Burberry Prorsum 2011 RTW

Burberry Prorsum 2011 RTW- Or should I say how you should dress this Fall.

When I gasp at 2:45 in the morning and say "LOVE," you better bet your favorite heels I want something. Oh and when I immediately need to blog about it instead of catching shut eye if the little one is asleep?Yeah, I want it bad. 

During one of Baby Fashionista's night feedings, I was browsing the web for some Haute fashion. 

I came across the Burberry Prorsum Fall 2011 RTW line. And I went to heaven. 

Words come to mind when drooling over this line? Plaids, tweed, trenches, and fur- and combinations of the such make me want to dish out the funds for these duds. Trenches in all different lengths; hues like yellow, red, blue, white, and orange, some military flair, and the sharp lines of the jackets are surely noteworthy. 

Some of my favorites are below.

The trend here is clear. I know what I'll be wearing come fall. Do you?

Oh, Baby!

Baby Fashionista has arrived! Sugar and spice and everything nice that's what little girls are made of!


Since Baby Fashionista's arrival 12 days ago, life has been pretty busy to say the least!
A few things to mention:

• Our home is a revolving door of family and friends (in which Mr. Fashionista and I have realized, people are no longer visiting us, they are visiting Baby Fashionista!)
• Sleep is a treasured commodity
• I can't wait to be able to fit into my old clothes (but, hooray, 12 days later and a bunch of my pre pregnancy dresses fit, just in time for summer)
• I have a Baby Fashionista I can shop for now!

So all of this being said, this post is going to focus on something I've always wanted since finding out I was pregnant (you know, besides a little one).

I had to have a baby bag I loved. And I love Kate Spade baby bags. They are typically structured, look like a regular tote, and receive really great reviews. I also wanted something that I could use as my purse, as well, rather than toting around 2 bags. The price tag however? That I didn't like so much. There's always the outlet (but honestly, sometimes the prices are still kind of high for the baby bags) or waiting for the Kate Spade online sample sale, but I couldn't wait for either of those.

Last night I ventured online to Piperlime. Why? First and foremost, I know they carry Kate Spade diaper bags. Second, I have a Gap/ON credit card, and receive those reward certificates. I had about $50 in rewards saved up from months and months ago that were due to expire in August and September. Third, I got an email that the Lime Tag sale was going on. Last but not least, the code "Tuesdays" can be used on, yes, you guessed it- Tuesdays, when you used your BR/ON/Gap card for an extra 10% off. 

Now Piperlime does not carry the Maryann diaper bag pictured on the left above (MSRP $495), and if they did, and if it were on sale, I may have gotten that one. However, originally priced at $345, the Kennywood Coal Small Diaper Bag  on the right was on sale for $240. Yes, still expensive. But then less the 10%, I saved $24 off the bat. So now we're down to $216. Less $50 in rewards. Now we're down to $166 (which is more than 50% off). Sure, it's still pricey, but this is one thing I wanted to splurge for myself. Consider it my present to myself after one failed induction, a do over induction, and being in the hospital for 5 days total for a normal delivery of Baby Fashionista! I think I deserved it. I will say, Mr. Fashionista had a say in this. I almost got the cute pink and cream diaper bag- but he convinced me to get something more seasonable. And I quote, "In the winter time, can you wear a pink and cream bag?" Looks like someone was listening to my rants and raves in the past. So, here I am with a classic polka dot that will match almost anything (Mayhaps a brown diaper bag is in my future also?).

Maxi Dresses Galore

At 33 (ish) weeks pregnant, I am kind of done wearing pants.
Honestly, it's not that it's super difficult to get them on (it is), it's not that I don't want to purchase another pair in a larger (sigh) size...although both of these reasons definitely impact my opinion of being "done" with wearing pants, it's more the fact it is spring, and as I continue to get larger, I want to feel pretty.

