Clutch Archives | More to Mrs. E

Summer Wardrobe Closet Favorites

July 1, 2019 by Virginia 11 Comments

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In the summer, I feel like I have a completely different summer wardrobe. When I was teaching, that was definitely the case. I ditched the blazers and work pants for shorts and a t-shirt or sundresses. It was easy to feel like once school got out, I needed to buy a whole new wardrobe. I just didn’t have enough shorts, or the ones I have didn’t go with anything else I had (or only went with one or two things).

In the end, I resisted, mostly because I gave myself a budget. But, it still always felt like I only had a few options. It definitely took a few years to build up enough options to feel like I had a summer wardrobe. Looking back, I realize it would have helped to have a basic set of “summer wardrobe” closet basics I know I would wear and so that my budget wouldn’t be wasted.

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Today, I want to share my own summer wardrobe closet basics. I know that it will be different for every person, but these are the things that I have come back to year after year. They are the items I quickly grab in the summer and use over and over. I hope it will help you hone in on what your summer wardrobe might be missing, so we can all maximize our summer spending!

5 Inch Shorts

Shorts have always been something I’ve struggled to find. They never seemed to fit and when they did, they weren’t always flattering. I despise the feeling of shorts riding up and I really hate sitting down in shorts only to have them completely disappear and be left looking at all the extra flab (forgive me for that mental image). I’ve never been a girl with thin legs or thighs and short shorts just don’t work for me. I know that some girls have the confidence to pull them off, but if you’re like me, I have a secret for you! You need to get yourself some 5″ shorts.

Thankfully, most retailers now list the 5″ in the description. Often you can even search online by the inseam length. My favorite 5″ shorts come from J.Crew Factory but I really want to check these out from Amazon. Below are some options that look good to me! Some I have tried and others I would like to check out. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below!

Basic Solid-Color T-shirts

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I’ve never been a graphic tee girl. When I have gotten graphic tees, it has always been hard to mix and match them with my shorts in the summer. I’m drawn to colorful or patterned shorts and the graphic tees often just don’t go. Instead, I find myself wearing basic, solid colored v-neck or crew-neck tees over and over again in the summer. So much so, that I really need to stock up this summer.

My favorite places for basic tees are H&M, Forever21 and Target. Both Forever21 and H&M have basic tees at or under $5 and Target always seems to be running a sale. Just FYI – most of the tees in the widget come in multiple colors, so don’t be shy to click through the link to see other color options!

Crewneck Tees

V-Neck Tees

Summer Sundress

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The summer, where I live, is hot and humid. So, the easiest and breeziest outfit to put on is a sundress. My first summer in Rhode Island I was shocked to find that my high-neck or boat-neck dresses made me feel like I was going to suffocate in the humidity. Instead, I need some air at the neck-line. And maxi dresses only cut it on a cooler day. Otherwise, the heat gets trapped under the long length and I start to boil from the inside! lol! It’s awful…

There are two types of sundresses that do the trick, that I feel can conquer the heat and humidity best.

Spaghetti Strap Midi Dresses

This summer I’ve really been drawn to spaghetti strap midi dresses. They take no mixing and matching. It’s a one-on and go. Plus, the length is short enough to get a little breeze and long enough to be comfortable and appropriate if I want to wear it to work. (For work I would definitely add a blazer or a cardigan.)

This style is really starting to pop up all over (especially the spaghetti strap with a smocked back). My favorite place to buy these is Amazon. However, you can probably find some cute ones just about anywhere. (This one is so cute but for some reason, isn’t showing up in the widget!) Here are some I love or would like to check out:

Swing Dresses

Swing dresses are another favorite because they are so loose. My husband is not a fan because he doesn’t think they’re that flattering, but you can definitely find some that are more fitted than others! My favorite place for these is Jane but I will link a lot of options for you below!

Bright Accessories

When I’m ready to accessorize during the summer, I’m always drawn to bright accessories. They dress up a very basic outfit. Statement earrings, in particular, are my favorite, since they are easy to throw on with a sundress and run out the door.

