Perfect Jacket

If this jacket wouldn’t eat up the bulk of my fall budget, it would be sitting in my closet right now.  

hunt.gather.style on Etsy

Yesterday morning was dedicated to photographing pieces for our hunt.gather.style online shop.  Our motto is affordable vintage for the modern woman, but we did add a few pieces perfect for the true vintage lover this time around.  We only picked a few pieces to start with and hope to add more soon.  Locally we have a summer sale coming up, our big fall shop, and a special holiday shop that will be filled with cocktail dresses, sparkly jewelry, and evening clutches.  Happy Friday!

 

Ann Taylor Top

I popped into Ann Taylor a couple of weeks ago and tried on this top.  I absolutely loved it.  The fit is great and the high neckline is perfect for showing off a statement necklace.  Its only downside?  It is polyester. And they wanted 68 dollars for it.  I am not willing to pay almost 70 dollars for polyester.   While poly is great because it doesn’t wrinkle, it doesn’t breathe.  In Texas, you need clothes that breathe.  Now it is on sale for 40 dollars.  40 seems reasonable for a poly top.  What do you think?

 

Updates

Why, hello there.  I took a little unexpected blog break the past two weeks.  I certainly didn’t mean to do that.  Whoops.  I finally got my Gap ankle zip legging jeans in.  They are pretty fantastic except for the fact that they don’t fit.  My usual size does not fit and I will not be sizing up.  Why?  Well, they don’t fit because I have put on about 5 pounds or so over the summer.  This happens every summer.  One would think that wearing a bathing suit and short shorts most of the time would cause a weight loss, but for me, summer always means a weight gain.  I blame it on the endless BBQs, margaritas, and the lack of pants, which unlike my comfy summer dresses, keep my waistline in check.   So it is operation calorie counting, or simply not eating tons of queso and margaritas.  Then I will shop for pants.  If you have not gained weight this summer and are looking for a great pair of black jeans, then I highly recommend the Gap ones.  They are pretty great.  Don’t order this studio sweater though.  It is itchy.

I did purchase this gorgeous top from 81 Poppies.  It is beautiful.  I have seen versions of this top all over the internet, but unlike those, this is silk and made in the USA.

So, that is another piece off my list.  I still am hunting for dresses, and as already stated, holding off on pants for now.  What have you been up to?

My fall list (so far) contains the following items:

Two pairs of jeans: one in black and one in dark denim

A pair of pants, preferably navy

Three dresses that can I can wear both day and night

A new lightweight blazer or jacket

A pair of comfortable wedges or booties

Two silk button downs

This past weekend I was able to check the  first item off  my list.  I found the perfect lightweight blazer.   My Gap purchase hasn’t come in, so I am not sure if I can check the jeans off yet.

 

This J. Crew jacket is fantastic.  The fit is lovely and since I live in a warm climate , I love that it isn’t lined.  If you live in a cooler climate, you might not appreciate that it is unlined.  While the grey color is pretty, this navy is stunning.  I foresee myself wearing this all season long.

Have you made your first fall purchase?

 

 

Best Find of the Weekend

I did some thrifting this weekend and found plenty of great stuff for our next hunt.gather.style shop.  My favorite find of the weekend was this sequin top.  Of course this isn’t the exact top I found; this one is on eBay.  It is, however, the exact top I found.  Apparently there were two women sporting a sequin nautical top years ago.

Did you find anything good this weekend?

The Start of my Fall Wish List

I think I have come up with a number for my fall budget.  Think.   What I do know is that there are several pieces I need.  On the top of the list are two new pairs of jeans: one black skinny, preferably cropped at the ankle, and  one dark denim skinny.  Since Grechen spoke so highly of them, I have ordered Gap’s ankle zip legging jeans in black.   I am hoping they work out since they are waaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than many of the other pairs that top my wishlist.  I’ll keep you posted.

 

Inherited

Sentimental pieces mean the most to me; sentimental pieces make you smile every time you look at them.  They hold much more value than their monetary worth.  They are what matter most.  I recently lost my last living grandparent– my grandmother.   Having a piece of her history makes me feel  closer to her, like I still have a piece of her.  Of course, I have memories, pictures, and stories; however, having something tangible is important to me.   While those memories and stories will always be more valuable than an item, having something I can hold means the world to me.  This beaded clutch belonged to my grandmother and I will think of her every time I carry it.

Do you have sentimental pieces in your wardrobe?

Striped Shorts

I have been on the look out for striped shorts ever since I saw them on Linda.  I spotted some in Old Navy yesterday and snapped up both the navy and the green.  I recommend you do the same.  

Seeking a Bridesmaid Dress

My youngest sister is getting married this October and she has so kindly allowed each bridesmaid to pick their own dress. The only rules: it must not be shiny and it must be navy (but not dark navy).  Since I get pick my own dress, I want to invest in something that I would wear again.  My last bridesmaid dress that I was allowed to pick myself remained unworn past the wedding.  I liked it, but it felt too bridesmaid-y for me to want to wear to any other event.   This time I want to make sure I pick something both appropriate to be in a wedding and appropriate for post-wedding events.  It needs to be close to knee-length, not too sexy, but not too boring that I won’t want to wear it again.  That shouldn’t be too hard, right?

Here are a few currently in the running.

I am really liking this one by Topshop.  I really like the fitted bodice and looser skirt; my only concern is that it might be too short on me.

This lace Joie one is definitely one I would wear again.  The reviews aren’t the greatest;  however, I have loved every Joie piece I have ever bought. 

This strapless J. Crew one is gorgeous too, but I am starting to think I look a mannish in strapless dresses.  It may be time to retire them.

This Allie dress, also from J. Crew, is topping my list, too.  It looks like something that can easily we worn both day and night.

If I don’t find anything I love, I may rent one from Rent the Runway.  This Tracey Reese Grand Opera Sheath would be a perfect bridesmaid dress. It scares me a bit to rent a dress for an event, so I would probably end up with a backup dress that I could return if this one didn’t work out.

Which do you like best?