So, I decided my new bff (best friend forever...and ever) are Maxi Dresses.
Point in case: When I wear jeans and a blouse, I feel schlumpy. When I wear a maxi dress and accessorize accordingly, I receive compliments galore. Every. Single. Person. In. The. World. should compliment a pregnant lady. I don't care if you mean it or not. You own a store? I guarantee you that pregnant chicky will buy something from you. You pass her on the street? You made her day. You work with her? She'll do something nice for you or help you a bit more than she may have before. I'm not even kidding. Anyways, I digress, after all, this is about my favorite piece of clothing, not how to treat pregnant ladies 101.

The thing I love about Maxi Dresses is if they're cut appropriately, you do not need to spend the extra money on "maternity" maxi dresses. However, if you find a crazy good deal on a maternity maxi dress, sure, go for it (I did,  as you will see below), but I'm telling you, you don't have to. Just buy a size or two (or three) up, make sure the cut is empire or flowy enough to flatter your new curves.

Not to mention, you'll likely be wearing some "maternity" wear after you deliver for a bit, so you may as well feel pretty as you are spending time with and learning about your new little one.

Here are some of my top picks for you to consider.

For a maternity score, I present to you this black bandeau maxi dress. I bought this from Asos Maternity (asos.com) on sale for $16.14. Yes. sixteen dollars. And you know what? I have gotten MORE compliments wearing this 16 dollar bargain than when I spent $80 on a maternity dress that I likely will try to consign.

This next number is from Accidentally in Love sold on Piperlime.com. This is not a maternity dress, however, I am wearing it and it is the most comfortable thing, ever. I pair it with a cream cardigan, my gold tory burch flip flops, and a long chain necklace. This one I purchased for about $35. I quote from store owner yesterday "Oh.My.God. You are so adorable I cannot even stand it." Yes. I bought something from her store. Two somethings (see below).

Bessie Blue in Belmont, MA is a cute boutique store that sells everything from designer duds to fun accessories. I originally went in there to purchase a birthday gift for my sister (done) and then came across this GLAM dress (but in black). When I tried it on, I knew it would work for the next few weeks, and well beyond. About $60.

Lastly, I present you the TART infinity dress. I purchased it in the dune color featured above. Thanks to Ideeli, I was able to score this normally +$200 for under $50. If you're not familiar, this dress can be worn multiple ways (http://www.tartcollections.com/infinity.html); so it's like 8 different dresses in one. And it can be worn while pregnant. And beyond!

Go Nude!





Tory Burch "Emma"



Get your head out of the gutter, come on now!

I'm sure by now you've seen the nude (and tan) colors that all the fashion icons and designers are flaunting this spring. And if you haven't, please remove head from the rock it's under.

Seriously people, if there is one "trend" I am all for, this is it.

A nude shoe can not only match almost every color in your wardrobe, but it also lengthens your legs- remember get a shoe that matches or is close to your skin tone!



Boutique 9 "Illy"



Being 25 weeks pregnant, I can no longer comfortably wear my coveted 4.5 inch stilettos all day (potentially if I am sitting somewhere or posing for a photo (because, you know that's something I do). However, I can still wear wedges. And who knew! Wedges are ALSO in for this spring. In either espadrille (read: yarn like soles) or solid sole form, these have been keeping me sane. I'm not a fan of flats all the time. I really, truly, am not. Sure, I love being comfortable, and certain flats are adorable and all, but when I wear a spring dress that hits below my knee, I find that my legs look like tree stumps in flats (and it's certaintly not flip flop weather yet here in Massachusetts). Wedges have been making me happy.

 Here are some ideas and shoe candy for you all. Get out there. Buy yourself some nudes. Some stilettos if you can flaunt it, a pair or two of wedges for sure, and maybe even a pair of flats for when your tootsies hate you.

