November 29, 2013

A GUIDE TO THE J. CREW SALE SECTION

I love J. Crew just as much as the next girl. And how could you not? The pieces are preppy with just the right amount of quirk and trend. But like most postgrads, the price tags don't really match my budget. If you are going to invest in some pieces, J. Crew is an excellent place to do it. But for the trendier items, I watch the sale section like a hawk. I have been coveting the camel sweater for so long and I was overjoyed to see it went on sale, and then I went to the store and the sale was an additional 40% off! Major happy dance happened.

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the in store sale at J. Crew is SO MUCH more marked down than online. Really. I got these five pieces below for $130 total. Original prices would have totaled to $504+tax. Online it would have totaled to $266+tax. Literally I got five pieces on sale for the price of one regular priced shirt. Moral of the story is if you like something online that is on sale, call your local J. Crew to see if they have it.

I bet you it will be even less expensive.

Other tips? If you like something but they don't have your size, try it in a size or two in either direction. One shirt I bought was a size 10 and another is a size 6, but they both fit. They can also order your size from another store so keep that in mind. Or buy it bigger and get it tailored! They often also have different styles in the sale section at the store than online. 


J. Crew

Originally: $98.00
Online: $69.99 + 30% off 
In Store: $69.99 + 40% off

Originally: $110.00
Online: $89.99 + 30% off 
In Store: $24.99 + 40% off

Originally: $88.00
Online: $69.99 + 30% off 
In Store: $24.99 + 40% off

Originally: $110.00
Online: $79.99 + 30% off 
In Store: $39.99 + 40% off

Originally: $98.00
Online: $69.99 + 30% off 
In Store: $39.99 + 40% off

November 28, 2013

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Image via The Pretty Blog

Happy Thanksgiving Postgrads!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful time celebrating and taking time to be thankful! 

November 26, 2013

POSTGRAD LOVES: AFFORDABLE ACTIVEWEAR

The Holidays are a great time to amp up your fitness routine. Not because you are going to eat a lot of food, but because with the time off you have plenty of time to get a run or spin class in without being tired from work. I'm also constantly trying to find affordable, quality fitness gear, because let's be real, even though we all love Lulu, it hurts my wallet to fork over nearly  $100 per piece. But, with the holiday sales coming up there are plenty of good places to get your fitness essentials. Some of my favorite places for activewear are Gapfit, Target, Old Navy, and Victorias Secret. Zella, a Nordstrom brand, is also amazing and they have great sales and deals at Nordstrom Rack. Forever21 also has cute, trendy pieces, but wear them for your low impact workouts, like yoga!



Fitness Essentials


Purple Sports Bra, C9 by Champion $12 - Black Sports Bra, American Eagle $25
 Stripe Sports Bra, Forever 21 $12 - Socks, Forever 21 $1.50
Thick Headband, Gapfit $5 - Double Headband, Zella $10 - Shorts, Zella $15
Sweatpants, H&M $32 - Jacket, American Eagle $50 - Top, C9 by Champion $9 
Bag, Gapfit $50 - Yoga Mat, Gaiam $35 - Water Bottle, Contigo $13

On the topic of Holiday food, let's get one thing straight. You are not going to gain tons of weight from Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you are going to 10 Holiday parties, then sure, be a little more careful about what you eat. But instead of panicking over pumpkin pie, just stick to a clean diet the other days and try to get some exercise in there.




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November 25, 2013

HOW TO: PACK FOR THE HOLIDAYS LIKE A PRO

Welcome to the longest post I have written. But bear with me! It's full of great tips. Today we're going to tackle how to pack for the Holidays. I have (luckily!) done quite a bit of traveling in my day, and subsequently have gone from an uninformed overpacker to a travel pro.

First off, lugging around a huge suitcase just sucks. Taking it on public transportation sucks. Getting it in and out of cars sucks. Taking it up and down stairs sucks. Pulling it off the luggage carousel sucks. Dragging it over curbs sucks. Pulling it through crowds sucks. So don't bring one. Learn to pack lightly and carry a small bag, or something like that.

One key is to wear your heavy items on the plane. Seriously, if it's winter you will find me carrying my peacoat and wearing boots on the plane. It saves you SO MUCH space in your suitcase. Besides that, wear your ever day jewelry thats easy to slip off for security. Never forget your sunnies and a big tote that fits your laptop and magazines. I also like to wear jeggings since they are more comfortable than jeans.


ON THE PLANE


Peacoat, Mango $190 - Sweater, H&M $40 - Jeggings, American Eagle $34
Boots, Franco Sarto $159 - Tote, Zara $36 - Aviators, Zero UV $10 - Glasses, Zero UV $3 - Scarf, Topshop $36
Triangle Necklace, Club Manhattan $27 - Initial Necklace, Kate Spade Saturday $30
Stackable Rings, Robert Lee Morris $48 - Nail Ring, Les Pommettes $20 

Like I said, I used to overpack like crazy. I obviously always wanted perfect outfits, and I wanted lots of options so I could dress for my mood. Rookie mistake. Instead, pack versatile pieces that you can mix and match.