Just make sure to pick colors that will actually go with items you have in your closet. Pink and yellow go with a lot of what I own but now I’m looking for a good red statement earring!

Some great places for bright accessories are Francesca’s, Target, and Amazon.

Light-colored Neutral Sandals

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Since I wear a lot of color everywhere else, a basic neutral sandal has always worked the best for me. I’m more likely to throw them on and run out the door for errands than anything else in my closet. They go with everything.

Alright! Now, it’s not like these items make up my entire summer wardrobe. But, I realize more and more that summer means casual and casual means a few basic summer wardrobe staples. Like I wore in these photos, a basic tee, some statement earrings and some neutral sandals easily go with whatever else you have in your summer wardrobe.

What would you add to the list? What summer wardrobe favorites do you find yourself turning to over and over?

Hope you’re having a wonderful summer!

Virginia

Colorful Multitasking Sundress from Amazon

May 20, 2019 by Virginia 25 Comments

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There is really something wonderful about finding a beautiful, colorful sundress that can be worn for multiple seasons and multiple occasions. This dress is one of those and it’s under $25 and comes in 19 styles. I had just received it in the mail when we had our first warm, sunny day in a week. Jeremy wanted to check out Spring Fest at our local beach and I thought, what better place to try out my new multicolored sundress than at a colorful carnival. We quickly, and awkwardly snapped a few photos and the bright colors just make me happy!

You may recognize THIS colorful sundress from last week’s review of recent purchases but today I want to tell you a little more about why you need one.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that clicking/making a purchase through some of these links will result in a small commission for More to Mrs. E. For more information, please see my Privacy Policy.

A Dress for Different Seasons and Situations

Appropriate for Work and the Classroom

I have a hard time buying a piece of clothing that can’t serve multiple purposes. For example, I should be able to wear a top casually on the weekend and also be able to dress it up in some way for work. But any more, I find it very difficult to find a pretty dress that is affordable and appropriate for work. The cute sundresses I usually find in my price range (under $30) are either too short or too low-cut to wear to work. Even with a cardigan or blazer, a busty top is a busty top!

That’s why I’m so excited about this sundress. Not only is it long enough to bend over without anxiety, but even with the adjustable straps lowered, the cut at the neckline and the smocking keep the bust area covered.

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During the Spring

This colorful sundress is sleeveless but you don’t have to wait for the warmth to wear it now. All you need to do is layer. Because the neckline isn’t too low, it looks great layered under another piece.

During the spring while it is still cool, or for work, I would add a brightly colored cardigan (I discovered this one through Katie: see her wearing it here) or a denim jacket for the classroom. For a slightly more professional work environment, I would add a white blazer (my current fave).

School’s Out! Colorful Sundress for the Summer

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Then, when summer hits, you will find this colorful sundress is also perfect for your weekend beach trip or running errands around town. The fabric is light and the skirt is billowy without fear of flying up. I just know it will be nice and breezy to stay cool during a humid summer.

The smocked top makes a flattering fit and the adjustable straps allow me to raise or lower the neckline – perfect for when the summer humidity makes me dread any fabric clinging to my neck area.

So, for work, weekend, spring and summer, this colorful sundress can do it all! And, remember, it is only $22 and ships free (and fast) with Amazon Prime. If you love the concept but don’t love the retro pattern, check out the other options available. You’re guaranteed to find one you like!

Make sure to check out last week’s post for sizing info!

Get the Look

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Multicolored Sundress || Denim Jacket || Sandals || Earrings (very similar)|| Sunglasses (check codes at bottom of page for buy one, get one free!)|| Similar Clutch

Thanks so much for stopping by! A special shout-out to my teacher friends as you wrap up the school year!

Also, make sure to check out the great Memorial Day Sales going on right now!