   

Sam Edelman "Ionia"

      

Vince Camuto "Momas"





 

Dolce Vita "Jollen"

 

Cole Haan "Air Stephanies"

 

Kors Michael Kors "Glitter"

 

 

Frye "Billy"



  

Tory Burch "Carnell"

 

House of Harlow 1960 "Violet"





 

   









  

 



Cynthia Vincent "Langley"



Sam Edelman "Randall"

 

Kors Michael Kors "Vail"



Happy shoe shopping!

Jeans Review: A closer look at maternity jeans.

If you follow my blog, you probably know I have a moderate to intense obsession with jeans. 
The past 4 weeks I have been out of my regular jeans comfortably (yeah, I've tried the bella band, and you know what? I find it awkward to wear, and it's great for smoothing but it just didn't cut it for me), and it's been a mission for me to find jeans that make me feel good and look good.
Here are some jeans I've tried, and my reviews. I only kept the jeans that had a score of B+ or above. If I'm going to spend my money, I want to spend it right.

Old Navy Maternity Woven Waist Boot Leg Jeans 
Review: I thought the sizing was accurate; I was able to order my pre pregnancy size, however, I found they lost their shape and were not very flattering. The color looked washed out and made my legs look like tree trunks. These by far are the most pregnancy looking jeans.  C-

Citizens of Humanity Kelly Bootleg Maternity Jeans
These are almost true to size. I did find ordering up a size was helpful. I have gained weight all over really, my hips and butt mostly. So I knew my normal size may not work out. So when these arrived in the mail, I tried them on. Okay. Ladies, I am 5'4". The inseam on these jeans is roughly  34-35" which is quite long. Considering I'm not wearing a ton of 4" heels these days, I knew I would need to get them hemmed ahead of time, but didn't realize by that much (especially since I've been really wearing flats with my jeans!). Overall the fit was good, but I didn't love them SO much as to keep them. B-

J Brand Mama J Maternity Low Rise 12"
Here's what I love about J Brand. They tell you "Recommend purchasing one size up after the second trimester," Thank you. So I did. And they're still a bit big in the belly for me (I'm carrying pretty small in the front for 22 weeks), but come another 4 more weeks, these will be solid. What I like about these jeans: They're like leggings, but jeans. Very light and will be great in April/May/June, when it's not too cold, but not too hot here in Massachusetts. They're pretty good butt jeans. What I don't like: I have to wait to wear them so they don't stretch out on me instantly after washing (read: saggy butt). Overall? Wear with flats, wedges, boots, or low heels and you'll feel prettier.  B+

Paige Premium Robertson Wide Leg
Oh, I love(d) these jeans. Why? Yes, I needed to get them hemmed, but the wide leg was really flattering, the dark wash color was perfect for the winter. The band was super comfortable. AND they were my first maternity jean purchase. I started wearing them intertwined with my normal jean rotation at about 13-14 weeks- I liked them that much. I bought these on Gilt Group during a maternity sale. They are originally  priced at about $180-200 dollars. I bought them for about $35. I didn't read the fine print. What did fine print say? "If ordering during first trimester go up 1 size, if ordering during second trimester go up 2 sizes." Well, I only ordered one size up. These fit so well from weeks 14-20. Then one day last week, I put them on. They felt more snug in the hips (these do NOT have any lycra in them). I tried to stretch them out. You know what us ladies do...lunge position stretching. And then I heard it. Teeeaaaaarrrrr. "Nooooo!!!" I gasped. Way to make a pregnant gal feel even less sexy. Damn it. Now, I may see if I can fix the tear and store them for future use one day.  Overall, if I find them on sale again, I very well may try to buy them, this time, 2 sizes up. No stretch means you REALLY need to follow the guidelines! A.

Citizens of Humanity Dita Petite Bootcut Maternity
I have about 3 pairs of Citizens non maternity jeans at home- one of which is the Dita petite. I love them. They all fit me really well- especially the petite. I thought, you know, same brand, same style, home run, right? Well, almost. The band is kind of funny. It scrunches at the top and kind of digs into you. Hmm. Not so comfortable that way!  I ordered a size up, like I did with the other Citizen jeans I tried. The fit in the legs was really accurate for me (I do not have stick legs; I have an athletic build) and they were not loose on me like in the photo above. But I know Citizen jeans and I know they stretch out after one or two wears.  The length was perfect for my height of 5'4". But I kept going back to the band. It just wasn't comfortable! Overall, I wanted to love them, but I couldn't validate spending that type of money on jeans I just sort of liked. B.

