Outfit of the Day: Pinks and Golds

I am SO glad that it's finally time again to wear Jacks and sandals!

This Lilly dress is one of my favorites and I wore it a few days ago to work. It's one of those awesome, no-wrinkle silk blend dresses that are perfectly packable and wearable. It has fun ruching along the sides and sleeves but its tough to see under the sweater.

Normally, I also really don't like the way things look belted on me. I rarely like the way that looks on me, but I was playing around with the gold belt at work and decided to keep that look for the day! I liked the way it popped with my shoes and pulled it all together!

Pink and gold is one of my favorite combinations and I will definitely be rocking this look again!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Over the Top

Over the top is the name of the game in this OOTD!

I ordered the Lilly Pulitzer Malibu Blazer and Juliana Dress for when the corporate team came into Pink Sorbet for a big meet and greet! No one had really thought about adding the striped blazer over the striped dress, but we all agreed that it really worked!

I'm excited to add the blazer over navy shorts and pair it with wedges once the weather gets hot. I think that would be a super fun outfit once it gets nice out again!

Do you remember "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"? This dress could be a substitute for those pants. It works on gals of every size. I have it, and I've seen shorter girls look KNOCKOUT in it as well as girls of different sizes! What the best part really is, is that the fluorescent part isn't really close to your face. The stripes set them apart, and the neon doesn't wash you out like it can sometimes.

I've also been in search of a good professional bag. I have a black one, but often times, black doesn't always match my professional outfit. I found a great tote from Target:

This Merona Tote was a great score and it fits everything I need it to! I was in a time crunch to find something that worked ASAP, and I'm definitely still on the lookout for a more long-term option. I would LOVE any input!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Sweet Nothings

Yesterday I donned a new-crowned favorite dress of mine! It's a silk-blend all over-print Lilly dress that works great in fall to winter! I love that I can wear this dress with tights and boots but also flats or nude heels too once it gets warmer.

It has the best v-neck neckline and is a false wrap-dress. It's a professional looking as a wrap-dress but you don't have to worry about sitting the 100% correct way like you do in a true wrap. My mom and I agreed that a wrap dress is an ideal work dress because it's almost always appropriate. I've worn this dress with a blazer on top (with nude heels) and it's been great.

To casual-ize this dress, I added a cream colored scarf to bring out the creamy base color and added the black tights and my two-tone boots. I wore my hair down regular and plain so that the dress could do the talking! The print name is "Sweet Nothings" which I just LOVE as we approach Valentine's!

With this kind of bold print, you can really tie in so many of the colors! We had a woman come into the store and bought a pair of blue trousers that really popped with the top she had in this print and made the bits of blue really stand out. Did you even see the blue in it?!

I'm glad I can still get some use out of my dressy boots before the weather turns to Jacks and McKims weather!

xxKatie

Princess Wedges

It's no secret we all love Princess Kate. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. She's a great style icon that we can all emulate and is becoming a trendsetter for 20-somethings everywhere. It's about time we have a great style icon to look up to for our generation.

Last summer the Duchess of Cambridge was spotted pre-Olympics in the cutest wedges! As per her usual (or more correctly probably her stylist's usual...) Kate was in a nude shoe. Well, you can be Kate in your own nude wedges!

Target has made their own Princess Kate wedge that is beyond budget-friendly and comfortable!

I bought them myself after seeing one of the people I follow post them on Instagram! You can't see it, but this neutral color has some very light and feminine strands of gold weaved into the espadrille part of the wedge. It really elevates the look and makes it fun and festive. I love these wedges and I know I'm going to get a ton of wear out of them!

If you're in the market for a new pair of versatile wedges, these Target ones are definitely the ones to snag! Since they are from Target, I would suggest heading into your local Tarj to see if they're available. My Target only had one pair in my size (multiples of smaller sizes, only 1 10, sorry Columbians!) so you'll want to check ASAP.

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Preppy Profesh Cropped Pants

I've written about my amazing steal of a deal blue blazer before and it's one of the BEST deals I ever got! I love my Ralph Lauren blazer and don't get to wear it as often as I should! While it's not exactly the same thing, there's a close Ralph Lauren knit match here!

I wore LOFT cropped pants for the first time too! My mom and I stocked up on business essentials and these cropped pants were part of the haul. They have the most comfortable wide band around the top with a secure button and hooks. They have a great amount of stretch and I know they'll keep their shape. The cream crepe top is LOFT as well!

