This sweater, to my mind, was not an optional purchase. First of all, it’s made by one of my favorite brands, Woolrich, which I hadn’t been aware was available at Kohl’s (bear pillow, ahem). And second, it has a snowman on it, but somehow manages to be in “adorable wintry sweater” territory rather than in “ironic ugly Christmas sweater” world. (No shade there – I enjoy a good ugly Christmas sweater myself – just sometimes one prefers to be un-ironic in one’s holiday attire.)
I am not “girly.” With a handful of exceptions, I tend not to choose pieces with floral patterns, with ruffles, with bows. My closet overflows with denim and grey. I think the last time I wore a headband was for my first-grade class photo (it was maroon velvet and actually pretty amazing, now that I think about it).
But just because I’m not especially girly doesn’t mean I don’t like to feel feminine. And I’ve rarely felt more feminine – by which I mean elegant, and polished, and confident – than I did when I put on the outfit pictured here. I have to be honest: I wasn’t entirely sure I’d love it when I ordered it from Macy’s, simply because I’ve literally never worn anything like this. Illusion neckline? Flounce skirt? Peter Pan collar?!
Alright, so it turns out I love Instagram Stories. When it first came out (about thirty seconds after I finally swallowed my pride and joined Snapchat) I had no idea whether I'd ever actually use the thing. Or, if I did, how I'd use it any differently from Snapchat, aside from the fact that on Snapchat I could look like a nervous deer if I wanted to.
When it comes to makeup, I'm not the most experimental person on the planet. I have my moments - like, say, when a babysitter arrives early and I can actually sift through my makeup bag as opposed to grab at things on autopilot. And sure, once in awhile I'll break out a silver liquid eyeliner or some neon eyeshadow...but mostly (like most women), I've got my routine, and tend to order the same products over and over and over.
They are these:
Other products I use every single day (or at least every single day I put on makeup, which, as it turns out, is no longer every single day): brown eyebrow powder, a NARS eyeshadow palette, and mascara (if I don't have eyelash extensions at the moment).
French Quarter | New Orleans
Joie Top (similar) | Vintage Velvet Pants (similar) | Gucci Sunnies | Gucci Bag
I talk a lot lately about how I'm over getting dressed up, how I never want to wear heels again, how I feel best in a t-shirt and shorts. All this is true. But for our New Orleans trip, I thought it'd be fun to bring a bunch of pieces that sit all forlorn and unworn in my closet for months (or years) on end because there is virtually nowhere that I go in my normal life where I can wear them. New Orleans has always seemed to me like the kind of city that lets you do and be and wear anything you want, so for a few days I thought I'd just...play.
