The Necessary Black T-Shirt

I have to admit, I have not been getting dressed up much these days. I think it has something to do with just wanted to be comfortable. I have been sewing a ton of masks at The Maine Square and it just feels better to not be confined in my clothing as I am cutting fabric and sewing. However, I do have to go out of the studio occasionally. Mostly it's to the mailbox, but sometimes it's to get more supplies and of course food. I don't mean to sound pretentious or anything, but I do think about how I look even when going out to do these quick errands. It makes me feel good to look half decent! Lately I have been opting for a simple black tee shirt and a pair of semi faded jeans. All I need to do it pop on a camel colored blazer and some ballet flats and I am good to go! Oh yeah, and I ALWAYS wear a mask when entering a public facility these days. I think it's just common courtesy with all that is going on with the corona virus. 

Here are some of my all-time favorite necessary black tee shirts for you to shop it you'd like. I always try to stick with a v-neckline as it is the most flattering on all body types. 

What Is Your Style?

Blouse, jeans and belt are from Talbots.
Shoes are from Zulily.
Handbag and earrings are vintage. 

What is your style? Do you ask yourself this question from time to time and come up short of an answer? I am here to tell you not to worry about this. I agree with Kate Spade's quote "Your style is a work in progress." You are always evolving, and that is a very good thing! I struggle with defining my style completely. Even though I lean towards classic clothing with a bit of a preppy feel, I don't like to define myself as such. If I define myself under one particular umbrella, I feel like I stifle myself from possibly exploring something new. One thing I know for certain is that I truly believe that you cannot go wrong with classic pieces, as they are the backbone of our wardrobe. For example; you might love romantic styles with lots of lace and ruffles, but without adding a classic piece such as a blazer or a pair of jeans with your lacy/ruffly blouse, you could possibly look a little over the top and definitely unbalanced. Can you imagine head to toe lace and ruffles? Trust me, unless you are a bride on her wedding day, it would be a bit much. One of the ways that I mix up my classic/preppy look is by mixing vintage accessories in, such as a cool pair of vintage statement earrings or an awesome vintage handbag.

It can be difficult when it comes to shopping for necessary classic pieces. Either you cannot find them when you want them no matter how hard you look, or you get completely distracted by all of the trendy pieces that the stores put right in front of us. It's not east to stay focused! That's why I have linked to all of your wardrobe must have's in this post so that you can begin browsing or shopping for the 20 classics that you may be missing and preventing you from making your closet into the wardrobe of your dreams!

Some people might define classic clothing as boring, but the truth is, you cannot have a complete wardrobe without at least a few of the following pieces incorporated in it:

1. A blazer made of a fabric for the season you are currently in. (If it is spring/summer, you will want to make sure you have a linen or a linen blend blazer. If it is winter, you will want to have something in a fine wool.)
2. A pair of very flattering bootcut jeans
3. A basic cardigan
4. A pair of very flattering slim leg or skinny jeans. I like to call them jeggings. Since they fit very much like leggings and look great worn with a longer style top or blazer.
5. A cashmere sweater (v-necks are most flattering)
6. Ballet flats
7. A pearl necklace and pearl earrings
8. A great white blouse
9. A pair of black heels
10. A denim skirt
11. A denim jacket
12. A basic little black dress 
13. A couple of statement necklaces
14. Camel colored high boots, such as a riding boot. Think equestrian.
15. A couple of signature scarves
16. A pair of khaki trousers if you can find a pair that you fee great in. I have yet to locate these for myself. 
17. A couple of v neck tee shirts with a nice flattering neckline.
18. Black dress trousers
19. A classic trench coat
20. A classic pea coat

Can Athleisure Be Stylish?

If you asked me whether or not athleisure could be stylish or not a couple of years ago, I would have said no way. But over the past couple of years atheisure has become very popular and stylish. I have to admit, this made me feel very confused at first. I began to feel way over dressed when I simply went to the grocery store wearing jeans and a tee shirt layered under a navy J.Crew blazer with gold buttons. I often wondered why people decided to stay in their sweats when it was so easy to put on a simple outfit like the one I was wearing? While I still believe in getting dressed in a simply chic yet casual outfit before I leave the house, I am now starting to get in on this atheisure thing as well. Staying home during the current corona virus pandemic has made me realize that I just want to be comfortable. It's kind of difficult to vacuum and clean things when you are wearing your cute jeans and blazer. They just don't move well with your body when you are active. Plus, I wouldn't want to get bleach or any other cleaning solution on my on my J.Crew blazer. I don't know how June Cleaver did it in her beautifully fitted house dresses! (You know, Leave it to Beaver's mom?) Also, chilling on the couch watching my favorite shows just doesn't seem to be comfortable in my nicer clothing, not to mention my cats climbing and clawing all over me and shedding their fur.

