Friday Favorites: Jeans

 Gals, I'm a blue jean baby! I wear jeans (outside of Summer) nearly every day. I am that person that chills in jeans. I like the classic look, go with everything style and structure they give. 

I won't pretend that jean shopping is easy. In fact I've tried on piles of jeans recently in all different washes, designs and price points.

TWO TONED

I love this trend - these are a splurge so they stayed at the store

Note: the high end designer jeans doesn't = best ... the best are what fit & feel great!

Jeans are specific to body type so my favorites may not be yours and vice versa. I have a narrow waist and hip but I'm curvy in my derriere and legs.  I like barrel jeans, loose straight jeans and trouser/wide legs jeans as they give room for my legs without clinging. 

Here are some jeans I've tried, bought that fit great ...

LOOSE STRAIGHT

These are an AMAZING price! 

WIDE LEG

also great price - solid dark wash is classic & slimming

DARK STRAIGHT

CUFF STRAIGHT

MID RISE BARREL

UTILITY

TWO TONED BARREL

Dress Beautifully in Jeans

XOXO Sarah Louise

Orchid Vest 3 Ways

 Where do I begin? 

To me, style is a way to showcase you, your personality, your likes and a way to make you feel your best.

I love color - especially pinks & purples. I also find that structured pieces add sophistication to my wardrobe and enhance my confidence. Put them together and you have this vest that's not only pretty but makes me feel pretty! 

It's also versatile ... Here's 3 ways to style it:

ORCHID VEST - SIMILAR

JEANS - STRIPED BUTTON UP - BLACK PANTS - BUCKLE FLATS

Dress Beautifully in a Structured Vest

XOXO Sarah Louise

Boldly Go

Some trends are fun and easy to embrace while others are bold and harder to incorporate.

Personally, I embrace exaggerated designs. Here's the deal, if you like it then you wear it! Hold your head up, walk tall and own it!

I know the horseshoe and barrel cut jeans are a statement design but gals, I like them! 

HORSESHOE JEANS

available in several washes 

This pair is a splurge but the fit and finish is fabulous!!!

HORSESHOE JEANS

TOP

This pair is an identical wash but without the distressing and a fraction of the cost. Shipping did take a while but worth it. 

Both of these are high waisted, fitted on the hips and roomy on the legs when fits my shape perfectly!

I found they both ran true to size. 

I styled them with a cropped linen shell and heels for a dressy look but a tee and sneakers work too. That's the beauty of jeans - they go with everything! 

If you are looking to try the horseshoe jean trend, join me! I'm sure I'll receive looks & opinions but I don't care. 

Dress Beautifully in Bold Designs

XOXO Sarah Louise

Friday Favorites: Jeans

 Gals, jeans are my jam! I wear them Every. Single. Day! I chill in them, play in them and dress them up in the evenings. I'll share this unsurprising fact - I have quite a few pairs. I go through phases with my favorites and have quite the variety of washes and cuts.  I gravitate to raw hems, medium washes, high rise (but not too high) and very little stretch. 

Style Tip: I'm 5'2" (if the nurse doesn't mash my hair when measuring my height) so jeans are often too long. After washing, I take a pair of scissors and cut them for raw hem - do NOT do before washing as they may shrink. You can always go back and cut more. 

I find raw hems lighter and less bulky on the leg. 

My favorite brands are Mother (designer and worth every penny!), J Crew and Madewell. In fact after review those are the only brands I have.

Style Tip: Find brands that fit for your body shape and stick with it! I have thicker legs proportionally to my hips and waist. 

Due to the number of wears and years I wear them I'm happy to invest because there's so much greatness about a pair of jeans that fit just right!

Here are my favorite jeans ...

Light Distressed Straight Leg

These are a splurge but amazing! 

These are a rigid no stretch jean - I got up 2 sizes for a loose fit (27)

Crop Step Fray

I love the interesting hem. Cropped styles are best for me because I am petite and they allow for any shoe.

These have some stretch so I stay true to my normal size 25

Crop Distressed Chew Hem

I call these my cool girl jeans. These are fitted and I typically wear on evenings out - stretch (true size 25) 

Skinny

You can't go wrong!

They're great styled with absolutely ANY shoe - but there's something sassy when you dress them up with a heel and fun blouse for a night out.

I like a high rise - these have a little stretch I size down to 24 in almost all Madewell jeans.

