#ootd - my photographer has returned!

Some of you may remember that my husband, also my #ootd photographer (yes, he's a super sweet guy <3), was away for 6 months to go return to school and pursue a new career. He returned home in early February after passing with flying colors, and has already begun employment with one of the largest companies in his new industry. Many congrats to him!!!

And now, after settling down with a new work schedule and finally being able to spend a weekend together between both our work schedules, was able to spend some time to do a #ootd shoot. It also helped that our rainy Vancouver weather let up for an hour and we were able to head outside. 

Work has gotten even busier for me so I don't get home until after dark, therefore, moving forward, I'll try my best to keep up with daily #ootd posts but will try to do a proper shoot and post a 'featured #ootd' post when I have more time on the weekends and me and the husband have more time together. 

So, without further adieu, the return of #ootd! 

Jacket | Michael Kors

Top | Banana Republic

Jeans | Banana Republic

Shoes | The Wishbone Collection

Bag | Lauren by Ralph Lauren Whitby satchel

Watch | Seiko

Necklace | Swarovski

 

 

February comings and goings

Wow, I actually had quite a few items come in this month, but fear not, every single item was a 'love it' piece and I have been wearing them non-stop. 

Comings - 6

• Red Banana Republic sweater with side zip - I actually bought this for Chinese New Year since it's traditional to wear something red to celebrate and start the year off
• Navy Banana Republic sleeveless top - I love navy and find the color is a great base for me to build outfits around and this was super comfortable, a great length to act as a layering piece or on it's own, and also just really basic looking which I like
• Raspberry Banana Republic cardigan - love the color of this, and against navy, it just looks so good. A great pop of color to add to my wardrobe and a very easy cardigan to wear. 
• Pair of casual pants with zip detailing from Banana Republic - these are just super cool and I'm obsessed with zippers lately so these were great, and they were petite so the length was perfect to wear with flats and heels. Just fantastic and sooo comfortable to the point where I don't even feel like I'm wearing pants haha. 
• Gray sweatpants, also with zipper details, and yup, you guessed it, from Banana Republic - I was thrilled to find these and they up my lounge wear by 200%
• Orange satchel from Lauren by Ralph Lauren - I finally broke my bag ban and succumbed to this beauty. It was love at first sight and I've used it every day for work. I even go the extra mile to carry a separate tote to fit my laptop and other things in, just to carry her. 

Current budget left over for this year - approximately $700

February goings - 1

• I sold my Coach Poppy Madras bag to start my 'let go of 10 items' goal from my bag and wallet collection =)

From impulse, to staple piece

Even though I've improved a lot in making better wardrobe decisions, sometimes, I still make impulse purchases

Last year, I was having considerable success in downsizing my shoe count, when, I couldn't resist these shoes at Zara. 

When I bought them, it wasn't too much of an impulse - I rationalized the purchase. 

• Kitten heel - Great! Easy to get around in and dressier than flats; 
• Navy - even better, one of my chosen neutral colors; and 
• Different - I didn't own anything similar to this. 

It was a perfect purchase! Until they sat in my closet for an entire year.

I was beginning to beat myself up over having made this purchase. Despite my initial rationale, I knew deep-down I didn't need them and I knew had falsely convinced myself that I did - I just loved them too much to put them back down. 

I wore them a few times but wasn't super impressed by them, and in my closet they sat, until very recently - I think due to my recent clothing and color choices, they seem to go with everything! I've worn them regularly this last month and they're slowly making their way to the ranks of a staple piece! 

I'm so relieved, but I know that not all my impulses will turn into happy endings. It's a good reminder to myself that I may have to walk away from an impulse-looking purchase for at least a day to make sure I don't fall into that trap again.

Wallet comparison - Michael Kors and Coach

I rarely receive wallets or bags as gifts, so when I do, they hold a very, very special place in my heart. It just so happens that I was gifted 2 wallets in less than a year, by 2 very special people in my life - my baby cousin and my husband. 

Michael Kors Jet Set travel wallet & Coach double-zip wallet

They each chose great wallets and I wanted to do a review and comparison because they are quite similar in size and function. These opinions are based on how I organize and use my wallets. 

My cousin gifted me the Michael Kors Jet Set travel wallet in navy for my birthday last year - I was so blown away! Below are some of its quick stats: 

• Saffiano leather
• 6.5" X 3.75" X 1"
• Handle drop: 7"

NOTE: I  believe the new versions now have a zip coin pocket next to the cell phone pocket. 

