Tag: Fashion

I ❤️ For Days

~ cdelacuadra ~ 1 Comment

fordays_striped_tee

Sustainable, zero waste, closed loop — plus stylish and oh-so-comfy?  Please meet For Days, a clothing company I love for their excellent basics as much as their vision and ethos.

For Days offers a line up of tees, tanks, sweats, pants, and dresses that are all 100% recyclable, made in a closed-loop system, recycled with a waterless chemical-free process, shipped in recycled and recyclable packaging, and 100% of their transportation is carbon-neutral.  Oh, and their clothes?  They are fantastic.

Have you ever been on the hunt for the perfect tee?  Soft and easy, fitted but not too tight, good drape but not see-through?  For Days has a great selection of fits, and you can try several of them at the same time to see what works for you.  I found my tee holy grail in their Daily Crew, and my husband is wearing his Light Crew tees on repeat — they are just that comfortable.

Wear them so much you’ve worn them out?  Or suddenly hate the color you’ve chosen after wearing it incessantly?  No problem!  Send back your worn out tees to be recycled, and you get a discounted swap price on your replacement.  Planning a serious closet clean-out while stuck at home?  They have a solution for that, too!  Fill their Take Back Bag with clean old clothing (of any brand) to be recycled, and you get the swap price on new items you choose to purchase.

fordays_how-it-works

As if that wasn’t enough amazingness for one company, they are making masks under their For Healthier Days initiative.  You can buy 5 for yourself and donate 5, buy 5 for a loved one and donate 5, or just donate 10 outright for only $25.

fordays_masks

I feel good every time I wear my For Days tee shirts.  They are soft and I always feel like I look good.  Doing good while I look good shouldn’t be quite so revolutionary, but I love this company for  it, and I hope you do, too!

Tiny but mighty

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Easy neutrals to ease into spring, including the sweetest little mini bag and cheetah mules to give a little zhuzh to classic stripes, denim, and pearls?  Yes, please!

I thought I would be the last person on Earth to buy into the mini bag trend, but I am obsessed with my new Coach Originals half moon coin case.  It’s 4 inches wide!  Tiny but mighty!  A few cards and my ID, keys, lip balm, and then I slip my phone in my pocket.  Perfectly light and easy, it’s both on-trend and a true classic.

striped linen sweater  denim jacket  skinny jeans  cheetah mules  mini crossbody  pearl hoop earrings

New classics

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Happy new year!  The start of a new year always feels fresh to me, and I’ve got classics on my mind for looks that are clean-clean-clean after all the excess of the holidays.

jcrew_parke_blazer_caramel

Leave it to J. Crew to make the perfect tan blazer.  I’m planning to wear this for years.  Paired with a chambray shirt and black denim?  Yes and please.  Jeans and a graphic tee?  Perfection.  Pencil skirt and blouse?  Of course!  I could go on and on.

universalstandard_v_rex_navy_dove_grey_stripe

Other items in my wardrobe may come and go, but my striped tees are forever staples.  Universal Standard’s Peruvian cotton has a wonderful drape, so I am thrilled to add this one to my rotation.

nordstrom_pave_huggie_hoops

I got a third hole pierced in each ear just before Christmas and I couldn’t be happier about it — I’ve been having tons of fun mixing and matching my earrings ever since.  Huggie-style hoops are having a huge moment right now, and these feel perfectly classic to me. These sweet pink ones are adorable as well.

vince_coastal_wool_cashmere_cardigan-e1578435363361.jpeg

Speaking of perfection, this cardigan is it.  Super soft, lightweight yet plenty warm, flattering cut, and a beautiful navy hue so you can pair it with anything.

amber_bottles

This perhaps falls into the huge-organizational-nerd category, but because it isn’t the new year without some sort of attempt to streamline things, I picked up a pack of these translucent amber bottles for our shower.  Goodbye, loud mismash of brightly-colored labels.  Hello, calm apothecary shower experience.  *hearteyes*

I don’t feel like I need a new me for the new year per se, but fresh clean and classic?  I’m all in.

