1901 Nordstrom

Nordstrom recently launched a new line to celebrate the year they opened their first store, 1901. The line is filled with the classics—crisp shirting, smart tailoring, stripes—and brings them up to date with fresh print mixes, vibrant colors and never-ending styling potential. A reimagined mix of heritage pieces with American prep vibes, 1901 is timeless style with a modern twist.

There are so many cute things.

Wide Leg Jumper $119

Plaid Cotton Wrap Dress $129

Midi Trench Coat $159

Ruffle Sleeve Top $49

Bow Front Strapless Midi Dress $169

ASOS Keeping it Real

Last week I saw this Rip Curl bathing suit pop up on my facebook feed.

I clicked on the link, and it took me to Nordstrom where I was able to check out the back of the suit as well.

I like the suit, but 1) there's no way that would cover my a** and 2) there's no way her a** actually looks like that. I showed my friend Taylor and she quickly agreed on both points. Then she told me that ASOS (a C&C favorite as you know) no longer airbrushes their bathing suit photos, so I had to check it out.

And it's true. Stretch marks, skin rolls, dimples, lines, skin discoloration...it's all there. Finally retailers are "Keeping it Real" and showing what women ACTUALLY look like in their bathing suits.

Here are a few of the suits I like on their site (there are lots of really great ones). Yes, most of the women are still very thin, but at least they show a true representation of what these women actually look in the suit, not an air brushed false reality.

Monki Stripe One Shoulder $48

Warehouse Frill Detail Swimsuit $62

Vero Moda Printed Dip Dye Tassel Swimsuit $51

Like Mother Like Daughter

You may remember last year when I bought this sweater/shirt from Nordstrom (post here). 

I was at J Crew a few weeks ago and came across this shirt in the girl's section, and it is nearly identical.  

GIRLS MERINO WOOL POPOVER SWEATER $65

I didn't buy it because $65 is only $3 less than what I paid for mine....ridiculous!! And, I'm not really sure I need to match my Mini. Although, if and when it goes on sale....I could be tempted. 

Not your average LBD

This is not your average LBD...

Parker

'Tesoro' Lace Fit & Flare Midi Dress

$308

New and Notable

Now that I've entered back into the working world and I'm working nearly 5 days a week, the closet that I felt once had too many choices, is slowly becoming boring again. That said, I've added a few new pieces to my wardrobe in the last month or so. 

Here is something new and notable. 

Halogen Poplin Back Crewneck Sweater $68

It's a little blousy in the back, but overall I really like the fit. I can't wait to pair it with white jeans once we get a little closer to spring.

What I Wore: Faux Fur FTW

I'm back with another one of my Trunk Club scores. If you haven't signed up yet, I highly recommend it. I'm headed to a shopping happy hour with a few friends next week and I promise I'll report back to you all about our findings.

 

In the meantime, this faux fur stole had to be done. It's the perfect addition to a black turtleneck for that extra something something. It's amazing how adding a little fur can dress an outfit up.



 

Here are a few options you might consider adding to your winter wardrobe.



Top Shop

Nordstrom

J. Crew

Anthropologie

Tote-ally

Tis the season of giving! We'll be taking the rest of the week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but before we leave you to the turkey, stuffing and Black Friday shopping, I thought I would share this fantastic tote that would make a great gift for any fashionista in your life. 

It's reversible, comes in 8 different colors and is only $48! 

Reversible Faux Leather Tote & Wristlet $48

What I Wore: Trunk Club

Over three years ago I blogged about Trunk Club as a great option for guys that don't like to shop. But it's not just guys that need a little help sometimes. Regan and I have both tried Stitch Fix (read about it here), but I really wasn't impressed with the clothes - or the stylists' ability to pick things that appealed to me.

 

Ladies, our dressing prayers have been answered. Trunk Club (which was acquired by Nordstrom last year) is now catering to women! We're lucky enough to have a "Clubhouse" in D.C. so it's goes beyond the online experience and you can meet with your personal stylist in person. I've had ZERO time lately and knew this could be a great way to get some much-needed jeans and pants. I had a conversation with my stylist Nikki before going in for my first appointment. We talked about what I needed, where I shop, designers I like, sizing, price point and all sorts of other things to get an idea of my personal style. She pulled a bunch of cute things for me, but I tried to stay focused on what I really needed. I came away with three pairs of pants (including these flares), a white turtleneck that is the perfect layering piece (I might need the other two colors) and the most amazing cape (clearly I lost my focus on what I "needed").



As you can see flare jeans are back - and I have to admit, I'm LOVING them. There's nothing better than a good flare to slim and elongate the leg - especially when you pair them with a pointy-toe pump.

