What I Wore

On Tuesday the Mini Fashionista and I packed up and headed to Sun Valley to meet Katie and Dr. B for a week in the mountains. As you can see from the photo below, there isn't much snow, but we will be doing some skiing. Stay tuned next week for a summary of our trip! 

Upon my arrival we met Katie and Dr. B for their last hole of golf. Katie insisted on taking this photo  for a "What I Wore" Post. So here it is...What I Wore for a one hour flight from Portland to Boise and then for a 2+ hour drive to Sun Valley...a lot of effort for travel, but worth it since I am now sharing it with you.

Chambray Shirt- Lands End Canvas (no longer available), Jeans- Citizens of Humanity (5+ years old), Belt- J Crew and Wedge Boots- Sole Society (blogged about them here). 

I will honestly say if you had asked me 5 years ago if I would wear two shades of denim together I would have answered, emphatically, "NO", but here I am...eating my words.

Dress Like the Mini

The Mini and I are off to Mexico today to escape the Portland rain and enjoy a few days at the beach. We will be sure to share highlights from our trip when we return.

Back to business...A few weeks back I posted this photo of the Mini Fashionista and shared an "adult version" of the outfit (blog post here).

Since it was a popular topic, I thought I would share more on the Mini's style.

1) Raincoat-Pluie Pluie, 2) Cardigan and pinstripe shirt- Crewcuts, 3) Yellow Jeans- Old Navy, 4) Driving loafers- Trumpette

If you purchased the yellow jeans and ivory cardigan from the previous post, you can wear them again; this time with a pinstripe shirt, black patent driving loafers and a fun rain coat of your choice. Here are the pieces I would style this outfit with.

Land's End Canvas Pintuck Top $48.99

Cole Haan Air Penny Driver $106.80

You could top off the look with the Anorak I shared in the last post (here), or you could pair it with this fantastic Penfield Kasson Check Lined Hooded Anorak for $ 219.88.

So, what do you think? Another win for the Mini Fashionista, or does her mom need to work on her styling skills?

P.S. Don't forget you have until the end of the month to save 10% at Serena Italian Imports using the code "fallcardicouture"! 

Dress Like the Mini

On Friday I took this photo of the Mini Fashionista. Doesn't she have great street style? Truth be told, most days she looks better than I do. 

One of my friends (SB) commented that she would wear the outfit if it came in her size. Which, by the way, is a jacket from Old Navy, tunic and leggings from Carter's (all from the kid's consignment sales I blogged about here), cardigan by Crewcuts (ebay purchase) and her most coveted pony hair shoes from Zara (a gift). 

So for anyone else who likes the Mini's street style, I thought I would put together the adult equivalent of what she is wearing...with a budget in mind, of course!  

Let's start at the bottom with these Gap Leopard Calf Hair Ballet Flats for $49.95.

Zelda Colored Jeans from Express on sale for $49.90

Sashimi Utility Anorak $58

Asos Cardigan with bobble stitch $70.36

And finally, the patterned piece to pull the whole look together, Lands' End Canvas Pintuck Top $70!

We'd love to see your version of the Mini Fashionista's outfit. If you have similar items in your closet and want to share your look with us, email it to cardicouture@gmail.com or post to the C&C facebook page! 

Dressed to the Denim

For the first day of my freshman year of high school I wore a Gap denim dress that was short sleeved, ankle length and had mother of pearl snaps up the entire dress. It was in style at the time, but today it's been replaced with other styles of denim dresses, which is probably a good thing.

So what got me thinking about that denim Gap dress? Last week I had dinner with my friend and fellow fashionista AL. She was wearing this adorable denim shirt dress that she got from BP at Nordstrom.

The popularity of chambray has prompted a resurgence in the denim shirt and the denim dress. Here are a few other ways to dress yourself in denim this fall. All of these dresses are $80 or under. Which is your favorite?

Lands End Canvas Women's Chambray Weekend Shirtdress $80

Urban Outfitters BDG Chambray Shirtdress $69

Gap Chambray Shirtdress $59.95

What I Wore to Work Wednesday - Accordion Pleats

Earlier this year I was at Zara and found this accordion slip dress for $10. When I saw it, I wasn't really sure what I was going to wear it with, but for that price, I could figure it out. Don't worry, I didn't wear it like this. Worn alone, it looks like a nightgown. But, with a little layering, this $10 find turns into a 10, proving what you can do with a simple sheath dress. 

I added a Land's End Canvas tweed blazer, H & M leopard scarf, and Urban Outfitters belt. At first I tried the belt on the outside of the jacket.

But then I decided I liked it better with the jacket open and the belt on the inside. This outfit goes to show you can wear your nightgown to work. Or not! But you can take what looks like one and turn it into a real winner of an outfit! 

What I Wore to Work Wednesday - Chambray Chic

Mixing casual pieces into your wardrobe is possible, it's all about how you do it. I'm a huge fan of chambray, but at the end of the day, it's denim. If you work in a conservative work environment like I do, denim is only reserved for those very rare occasions where you donate money for Lee National Denim Day. 

