OOTD: Woodland Creature

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

When it comes to style and comfort in the Fall- one of my go-to ensembles is typically a pair of flattering skinny jeans, a nice and loose-fitting sweater, and sturdy boots (which I actually posted about not that long ago!) but sometimes- like this past weekend, for example- I need to put something together that can beat both the leftover soaring Summer temperatures that are still lingering around here while simultaneously allowing me to combat the rain that has traveled my way from this most recent round of hurricanes and tropical storms that made their way up the coast.

Enter this lightweight and breezy olive green mini-dress I picked up around this time last year while preparing for a week-long stay that split my time between Las Vegas and San Diego. The fabric it’s made from- ridiculously soft and wrinkle-proof- helps me stay warm (but not too warm) while my trusty knee-high, faux-leather brown boots keep my feet dry when I’m stepping through puddles on my way into the office.

If it’s colder outside- I typically wear leggings with this outfit- but since it’s been unusually (and stifling) hot out these past few days- I’ve gone bare-legged. One of my co-workers who saw me in this last week told me that I looked like Link from “Legend of Zelda”- which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right?

“It’s Dangerous to Go Alone! Take This!”

Regardless of whether or not I look like an elf on a mission- This is another Autumn-esque outfit I love to wear before it gets too cold outside for me to show much skin. It could be considered another transitional outfit between seasons- but it’s also easy enough to dress up or down year-round depending on the occasion it’s being worn for.

Not pictured? My brown saddlebag- which is pretty much glued to me at this point- but since I’ve shown it plenty of times across social media, I thought I could put it down for a few minutes while I posed for photos (it makes me look more like Link, anyway!)

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Summer-To-Fall Transition

Good Morning and TGIF! I took an earned personal day from work to give myself another long weekend to do whatever I please- and I plan on kicking things off this morning with a salted caramel mocha latte and a trip to Hampton Beach’s annual End-of-the-Summer Seafood Festival to eat half of my body weight in crab cakes and browse the sales racks for some bargains I can grab and store away for next bikini season (or for my next trip to Southern California!)

And speaking of Summer fashion- it’s time for that peculiar New England weather again. I’m talking about those first couple of weeks in September where the mornings are crisp and chilly and you leave your house bundled up in a sweater- but by noon the temperatures have skyrocketed and you’re succumbing to heat stroke.

The transition from a Summer-to-Fall wardrobe can be a bit tricky where I live- especially when it comes to choosing pieces that are versatile enough to keep me warm in the mornings but not overheating by the afternoons- and I think I’ve found a pretty basic but winning combination that manages to do both. This ensemble is one I wore around Vermont this past weekend when it was pouring outside- and I stayed completely comfortable.

I try to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to my day-to-day outfits- especially if I’m going to be wearing something all morning or afternoon at work and/or to plans immediately after I leave my office- so breathable fabrics this time of year are a lifesaver. I own a couple of different colored variations of this cotton, quarter-sleeved striped shirt I picked up at Old Navy during one of their last sales events (they have the most cozy tops, FYI!)– and I feel both the cut and the length compliment my figure nicely.

For my legs, I look no further than quality dark-colored skinny jeans or jeggings (AKA my second skin and the best invention of all time) with a knee-high pair of boots to get me through anything that comes my way this time of year- including a lot of rain- which is exactly what we’ve been seeing around here lately! I love these brown leather ones, which I’ve owned for years and are still going strong. The small heel on them gives my legs a more elongated look- but I can still walk in them for hours at a time without killing my feet.

And finally- I recently made the seasonal handbag switch from my see-through, water & sand-proof pink purse to this brown, faux-leather cross-body saddle bag with a fringe tassel that I had been obsessing over since I first laid eyes on it online and recently picked it up (also at Old Navy!) It holds all of the essentials, and so far- I haven’t lost anything at the bottom of it like I usually do- so I’m pretty happy with this purchase. This is going to get me through mid-to-late November until it’s time to break out my favorite Kate Spade bag for the Winter again!

With boot and sweater season upon us- I’m excited to share some of my other favorite outfits for the Fall in the coming weeks- but ones like this are my go-to when Summer is still fighting to stick around for a little while longer!

And now, I’m off to get an early start on my weekend! Have a good one, everybody. See you all next week!

xx

– Ashley –