 

I'm hosting a few friends for a happy hour the beginning of December at the Clubhouse where the four of us are going to try on the things that Nikki has pulled (she'll do the same phone call with each friend before). It's going to be such a fun time! I'll make sure to report back with any other purchases. I'm not going to totally give over my shopping to Trunk Club (I love finding things on my own too much), but it's definitely something I'll do on a quarterly basis. It's good to have someone else shop for you every once and a while. You can sign up here! 

Currently Coveting

Both Katie and I are coveting these shoes. She sent me a link to them earlier this week, and I decided to share them with all of you. Katie ordered them in black and will have to report back with a "What I Wore" post.

Halogen Clarette' Suede Wedge Sandal $99

I'm not shopping right now, so someone should buy these. Any takers?

Splurge vs. Save

I've been a bit shoe obsessed lately, and today I'm sharing a Splurge vs. Save that you don't want to miss! 

A friend of mine has these Tory Burch sneakers, and they are super cute! They are also $165, which is a lot for a non-performance "sneaker". 

Tory Burch Flat Slip On Sneakers - Jesse $165

Conveniently, another friend has these! They are nearly the identical shoe. They are equally as cute, and she says they are really comfortable.  And the price is only $49.95. 

 B.P. 'Twiny' Slip-On Sneaker $49.95

I used a $50 gift card I got from my mom for Christmas, and these beauties should be arriving on my doorstep any day now! 

Splurge vs. Save

I've had summer shoes on my mind lately despite the fact that the official beginning of summer is months away. We are going to Paris at the end of August, and I've been thinking a lot about what cute and comfortable shoes I could wear to walk the city. 

In my online browsing, I came across these Loeffler Randall Espadrilles. They come in black and tan and black and white. I really like them, but the $195 price tag is a bit more than I had in my head since I do have other shoes in my closet that would work just fine. 

Loeffler Randall "Mara" Espadrille $195

Later in my online browsing I came across nearly the identical shoe, which also comes in the same two color ways but is half the price. 

 Halogen "Sandy" Espadrille $89.95

I do like the Loeffler Randall pair a bit more, but $100 more? I'm not sure. I plan to go to Nordstrom later this week to try both on, so I will be sure to report back. 

So, what would you do, splurge or save?

Also, as you may have seen on Facebook, Katie is out of commission for a few months, and I would love a little extra support on the blog. So, I am looking for readers who might be interested in writing a guest post. Please email cardicouture@gmail.com with your ideas! 

What I Wore: Caped Crusader

Remember when Regan blogged about a $50 Nordstrom gift card she had? Well, I had one too. And her post gave me a major hankering for the Topshop cape...so I did what any right-minded shopper would do, I ordered it! It was unavailable, and then they got more instock! It just arrived last week and was the perfect thing to wear for our flight to Sun Valley. 

J. Crew Navy Pixie Pant, Sam Edelman Johanna Boots,
Ann Taylor Loft Chambray Shirt, Uniqlo Cashmere Sweater,
Topshop Colorblock Geometric Cape

I'm cape obsessed this season. I can't get enough of long, well-draped coats, capes, and sweaters. Done right, they can be so sophisticated...and warm...and comfortable. Who knew those three things could go together. Since this is currently out of stock, here are a few similar options. 

Colorblock Stripe Cape

Topshop Geo Knit Cape

Topshop Super Soft Wrap

What Would You Do

I have a $50 gift card from Nordstrom that I received for Christmas. Who doesn't like $50 at a store like Nordstrom? My problem is that whenever I receive gift cards, I always end up spending more money.

So, I thought for today's post I would find a list of items all under $50 that I could use my gift card to purchase.

If I'm being practical, I should ditch some very old underwear and get these. If you've never tried Hanky Panky underwear, the low rise thongs are the only thing I wear. There is a high likelihood this purchase will happen. P.S. How can so little fabric be SO expensive?

Hanky Panky 3 pack Low-Rise Thong $43.20 (originally $54)

I really like this One-button cardigan. It comes in a number of colors and would be a great everyday staple over my workout clothes, but I probably have 5 things like it in my closet. 

One-Button Fleece Wrap Cardigan $39.90 (on sale)

I could also try some of the cosmetic products Katie K. recommend last week....My dark circles could use some serious camouflaging...this might do the trick! 

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage $34

And who doesn't need another lip gloss?

Laura Mercier Lip Glacé $25

Okay, so this cape isn't under $50...but I would only have to spend $10 to make it mine. That seems like a total deal, and it's pretty amazing!

Topshop Colorblock Geometric Cape $60

So, what would you do with $50 to spend at Nordstrom?