Don’t get me wrong, I’ve really enjoyed summer here in NorCal. Yes, it is blisteringly hot at times, but we are lucky enough to have coolish mornings and many bodies of water nearby in which we can actually frolic (unlike down in SoCal, other than the ocean of course). It may still be upwards of 100 degrees around here some days, but you know this girl loves layering and snuggly pieces so bring on the fall fashion! I may not be able to wear much of my cold weather gear yet, but I can start transitioning a bit 😉 These are the ones that are most on my mind lately:
 
I actually snagged this dress from Mercari, which is kind of funny because I used to sell so much on Poshmark, but I’ve never used Mercari in any way until now. However, I had been wanting this dress for a long time and the price for a new dress in my size and preferred color was unbeatable, so here we are. It actually was a really positive experience for me so I may use Mercari again. The only real drawback in my mind is that returns are not nearly as easy as they are to my usual shopping sites like Nordstom, Macy’s, or Express.
I LOVE the fact that this dress has sleeves and is also not too short. In the reviews people were really upset about how “oversized” the dress is, but since it’s FP it’s meant to be a bit flowy and the smaller you go the shorter it gets. I found that the L works great on me, you just need to use the drawstring to cinch your waist a bit and voila, you have a flattering and oh-so-easy to wear dress! I really like the material on this one. I’m not usually a fan of any pattern resembling paisley, but this one was too cute to pass up.
I am officially on the bodysuit bandwagon. I already had a couple in my closet, but there are an amazing amount of great bodysuits out there these days! I had to grab this one from Express when it went on super sale (and of course I had some Express cash to use! Side note, anyone know why I cannot seem to enter reviews on the Express website lately? I’ve been trying for days, but no dice and I want my $15!)
I love the functionality of bodysuits – they solve many of the (admittedly minor) problems of getting dressed. I wear my bloomers with some of my more sheer dresses and that solves the modesty issue on my lower half, but I still need to cover my chest and midsection so I can either wear a slip that rides up (ugg) and skip the shorts or try to tuck a tank into the bloomers – but that doesn’t work either because the tank slips out of the shorts as I move around. It gets pretty frustrating. Plus tucking in tops without adding bulk can be tricky. But by wearing a bodysuit you can avoid both pitfalls!
This bodysuit is not only great for under sheer dresses, but because it’s a true white (not ivory) I can also wear it as a tucked in tank when I need a little lace at my neckline. Really weird sizing on this one so make sure to size up if you get this piece as I needed an XL and I’m never an XL at Express as it’s supposed to fit sizes 16-18. Thank you to the reviewers who saved me from a return or exchange! I really like how it looks under my WHBM blazer (old, linked a similar version). I have not worn jeans in a while due to the heat, but when I did these try ons I remembered how much I love my “Dream jeggings” from American Eagle! They are sooo flattering, plus they are like pajama jeans in that they always fit me pretty much no matter how my weight might fluctuate. Another reason for fall to get on with it, haha!
Next up we have a silky midi dress that is to die for! I rarely wear dresses or tops with such a high neckline, but with the boudoir feel of this slip dress I think the higher neckline keeps it from being too sexy. The seams are very flattering for those with some curves and the bottom hem flares out a bit so it’s quite flattering even for those with bigger than average hips. I am so excited to wait to wear this on a night out with my man! I wanted to pair it with something less obvious than a moto jacket to expand my options and I think a soft cardigan (very old, linked a similar one here) makes it a bit more casual.
Last, but certainly not least, we have this gorgeous wrap sweater. I’d wanted it last year, but never got around to grabbing it so when I saw it pop back up during a sale I took the plunge. This one was also freakishly small, per the reviewers, so I again sized up to an XL (it seems Express caters to those who like tight and cropped tops) and it worked out great! I like my sweaters to be a bit on the longer side and even a bit draped so I could even see this being cute two sizes up. There were many good colors to choose from, but I think I’ll get the most wear out of this ivory color as it goes with so much in my closet. Sadly the ivory is already sold out and the other colors are getting close, so snag this one while you can (although they will likely do a re-stock as it’s not even fall yet).
Due to being an hourglass shape I am always on the lookout for wrap and faux wrap tops and dresses as they are so figure flattering – and this is one of the best IMO. It’s very soft and Leo even commented on how good I looked in it when I was doing my try on. The man doesn’t give out compliments all that loosely so it cemented the “good buy” status in my mind 😉
Until next time my friends…
XO,
Kate