Gap Demi Panel Long and Lean 

These are some comfortable jeans. I ordered my normal size in a regular length. They fit well; a little snug in the thighs- but they do stretch a tiny bit. So if you're anything like me, if you want the look as shown above in the photo, you may want to consider ordering a size up. I kept these bad boys though since they work well with a small heel. I would love them in a darker wash though (Gap, are you listening?)! Overall, they are comfortable, good lounging around jeans, running around jeans, and the demi panel band is probably my favorite thus far. A-.

Gap Demi Panel Sexy Boot Jeans

Demi panel is awesome and very comfortable. I purchased these bad boys in my size but ankle length and they are PERFECT for flats and flip flops come spring time when I no longer want my feet to be suffocated. I want to buy more of these. In different washes. Gap, do you hear me? Overall, buy them. Try them. They are pretty kick ass. A.

Forever 21 Maternity Skinny Jeans

I've written about these ones over here, but didn't want to ignore them in this post. After a wash or two, they still fit well, but these jeans do stretch out easily after a wear. They are comfortable though, and at 13 bucks you really can't beat it. The panel is crazy comfortable. Overall, I would still give these guys a B+

H&M Maternity Straight Leg

I do not have a photo of these jeans since you can only purchase them in select H&M stores, but I will say this about them. The dark wash is a pretty cool color; except for the forced whiskering throughout the front and back. I find too much whiskering makes you look wider more than narrower. The length was a bit too long for me; I would probably need to get them hemmed 2-3 inches. The band was full panel, and had room to grow. These jeans run small. You'll want to size up; maybe even 2 sizes up depending on how you are holding your weight. Overall, I wanted to be impressed, but it fizzled. C.

I hope my reviews help other mamas to be (or future mamas to be!) on what has worked for me. Hopefully it will save you some time & money!

Stacy and Clint's Wardrobe Staple List

Everyone should have some staples in their wardrobe. Stacy and Clint from "What Not To Wear" have a wardrobe staple list, and I figured I would share it with you, along with what's in my wardrobe, and what I need. Not surprisingly to me, I have a lot of these items (plus some). I challenge you to give yourself this test and see what you have and what you need. You'd be surprised what's in your closet!

A black pantsuit- For me, this is a partial check. I have a black pinstripe pants and dress suit (3 pieces).

A softer neutral suit with pants or skirt (gray, brown, khaki, or navy)- Check.

3 pairs of neutral trousers- Check 

3 winter-weight skirts (1 should be tweed)- Check

3 summer-weight skirts (1 should be tweed)- Check- minus the tweed.

3 cotton button-front shirts- Check

3 blouses- Check

2 sparkly tops- Check.

Leather jacket- Check. I have a longer jacket and a shorter, more fun jacket.

Denim jacket- Check.

Trench coat- Need! This has been on my list for a LONG time.

3 pairs of jeans (all hemmed to different lengths for flats, heels, and sandals)- Check. Although...my pre pregnancy jean count is probably somewhere upwards of 9-10....)

Black dress- Check. Cocktail length, a little longer length, and a simple black dress

Solid-color dress- Check. 

Print or embellished dress- Check again!

6 sweaters (3 neutral, 3 color, and vary necklines, crew, v-neck, and cardigan)- Check.

3 blazers (1 summer weight, 1 three-season weight, 1 winter weight)- Check.

¾ length wool coat- Check!

Watch with 2 bands (leather and link)- This is something I never wear. I just never wear watches. Perhaps I should consider...

Black bag- I have my Chanel vintage, but as to a solid black...Need.