My husband <3 recently gifted me the Coach double-zip wallet in ocelot as a surprise! These are some of its quick stats: 

• Cross-grain leather
• 6" X 3.75" X 1.25"

Both wallets are considered to be classic pieces, so they can be found in classic colors, as well as in seasonal colors and designs. Currently, both styles are on sale, for similar price points. 

Exterior - the Coach has an exterior pocket, great for those who carry a card that needs to be frequently accessible. For me, I carry my transit pass.

Size - I've cropped this picture low so you can get a better idea of the height difference, if they were both lined up properly. The MK is half an inch taller than the Coach - you can really see the difference in the picture; and of course, being a double-zip, the Coach is wider than the MK, but surprisingly, only by a quarter of an inch. (Per their respective websites).

Interior - the MK opens up into one main compartment that has (from left to right) an almost hidden interior pocket, a large compartment, cell phone pocket, large compartment, then 3 credit card slots along the side. The Coach has 2 separate compartments - the left one has 4 credit card slots and an ID pocket, a back pocket behind the cards you can slip bills into, and the opposite side has the cell phone pocket; the right compartment has an almost hidden interior pocket, a large compartment, and a zip coin pocket. I believe the newer MK wallets now have a zip coin pocket next to the cell phone pocket.

Cell phone pocket - probably the biggest feature of both wallets is that it can hold a cell phone, for iPhone, Samsung and Blackberry. I own a BlackBerry Q10 and can confirm that it does fit in both wallets as long as  it is without a phone case. I choose not to use this feature because for work, I have to always be near my phone. This leaves me with an extra large compartment where I put my receipts and other miscellaneous items.

Extra details - the MK has beautiful gold tone hardware and there are little MK details throughout the wallet, such as the name etched on the clasp of the wrist strap and zipper, and also embossed on the interior wall. The hidden interior compartment is also lined in its monogram. The Coach also has gold tone hardware and like the MK, has Coach details throughout the wallet, including 'Coach' etched ever so tiny, onto the clasp. The zipper of the coin pocket snaps tight against the zipper when closed so it doesn't catch onto the zipper of the wallet when it is being opened or closed (I really appreciate this detail because there are a lot of wallets where the tab always gets in the way). Of course, it also includes their hang-tag, synonymous with their brand. 

Durability - When I first received the MK wallet, I used it non-stop for over 3 months. I recently took her out again and except for a few scratches on the plate, she looks brand new. Saffiano leather is known to be super durable so I have no worries about her getting scratched. I have only started using the Coach (about a week now) but can tell that it will be another one that will hold up well for many years. The cross-grain leather makes it very sturdy and almost feels bullet proof. 

Open and close - the zipper on the Coach was a bit iffy when zipping around the corners when I first got her but after some use, it's now starting to get smoother. The zipper on the MK was smooth from the start.

I am someone that carries a lot of cards with them and as much as I try to downsize, it's difficult - both these wallets have a lot of space for cards, despite both having very little designated slots. I also need to keep my receipts for work and sometimes it may take months before I remove them from my wallet - I like the open compartments for this a lot. I rarely carry cash, and therefore do not have a lot of change so my MK version not having one does not affect me greatly, although I appreciate it in the Coach. 

Both of these wallet fit my lifestyle really well - I could never carry a mini wallet regularly, but sometimes like to carry something smaller than a full-length wallet; these medium sized wallets are great because they fit into a majority of my smaller bags with ease. I like that both have the detachable wrist strap which lets me use it as a small clutch of some sort, or hang it from my arms if I need to be hands-free while running an errand.

While I use both as an every day wallet, I prefer the MK on a regular basis because I can access all my things by opening one compartment. The Coach is great but because I can't squeeze all my loyalty cards into the same section as my credit/debit card, I sometimes end up having to open both compartments, which takes more time and maneuvering. That said, when I go on vacation, I carry as little as possible. This is where the Coach has more points  - when I'm on vacation, I carry cash so I can keep my bills, receipts, and coins in the right compartment, and use that side regularly; this allows me to store my cell phone (which I don't need as much), along with important cards I don't use often (including my credit/debit cards), in the left compartment, secured and on my person at all times. 

The Coach does have one thing I wish the MK had, and that is the exterior pocket. 