For NYE, I snagged this pair of Jessica Simpson heels that I was wearing too! They are seriously the most comfortable nude heels I own and fellow Tweeters agreed. I look for every opportunity to wear these heels that I can! They're ~4 inches but you'd never know when they're on. They also have a great grippy rubber bottom that feels secure. HUGE plus, no toe cleavage. 

Awaiting me when I arrived back in South Carolina was my Bauble Bar necklace that I ordered as a birthday gift to myself. I LOVE the large monogram they offer! It's substantial feeling but they clasp is EXTREMELY difficult to do on your own--attempt at your own risk! I am also admittedly not good at putting necklaces on so I found it tough. The gold is shiny and not a gaudy shade. I've worn it a bunch and I've seen no turning color or showing of the inner material.

I wore this OOTD to a pre-party for TEDxColumbiaSC. Our city was lucky enough to have a group of individuals who were willing to organize a TEDx event for the city and I had the unique opportunity to attend the lecture. The pre-party was held in the lobby of an IT office who so graciously offered up their space and we gladly networked and chatted with the speakers. I'll do a full recap later this week of the big show, but all in all I was SO glad to have attended the lecture!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Meet Sessilee!

This Sessilee Dress is one I normally wouldn't have picked off the racks for myself. We were trying different things on at work so we could really get a feel for fit and true sizing, and I got to try on the Sessilee Dress. It comes in a few different patterns and color ways, but this blue and white one was my favorite! I LOVE this dress! From far away, I think it looks like a romper which is fun and whimsical and TOTALLY unexpected. The navy makes this dress so wearable and the white accent elevates the print and shape. 

We didn't get a chance to photograph the back, but it looks like two pieces from the back! So cool, right?! I also love that you can pair this with navy, white, metallics, and I'd even toss in hot pink! It's a little tough to see in the picture, but there's also a zipper and drawstring that really add to the dress.

I am a big Sessilee fan (and I would sure like to know where that name comes from!) and hope y'all get a chance to run into your local Lilly Pulitzer store to check it out!

xxKatie

OOTD: Snorkel Blue

Doesn't the name "Snorkel Blue" just make you think of a Caribbean vacation?

I immediately think of a beach with white sand, cool ocean and views and expanses that you can see left and right! I'm also obviously already dreaming of spring break, my family and I are headed to Turks and Caicos for what could be our last big family trip...SO weird to think about that!

Anyway, one day at work, Taylor and I decided that "Snorkel Blue" would be our scheme and had on the same print! I instantly fell in LOVE with those printed Lilly jeans. Since it's a print, it's actually called "Snorkel Blue Hold Your Horses" a little play on words with the sea creatures instead of the land animals. The little pops of orange really are too fun and show up great in person.

I have really debated these jeans and I think I'm gonna go for it, possibly as a birthday treat! At first I was at a bit of a loss for what to pair it with other than white, but navy blue would be a great option and really, the right shade of pink would make a great addition too. I had gold Tory Burch Reva flats on, but could just as easily pair them with platinum or white (or even glitter--I have my eye on those too!) Jacks once the time comes too.

After rationalizing these FABULOUS printed pants, I think I need them in at least one of the prints! They are simply too much fun and would easily make the transition to summer--wherever that may be for me!

xxKatie

Quilted Coats

Quilted coats are a great staple for southern fall and winter. Clearly it's only STARTING to get cold here in SC, and my folks in Maryland have had a relatively mild winter as well. There's no need to break out my big North Face parka that has all kinds of contraptions that can zip into it to make it warmer. Instead I've been donning my trusty Lilly quilted coat from a few years ago that I snagged on sale:

I like to fold up the sleeves to a bracelet length so the floral underside is exposed! 

A girl walked into the store the other day with the CUTEST C. Wonder quilted coat:

It also comes in khaki, orange and green, but she looked so great in the navy! It was slightly tailored at the back and wasn't so bulky like some quilted coats can be.

I love the red color of this Barbour jacket! Barbour is an obvious choice for jackets, and this red one is too much fun. I love this for fall Gamedays too!

LL Bean is a tried and true preppy staple. Classic lines with a clean shape, Bean quality is unmatched. Unfortunately this one isn't available online, but I'd sure be hunting for this if there was an LLBean by me!

 This winter white quilted coat is the closest match I could find for my jacket--they both have belts and a diamond quilted pattern!

Do you have a go-to light jacket for before real winter strikes?

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Double Ruffles

I'm all about the ruffles these days! On Sunday, I wore a double ruffles outfit with ruffles on my jacket and ruffles on my skirt!