Straight

These are my go-to for a classic and comfortable look. A medium wash, slight gradient fading and slim straight leg. These are the MOST flattering wash and design when it comes to jeans (IMO).

I size down in J Crew jeans to a 24.

Relaxed Straight

These are a slightly more roomy straight leg with a high rise, button fly & raw hem. They're just a smidge more casual that the classic straight jeans above. These are great for causal day-to-day living and super cute with sneakers!

This pair does not have stretch - I size up just 1 to a 26

Demi-Boot

This style is similar to a straight leg but with a slight little flare just at the hem (a true flare/boot cut begins to flare at the knee). I've had to cut the hem on these and to be honest they need a little more trimming. I chose to show you a charcoal wash - I prefer it over black as it modern and you don't have to worry about fading/color transfer with washing like you do with a pitch black pair.

A little stretch & in this brand again I size down to a 24

Dress Beautifully in Jeans

XOXO Sarah Louise

Friday Favorites: Jackets & Jeans

TGIF!  It has felt like Fall all week and I'm loving it! The mornings and evenings are cool but the afternoons are full of warm sunshine.  The highlight of this week was definitely the costume carnival at Vivian's preschool Wednesday evening.  The kiddos came dressed up for a costume parade and the parents handed out candy.  Then there was pizza!  I feed Vivian as healthy as I can, but gracious that gal loooooves pizza.  We had as much fun as she did seeing all the little ones playing and full of excitement over their costumes & candy.  It was also a great getting to know and spend time with the other parents.

I purchased two costumes with the intentions of picking one for her to wear and returning the other.  I neglected to return one so she was the coolest chick at the carnival and you'll just have to wait until next week to see her costume for Halloween 🎃

Now that the weather has cooled off jeans and jackets are wardrobe essentials.
I actually own all of these pieces or a very similar version and have had most for several years.
That's the fantastic thing about investing in the classics, yoru return is years of wear and countless outfits.

Tip: I purchased every single one of these items on sale.  Is there any other way to shop?!!

Here are some of my favorites ...

JACKETS

You can still hold on to your lighter tops, that's where the jackets come in for layering.
I believe in classic jackets so that you can have many years of wear.

Trench
Iconic! I've had my trench coat since before I got married and still love it.  It has a removable lining for all season weather.  AND I was able to find one in petite sizing.  An ill fitting coat is sloppy.

Denim
Cool, comfortable and casual.  I love pairing my denim jacket with dresses.

Field

This jacket is not just stylish, it's utilitarian with all it's pockets and waterproof fabric.

Quilted
A quilted jacket is so ladylike while still being casual.

Moto
This edgy trend is here to stay!  I love the shorter length.  I also like pairing this jacket with dresses.

JEANS

Just like jackets, I wear my jeans for years and years. Finding jeans that fit just right is a challenge, but when you find a brand/cut that works for you, my advise is to stick with it! 

Skinny
I've had these for a few years and can not sing their praises enough.  They're a dark wash but not too solid, perfect higher rise and stretch and just so nice with no distressing for those occasions where you need to look a little sharper (casual Friday at the office, socials or with your Mamma b/c she doesn't understand pants with intentional holes)

Demi-boot Crop
I got my first pair of this cut nearly 4 years ago and I was tickled when I saw this pair a couple weeks ago in store.  The wash is such a pretty dark blue with just the right amount of fading.  I also love button flies and these are in rose gold/copper.  The rise is super comfortable and the hem is a discrete cutoff.  I like that the length will show off any shoe I'm wearing. I've worn them 3 times this week!

Distressed
As ladylike and polished as my style is, I really love a distressed jean when I'm casual.  One extreme to the other.  But gracious they're soft, relaxed and just so comfortable. And I feel cooler!
These are in a higher rise and lighter wash (the term 'mom jean' is trending but I'm not a fan ... My Mamma would never wear these haha) I scored these on super sale!

Black
Black jeans are tricky because they're fantastic the first few wears but when you go to wash them they're all faded and gray.  These aren't a pitch black color but look as though they're been washed once so I'm pretty sure they'll just gradually fade nicely. The button fly is a fav of mine and I loved the raw uneven helm.  Again they're great for showing off shoes and for us petite statured gals. 

Straight

This cut is just right! Not skinny but not flared. They're also just the right amount of relaxed fit for being comfortable but not baggy. The trick with straight leg jeans is the hem length.  I believe it should be right at the ankle.  Too long and they bunch at your feet.
Tip:  Before hemming your jeans wear and wash them to work out any stretch and shrinking.

