Day to Night: Leopard Print Dress and Leather

November 26, 2018 by Virginia 25 Comments

It’s good to have an outfit on hand that would make an easy transition from day to night, work day to date night. This leopard dress is one of my newest options for that kind of day to night look. I shared this in my Fall Cravings Post and also in my Shein Haul Try-on and it was a favorite for many of you! I’ve worn it a number of times already and feel like I finally know enough to give you a full review.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on/make a purchase through these links, I will make a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, please see my Privacy Policy and thanks! 🙂

If you don’t already have a shirt dress in your work wardrobe, it would be a great piece to add. Wear it on its own with some statement jewelry or add a nice cardigan and you’ve got an easy outfit.

THIS version of a shirt dress is a statement on its own and, I believe, a great way to work in some self-expression to a somewhat basic work outfit staple. I would wear it with a long duster cardigan or even layer a sweater over the top. Because it is a leopard print, I think it also makes a great dress to wear when you’ve got a dinner date right after work, like I did when I wore it in these photos.

For this night, I paired the leopard print dress with my leather jacket. I think there is something so classic about a leopard print dress and leather.

What I Think About This Dress

I absolutely love the print and the cut of THIS dress. As I mentioned in my video try-on, there is one spot on the front of the dress where one button is not quite in the right spot and so the fabric bubbles out a little there. However, I don’t notice it much.

When all I’m doing is standing, I adore this dress. It would be perfect for a full-day of teaching because it’s long enough, the tie-waist makes it a flattering fit, and the fabric is thick enough to not make it see-through.

However, after wearing it multiple times, I’ve decided it is not ideal in a workplace where you are frequently sitting. Why? There are buttons that run down the front. When you sit, the dress pulls tighter and bulges open where the buttons run down the front. This made me VERY self-conscious when I wore it to church and when I wore it to my new job (that involves a lot of sitting). First of all, it looks very awkward with those spots bulging open. Secondly, I was constantly checking to make sure I wasn’t showing more than I wanted to! lol!

That being said, I love a great leopard print dress and leather but I would be cautious about recommending this particular dress. I’ve found another option for those of you who want to try a leopard shirt dress but are concerned about the bulging! You can find it in the widget below!

Get the Leopard Print Dress and Leather Look:

Leopard Print Shirt Dress, Shein. Recommend THIS ONE for sitting jobs.
Leather Jacket, H&M (last year). HERE is this year’s version.
Black Studded Heels, DSW. SIMILAR 1 | SIMILAR 2 (more in widget)
CC Earrings, Etsy.
Showgirl Fringe Statement Necklace, Baublebar (old). SIMILAR
Milani Amore Matte Lipstick in Sweetheart | Limbo Bimbo Nail Polish
Quilted Black Bag with Tassel, Amazon (old). SIMILAR (love THIS ONE)

That’s it for this week! What do you think? Would you wear a leopard shirt dress to the office or is that a little bit too much for you? Let me know below!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Virginia

Glamorous Hunter Green Maxi Dress

October 15, 2018 by Virginia 23 Comments

Oh guys, this hunter green maxi dress from Forever21 is just so dreamy! It was totally an impulse buy (when I bought this jumpsuit) but it was one of those dresses that I just knew I had to have for fall. Is it work-appropriate? No. Is it really something I will wear to church? Probably not. Sometimes you just have to buy the dress because it makes you feel pretty and glamorous! I’ll find a place to wear it! For the price, I knew if I didn’t buy it I would regret it later!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click or make a purchase through any of these links, I will make a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, please see my Privacy Policy, and thank you for supporting the retailers that make this blog side-hustle possible!

Where to Wear a Glamorous Maxi Dress

This is the kind of dress I like to keep on hand in case of an emergency, lol! Sometimes events come up quickly and you don’t have time to find the right dress or you just can’t find one that’s just right! I would wear this dress to an evening wedding in the fall or winter, to a fashion event, for family pictures, or for Christmas. It’s totally date night material too!

The beautiful fabric is what makes this hunter green maxi dress stand out and I found it a little tricky to accessorize. I would switch out the belt for a regular belt but I love how the one that comes with the dress drapes elegantly in back. A hat just didn’t look right with this dress and every time I looked at it, it screamed the need for gold and copper accessories! In the end I realized, the statement IS the dress, so I didn’t sweat the accessories.