I got this skirt over the summer from 6pm but it's Lilly from spring!

My new ruffle coat from Old Navy is about my favorite newest purchase! I got it in-store, but online similar options are here and here! Check out your store as well to see if they have any Black Friday/holiday sales going on! I got mine for 40% off!

My boots are Corso Como and I am OBSESSED with them. They are so comfy, not too snug and they stay up! What more could you ask for in riding boots?! They are the Richmond design and I've already worn them a bunch since I bought them! I think I've got my mom hooked on them too!

I wore this ensemble to Church, but a bright, colorful, skirt and a black turtleneck and tights is absolutely a go-to outfit for me. If we're out shopping and I see a skirt I like, my mom and I will almost simultaneously say to each other, "Black turtleneck and tights?" in agreement! It's a good classic look and you know you look put-together.

Do you have a go-to look like this?

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Preppy Profesh Dots Dots Dots

When my mom visited a few weeks back, one of her main goals was to get me some great work clothes! This OOTD features a few of those pieces!

I am in LOVE with these pants! I can't get enough of them! They are black with neutral colored dots all over, but from far away you'd never know! We snagged these from Loft, and they have a similar pair here. Other similar pairs here, here, and here! They are VERY on-trend this season!

I paired them with an Ann Taylor top that we got from AT in Charleston on the MAJOR sale rack! I know a lot of y'all had been interested in it and I found it! Ta-da! Find it here!

I thought that this went well with gold so I added Tory Burch Reva flats and a big, round gold watch from Target!

I wore this one day to my internship at the end of October and even considered adding nude pumps too. I think that these pants can really do a lot and I think my next endeavor with them will either be a black top or a cream/neutral party cardi!

I love these polka dot pants and can't wait to wear them more!

xxKatie

OOTD: Boots & Bootcut

When I see people wearing cowboy boots, they usually pair them with a dress or skinny jeans here on campus. I definitely rock my cowboy boots with skinny jeans, but I also love the look of cowboy boots UNDER bootcut jeans. It's absolutely one of my favorite fall looks! Your cowboy boots can just peek out under your jeans!

The jeans I'm wearing here are a great cut that I found at Nordstrom Rack. They're Seven for All Mankind's Skinny Bootcut--kind of the best of both worlds! I haven't seen any other brand come out with a design similar to these skinny bootcut jeans!

If you have a Nordstrom Rack by you definitely check the racks to see if they have your size. I snagged my pair for WAY under retail! Actually they were almost 90% off believe it or not!

This pair comes pretty close to mine! I am a huge fan especially for the amount of stretch in the denim material also. There is a massive amount of stretch and I feel great when I wear them. 

I paired my fab bootcut jeans with this flannel shirt that I recently found at Old Navy. I've never been big into flannel and I decided to take the plunge with this shirt. I loved the sherbet-y colors of it and knew that I had pink and orange stuff to match it. The base color is neutral and would work with a ton of different accessories and bottoms. 

My boots are my tried-and-true Frye Billy Pull On boots that I SWEAR by! Y'all know how much I wear these boots and I know I will have them for the next GOOD chunk of my life. I have broken them in and find them to be extreeeeeemly comfortable. The color I have is the basic brown and it really matches basically everything I own.

This has definitely been one of my favorite fall outfits that I've put together. It's rare that it's cold enough for flannel and a scarf, but I made it work! Do you wear a lot of flannel? What's your favorite denim cut?

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Preppy Profesh: Pink Blazer

Y'all know how much I love my pink blazer! It's rare when I buy a really TRENDY clothing item, but when I saw this I couldn't pass it up. My mom actually got it for me for Christmas and I LOVE it! I wore it to my first day of school last semester after my birthday and have worn it a few times since then--I don't want to over wear it, but I tried it over a professional dress and it worked great!

I was doing an interview on campus for a position within our Dance Marathon at USC. I think I was probably over-dressed by the time that I got to the interview, but I felt so much confidence in this outfit.

I paired my pink blazer with my Lilly Pulitzer Collins dress that I got at the warehouse sale! The print is among my favorites and the cut is great because it's both conservative for work, but still lovably Lilly!

I paired it with these gold basket weave wedges that are super comfortable and appropriate. The metallic is too fun as well!

Do you usually wear dresses or suits for interviews? Have you interviewed for anything recently?

