Friday, August 17, 2012

My Style >> Fading into Fall


I've noticed that the mornings and evenings around these parts have become slightly, well, brisker.  It's still warm, but it's been raining much more often and my BFF the sun (who should just stop setting earlier and earlier right now before it's too late) has been hiding behind blankets of clouds.  As much as I dislike these subtle hints of cooler weather on the horizon (along with the prospect of summer ever coming to an end), I'll admit that I've missed my jeans just a tiny little bit.  So when Robbie and I went out for a casual dinner date the other night and the air felt breezy, I was kind of excited to pull a pair out of my closet.  I was already wearing the tunic/dress, and I didn't feel like spending a bunch of time getting ready, so it was an easy fading-into-fall kind of outfit.


I actually got this tunic years ago when I was showing my clothing line at an event in San Francisco.  Another designer (Jodi of YeahYeah) approached me about doing a trade, and I fell in love with this piece.  Like my designs, it's eco-friendly (organic cotton), but the best part is the hand block-printed design.  It's ridiculously comfy and its ability to transform from a dress to a tunic has resulted in it becoming a stable piece in my wardrobe over the years.

And speaking of eco-friendly fashion, how about this killer handbag - made from recycled seat belts?!  Yep. It's true. This outfit was just way too neutral and desperate for a pop of color, so I turned to my brand new Campus Tote from Maggie Bags in vibrant purple.  It gave the outfit a fun punch, and any excuse to use this equally cute and durable bag is fine by me.  Maggie Bags is a really rad company you guys.  Due to the high government safety standards for seat belts, millions of yards of seat belt webbing are rejected by automakers each year.  So Maggie Bags saves these discarded, landfill-bound seat belts and give them new life by using them in the creation of their handbag line.  LOVE that.  The bag itself is the perfect size - plenty of room without being bulky - and the quality is pretty much unsurpassed.  This is going to be one of those accessories that I'm still using in 20 years.  Mark my words.


Let's get back to the whole almost-fall-fashion thing for a minute.  In addition to being able to break out the jeans on a more regular basis, my favorite part of the transition from summer to fall fashion is changing up the shoes.  I wear a lot of boots during the autumn months, but I also like to have a pair of go-to flats, and these Sadonna Oxfords from B.A.I.T. Footwear definitely fit the bill.  I've been loving the Oxford trend over the past couple of seasons, but they're not exactly the most comfortable shoe style that's ever existed.  The Sadonna's completely solve that problem for me - they're soft instead of being all rigged and digging into your ankles.  They're like the fun, youthful cousin of the traditional (and sometime stuffy) Oxford, which is awesome. I can tell you right now that I'll be wearing these on a daily basis once fall rolls around.

Since the vibrant handbag was enough on its own as far as accessories went with this look, I kept the jewelry simple: some thin metal bangles, a chunky brass bangle, and my trusty brass owl ring.  A little hint of metallic is pretty much a constant in all my outfits. It just makes everything better.  I threw on some green eyeshadow too, which I never do.  Grey eyeshadow is pretty much it for me, but I've had some green in my (ridiculously disorganized) makeup back for months and felt like busting it out.  Maybe it's a subconscious/desperate attempt to hang onto summer colors...

Bag: c/o Maggie Bags   //  Shoes: c/o B.A.I.T. Footwear  //  Jeans: Levi's  
Tunic: trade (YeahYeah)  //  Bracelets and Ring: gifts


It's Friday!  What are your weekend plans?  I'm excited because I'm giving myself a few-hour work break today to take my mom to lunch for her birthday.  Her birthday is actually tomorrow, but we have a yearly tradition where she takes her birthday off of work so we can hang and celebrate (usually this involves afternoon mimosas and shopping).  This is also Robbie's only weekend home through the end of September, so we have big plans to dork out and do something couple-y.  Hopefully this will involve more than fixing something in our house or snuggling on the couch with our individual iPads/phones in hand.  A girl can dream.

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18 comments:

  1. Your hair is lookin' fierce here!

    In high school and college I had a belt made out of a recycled seatbelt. The buckle was actually the old seatbelt clasp, which just thrilled me to no end. Sadly, it disappeared during a move from one dorm to another, and I never saw it again. :-(

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  2. That bag is so cool!!!! I love the top too, and the shoes!!! I agree about fall, it's fun to start wearing different clothes :-) have a great weekend, happy birthday to your mom!

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  3. happy early birthday to your mom! melissa, i really noticed your green eyes today. i have seen things made with seat belts, but never in such a vibrant color. really pretty blouse too. i've been feeling stacked bracelets lately, & craving more, even though i probably don't need them. have a fab & couple-y fun weekend with your robbie! :)

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  4. Ooooh, I see flats! Now I'm craving fall. :( Oh, how your blog has turned me into such a fashion girl. lol.

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  5. Love this outfit! I, for one, am very excited for autumn! I love jeans and sweaters and brisk weather. <3

    My mom has a bag similar to that but it's smaller and black. She loves her's too. ;)

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  6. Love your style! All the accessories are beautiful.

    http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/

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  7. I love your hair
    Happy birthday to your mom
    Your outfit is great as always
    Have a great weekend with your hubb

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  8. Love that owl ring. I'm all about comfortable flats most of the year, except winter when it's just too cold here for that sort of thing. I pretty much have to live in boots during the winter. Hope you have a great weekend Melissa! :)

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  9. I love that bag. I going now to check them out. So cool there are made from old seatbelts. Great material for a bag, I am sure they are very strong and durable!

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  10. love the shoes, the bag & the tunic! very chic ensemble! also your hair is super pretty =)

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  11. I'm so in love with your hair! The color is gorgeous, and I love your bangs. <3

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  12. You are so beautiful. This outfit is very good. I'm in love with your shoes <3
    http://coeursdefoxes.blogspot.com/
    http://www.facebook.com/CoeursDeFoxes

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  13. great colors!!

    Val
    http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/

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  14. Lady, you are *gorgeous*! I don't think I've seen many pictures of you, but wow, you have a rock n' roll boho style that's amazing.

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  15. Thank you guys so much for the sweet comments! Seriously! You know how to make a lady feel good. :) xo, m

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  16. i love this look. it's like softened urban. feminine but gritty. the bright bag is perfection.

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  17. Cute! Love your shoes!!
    You have such beautiful eyes.

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