penny loafers!

Oh lawdy, I can't believe they're back. I knew when I sold mine original Bass shoes at a rummage sale several years ago for $5 that I'd want them back!   Check out Ralph Lauren's History of  Penny Loafer or History of a Shoe: Penny Loafers.

I'm seeing iterations of the original penny loafer everywhere for fall, and am half on board. They can look really cute or just too 80's prep. They look great styled here:

Here are some some of the penny loafers for sale these days:

Muted Shades Loafers from Anthropologie -- These are getting rave reviews for the comfort and the colors are adorable. Nicely priced too at $70.

Biella Patent Loafers at J.Crew -- Love this pretty color.  Non-patent leather too. Pricey.













G.H. Bass & Company originals for $89 or you could get the same G.H. Bass loafers at J.Crew for more! (lol)

Belden Loafers at LE Canvas













Harvest Wedges at L.L. Bean aren't the classic flat, but if you need height, they are on sale for only $59.99 and look really cute. They also have them in some fun colors/suede.













Love these Tory Burch loafers in red.













What do you think? Are you on board? I haven't decided, but am tempted by comfort.

j.crew review: viridian green double serge, red schoolboy blazer & quincy tartan!

Hello everyone! Excited to share with you some pictures of new fall arrivals at la Crew! So settle in for some scrolling...lots o' pictures. :)

No. 2 Double Serge Pencil Skirt in wool -- Viridian Green is gorgeous!!! The color is to die for and IMO is the best piece of fall that I've seen so far. Yes, it's lined! (lol, there was a lot of hoopla about the lining, and in the end, thank goodness, it worked out.) It's a lovely cool greenish peacock color that I'm in love with completely. It's not quite green and it's not quite turquoise, but works with both of those colors. The fit is TTS compared to last year's wool pencil (I took a 4). My PS said the viridian green is going to be a hard color to get. Like ochre in store last year (at least in our area), it's flying off shelves/online. My store said the waiting list for the next batch is almost filled. But we'll see, could easily be just a gambit to make everyone pay FP. ha.

I've taken pictures with various pieces (Casbah blouse, Anthro's A-bit-unruly top, Sun-drenched Sweatshirt, Leslie Lace Shell, Boy Shirt in Quincy Tartan -- all of which look great with it!), and also laid it out with some different shoes, scarves, sweaters in greens and turquoise, so you can kind of see the shade of it better.

Love the Boy Shirt in Quincy Tartan -- the colors are vibrant and beautiful. Love, love, love. I went with a 4 (my usual). 

 

Wool Flannel Schoolboy Blazer -- I tried both the Decadent Red (not in stores yet) and Heather Caramel, which is in store. The red is definitely more red than the orange/cerise I originally imagined it to be, but that's not a bad thing. I think it's a really striking color and that's the best thing about it. I also love the camel color (and will share pictures shortly -- I just got soooo hot trying stuff on).  However, all that being said, it definitely doesn't feel nearly as luxe and thick as it should for $188.  I mean, I can see that it will likely wrinkle, which is just...urgh. I drive around all-the-live-long day, and I'd be pissed if this jacket is a hot mess in the back when I get out of the car. The same I'm sure would go for those of you sitting at desks.

Pros: lovely color, fitted schoolboy cut (although it might be too short for some torsos), gold buttons. Cons: wool flannel material is just lacking. Boo.   So is it worth FP?  I don't think the camel is and I'm on the fence about the red, only b/c it might sell out before it hits a sale. Here are a bunch of pics, wearing with just a plain white tee, and then with a cashmere tee in an orange color that would work (most of my sweaters are packed away). I also took some pics of the Factory Tortoise Cuff and Link necklace (which can be double wrapped BTW).

If I decide not to keep it, I can still somewhat recreate that gorgeous catalog look with my Elsa Jacket, as I styled on Polyvore here:

catalog inspiration by shopwithm

What do you think of these pieces? Have you ordered/tried any out? Please share! :)

p.s. Free shipping today at 6pm.com if you're on the hunt for some good shoe deals. ;)

boden fall arrivals picks.

Hello everyone!  First, I'd like to thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes!!

Boden recently launched their fall arrivals, and I've found a good number of items to love, especially in the dresses/tunics. I was drawn to their teals and scarlet. My catalog came with a 15% off and free ship/return code, so I will likely give something a try.

Casual Dress -- Definitely loving this in mallard velvet. I can't decide if this will feel too dressy for day wear (ironic, since it's called Casual), but it's really cute.

Chic Wool Dress -- Here's another way to wear the mallard color, but in wool. Perfect for work and could also be worn outside work with some fun accessories and boots.

City Wool Dress -- Cranberry is gorgeous. Perhaps might be better than the J.Crew red dress that is soon to debut....we'll see.

Printed Cord Dress -- I love corduroy, especially a fine pinwale. The silhouette is flattering and I love the Coal Honesty (?) colorway! This is wishlisted for me.

Uplifting Cord Dress -- I think you'd just feel cheery wearing the Grape one, no?

Notch Neck Knit Dress -- Super easy, worn with tights or leggings.













Polka Dot Shift -- Polka dots are just happy. Violet is my favorite.

Pretty Wool Shift -- Ooh, this is so pretty, albeit a bit pricey. However, with a discount code and free ship, not too bad, especially since you just need to throw on tights and shoes/boots and go. I like the Fig Heritage Rose, although there is a chance it could look like wallpaper. Love the neck detail and the shape.

Everyday Tweed Mini -- Duck Egg Melange seems very similar in color to the J.Crew viridian green pencil skirt, so could be another option. Remember that their minis are not super crazy short (19.1a'), and they offer a Long option(20.9")!

Fun Knit Tunic -- This is one of my favorites, in the Charcoal Melange. I could see this being a staple piece, with tights, leggings, jeans, boots, flats, etc.

Breton Tunic - Yay, fall stripes!! Love the gray/ecru.

Uptown Flats -- Penny loafers are back and this is a cute modern version in nice colors.

Autumn Breton -- The cute striped top made weightier for fall. Cute button detail on shoulder!

Colorblock Cuff Top -- At first I wasn't sure about this top, but then I kept going back to it. It has a nice retro vibe, without going over the top, and the crepe de chine fabric is a nice choice.

Hamptons Tee -- Bright green stripe is my favorite. Still not sick of stripes, so I'm happy to see them for fall!

Bella Jumper -- Love this in the chili colorway. Simple, but those sleeves give it something special.

Printed Cardigan -- Pretty in floral or leopard print.

Favorite Satchel -- Fun in the scarlet. Perfect for a bright pop of color.

Leopard Tote -- Love!

Printed Scarf -- I have this in the blue/red colorway from summer (dedicated to the royal wedding) and looove it! Super soft, great length, great print. Sulpher would be great to go with all the J.Crew ochre pieces from previous years.

Skinny Belt -- So cute in the leopard and spots with the bit of color. Reminds me of some shoes J.Crew put out years ago.

What do you think of Boden's fall rollout? Will you be trying anything out?

another year younger.

Today is my birthday everyone, and I'm taking the day off of blogging. I will hopefully be hitting la Crew to take some pics of new arrivals for y'all. I received a lovely giftcard from my sis and my rewards card, they are burning a hole in my pocket!  I received some sale goodies yesterday, and they are all perfection, yay!

Here's what I"ll be wearing:

giverny & iris by shopwithm featuring kate spade handbags

Have a wonderful day!