Vince Camuto Midi Tube Skirt – on sale today!

My favorite skirt ever is on sale today at Hautelook.  (See my posts here and here.)  They have a brown for $19, and a navy/white polka dot for $29.

If you’re not a member, you can join here.

Savannah, GA – Instagram Round Up

This past week, my family and I spent a wonderful week on Tybee Island in Georgia.  Tybee Island is about a thirty minute ride from Savannah, and we found ourselves exploring the city most days.

Here are some of the shots from our trip.  I forgot my real camera, so I had to make do with my iPhone.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably already seen a lot of these so don’t hate me for re-posting!  :)

My little home away from home in Tybee Island!  I never would have thought to pair turquoise and red together, but it was so cute.

Unpacking all my dresses.  A lot of people ask if I have a hard time packing, and the answer is a resounding no!  Packing is easy when you wear sundresses every day in all the same colors.

Beautiful downtown Savannah.

Meeting a new friend in Savannah’s Gap.  She recognized me from Instagram, and I felt pretty cool that day.  Hi, Ashley!

Realizing that Lilly Pulitzer dresses are always going to be too short on me.  :(

Picking up an Estee Lauder x Lilly Pulitzer makeup bag!  Good thing I needed new BB cream.

I’ve always wanted a pair of aviators, but my face is gigantic.  I’m serious.  It’s huge, and it’s hard to find glasses big enough to fit.  These from Ray-Ban were awesome, but I’m terrified to spend more than $10 on sunglasses.  I’m way too accident prone.

I finally found my precious cat print shirt from Gap!  They were all sold out so quickly up here in Virginia.  Now I can be twins with Fran.

My new obsession is this jean jacket that I borrowed from my mom in high school and never gave back.  It just goes so cute with everything!

If you ever find yourself in Savannah, you have to visit the Bonaventure Cemetery.  It was one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been.

Tagged for a “What’s in My Bag” while on vacation by an Instagram friend.  That Cape Cod Kate Spade tote is one of my favorite things I’ve ever bought.

So many anchors–all from J.Crew!

Wearing a new dress from eShakti.  I ordered three dresses from them during a Buy Two, Get One free sale, and I was so excited at how they fit.  You can enter your height, and the skirt was the perfect length.  You guys, that never happens.

Another outfit picture.  I keep wanting to do real outfit pictures for this blog.  I need to finagle a photographer to be my friend.  The dress is from Target, and the cardigan is from Gap, and the bag is from a little souvenir store.

Some things I bought from the outlets on the way home.  So many anchors!

Some things to do if you ever find yourself in Savannah:

Eat!  We ate like kings in Savannah.  The food was so amazing everywhere we went.   Here are some of the places you should definitely check out:

Vinnie Van Gogh’s for amazing pizza.

Mrs. Wilke’s Dining Room – make sure you get there at least an hour before it opens so you can get seated quickly!  But the wait is worth it.

Uncle Bubba’s – it’s a Paula Deen restaurant and a little touristy, but it’s right on the water and has AMAZING banana creme pudding!

Lilly for Less

It’s no secret that I adore Lilly Pulitzer.  I think it says somewhere that you have to turn in your preppy membership card if you don’t!  I love their bright, happy prints and classic shapes, but I don’t love their prices.  (Or the fact that all their dresses are made for women under 5’6.  Seriously–almost every Lilly dress I’ve ever tried on has been way too short!)

I’m always on the look out for dresses that have all the Lilly staples-bright florals, pastels, nautical stripes, and classic shapes.

Lilly Pulitzer Sloane Dress – $178 / Asos Wal G Striped Maxi – $33.25

(pair with a navy floral scarf!)

ASOS Midi Lace Dress – $63.18 / Lilly Pulizter Daena Dress – $368

Dress Barn Embroidered Sundress – $50 / Lilly Pulitzer Antonia Dress – $198

Dress Barn Lace Dress – $50 / Lilly Pulitzer MarieKate Dress – $378

I will admit that Lilly does print so well that it’s hard to find anything that is even close.  I get a lot of my Lilly from eBay or other resale sites, and I also have a Lilly Pulitzer style alert on my ShopStyle email thingie.

Where do you guys buy your Lilly?  Am I alone in thinking that sometimes it’s way too expensive?

Kentucky Derby Style

Whether you’re attending or just throwing a themed party, the Kentucky Derby (and many other horse-themed events) have a very iconic fashion code.

The official Kentucky Derby website says it best:

In the reserved seating areas (grandstand, clubhouse, suites and corporate hospitality areas), ladies typically wear pastel-colored suits, frilly dresses or bold separates that coordinate with their Derby headwear and accessories.

I think finding a hat is the hardest part of putting together a Derby outfit, so I definitely recommend starting with the hat and then thinking about the rest of your outfit.

Again, from the official website:

Most often in this case, matching the dress (or outfit) to your hat involves personal preference, however keep a few things in mind in getting dressed:

* If your hat is having a pattern party, keep the dress design simple.
* If the hat is simple and elegant, keep the outfit simple also for a classy look.
* If you want a funky outfit, keep it consistent and accent the hat most of all!
* If you have long hair, showcase a ponytail slightly to side or keep it down to one side to highlight the color on your face.

I’ve never been to the Derby (but it’s on my bucket list!), but I have attended several equestrian events here in Virginia.  (I live near Middleburg, VA which is the heart of horse country.)  I know special events tend to make you feel like you need heels, but absolutely do not wear high heels.  You’ll be on your feet all day and walking through grass–the last thing you want is your heels to keep sinking into the ground!

I would recommend finding a beautiful pair of flats, but if you need the height, then look for a wedge with a very broad base.

Lastly, I would keep it classy.  No super tight or low-cut or short dresses.  Despite the presence of certain reality TV stars and other “celebrities” at the Derby, this is still a traditional, classy event.