Virginia

Coated Skinny Jeans: Professionally and Casually

January 28, 2019 by Virginia 20 Comments

Ever since I saw Emily Gemma wearing faux leather pants years ago, I’ve been on the lookout for pair of my own. I love how sleek and stylish they look. However, I have frequently struggled with the question: Can you wear leather pants to work? Since I believe in building a wardrobe that can work for both the weekend and the work week, it didn’t make sense to buy a pair of faux leather pants if I couldn’t wear them to work. Would they be too uncomfortable? Are they too “sexy” for a high school teacher to wear to work? I continued to struggle with these questions until I discovered coated skinny jeans.

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The high school I worked at least year had a “no jeans” policy and I found myself looking for other ways to be comfortable and professional without wearing jeans. One solution was leggings that looked like jeans (you can read about those here) and another solution was coated skinny jeans.

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This post contains affiliate links, so if you click and/or make a purchase through those links, I will make a small commission. For more information, please see my privacy policy.

Why I Love Coated Skinny Jeans

I love coated skinny jeans because they:

have the look of leather
are more comfortable than leather
are versatile – wear for a night out with a leather jacket like I did in the images above, or dress up for work like the images below.

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They are comfortable like jeans/leggings but they have a more sophisticated look that made me feel they were appropriate for me to wear to work. However, I do believe there are some tips to wearing coated skinny jeans in a work environment . I intend to show you a few different ways to style them in the coming months.

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Coated Skinny Jeans for Date Night

Though I personally wouldn’t wear an all-leather look to work, there’s something fun about an all-leather look for a night on the town with the girls or running errands!

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As I shared in the last outfit post, I’ve been pretty obsessed lately with H&M. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that both of these faux leather pieces are from H&M. I’ve been pulling this faux leather jacket out more this winter because I’ve been so into neutrals. I wore it first HERE and though it’s from a few seasons ago, H&M has a new version that is almost exactly alike. These coated skinny jeans are the perfect affordable option for a leather look. They’re very stretchy and I find them quite comfortable.

Pair with OTK Boots and Long Tunic for Work

You’ll have to excuse the pictures of this next outfit. I realized I forgot to shoot examples of how I would wear these coated skinny jeans to work. Our downstairs unit was just vacated (and nice and bright) so I popped in real quick to shoot this “wear to work” version of the outfit.

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For work, I tend to dress down the leather look. Rather than pairing it with more leather, I paired it with a longer white tunic to cover the back and added my new black over-the-knee-boots.

After the success of wearing my taupe over the knee boots to work, I decided that I would look for some black over-the-knee boots. I tried a few pairs and finally ended up with these beauties. The block heel makes them more comfortable for work and I love the fact that the top of the boot is both stretchy AND has a tie. I find that they stay up better than most of the OTK boots I’ve tried. Keep in mind however, that I have a wider-calf. So, I can’t guarantee the staying power for those of you who can easily fit in skinnier versions. Right now OTK boots are on sale all over the place so I’ve linked a few places to buy these in the widget below. Hopefully you can snag them when they’re on sale.

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I love pairing black over-the-knee boots with the coated skinny jeans. The OTK boots cover so much of the leg that the leather isn’t as overwhelmingly obvious.

Get the Look

White Tunic, Shein.
Coated Skinny Jeans, H&M.
Leather Moto Jacket, H&M.
Black Over the Knee Boots, Nordstrom.
Blushing Rose Liquid Lipstick, Target.
Beaded Hoop Earrings, Target.
Similar Sequin Y Necklace, Forever21.
Baublebar Mason Ring, Nordstrom. Similar in widget.
Faux Hermes Bracelet, Amazon.
Leopard Clutch, Amazon. Old. Similar in widget.

Coated Skinny Jeans

So, what do you think? I know everyone has a different comfort level with leather and different expectations for dress at work. Would you try a faux leather look at work or stick to girls night out? Let me know in the comments below!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by! It’s fun to play dress up but it’s way more fun to share ideas with you!

~Virginia