 

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Five (+1) great plaid coats

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universal_standard_margan_coat

Fall has finally arrived in earnest here, which means I finally got to wear my new plaid coat today.  It drapes nicely, is lined beautifully, and fits like a dream — the kind of piece I can dress up or down and wear for years!  It feels like this year’s crop of plaids is more playful than ever (and I do love a classic pattern done in fun colorways), so here are five more I have been eyeing.  Enjoy, and stay warm!

duffle coat  double-breasted  oversized  swing coat  sherpa

Ten days in Europe in one carry-on

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0c7717c9-b477-4388-a7dd-01390034dbfcThis summer we spent a glorious ten days in Paris and Brussels.  It was a magical trip and I’ll share more recs for each city soon, but in the meantime… packing!  I’ve had more than one request to share my tips for traveling (relatively) light, so here we are.

Due to both the hassle of wrangling suitcases on trains and metros and the airline fees involved for checking bags, we decided to only take one carry-on for each of us (plus my purse, of course).  It was warm and summery in both cities so I didn’t need to worry about bulky outerwear, which helped immensely!  I knew we were going to be walking quite a bit, so I planned outfits with that in mind.  Stylish and easy, with several options to dress comfortably for a day of sightseeing, or dress up a bit for dinner out.

Here is what I packed: Continue reading “Ten days in Europe in one carry-on” →

You guys! It’s here! A+

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Stop the presses, everyone!  Anthropologie has finally expanded their size range to include both petites AND larger sizes.  Their new A+nthropologie items go up through a size 26W, and I could not be happier.  Over 120 new items, including dresses, tees, jeans, blouses… I am thrilled.  The only caveat is that their expanded line is only available in select stores and online, but I am hopeful that Anthro will expand availability in the near future.  In the meantime, I love that they have a great assortment of pants especially — tops can be easier to find, but a good pair of pants can be hard to track down, as can a well-cut dress.

I have to say, I am so pleased with the styling of this collection.  The models look wonderfully confident in their own skin, and they are seamlessly integrated into catalog photographs and ad space.  The clothes can easily be found by size, but they have not been shuffled off to a sad corner to exist in a silo — pieces are integrated well into the existing product line-up.  Bravo, Anthro.  It is encouraging to be seen and included.  A few of my favorites, below:

buttoned top  slim jeans  patterned tee  gingham dress  relaxed chinos  pocket joggers

Chilly!

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I know we have it better than most of the country, but here in southern California we’ve been getting our first “real” winter in quite some time.  We had snow in Los Angeles yesterday!  It’s been cold enough that I have ice on my windshield when I leave for work each morning, so you can bet I’ve been bundling up more than usual.  Here are a few pieces I’ve had in heavy rotation lately: a cozy sweater, wool coat, comfy boots and denim, and a little yellow bag from MCM to brighten these chilly days.  Happy weekend!

cashmere sweater  wool coat (similar)  ankle boots  jeans  mini crossbody

 

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Day to night

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img_0595I had a personal triumph on Friday and just had to share.  Yes, that’s right… I successfully navigated, in fact NEEDED, to transition from day to night!  Now, I know what you are thinking: is that really a thing?  I hear you!  I didn’t think so either.  Margaret Lyons and I have clearly been on the same page thus far.  But Friday night I had a concert performance, and of course I had work during the day.  Behold!  A day-to-night opportunity was born.

For my orchestra concerts I need to wear all black, but at the office I prefer not to look like I am going to a funeral.  Also I prefer not to wear evening wear to the office (for obvious reasons).  My outfit for the evening consisted of a silky black top with a dramatic tie-waist, slim cigarette pants, a trim black blazer, and black heels.  To day-ify it, I swapped the blazer for a medium wash denim jacket, and wore leopard loafers instead of the heels.  My same pair of filigree earrings went from slightly bohemian to elegant with just a jacket change.

Yes, Virginia Margaret, there is a Santa Claus need for day-to-night outfits.  I am living proof — AND I lived to tell the tale.

blazer  cigarette pants  cupro tie top  black heels  filigree earrings  denim jacket  leopard loafers

Force for good

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The Women’s March 2019 is coming up on Saturday, and I’ll be marching again in support of women’s rights and gender equality for all.  With these issues on my mind, today I am wearing my Madewell x Girls Inc. sweater.  Proceeds from sales go to support Girls Inc. and its mission of empowering young women through advocacy and education.  Cozy, chic, and a force for good.

madewell_girls_inc_sweater