Lands End Canvas womens' wool hunting jacket, Old Navy chambray shirt, Cynthia Steffe Trousers, Cole Haan suede pink loafers, Ann Taylor Loft belt, Hermes bangle

Earlier this year I ordered this Old Navy chambray shirt, and I've gotten a good amount of use out of it (when I'm up for the ironing). But last week I wanted to wear it to work. Enter the outfit challenge! Paired with my new Lands End Canvas wool hunting jacket (that I got on super sale right before Christmas - during my one for you, two for me phase) and some more traditional suit pants, it came together in a pretty polished way. Here's how you can create the outfit from what's currently out there on the shopping channels of the world wide web!

J Crew wool herringbone jacket
$148 - jcrew.com

Old navy
$30 - oldnavy.gap.com

Banana Republic long length pants
$98 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Asos shoes
$173 - asos.com

J Crew 14 karat gold jewelry
$35 - jcrew.com

Dorothy Perkins belt
$9 - dorothyperkins.com


Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional updates!

What I Wore to Work - Navy With a Punch

Happy What I Wore to Work Wednesday! I thought this year, instead of just posting on the Facebook Page, I'd try to post on the blog and give you options of where you can find the pieces, or at least similar options, online. As you know, we spent the holidays in Mexico, and upon our return, it got cold here, and fast! But I really wanted to wear my new Lands End Canvas Tunic that I got as a Christmas gift from a friend (really a summer piece, but as you can see, worn right, can totally be worn in the winter as well!). I was determined to integrate it into my outfit. Layering to the rescue! While you can only get a few of these pieces in stores now, this outfit can easily be recreated.

Tahari suit, Lands End Canvas tunic, Target belt, Ann Taylor loft scarf, Cole Haan pumps, Angela Caputi bracelets (SerenImports.com)

J Crew drape jacket
$178 - jcrew.com

J.Crew zip pants
$118 - jcrew.com

Ivanka Trump flat heels
$120 - macys.com

Akira infinity loop scarve
$19 - shopakira.com

Blank NYC buckle belt
$18 - modcloth.com

Collared Classic

As we start the new year, I thought it would be good to revisit a classic. Old can always be new if you see it with fresh eyes. That's kind of how I feel about button down shirts lately. I've been wearing them A LOT...at work, at play...my PJ top even looks like one! For a while I thought they were BOR-ING. But worn as a layering piece or paired with the right bottom, this timeless classic is making a comeback in my closet in 2012!

I own these two from Lands End Canvas, and you can still get them on super sale. Check it out and let me know if you want advice on sizing! I love their stuff.

The Silk Gatehouse Shirt from Madewell also comes in black and white. Since it's silk, this is the perfect piece for the office or weekends and is a great transition piece between seasons. 

If you haven't checked out C. Wonder online or been lucky enough to visit one of the few stores, here's your introduction. They don't carry everything online that they do in the stores, but their things are very reasonably priced and super cute and preppy. Who doesn't need a little gingham and ruffles in their lives?

For the girly girl in us all, the Kate Spade Tiff Top is ultimate prep. Who needs a popped collar when you've got this shirt!

This Red-Striped Dolman-Sleeve Shirt from Old Navy may just have to be my first purchase for spring. The possibilities with this little beauty are endless. I'm going to dream about it tonight. Which means I'll probably have to buy it tomorrow. I can't resist stripes. Big decision, red and white or navy and white?

And last, but certainly not least, florals are the perfect way to make what is traditionally masculine, totally feminine. This Cacharel Shirt in Floral Print from Asos is perfectly paired with a bold-hued skirt, but would be equally stunning with a pair of skinny jeans. 

Which one is your favorite?

The Other 1/4

A few weeks ago I blogged about the amazing Woolrich coat I got at Anthropologie. I've worn it twice and can't wait to break it out again soon. Anyway....the only shortcoming to this fabulous coat is that it has 3/4 sleeves. While they look fantastic, it leaves my forearms exposed to the elements, i.e. the rain and cold.

This has prompted my search for long gloves, as I need to cover the other 1/4 of my arm. Here are a few of the pairs that I have my eye on.

 Marc by Marc Jacobs Balloon Miss Marc Gloves $68

Asos Basic Angora Mix Glove $10.48

Asos Leather and Knit Long Gloves $61.11

Land's End Canvas Convertible Gloves $39.50

Any other suggestions?

Shirts to "Fall" For

I love Fall. Things I love about it. Riding boots. Candy Corn. Barbour jackets. Fall flavors like pumpkin and butternut squash. Jets football. Scarfs. Hats. You get the picture. Fashion-wise, the season is all about layering...and you can't layer with out a great shirt. Here are some options I'm "falling" for.

Collective Concepts - $59.00

Gap Printed raw-edge shirt - $52.99

Trouve Long Sleeve Silk Shirt (Nordstrom) - $88.00

Lands' End Canvas Patterned Chambray shirt - $29.99

Zara Printed blouse - $79.90