Outfit of the Day: Goodbye White Pants

Since I didn't do anything at ALL yesterday except go grocery shopping at WalMart, I didn't really utilize my last day of white pants! You'll probably see me break the rule a time or two since it's so stinking hot in South Carolina for awhile, but in honor of the last day of white pants yesterday, it appears that it is time to say goodbye!

I wore this outfit to work last week! I love any version of an Elsa top by Lilly, and this embroidered one was great! The colors are fun and vibrant and coral and turquoise seems to be everywhere these days!

This was also the first day of my Tory Burch flats! I got them for a STEAL! I can't even believe! The gold is definitely something I need to get used to, but I think they'll be a lot more toned down with dark jeans and great for fall!

Goodbye white jeans!

What are your thoughts on still wearing white jeans? Yay or nay? Hello or goodbye?

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Just Add Lemon

I love white pants. I am TRYING TRYING TRYING to wear them as much as possible before they're deemed "unfashionable" for fall. Although, I do believe that South Carolina deserves an extension because it stays so hot here!

Anyway, I wore this outfit a few days ago to work! It was actually the first time I ever wore these wedges. I have a few aunts who all live around NYC and they send me shoes that they decide they don't like anymore. This includes Stuart Weitzman woven heels, Frye boots, and this ROCKIN' pair of over the knee boots. Perks of having tall relatives with big feet! Usually these shoes are only worn a few times before I get them! Can you say lucky?! 

These wedges were one of those hand-me-downs! They're Tommy Hilfiger and they have the tiniest bit of lurex in the linen! I'm not sure why I haven't worn them before, and my boss even told me that I looked great that day which always feels good! I was also able to rock my new Target watch that I am LOVING!

The top I'm wearing has fish and sea animals all over it. It is one of my favorite prints and has the name "Just Add Lemon":

HOW CUTE IS THAT?!

The blue cardigan matched the blue perfectly so I had to add it in the end!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: The Bad Luck Dress

At first I debated whether or not to post this OOTD, but I figured y'all might find it funny...or something.

Let me clarify first: I am NOT AT ALL superstitious. I don't care about black cats, or ladders or broken mirrors. I don't throw salt over my shoulder, or anything like that. I think superstitions are silly and weird. However, the bad luck dress is more than convincing.

So, I have this dress. That I love.

Pink and orange and it has this awesome back to it and it's a great, unique cut. Amazing.

Except for the fact that something horribly awful happens in it almost every time I wear it. Y'all probably think I'm off my rocker, but Wednesday it yet again proved itself unlucky. I thought I made it all the way through the day at work without anything going on. PHEW! I made it! I figured I had broken the curse and nothing was wrong anymore.

FALSE.

I got in a VERY MINOR car accident. All the damage was cosmetic and it wasn't my fault. We were all safe and nothing serious happened, BUT IT WAS STILL AN ACCIDENT NONETHELESS. I had the realization and asked myself, "REALLY?!"

So, is it really a cursed dress? My friends (who have experienced the dress' ill-effects) all think it's cursed. Am I the only one who has a cursed piece of clothing? Needless to say, something has to be done and I need to find a solution!

Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? I'm SO curious to hear if anyone has ever had a similar situation!!

xxKatie

A Look in The Mirror

By now, a lot of y'all have seen my outfit of the day (OOTD) posts! They feature my outfits of choice for work, internship days, going out and more. They also feature another player though, my mirror!

I'm sure you have also seen how busy that mirror is with all my stickers!

Going Out

Internship

Work

See all the stickers? Maybe you haven't noticed them as much as you have now! I worried about putting stickers on my laptop (or car) like a lot of college students do because I wasn't sure if they'd come off AND I didn't want to ruin the most valuable things that I own. I decided that this would be a more fun alternative!

I've added a few new stickers including the Vineyard Vines sicker on the bottom of the mirror! As you can see it's a lot of stores/brands and even one for my high school's lacrosse team!

The top features two restaurants, more brands and stores, and a crowd favorite of the "Go Navy Beat Army" sticker that my mom sent me in a care package freshman year! 

This is definitely a fun way to showcase all your favorite stickers without having to put them on your car or laptop! Ever thought about where you can incorporate yours? I've also seen people put them on the top of their desks with a glass pane on top--I LOVE that idea too!

Where do you put all of yours?

xxKatie

Outfit of The Day: Fallin' In Love

While this post has nothing to do with actually falling in love, it is the name of one of my favorite dress prints!

Since getting my iPhone I've been able to do OOTD's in an entirely different way! Instagramming (@letsbepreppy) different pictures has become my new favorite thing to do via my iPhone!