As with my last fashion post, these pieces of jewelry are oldies but goodies in my closet. I wear them because I still love them. In fact, I was surprised to find such a supportive reaction on the blog to that decision! Apparently I’m not the only one who feels the need to constantly buy new jewelry. When it comes to gold jewelry though, it’s hard to go wrong even when it’s “old.” Gold jewelry pieces are easy to work into outfits year after year and is a good choice for an investment piece. Most of these items are no longer in stock because they were purchased a year or two (or longer!) ago. There are, however, similar items still in stock today which I will link for you in the widget below.

Why You Should Sign Up for Store Rewards Cards

It has been awhile since I bought new shoes and I desperately wanted to pair this dress with a copper or rose gold sandal (or pump). I did some internet searching and decided that DSW (which is local to me) had some great options for me to look at. I drove over and searched high and low for the perfect shoe, all to no avail. Finally, before walking out I decided to check the clearance section. (I bought the red shoes featured here on DSW clearance and they are still a favorite today.)

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before my arms were loaded down with beautiful rose gold shoes. These drew my eyes right away due to the ruffle toes. Ruffles and bows are my one weakness! (Any Lark Rise to Candleford fans out there?!) The fit was way too loose so I sized down a whole size, from 8.5 to 7.5, and that did it!

Very pleased with my choice, I headed to the register. It has been awhile since I’ve been to DSW and I never remember that I have a rewards card but this time it totally paid off because with the combination of 40% off clearance, plus the rewards I had on my card, I walked out of the store with these beauties for $9.56! Oh yeah!

In the end, I’m really happy with this look, and with the beautiful fall colors we are already seeing here in Rhode Island! Where would you wear this glamorous Hunter Green Maxi dress?! Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Virginia

Get the Glamorous Hunter Green Maxi Dress Look:

Belted Surplice Maxi Dress, Forever 21. Similar color in widget below.
Rose Gold Dress Sandal, DSW.
Star Drop Earrings, Target (old). Similar 1 | Similar 2
Cuff Bracelet, Kendra Scott (old). Simlar 1 | Similar 2
Sequin Y Necklace, Forever 21 (old). Similar Style
Baublebar Mason Ring, Nordstrom (old). Similar in widget below.
Tori Burch Three-Strand Logo Bracelet, Tradesy.
MK Two-Tone Darci Watch, Areatrends.
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina, Sephora.
Milani Amore Matte Lipstick in Prismatic Touch (as topper), Walmart.

White Skinny Jeans Teacher Outfit

March 19, 2018 by Virginia 25 Comments

Hello friends! Last week when I was trying to put together a cute teacher outfit I got pretty frustrated when I realized I had already worn my pair of white skinny jeans. At least once a week I put together a white skinny jeans teacher outfit. It’s one of the easiest ways to dress up my basic work wardrobe while staying comfortable. If you don’t have any, that would be my first recommendation for a Spring closet purchase.

First of all, white skinnies are great for work because you can get away with wearing jeans without having them look as casual as a regular pair of jeans. You get what I’m saying? (Somehow I feel like this is a fair way to get around the “no jeans except on Friday” rule without being “unprofessional,” but maybe I’m just fooling myself, lol) Second, as spring approaches, they are a great way to brighten up your fall or winter wardrobe pieces. This olive cardigan was one I picked up two years ago at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale (and still love). It’s definitely one of my “fall” items, but I love the way it looks with an all-white outfit. Pairing your dark tops with a pair of white skinny jeans brightens up the whole look.

*This post does contain affiliate links, which means that if you click and/or make a purchase through these links, I may make a small commission. For more information, see my privacy policy. Thank you for supporting the retailers that make this blog possible.

Now, I will say that the hunt for the right pair of white skinny jeans can be somewhat daunting. It took me a long time to find the right pair and I’ve owned these for at least 3 years, maybe 4. For me the right pair of white skinny jeans are: ankle length perfect and a thick fabric. I find that ankle length jeans are perfect to pair with any shoe. I’ve worn these with booties for fall, with sandals for summer, and they don’t even bunch up under over-the-knee boots (see this post).

I recommend spending more on a pair of white skinny jeans just because a better quality jean is going to last and it won’t be as see-through. These were purchased from LOFT and I absolutely love the version they are carrying for spring this year with the cute double-fringe on the bottom. I tried them on in-store and they are the same nice thick fabric as the pair I own. Mine have survived the test of time and I would expect this pair to wear the same way. Sign up for LOFT emails and be ready for the next sale! They’re worth it! I’ve also rounded up some other good options of white jeans below.

White Skinny Jean Options:

Get the Look:

For a totally spring-time appropriate work outfit with white skinny jeans, also make sure to check out THIS OUTFIT.

Ok, time for me to get back to the work-week lesson-planning daily grind! Have a wonderful week! Check out more of my work outfits here!

-Virginia