Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Show and Tell Tuesday- Personal Style Edition

Today's post is all about personal style and I'm not even really sure where to start.  Trying to define my personal style is difficult.  I'm a little bit boho, a smidge quirky and a whole lot of me.  ;)
I think that as women we compare ourselves to each other A LOT... especially when it comes to appearances.  I stopped comparing my "style" to others after high school when I found my own personal style and confidence in dressing how I wanted.  I think I must have worn one too many prom dresses that I really didn't love just because they were what everyone else was wearing that year :)  I'd always been a little more bold in style, but had stifled my own personal style a bit for the purpose of conformity.  Oh, high school.  Weren't you fun ;)

When it comes to picking clothes, I pick clothing styles and silhouettes that I love and that I feel best in.  I know that if I love it I'll wear it often and feel great in it - if I have hesitations in the fitting room chances are it won't get picked off the hanger at home.  I feel the most confident and joyful when I'm in something that I love.  

Most of what I buy I buy to wear to work and then on the weekends as well.  Our staff dress code is pretty relaxed (hallelujah! When I worked in marketing at a bank I had to wear panty hose!!!) and our principal tends to focus more on our classroom instruction than our wardrobe :)



So, on with the clothes!!!  I was going to show you lots of pictures of me actually showing my style, but unfortunately, most of what I've been wearing has sold out.  SOOOO.... instead I'm going to show you lots of things that fit into my style.

I LOVE me some Free People!  I do find that you have to weed through some "misses" to find the gems, but what helps me is that on the actual Free People site lots of people post pictures of themselves in the clothes.  That will often give me a better idea of fit/length/etc. since I'm probably a solid 8" shorter than the models ;)

You can find Free People at Nordstrom and other stores, but the selection is usually REALLY limited compared to what is on the actual Free People site.  Free People can be expensive, but I find myself reaching for my pieces that are this brand more than any other and have gotten years of wear out of several of their pieces.

Right now I am LOVING several of their embroidered pieces.  This dress needs to be in my closet ASAP.  The embroidery is perfection and I love the light, gauzy feel.  I would pair this with flip flops for the weekend and some cute wedges or clogs for school/church.  I haven't fully bought into the whole gladiator sandal thing, but I think this pair would be perfection.


This embroidered dress is GORGEOUS as well, but I'd have to wear a cami or slip under it to wear it to work.


I love how light and airy this dress is and I could totally see it over leggings with a jacket in the Fall.


The color of this top is PERFECT and it would be fantastic paired with white jeans.



And speaking of white jeans, I'd pair this embroidered top with them as well.


This tunic is 1/3 of the normal price and so cute!


This kimono has been on heavy rotation in my wardrobe lately as has this off the shoulder top.


 


While Free People has been what I've been gravitating toward lately, I haven't completely abandoned Anthropologie.  I feel like I can pretty easily figure out my size with Free People (small 99% of the time), but since Anthropologie carries a variety of brands, occasionally sizing can be tricky.  I do use the customer reviews as a point of reference and have found them to be really helpful lately.

I mentioned this dress on my Snapchat last week and it finally made it's way into my shopping cart.  I can't wait to get it and show it to y'all!


I ordered this top (on sale!) not based on the model pics, but on the submitted review pictures.  I think it will be a great staple for all seasons here.


I love the colors and bold check in this top.


And the colors of this dress are way too fun.  I also love that it's totally work appropriate and no jacket required!



What's funny is that when I scroll through Anthropologie online and pick out things I like, most of the time they're the same handful of brands... HD In Paris, Holding Horses, Isabella Sinclair, Left of Center and Paper Crown are a few of my favorites.

For pants, I wear cords by Kut from the Kloth all the time for work.  I also love Matilda Jane pants, a great pair of white linen pants and Vigoss jeans on the weekends.



I am loving clogs right now and this pair would be a great option for summer since they would pair well with brown as well as black.  Essentially, they're two pairs in one :)  I'd wear these with dresses as well as cuffed/cropped jeans.  They're by Bed Stu which is a FABULOUS brand.  So comfy and incredibly well made (I don't have these, but have several other pairs of their shoes).


These clogs are super similar to a couple of pairs that I have...


Right now I'm also wearing flip flops a lot and this pair is my favorite...


Last, but not least, a vital part of my personal style is a great denim jacket.  I have LOVED this one for the last few years...





... and am considering getting a darker jacket to go with some of my lighter dresses as well.



So!  There you go.  Throw on a pair of earrings and an arm full of bracelets and I'm out the door ;)




I hope you enjoyed getting a little taste of my personal style today and now I can't wait to check out yours!

   
   

PS - This post contained affiliate links, which means that if you clicked on an item and made a purchase I may receive a small commission.  THANK YOU!!!!

19 comments :

  1. Your style is PERFECTLY you! And I 100% agree with you about Free People. Some things are a "OH HECK NO" on me, but I fall in love with other items! I think their unique pieces are worth the risk of trying them!

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  2. I love everything at Anthro but I never think to check out Free People even though they are owned by the same company. I never thought about the sizing for FP being consistent--that's the one thing that drives me crazy about Antrho and so I never order online anymore--just buy in store. Love your style!
    Sarah at MeetTheShaneyfelts

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  3. One of my very favorite things about you is your personal style. Whether that's what you're wearing or how you decorate your house...it's unique, it's personal, it's YOU. I love your style and how it bleeds into every aspect of who you are.

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  4. Oh, you are the cutest!! I love your style--you rock Free People, and it always looks precious on you, friend!! Xo

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  5. I love your style and I encourage both kids but especially my daughter to just BE YOU! It's the best. :)

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  6. Love your style - it seems to match your personality so well!! These are all great finds!

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  7. One of the things that I appreciate most about you is that you are true to who YOU are! Lovely inside and out;). Happy Tuesday, Andrea!

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  8. You have such a unique and very much you type of style that, having not even met you, I could probably pick out pieces for your wardrobe. So I would definitely say you know how to dress yourself well!

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  9. I love your style and love that you wear flowy stuff a lot. I love my 2 babies, but my belly will never be the same, so I love the options that you post for tops that are tight!

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  10. I love your style. Totally not me at all, but you always look so cute, comfy and know who you are! :)

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  11. I adore your sense of style and your confidence of being you ; I hope all my daughters have that same confidence:)

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  12. I LOVE your style!! I find myself putting outfits together and thinking "this is totally something Andrea would wear" #stalker ;) I can't quite pull it off as well but your style is so unique and fun. I love getting ideas from your blog on fun items.

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  13. I love the beginning about not comparing to one another! Also, just FYI the Kut from the Kloth cords link goes to a rain forest dress. :)

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  14. Love your clothing & decorating style but couldn't pull off either myself! :)

    I have to tell you that I recently started following you on snapchat and your stories are my favorites! So fun to see (and hear!) a glimpse of your life each day.

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  15. I love that you have embraced what you love in regards to style! I hope to convey that same attitude as a model for my daughters some day - be comfortable in what you wear because you love it, not because it's someone else's idea of what looks good! Also, I would've loved to see pictures of you and your personal style, even if it wasn't something you could link to. Just an FYI for future reference! Have a great day!

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  16. I always admire the clothes you wear! I am definitely not a bold person...I like to blend in. What I wouldn't give to branch out a pick with those beautiful dresess you rock!

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  17. I love those dresses and have heard amazing things about Free People! :)

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