Here are a few outfits to inspire your Derby Dressing!  I included a lot of items from Vineyard Vines because they are one of the official sponsors of the Kentucky Derby.

Vineyard Vines Mrs. Murray hat / Vineyard Vines Horseshoe Seersucker dress

Vineyard Vines Silk Sash hat / Vineyard Vines Run for the Roses dress
Nordstrom Derby Hat / Lilly Pulitzer Leandra Dress (it’s a mint julep print!)

If you still need inspiration, here are some pics from the official Vineyard Vines Derby look book!

Tie Society – Like Netflix for Neckwear

With so many monthly shopping services (shoe of the month!  nail polish of the month! underwear of the month!), it didn’t take long for male-focused sites to pop up as well.

Tie Society is kind of like the Netflix of Neckwear.  (I thought I made that up, and then I realized the actual site says it too.  Oops.)  You pay for unlimited ties every month, and based on your membership plan, you can get up to ten items at a time!

Basically, you pick out your tie on the site, and it arrives at your  house between 1-3 business days.  You wear it as long as you want (FOREVER! haha), and then send it back when you want another one.   The prices are actually really good–1 tie at a time for $10.95/month, 3/$19.95, 5/$29.95, and 10/$49.95.

I’ve been wanting to talk more about men’s fashion on the blog, and I’m going to partner with Tie Society to feature some of my snazzy boy friends styling their snazzy ties!  I also will include ways to steal your guy’s style for yourself.

Here’s some of my favorite picks:

If you want to try Tie Society (or buy a subscription for your preppy guy!), you can use code TSTRIAL3 to save 50% off your subscription.

ALSO, MY PREPPY BRETHERN–They have Vineyard Vines AND Brooks Brothers!

Stay tuned for shots of how both I and one of my stylish guy friends styled the tie!

(A/N:  I received a free one-month membership from Tie Society in order to provide this review.  As always, all opinions are my own.)

Preppy Brand Love – Francesca Joy

I was browsing over on The Preppy Princess Pinterest Page,  (That was just some serious alliteration) and saw the most adorable nautical print.

 

Of course, I had to find out who made it and where I could buy anything it ever touched.

Turns out the print is hand painted by Elise from Francesca Joy.  And their Etsy shop is filled with the cutest preppy and nautical motifs.

 

Charleston, SC is one of my favorite cities on the planet, and this tote celebrates all my favorite parts!

 

Anchors and Ropes!

 

My lovely Washington DC and its famous cherry blossoms!

Crabs and Ropes

A matching TOMs and Tote set!  This would make the perfect gift idea!

And if your favorite city isn’t in their Etsy shop, she can custom paint your favorite scenes and places for you!

I’m pretty much in love with all of these.

PS:  This isn’t sponsored.  I just was happy to discover the brand.  (Although, if one or twenty showed up at my front door, I wouldn’t complain.  Haha.  My birthday’s coming up, people!  Only eight shopping months left!)

 

Dizzy Lizzie Review

One of my favorite things about blogging is getting to learn about new brands, and I was super excited to talk to the incredibly nice people at Dizzy Lizzie.

Liz Lighton, the design director at Dizzy Lizzie, started making the shirts and tunics that she wanted to wear, and now new prints in the classic styles come out every season.

They sent me a box full of clothes to try on and review.  (Just in time for vacation too!  I was expecting like one thing, and they just made my day.  Thank you so much!)

 One of the first pieces I wanted to show you is this Denim tunic.

Photo from my Instagram

 At first, I was a little apprehensive at the shape when it was laying on my bed.  It was so…well, shapeless!  But I guess that’s the beauty of a tunic–once I slipped it on, I actually said “CUTE!” out loud when I looked in the mirror.  And then I realized the cuffs roll up to reveal an adorable red and navy print!  Eek!  So cute, right?!

I posted this outfit on Instagram this morning, and one of my blogging BFFs Franish commented that I looked so comfy.  And she’s right!  Usually denim shirts can be kind of stiff and scratchy, but whatever this fabric is, it’s extremely soft.

I have another tunic I got from Talbot’s last year that I haven’t worn yet because tunics are a little confusing to me.  Do you treat them like a shirt?  Or a really short dress?  I’m a little stumped.  Do any of you guys have any tips for styling a tunic?

I finally settled on everyone’s favorite staple–the legging.  Because tunics are supposed to be a little over sized, I think balancing their volume with a slim bottom helps it not look sloppy.   Then I added some black Tory Burch Revas and a Lilly Pulitzer anchor necklace to make it a little more polished for work.

My final thoughts?  I’m sold on tunics.  I like this outfit so much that I think it will be the perfect thing to wear on our million hour flight we have coming up to Barcelona.  It’s polished, but comfortable!

Dizzy Lizzie sent me a few other pieces to try on, and I hope to show you those soon.   One of the dresses is a crazy crazy print that I’m going to have to hype myself up to wear (I’m so boring in my navys and blacks!  I’m sorry!) and the skirts are a wee bit too small, so I’m having them altered to fit better.

In the meantime, here’s a few more items on their website that I really like!

 

I love the navy and white print on this Vail Tunic, and even better, the sleeve cuffs can be rolled up for a little leopard twist!  I actually might have to order this one for myself if my bank account is ever happy at me again!  It looks so big when it’s displayed, but don’t let that turn you off.  I promise they fit really nicely!

Here’s a tunic (the Aspen Tunic) that I think would be extremely flattering on–I like how it nips in at the waist.

Like Dizzy Lizzie on FB!

PS:  I was sent the tunic for review, but it should go without saying that all opinions and thoughts are my own.  I get a lot of emails to work with brands, but I only say yes to a few.  I never want this to become a blog where you only see what I’m paid to talk about!