I ordered the dress.
WILL IT come in time for next weekend’s bat mitzvah? Hopefully. But not definitely.
WILL IT fit? Unclear. I’m actually not that optimistic, it was sold out in the size I wanted based on the size chart but I just went up one and am hoping for the best because in my prior experience Boden tends to run on the smaller side anyway. But maybe there has been size inflation; I haven’t ordered for a while.
WILL I HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR if it doesn’t work out? Not really. But I’ll figure something out.
I admit I am in a state of chronic unrest about my clothing and accessories lately. On the plus side, I now have several pairs of jeans I like! This is HUGE, since jeans are my everyday uniform when I’m not wearing FIGS at work. 1-2 years ago I was wearing (and rewearing, and rewearing) the same 1-2 pairs of (ripped, and not purposefully so) jeans that I didn’t even love.
ALSO, my shoe game has been upgraded. This summer, I bought a pair of Mephisto platform sandals (on sale, with a gift card!) and wear them around town instead of falling-apart Birkenstocks. And I already loooove my new Uggs for casual wear in cooler temps.
AND, I have a few tops and tees I like. Though not very many. And most are just that: tees. Which are fine, but do not an ‘outfit’ make.
So fine, I guess it’s not that dire. Maybe what is missing is accessories (and jewelry, I would love to upgrade my jewelry game but I mean – obviously this is $$$$). Gillian (hi Gillian!) has figured out the accessories game by ordering high-end secondhand items. I should try this.
IN OTHER SUPERFICIAL NEWS my nails are a disaster again (Dazzle Dry lasts like 2-3 days for me before chipping, it’s very sad).
(I was under the impression that by the time I hit “professional woman” status in my 40s, I would dress better than I currently do. And I certainly see other women doing it. So it is probably something I can work on. The question is what do I want to NOT BUY with my free spending money in order to work on this category. As always, life is all about choices!)
19 Comments
That dress is beautiful! I hope it arrives in time and fits!
I am a very plain dresser but I love a statement necklace. I need to do what Gillian does and look second hand because statement necklaces are EXPENSIVE! I don’t feel super pulled together on weekends but don’t really prioritize it. I did upgrade my athleisure wear thanks to Athleta gift cards from you, Kae and coworkers! On week days, I nearly always wear a dress and that does make me feel good about myself/my look.
Okay, I hope the dress fits! I’m nervous that you had to size up because you are so petite- but, fingers crossed. I think you’re in decent shape, clothing-wise. Unlike me, I feel like my current style is saying “I’ve given up.” Sigh.
Hi! In addition to accessories, I have also had good luck buying sweaters second hand. My favorite source is The Real Real. I have gotten belts and sweaters there, many with the tags still on. The Frame sweater I brought to BLP Live (but I don’t think I ever put it on) had tags on and a giant stain (did someone spill on it before even wearing it???). A little peroxide and a trip through the washer and it was good as new. I also do very well shopping midlevel designer clearance sales (like Veronica Beard). It helps that I am a small size (fewer people wear sizes at both extremes). And for events like the Bat Mitzvah I have successfully Rented the Runway. There because I am petite I only pick midi length or shorter dresses so the length isn’t an issue…something to consider. It’s not too late for next week.
Agree! My biggest hack is buying high end clothing second hand. I even buy designer shoes second hand. The Real Real has a great return policy. If toy are willing to purchase second hand your dollar will stretch a lot further.
This is what I do too! I live in high end jeans and cashmere sweaters. I usually buy them for <1/2 of retail and they're in great shape. I use Poshmark mostly but will have to try The Real Real. My luck with RtR has been mixed but I love the idea.
I always size up at Boden so that was probably a good call. And I love Poshmark and TRR for secondhand! I just got a beautiful Ann Mashburn cashmere sweater from Poshmark for seriously 85% off the retail price. Shopping high end brands secondhand allows me to buy quality without blowing my budget.
I found a Substack recently that goes into a lot of detail about smart shopping: it’s called Professor Off Duty. Look it up — it might help you think through your wardrobe questions and budget tradeoffs!
Yes! High quality and often it is just that people missed the return window or something. Such a great way to shop!
same! i have historically always sized up at Boden. Their size chart was weird, though, and not reflective of what I think of as Boden sizing. Hopefully it will work out!
Oooh I am here for the superficial talk. That dress is gorgeous, I hope it fits. The travails of online shopping! I know that feeling of hope.
I have a suggestion for your nails! I use Sally Hanson Gel, and it lasts way longer than regular polish. It also isn’t like getting a gel mani, you don’t need a special light or anything, and you can remove it just with regular polish remover. I use two coats of the colour (usually a sheer) and then the glossy top coat. It lasts at least a week, and you live in Florida, so it would probably last longer (very dry here, so polish tends to chip easier).
I will have to try it. I have the Manicurist set and will try that again too but I admittedly struggled with my nails peeling off if the polish chipped and wasn’t taken off with the special remover. I really like the look of nail polish but hate how sloppy it gets so fast!!!!
That dress is just SO gorgeous. And you will definitely look glamorous in it! I love, love, love that colour and it is suited to your skin tone (from seeing you in some similar colours when you were in NS) and it looks so festive, but also will work for other seasons. Great choice and I bet you’ll get a lot of use out of it over the years.
I like Anthro for costume jewelry but mostly I wear small, real jewelry because I am am Very Old. But! Giant Anthro earrings and necklaces are fun when you want something to really stand out.
I recommend the Nordstrom brand for minimal necklaces. They are very inexpensive and I always get compliments on them. They are probably considered “basic”, but so am I, so that works. Not too many good statements though – will need to try those second-hand! I’m on the hunt for a chunkier necklace.
I would recommend to get your colors done if you haven’t already! I was definitely in a clothing rut. I started buying clothes in my color palette (mostly suggested by the company I used) and I have been getting compliments left and right from people I know and strangers!
that sounds like so much fun honestly! Which company did you use?
Yes! I recently did too and its making more excited about shopping for clothes! I’ve done a lot of work on pants/shorts recently and need to move to tops. Now I feel like I have better direction as a warm spring.
Sarah – I used Created Colorful which is all virtual. I’m betting they’ll have a Black Friday special!
I LOVE that dress. I hope it fits. Having to buy the wrong size, but then it still fitting, always feels like such a win. Fingers crossed! I used to have a few necklaces from Tiffany’s that I wore ALWAYS. Like I wore one, and I didn’t take it off for months. You’ll not be shocked to learn they all eventually broke. And then I just stopped wearing any jewelry. It feels like a big thing to add back in, after wearing nothing. Let us know what you do and how it goes!
I am well into the “professional woman” status of my 40s and – thanks to NO dress code at work – I mostly wear jeans and sneakers. Gah. Doesn’t help with a professional grown up attire.
Let me know what you figure out 🙂
Also: that green dress is gorgeous. Can’t wait to see you wearing it.
Dress is super cute. I wear a size up in boden. Hope it looks great on you!