It wasn't until this stay at home order due to the corona virus pandemic that I finally got on the athleisure bandwagon. This has made me realize that I really don't have any presentable athleisure. All of my comfy clothes are mismatched and frankly a little old. I only have 1 pair of yoga pants and I think I purchased them from Victoria's Secret in the year 1998! They only have one tiny hole in the left thigh! I would say that they have stood the test of time pretty well. All three of my fleece jackets look aged and sort of ratty because I have had them for so long. And I really don't have any long sleeve tees that have a little sex appeal. I think it's time for me to step up my athleisure wardrobe a notch or two! My husband might appreciate that too, since he has to look at me all day. But ultimately, I want to feel good for myself. And if all it takes is a few new comfy pieces to make that happen, then lets get shopping!

Below are some of my most favorite cute and somewhat sexy athleisure pieces as well as some comfortable footwear. Each photo is clickable and will bring you right to the source!

Happy online shopping!

xoxo Laura

What's My Expertise?

Sweater, blouse and jeans are from Talbots.
Handbag and jewelry are vintage. Similar vintage items can be found at Sweet & Spark. 

This stay at home order/Corona virus pandemic crisis has me really thinking these days. If you know me, you know that I may be quiet, however my brain is as busy as NYC 5:00pm traffic (That is, when we are not living in a pandemic.) However, I am having some new thoughts about what I can do to stay motivated during this uncertain time. Ultimately, I came to the following decision: Everything I do, I do to serve you. Why? Because it makes me feel good to make you feel good! I don't know if I am able to do that for everyone, but I am willing to try. That is why I have decided to begin writing my style blog again.

The other day I was wondering what the heck it is that I am good at? I mean, what subject do I have the authority to call myself an "expert" in? Am I an expert in anything? I love doing a lot of things and I am pretty good at them. For example I love sewing and creating things, I love putting outfits together, I love home decorating, I love planting things, I love going for walks, I love riding my bike, you get the idea. Then I took all of these things that I say that I love, and thought about which one of these things do I believe I know the most about? As it turns out, the subject that I know the most about is putting outfits together. BUT, the outfits that I put together are not something that everyone would necessarily wear. Style is such an individual thing. I don't believe that you can make any rules up about fashion. It's seems as though anything goes! How could I be an expert in this? So, I had to narrow it down a little bit....

I had to ask myself, what are some of the common pieces that I use to put my outfits together? Then it all of a sudden came to me! I use CLASSIC pieces that never go out of style and occasionally pop in something trendy or vintage to balance it out! My expertise is in CLASSIC fashion! I could really give some advise to people on how to curate a timeless wardrobe!

So, that's what I am going to do. Once a week I will publish a blog post that will give you advice on how to curate a timeless and classic wardrobe. Will I be able to keep writing it even when this stay at home order is over, you ask? My answer is yes. I will keep doing this for you :) So look for a new blog post every Monday starting today April 20, 2020. I will not only be speaking about those classic pieces that you must have in your closet, but I will also be telling you where you can get them. Stay tuned!

xoxo Laura

P.S. Feel free to leave me a comment! I would love to know what you would love to know about!

My Favorite Cozy Sweaters

If you must know, winter is not my favorite time of year. I feel sort of ashamed of myself when I say that since I have lived in Maine all of my life. Maine winters seem to last so much longer than any other season. If it wasn't so darn cold I might be able to tolerate it a little better! Which is why I have decided to share some of my favorite sweaters with you. A nice cozy sweater makes all the difference in the world to me and helps me make it through the cold Maine winters. There is always room in my closet for one more sweater! Below I have listed some of my favorite cozy sweaters of the season. Feel free to click on each one which will bring you to a detailed description. 

Do you think your hairstyle defines you?