I hope these pictures, and thoughts on how these wallets work for me, can help someone out! Feel free to ask me any questions or ask for more pictures!

May color capsule summary and showcase!

N and I have just completed our second month of color capsules! In May, we decided to keep to our basic colors and we each added a color for the start of Spring - she chose peach, and I chose pink!

Here is a summary of our outfits!

Mine - 

I've highlighted my favourites in green. So far, I'm still loving this color capsule concept versus a pre-chosen number of items. With a color capsule, I'm allowed more flexibility but it still keeps my numbers to a manageable amount. Although I introduced pink into the mix, I only used 3 items in that color and the rest of the items are still coming from my basics - black, white, gray, and navy. 

N's - 

Again, I love N's choice. Peach looks fantastic on her and she seems to have incorporated more of her additional color into her outfits than I did. Her clothes always have an interesting pattern or detail to them, and always look feminine; she always uses some fantastic accessories too! 

For the month of June,we have both chosen to add blue, of the brighter variety =) Stay tuned!

April color capsule summary and showcase!

Well, April is over now and N and I have stayed true to our pact and goal. We have been sticking to a color capsule of black, white, navy, and gray for our work outfits. Here's a look at our outfits!

Mine

I highlighted some of my favourites - It was a lot of fun and the only hard part was sometimes I found myself reaching for things that weren't in my color capsule. It wasn't because I couldn't find anything to wear, it was because they happened to be there; instead of giving in, I saved those items for the weekend. I found that I used my Michael Kors skinny belt a lot and it made a big difference - prior to this month, I rarely used the belt but it's now quite a staple of mine. I also tried out a scarf that was sitting in my closet and fell in love with it. My white GAP tunic got lots of wear (still so pleased about this purchase!) and take note, of the variety in shoes - yup, I'm getting quite good at changing up my shoes! Next month, since we are entering warmer weather, I will be adding pink to my color capsule.

N's

Loved all of N's outfits, especially her scarves and this awesome white top that she has, shown in the first outfit, and her fantastic blazer. Seeing hers makes me want a longer blazer as mine are quite short and seem to make me look a bit heavier than I am. She also has fantastic accessories!! For next month, she will be injecting peach/beige to her color capsule. (PS - N went on vacation and we also had a 4 day long weekend. We're not slackers lol). 

Color capsule attempt - Black, White, Gray, and Navy

After my Tuesday post about our dreary Spring, I decided to try a new approach to my wardrobe. When I began my purge, I organized my wardrobe by colors and let go of anything that didn't look good on me. I am going to take it one step further and try to stick to a color capsule of only black, white, gray and navy (blues). 

Why the sudden change? I'm bored by all this rain and also find myself distracted with what I have - it's been harder the last while to put together outfits and I need to re-focus; also, my purging has really slowed down and I find I'm getting tempted to make purchases (I haven't! but I'm tempted!). Since my attempt at a capsule wardrobe didn't work out, I'm hoping this will help me stay focused but allow me to still be flexible. Also, it's a great way for me to wear more of my shoes - since I got so many new pairs lately, I've been working on creating outfits around my shoes (I have a really bad habit of starting with awesome shoes and then changing into flats the second I get a chance)

I discussed my plan with my co-worker (I shall call her N) and she suggested that I only do this for work, or I might get bored or feel restricted. I thought that was a really good point, especially since I still love color, have great pieces, and am still trying to perfect my weekend wardrobe - perhaps I can shift anything outside of the color capsule into my weekend and voila, perfected! (We'll see, haha) 

Also, she loved the color capsule idea so much, that she joined me on my challenge to wear only black white, gray, and navy for the rest of the week. Here are our outfits:

My outfits:

(Shoes: BCBG gray patent pumps; Nine West Swaymeso kitten heels; Nine West leopard pumps)

N's outfits:

I loved all of N's outfits - she looked so perfectly put together for the office and made it look so easy! For myself, I definitely love the idea but I need to actually organize my closet and think about outfits. Since it started out as a whim idea, I wasn't super prepared but we decided we loved the idea so much, that we're going to take the challenge into April - we'll be sticking to the same set of colors. Also, my husband is returning soon (yay!!!) and I will have use of my Stylebook App again (bonus yay!!!).

Did you notice my shoes though? hehe. I think if anything, although I wasn't super happy with my outfits, I AM super happy about my shoes and their rotation.