Fallin' In Love is the name of this charm bracelet print by Lilly. I was able to snag this dress before Christmas on a HUGE sale for a Christmas present from "Santa". I wore it to work (as you can see in the background) for a big event in the store that we held for Miss South Carolina pageant week!

I paired my strapless dress with my Fornash clover necklace and wedges. In the straps of my wedges are a little bit of metallic material that really pops with the necklace. There is also a bit of gold in the buttons on the dress that I love! Being the navy girl that I am, the combination of blue and gold (which also happens to be one of my Pinterest boards!) never gets old for me! I also had my Wayfarers on which are such a staple of summer for me!

I pulled my hair back in a fat French braid since it's one of the only hairstyles that keeps my short hair out of my face while still looking nice. I have only VERY RECENTLY learned to French braid my own hair--the key is to NOT think about it if you can tell yourself that!!

Here's to attempting to stay cool in this steamy SC summer (AND fallin' in love--both kinds!)!!!

xxKatie

Pretty in Pink

My newest color is "Muchi, Muchi" by Essie and is definitely fueling a "Pretty in Pink" feel for today! I also am wearing quite the pink outfit too:

June 21 by letsbepreppy featuring a leather zip wallet

I love this Elsa top and didn't originally think that it would be a good summer blouse! It works great for South Carolina because it's light and airy and not heavy at all!

Pretty in pink is the thought for today!

OH AND GO GAMECOCKS!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Summer Seersucker, Sails, and Scents

June 16 by letsbepreppy featuring leather sandals

I love summer because it means white shoes, seersucker (horrible but very funny typo: I OFTEN accidently type "seersucket" ahhhh!) and nautical sails and shapes! The Buttercup shorts I have in the pink seersucker from Lilly from this summer are at the top of my list a lot! I love these shorts! My only regret is that I wish I got the size smaller (I'm always between two sizes) size because mine have stretched a little, typical of seersucker, I shoulda known! The Paley cardigan is also one of my favorites and my Mom actually has it too! We tend to have a lot of similar things in our closets!

Everywhere in South Carolina during the summer seems to jack up the AC to keep everyone cool when it's so hot outside, so I've been bringing a cardigan with me everywhere I go! I probably look crazy at work to everyone who comes in to shop, but we actually get chilly--can you believe I'm even saying that!?

I also have just been using my wallet recently, all my bags seem to be too big or too heavy for summer, so I've just been grabbing the essentials before I head out the door: phone, wallet, keys and sunglasses and I'm good to go for the day! It's simple and easy--just like the summer months!

My summer go-to fragrance is "Beachy" by Lilly Pulitzer a few years ago!

While it has been discontinued by the company who was manufacturing it (they went out of business) you can still find it online (eBay, perfume outlets, etc.) and even at some TJMaxx's and Marshall's! Whenever I see a bottle of Beachy I snag it while I can--it's perfect for summer and lasts even if it's REALLY hot out!

What are your summer S's? Mine are seersucker, sails and scents!

xxKatie

Outfits of the Days: Columbia Style Week

Today begins the first post of a few recapping Columbia Style Week!

I had a wonderful time with all the folks who attended the first CSW! I'll have the first run-down of this series of posts about CSW events posting tomorrow--get excited!

June 5 by letsbepreppy featuring a one shoulder long sleeve dress

This was the first night of CSW! It was a kick-off party and crowned Columbia's Top 25 Most Stylish People! I had a blast and even got to network a little with the panel of industry experts. I don't want to give much away, but the industry expert night was DEFINITELY a highlight for me! I, of course, had to wear Lilly since I was representing the preppy population of Columbia!

June 9 by letsbepreppy featuring kenneth jay lane earrings

The second event I went to was called "Wedding 101" hosted by a local wedding planning company--Wedding 101--on behalf of CSW. It was really fun and the crowd was a bit different than the usual CWS event crowd. I got a chance to meet a few bloggers whose blogs I've been reading for awhile and was a bit starstruck when I met them! It was a blast!

June 9 by letsbepreppy featuring print dresses

For the finale event, I wore this dress that I've been lusting over! I added a pink crossbody for both events on the 9th and it was great! I didn't have to hold a purse and could still take tons of photos so easily! I snapped 100's of photos and even a few videos to put together for everyone to see! It was a wonderful night and I was able to hang out with the same crowd from Wedding 101! 

All in all, Columbia Style Week was a BLAST, and I hope y'all are looking forward to the rest of the detailed posts--you're in for a treat! 

xxKatie