Don't get me wrong. I love long hair. In fact, I love long hair on both men and women. I have had long hair before. As a child I had long hair that my mother used to braid daily. I would sit in front of the TV watching Tom & Jerry while she perfectly created two long French braids on either side of my head. Although, I love my mother, I hated this moment. It hurt when she brushed out my hair. It hurt when she was braiding because she would make then so perfectly tight that I could feel my eyes pulling back. She is a perfectionist and wanted her little girl to look nice not have messy hair! Which I appreciated. However, I couldn't wait for my hair doing time to be over with so I could go play. The hair washing, the brushing, the combing, the styling was not something I enjoyed, but I did appreciate looking nice. As I got older I actually began to enjoy styling my hair. I loved going to my stylist and having her color, curl, straighten, etc. I wanted a new hair cut every time I went. I felt as though my hair really told the story of who I was. A blunt bob meant I was edgy and modern. A long head of dirty blonde curls meant I was feminine and romantic. You get the idea. To this day I still feel that my hair tells a story about who I am. So now that I have decided to go pixy short again, (this is not the first time my hair has been short...) are you wondering who I am? Here it is: I am smart, feminine, romantic, edgy, modern, classic, simplistic, playful, serious, happy-go-lucky, busy, balanced, loving, and loved. There may be more adjectives that I am leaving out. My point is that I have learned that your hair doesn't really define who you are. People will always make judgements about your appearance, and that is okay. It's a human quality that we just cannot avoid. My husband adores my hair short. He says it's cute. I told him that I appreciate being cute, but I want to be sexy too. He of course said that he thinks I am the sexiest woman alive. (I'm glad he said that;) But then he asked, "Why do you suppose that a lot of men prefer long hair on women over short hair?" I pondered that question for a second. My answer was that a lot of men feel more masculine when they are with a women with long hair. I think that they think that the length of their hair differentiates them from the opposite sex. I personally believe that it takes a pretty strong minded man to love a short haired girl. In other words, a man who knows who he is and is comfortable with who he is, is a real man in my world. Also, a man who realizes that a woman is still a woman no matter what her hair style is top of my list of hotties. I am describing my husband, in case you didn't realize...

On another note about why I am choosing short hair right now in my life; I know several women who have lost their hair to chemo treatments. These women are not only some of the most stylish women that I know, but they are also smart, feminine, romantic, edgy, modern, classic, simplistic, playful, serious, happy-go-lucky, busy, balanced, loving, and loved. And they never lost any of those characteristics while undergoing their cancer treatments. I also know some women who simply don't have a great thick head of hair and have chosen short hair instead of trying to fight it with hair implants, wigs, etc. These women are stunning fashion icons! And their hair has nothing to do with it. Some women wear scarves on their heads which to me is super high fashion. I bet most of you wouldn't be able to pull that off fearing that people might think you are bald underneath that headscarf even though you're not. And if you are, so what!

Fashion is a funny thing. It's difficult to understand. And if you are trying to understand it, you better just stop. Fashion is like art. You will always see something in a work of art that others will not. You also may not notice something that others do. You may see something in a work of art that the artist who made it never intended for you to see! Art is personal. Fashion is personal. But it shouldn't be taken so seriously. Be yourself. Cut your hair. Grow your hair. Dress in pieces that make you feel alive. Leave the judgement up to everyone else and allow yourself to lose control. Feel the freedom of fashion!

{Just for fun I have posted a few photos of some of my past hairstyles.}

Date Night

What can I say. I absolutely love getting dolled up for date night. I used to work in the fashion world so I used to get dolled up daily. But now I work for L.L. Bean and I wear a green shirt, jeans and sneakers every day as my uniform. What a change of pace! Truth is, I am happy with the change that I made. I am trying new things that I never had done before such as hiking, and kayaking. And I get to work for a great company! (Everything you hear about L.L. Bean being fantastic to work for is true!) 

Now that I don't get dolled up every single day it seems a little more special to me when I do. Last Friday evening my husband and I went out for sushi which is one of our favorite foods. After dinner we went for a walk in Cascade Park. We didn't take any pictures because it was pretty dark out when we got there. But I promise I will take some picture in Cascade Park for my next blog post coming up in a week or so. Stay tuned! 

In the meantime, you can shop my complete look if you'd like! 

SHOP THE SALE

Oh, and I must mention that Talbots is having a 40% off entire purchase Friends & Family Summer Sale! Click HERE to shop the sale!

I really love this clutch by Alaina Marie. This is the second summer that I have carried it and I never get tired of it's preppy look! You can finding like it HERE. 

I love the cut outs on the sleeve of this knit top from Talbots. It's sexy and unexpected, yet it covers my arms enough to keep me warm. (I'm always cold!) And if you're not a hot pink person, it comes in white and navy as well. You can find it HERE.