My essentials list:

 Tops
-A leather Jacket
-Utility Jacket
-One Dressy Top
-One Patterned Top (obviously plaid for winter!)
-One Nice Dress

Bottoms
-Boyfriend Jeans
-White, Cream, or Black Skater Skirt

Accessories
-One Statement Necklace
-One Pair of Tights
-One Clutch
-Three Bangles

Shoes
-One Pair of Heels
-One Pair of Flats
-One Pair of Ankle Boots (optional)


PACK THIS

Leather Jacket, Forever21 $25 - Utility Jacket, Maurices $49 -Boyfriend Jeans, H&M $49
Skater Skirt, River Island $20 -Dress, Fashion Union $41 - Flannel, TideShe $32 - Tank, Miss Selfridge $21
Heels, Daily Look $35 - Ankle Boots, Madden Girl $50 - Flats, ASOS $36 - Tights, Zara $17
Clutch, Forever New $40 - Necklace, 2B Stores $14
Orange Bangle, Kate Spade $32 - Gold Bangle, Bauble Bar $32 - Skull Bracelet, Karma Loop $20


Being in California my list is obviously a bit different than much colder climates, but you can adapt it as you see fit. Pretty much all these pieces can be dressed up or dressed down, which is really important because I never really know what I will be doing at home. The nice dress is also optional, but I have a nice Thanksgiving dinner and an engagement party this break so it was a necessary piece for me.

A few ways to mix and match these...

Day Looks
DAY TIME



Night Looks
NIGHT



Are you traveling this Holiday season? Share your packing tips in the comments!

November 18, 2013

WHAT TO WEAR: BARS TO BOYFRIEND SWEATERS


I often steal man friends shirts and sweaters (sometimes even his jeans) and wear them to grab coffee on weekend mornings. I am lucky enough to live close enough that I don't usually pack an overnight bag, but sometimes I'm caught without an outfit to wear the next day after hitting the bars. Luckily, I usually have a pair of jeans laying around at his house for when this happens. My tips for making it appear stylish and not walk of shame-y is to pair your boyfriend's oversize sweater with a pair of skinnies and then toss on your sunglasses and a big necklace. 

On the left is a typical outfit I would wear out in SF (plus a jacket!) and the right is how you can transition a few pieces to grab some coffee or run morning errands in your boyfriends sweater.

I usually steal his sweaters anyways so this isn't far off from a normal look for me. Hehe!


NIGHT TO DAY


NIGHT:
Top, H&M $35 - Skirt, Topshop $44
Necklace, Mimi Boutique $45 - Bag, ASOS $45
Booties, Qupid $47 - Lipstick, Topshop 'Inhibition' $16

DAY:
Sweater, 3.1 Philip Lim for Target $25 - Skinnies, Miss Selfridge $46 -
Necklace, Mimi Boutique $45 - Bag, ASOS $45 -Sunglasses, Quay $38

November 15, 2013

FOUR BEAUTY LOOKS TO STEAL FOR HOLIDAY PARTIES

I was so excited for holiday parties, and then realized I'm 24 and the only holiday party I'm going to is Ludachristmas. Guess I'm not growing up any time soon.

Regardless, I still love imagining my beauty looks for when I'm 30 and cool and going to swanky holiday soirees. Here are four looks I'm loving for the holiday season!

Natural and Shimmery

Bold Brows and Lips

Classic Eyes and Red Lips

Voluminous Lashes and Pinky Nude Lips

November 13, 2013

WHAT TO WEAR: WAYFARE TAVERN

Last weekend for my birthday, the man friend took me to Wayfare Tavern. And holy poop, it was SO good. First off, when you walk in, it looks like a comfy, chic mountain lodge that belongs to the editor of GQ. Super swank, but so comfortable and warm. We had the pleasure of sitting at the chef's table, which is actually a bar that looks into the kitchen. The chefs chatted with us throughout the meal and came out several times to see how our food was. And they sent us some twice baked potatoes, and I love me some potatoes.

Anyways, the food was amazing. Besides the potatoes, we started with mac and cheese, then had fried chicken and steak with a bone marrow bordelaise. Plus a braised wedge salad and the twice baked potatoes. Then we had a apple spiced cake with scorched milk ice cream and cinnamon glass for dessert. And then they give you coffee cake bites.

I had a serious food coma after.


Dining Room


As for what I would wear... I definitely did not dress appropriately when i visited, but I didn't care cause it was my birthday. I had on a pearly leather skater skirt and a beaded top with low heels. Everyone else was pretty much wearing jeans, boots, and sweaters. Except this one weird table of people who looked like they were in Vegas.. anywho. It is the PERFECT place for a cape. Definitely upscale casual, you know what I mean?


WHAT TO WEAR: WAYFARE TAVERN

Top, J. Crew $65 - Vegan Leather Pants, UNIQLO  $30
Cape, Yesstyle.com $50 - Faux Fur Collar, Dubarry $29
Ring, Charming Charlie $10 - Purse, Forever21 $25 - Smoking Loafers, Sole Society $60

November 11, 2013

POSTGRAD LOVES: OXBLOOD


Oxblood has become a staple fall color, and I'm obsessed. It's pretty and rich, and slightly gothic. It also works fantastically as a neutral. You can pile it on with pretty much anything in your fall wardrobe. And the velvet smoking loafers? I die.

OXBLOOD

T-shirt, Pull and Bear $16
Coats, Cichic $46
Bra, Topshop $36
Smoking Loafers, ASOS $36
Bag, Steve Madden $30
Wallet, Sole Society $30
Ring, Hoss Intropia $45
Earrings, Betsey Johnson $25
Fedora, Miss Selfridge $44
Scarf, Warehouse $35
Lipstick, Laura Mercier $26
Nail polish, Essie $6

November 6, 2013

LUST/MUST



Hats



Tartan


Lace

LUST:
Fedora, Rag & Bone 175
Tartan Moto, Preen $1871
Tartan Blazer, Moschino $2,212
Boots, Nicholas Kirkwood $1,690

MUST:
Fedora, H&M $24
Tartan Moto, Hurley $90
Tartan Blazer, Love Ady $76
Boots, Zara $119