Brown bag- Check. I have my Louis tote, and some others.

Color or print bag- Check. 

Black heels- Check.

Brown heels- Check.

Color or print or embellished heels- Check!

Black boots- Check. I recommend 2 at different heel heights.

Brown boots- Check. I recommend 2 at different heel heights.

Black flats- Check.

I am thrilled I only need a few more staple items to complete my wardrobe essentials according to Stacy and Clint. I do think this maybe is missing a few other items; like some stylish sandals, neutral flats, clutches, etc. But it's a great list to start from. Will I complete this list during my pregnancy? Probably not, but I do have a good amount of staples for this time period in my life also. Perhaps I will post that next!

Hmmm. Forever 21 you say.

I have never stepped foot in a Forever 21, ever before. I never had even looked at the website. I just assumed it was for 15 year old girls, and thus, I was too old.


That is until I started needing maternity clothes and Forever 21 came up as an option in a google search. Say what now?


How do I feel about this? Very indifferent. How could a store that is geared towards teens have a maternity line, I thought to myself. I'm not sure how I feel about the fact this store put the maternity clothing line in city locations where there was a high percentage of teen pregnancy; but what I can see and appreciate is the affordable option for clothes that a pregnant woman will only wear anywhere from 3-8 months (depending on size, etc). So I decided to give it a shot. I proceeded to the website, searched for maternity and well, there my options were.


I was pleasantly surprised. You all know I always splurge on clothing and accessories. And I still do. But now I just splurge on pieces I will wear ALL the time- think jeans, flats for my tootsies, and maybe another signature piece or two. Luckily for the momma's to be, things like Ts, dresses, and cardigans seem to be a specialty of the store; and at the prices they offer, you really can't beat it.


My first purchase was this Boho Floral Maternity dress. I purchased it when I was about 12 weeks pregnant in a medium, and there is definitely room to grow. Now at nearly 20 weeks, I have a small bump and still plenty room to grow. I've worn it once to work with a pair of camel colored boots and once out to dinner, and received many a compliments on how cute it is. $22.80

Next on my list to try was a maternity top. Ugh. A maternity top I thought. I've tried the Old Navy shirts and they are WAY too big on me, not to mention, ridiculously unflattering. I then purchased this shirt. A peach ruched maternity top. I have just started to "pop" by this point and some of my normal fitted shirts that I normally wear just aren't cutting it, while some still do. Wow was I thrilled when I found this one. It is made from comfortable fabric with plenty of room to grow. It's fitted, and the shape is great, so even if you're not showing that much, it will work with you. Now if they only had it in different colors. The price tag?  $13.80

Next up I decided to try a pair of jeans. Sigh. I mean, as much as I want to spend 75-150 dollars on every pair of my maternity jeans (see above comment about my splurges), I really a) shouldn't and b) can't, I mean, I do have a baby to save for! So I purchased the Forever 21 Maternity Skinny Jeans. When I bought them, I got them on sale for $13.80.  The result? Jeans that were a *tad* too big but happily shrunk just a smidge in length and width with one wash and dry and are crazy comfortable with, yes, you guessed it, room to grow. They have a small panel in the front for stretching and real pockets.


Now for Valentines Day and/or my wedding anniversary in March, I picked out this number. 
I want to dress up and look pretty for my husband, and this may do the trick. Simple? A little. But there is some lace trim at the bust, and paired with my Tory Reva Silver Snakeskin flats and some sparkly jewelry, this will do just the trick. The cost when I bought it? $24.80


Lastly, these dresses I got for the spring and summer. I'll be honest. I can't wait to wear them! Price tags for these? $10.99 on sale (maxi dress) and $22.80 for the bib dress.

Considering all of these cost me just over $100; not too shabby. Of course I did grab some other staples such as tunics and tanks- all ranging in price from $8-$12 a pop.


The verdict? Check it out. I'm truly pleasantly surprised with the options that are fashionable, cute, and will make you feel pretty.