{modest} summer fashion & favorites
So, I've been talking a lot about what I hope will be keeping the boys busy on our upcoming road trip, but I haven't really talked much about where exactly we're going!First, we'll be spending several weeks in Ohio with my family. Yay! We'll also be baptizing my nephew while we're there. After that, we're driving down to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where we rented a cabin for a whole relaxing week in the mountains. I. cannot. wait.
So, I know this post might seem a bit unusual on this blog because I don't normally post on fashion or trends or anything like that and to be honest, really have no desire to, so I hope you don't enjoy this post too much because I don't want to do this often. :) But because every now and then, I receive comments or emails asking where I buy, particularly my dresses from, I thought I'd take a picture of a couple of my favorite outfits and where I found them since I know how hard finding a decent dress can be.One thing I've really been taking advantage of this year is the maxi dress trend. I have always loved them and am elated that they're in style now and you can find them almost anywhere. I'm short, 5'1", which makes them really long but I like them long, even dragging a bit. If they're super long, I just hem them a bit. But, these are great because they are so comfortable and you can slip a cropped sweater on top and have a cute, comfortable and modest outfit. I see tons of these sweaters and dresses at Target all the time. They're perfect for warm weather because the sleeves are short and are a lighter material than your typical cardigan. Sometimes, you can even find a looser knit pattern which makes them even cooler to wear. And trust me, that is an important element if you live in a southern state like we do.
Outfit no. 01
This is a Jodi Kristopher dress that I recently bought from Dillard's. Without a coupon. It was $59.99, but I fought the heart palpitations and bought it anyway. It's a nice dress that I know I'll get a lot of use out of and I tend to keep my clothes for a long time. I fell in love with the ruffles and polka dots, it's such a feminine look. Like I said earlier, I'm very petite and so the hem of this dress falls about an inch below my knee. The model in the link above must be like 6' tall. :) The sleeves are sheerer than the rest of the dress, which makes it pretty cool even with the sleeves. The sandals are faux rhinestones and I got them years ago at Target.
The jewelry is Brighton. The necklace says Sister on the front and has all kinds of words to describe sisters on the back. It's one of my favorites. Geri and I got these for each other a few years ago when she was here visiting. The bracelet is a photo charm bracelet and is called Memory Lane. I have yet to print out photos that fit inside, so yeah, I've been wearing photos of someone else's children for the past five years. ;)
This is a rhinestone cross and hematite colored beaded bracelet. I absolutely LOVE it. It's very dainty and goes great with pretty much everything. It was a gift from a family friend whose brother has an Etsy shop. I don't think there are any of the bracelets in the shop right now as he is in Greece, but check back in a few weeks. You can check the shop, Constandeno, out here.
Outfit no. 02
The blue maxi dress below was purchased online at Macy's. They were on sale for $19.99 and I had an online coupon, so I ended up getting it in two colors for about $14.00 each. The tan and gold skinny was from another dress. The white sweater is from Target and can be worn on top of practically everything. It's very lightweight and airy. I am a big cardigan lover and these types of sweaters are the perfect summer fix for me.
The watch is just a generic boyfriend watch that I bought off of Ebay. I really don't like to spend money on things I know I won't get my use out of, and that almost always includes accessories, so most of mine are pretty and cheap. The brown rhinestone bracelet was $4.00 from Target and the other gold and multi-colored one I made myself. Maybe, I'll post a how-to tutorial on them in case anyone is interested.
I originally found this rhinestone and leather cross bracelet on Etsy but they are available everywhere now.
The necklace is a locket that used to belong to my grandmother. She gave it to me about 11 years ago. It is engraved with a cross and the letters IC XC NI KA. This locket is so precious to me, as are the photos it holds.
These gold metallic sandals have been my favorite spring/summer shoes. They are super comfortable and go with almost everything. They're from the Kenneth Cole Reaction line and the style is All Glam. I ordered them from Zappos and had a 20% off coupon. Regular price is $39.99 and their shipping is free.
And this, now brace yourself, is by far my absolute favorite summer accessory. It is a brushed brass and rhinestone hair clip. And they're reading glasses. Yes, I am a proud forever nerd. I can't wait to wear this.I got this at Kohl's using one of their awesome 30% off coupons. You can find it online here.
What are your summer favorites?