I hope you're enjoying this beautiful season!

Go outside and play!

Or find time to relax with a good book under the sun

Dress Beautifully in Classic Jackets & Jeans

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Blaze

Blazers aren't just for the office. They elevate a weekend/casual outfit to a put-together chic look.  Personally, I don't wear cardigans (I own less than 5) but have a large inventory of blazers in a variety of fabrics and prints.  Blazers are my go-to for layering because they are structured, durable and sophisticated.

Pairing blazers with a pair of jeans and a basic t-shirt polishes a casual outfit.  And while the temperatures have cooled down, it's not quite cold enough for a coat so a blazer is great for layering.

I've noticed that blazers are making a big appearance on the retail racks so scoop yourself up a neutral one and I promise you'll find yourself wearing it on repeat.

Tip:  Look for functional cuff buttons which will allow you to roll up the sleeves.

Blazer & Similar & Here | Jeans | T-Shirt | Similar Pumps | Similar Handbag |

Dress Beautifully in a Blazer

XOXO Sarah Louise

The Classic Casual Uniform

Gals it doesn't get more classic than a crisp white shirt and a pair of jeans.  Now add some modern details like ruffles and distressing and you're anything but basic.

I own countless cotton white tops #sorrynotsorry They're clean fresh and bright.  As for jeans I'm probably average.  I will say being a bit petite it's frustrating when the distressed knees fall on your shins.

When you wear a white top and jeans it's the accessories that really show your style.  Since I'm more dressy and traditional I went with a timeless pump and belt.  You could add sandals or stilettos which ever suits your fancy.  Or add some color in a bold earring.

Speaking of accessories, lets just chat about this belt.  Baby Vivian Louise's birth was traumatic to say the least.  She came a month early in just a few hours so needless to say I wasn't prepared.  We were about 2 weeks in surviving hour by hour with our itty bitty baby and I remember thinking as I cringed with abdomen pain from my c-section surgery, that I'll never have my abs back! Silly I know because I was crazy fit before her and with time was going to be back in the gym.  I decided to treat myself to a prize for earning the return of my waistline so I ordered this belt.  It was on a short backorder but estimated to arrive within 4 weeks - which would be the time I'd be cleared to exercise so it was going to be good motivation for me.

Well, here we are mid June and it finally arrived! And what do you know, I do have my waistline back.  It's still a work in progress building my muscles to where they were but SL has her groove back.

To my Mamma gal pals: it's hard work incorporating fitness with all the extra responsibilities that come with children (especially when your exhausted, have no time and if nursing with these massive melons) but remember a health strong Mamma is important for you and your family! I'll have to share with you some fitness Inspiration and motivation next Monday.

The belt is the perfect neutral and will go with everything from suiting to jeans to dresses.

Similar Ruffle Shirt & Here & Here  | Jeans | Similar Pumps | Belt |

Dress Beautifully in a Classic White Shirt and Jeans

XOXO Sarah Louise

Bottles of Bubbles

Happy first day of Spring! While the weather isn't as bright as I'd like I'm still excited about warmer temps to come.  Baby girl and I love to go outside for our daily strolls and soak up the fresh air.

Before #momlife I would use such occasion to have a glass of bubbles, my favorite spirit.  I mean bubbles don't really require an occasion but if having a reason makes you feel better then go ahead and pop bottles.

Since sleep deprivation prevents me from pouring a glass I will celebrate in the next cutest way in this champagne printed blouse.

I saw it and had to have it!  It spoke my language with those soft pink bottles.

As did the rest of this outfit.  I mean these pink suede pumps with the silver block heel. Just Yes.
Dressy enough for the office and comfortable enough for the weekend.

Everyone has a favorite symbol or object that represents their favorites.  Mine would be lemons, champagne or magnolias for example.  Most recently the color lavender since I've decided that's Vivian Louise's color.  I know a gal who loves flamingos and pineapples (shout out Emily).

When you find things that speak to your favorites you have to have them.

That's what I told myself b/c this blouse was a bit pricey.  But it would have haunted me if I didn't bring it home.

Champagne Blouse  ||  Jeans  ||  Pink Suede Pumps  ||  Handbag  ||  Earrings  ||

Dress Beautifully in a Blouse with Bubbles

XOXO Sarah Louise