s sometimes called “the mid-calf”.
A shirtdress takes details from a shirt: a collar, a button front, or cuffed sleeves are all examples.
A shift dress’ cloth falls straight from the shoulders and has darts around the bust.
A few quick tips when shopping for dresses this Spring.
Alright, let’s see some examples of how to wear these dresses.
Yesterday was Fridays with Oscar. We’ve got a tasty recipe for you and a sneak peek at some home renovations.
Make sure to catch up on our DAILY LOOK. We post a dedicated photo to our daily outfit every Wednesday-Sunday. And you can shop those outfits easily through the shop the widget below the picture.
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