Craving Cold Weather

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Burberry coat (old), BR hat (sold out), Anine Bing sweater (sold out, similar), LV scarf, Anine Bing leather pants, H&M gloves, H&M booties, LV bag

I have a love hate relationship with California weather. As a born & raised Californian, or more specifically a Bay Area native, I am used to fairly moderate temperatures. Not too hot and not too cold for most of the year. Though that is what I’m used to, I definitely crave the extremes from time to time. It gives me the chance to break out my few summer dresses or in this case, my favorite coats that only get a few wears each year. Speaking of, what is up with our weather lately? 70 degrees in January? I’m still waiting for winter to hit so that I can get the chance to wear my winter coats. We took these photos back in November in Central Park on the most perfect Autumn afternoon. I still can’t get over the beautiful colors. It has snowed the night before, but wasn’t cold enough to stick, but it made this day very brisk and beautiful.

Onto to the outfit. This coat is so special to me. It was the first purchase I made with my first bonus from work. I wanted to spend the money on a classic piece that I knew I would have forever. Although it was my first bonus, it wasn’t too much, so I had to make the most of it. I went to the Burberry outlet and was lucky enough to find this coat that I have loved for years now and will love for years to come.

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#TheNewBR

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Since graduating college I’ve been a long time shopper at Banana Republic, but strictly just for my work wardrobe. They have always had good work-appropriate staples at budget friendly prices (if you caught them during one of their ever so frequent sales). Never would I ever be caught wearing any of my Banana pieces outside the office until now. This isn’t news to anyone anymore, but ever since Marissa Webb joined BR as their creative director there has been a major rehaul of Banana Republic’s aesthetic… and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

For both outfits, I opted for a more casual look since that is what I was so excited about when Marissa Webb joined BR. Everything is so versatile. You can take these pieces from work to the weekend and everything in between. Outfit details below.

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Outfit 1: BR blouse, BR hat (sold out, similar here), J Brand jeans, Stuart Weitzman 5050s, Target Sweater (borrowed, similar here), Louis Vuitton clutch (I got it from my mama, similar here)

Outfit 2: BR Sweater, BR hat (sold out, similar here), Express Jeans (on sale!), Jeffrey Campbell booties (color sold out, similar here), Louis Vuitton Neverfull

Bargain Hunting

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Parker dress (sold out, similar here), All Saints leather jacket (similar here and here), Blonde Salad x Steve Madden heels, Louis Vuitton clutch (I got it from my mama, similar here)

This dress is one of my favorite Nordstroms Rack finds. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I love a good deal. My husband (and maybe my credit card) can attest to the fact that I get way too giddy about a good sale. I actually am a self-proclaimed bargain hunter. Because I don’t have an endless budget and I love to shop, I’m always on the look out for a good sale where I can save a little on the pieces I want. Everything in this post, except for the clutch which was a hand me down from my mama, was purchased at a discounted price. Yay me!

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Updated Basics


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Gap denim jacket, Vince white tee (no longer available, similar here), Anine Bing leather pants, Christian Louboutin pumps (similar here and here), Louis Vuittion Bag (I got it from my mama) similar here

Denim jacket, white tee, black pants and black pumps. Items we’ve all got in our closet  and for me, a few basics that I always gravitate towards when I’m struggling with what to wear. Recently, I’ve been working on updating these basic staples with better quality pieces that I know I’ll love and wear over and over, and over again.

Maybe it’s the accountant in me, but before I buy a new piece of clothing I think about the cost per wear. Is it something I’ll wear once and then it’ll sit in my closet for months? For those items, which typically are the trendier pieces, I go for the less expensive option since I know the value isn’t there. Yes, don’t get me wrong, I have a tendency to splurge from time to time but I try to limit those. So, if I am debating on buying a $50 t-shirt, I ask myself if I am going to wear it more than 50 times? If the answer is yes, then I buy it. Sometimes the $700 pumps that you’ll wear hundreds of times are a better buy than the $50 pair that you wear a few times and toss since they kill your feet. This mindset has helped me shop smarter over the years.

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