Brand Spotlight: The Talbots Friends and Family Sale

I’ve mentioned before that Talbots is one of my favorite brands, they have a great mixture of fun and classic pieces. Their Friends and Family Sale started last week and will continue until May 6th. That means 30% off everything!

The storefront of the original Talbots in Hingham, MA – still in operation today.

I may have gone a little crazy on my last shopping trip- but they honed in on my girliest weaknesses: lace, coral, mint, bows, sparkle… they have it all. Here are a few of my favorite pieces from their most recent collection:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

As shown above:

Pia Lace and Metallic Leather Peep-toe flats $119

Pineapple Basket Wrap $59.50

Cabochon Teardrop Earrings in celery $29.50

Vine-Lace Sheath in ivory $199

Rhinestone Bow necklace $59.50

Polka-Dot Wrap in cherry sorbet $59.50

Paisley Lace Top in cherry sorbet $79.50

There are so many perfect stand-out pieces for summer! I also love these little scottie-dog socks…

Scottie Trouser Socks- $9.50 at Talbots

They’re wearing little pink collars!

Will you be visiting the Talbots Friends and Family Sale? Do you agree with my picks? Which of the items is your favorite?

New Brand Crush: Warby Parker

Last weekend I visited one of my all-time favorite people! He and I have been close friends since high school, and although at first glance we both seem to have completely transformed since then, I have only grown to appreciate him more. He is creative, spontaneous, and stylish. Recently one of his friends went to work for Warby Parker, and through that friend he has gotten to know the company and has become a passionate proponent of what they’re trying to do: transform the eye-glass industry.

Doesn’t sound revolutionary enough for you? Most glasses are produced by just a few powerful companies who artificially control and inflate prices. Warby Parker was founded in 2010 by several former students of the Wharton School of Business who saw that heavy-handed market control and price inflation as a problem that they wanted to solve. Not only did they decide to produce incredibly stylish glasses at a much lower price, they pledged that every pair of glasses they sold would be matched with a pair given away to someone in need through the charity VisionSpring, in their own words, “Almost one billion people worldwide lack access to glasses. This means that 15% of the global population cannot effectively learn or work – a problem that Warby Parker is determined to address.”

I was already impressed by my friend’s endorsement and the company’s mission, then charmed by their… let’s be honest… adorable company bios, when I began looking through the actual glasses. I wasn’t disappointed. I found that different pairs were in turn, funky, classic and stylish. I am really lusting after the Liv sunglasses in Burgundy Fade, and they’re only $95!

Warby Parker Liv Sunglasses in Burgundy Fade $95

While Warby Parker does the majority of their business online, they just opened a flagship store at 121 Greene St. in Soho.

Warby Parker Flagship Store in Soho- photo from the Hollywood Reporter

Warby Parker has gained  popularity in an incredibly short amount of time, and you can spot their sunglasses in editorial spreads in magazines and in one of my favorite blogs, College Prep. It’s always more fun to support a company when you believe in their mission, and it’s hard not to endorse the lofty goals of Warby Parker. As Genevieve Bahrenburg wrote in her article for Vogue, Warby Parker has a simple message, “Look sharp, pay less, do good.”

What I wore: One of those days

Yesterday was just one of those days. I had to wake up very early; I was tired, I was grumpy, and I anticipated doing some mild manual labor. I just wanted to wear something comfortable. So I wore this!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Outfit: Tea n’ Rose Cardigan (similar: Nordstrom, The Outnet, Loft, Charlotte Russe),  Michael Kors Jeans, Calvin Klein infinity scarf (similar: Target), White v-neck tee, and Jessica Simpson metallic snakeskin flats (easily substituted with gold flats, leopard flats, or these).

It’s about as basic as you can get, but I liked the trendy spring pop of sherbert, and though you might not be able to make it out in the shot, my earrings were mint. It was very soft and easy to move in, which fit my purposes perfectly.

My earrings were a great buy at Target!

I couldn’t find them online, but they seem to still be available in stores.

I love the popular spring and summer colors this year; turquoise and coral have been everywhere, along with their more subdued mint and peach cousins. I already have mint jeans (more about that later) but I’m still trying to find other ways to work these splendid hues into my wardrobe. Any suggestions?

I especially love this look, found on pinterest:

Courtesy of Lilly’s Style

What an easy way to work this spring trend into a classic wardrobe! The eponymous Lilly is one of my favorite bloggers because of her creative ensembles. If you’re on pinterest, it’s likely you’ve been pinning quite a few of her photos without even realizing where they came from. This outfit is grand because it works with pieces that you probably have hanging in your closet already. My favorite items are always the staples you can recycle in a hundred completely different looks.

Her coral cardigan was purchased some time ago, so here are a few options other than what she lists on her site: The Tippi Cardi in light nectar at J. Crew, The Charming Cardi in pink flamingo at Talbots.

What I Wore: My Week of Nautical Nonsense Continues

As the weather warms and the highlights begin to appear in my hair (thank goodness), my love of nautical nonsense is growing. Energized by my experiment yesterday, I decided to post a few other nautical outfits I have stashed away in my closet!

1. Talbots does nautical: white jeans and a navy striped top; navy blazer optional:

Talbots Sequin Stripe Tee, Talbots Slimming Colored Jeans in White, Talbots peep-toe sling-back espadrilles (summer 2012, similar here)

I didn’t realize until I posted that photo that every piece I’m wearing comes from Talbots, but it is one of the best stores to find classic preppy staples. Once again, I apologize for the poor quality of the photo.

And in this shot: a well-cut blazer and poor camerawork!

2. Prime colors play well together

I wore the following outfit on the first warm day of the season, and it was wonderful. I rolled the windows down and drove with one of my closest friends to our nearest yogurt shop. I was happily delirious from the combination of sunshine and sugar!

The dress is Calvin Klein – no longer available, Forever 21 bag, Express flats

I also added an over-sized white blazer with rolled up sleeves for some extra warmth since it was breezy outside.

 

The white blazer is from Talbots- summer 2012

From another angle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The white blazer and dress are no longer available- so here are a few similar pieces:

Links below:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Essential Striped Dress at Forever21- originally $22.80, Calvin Klein Cap sleeve striped mini-dress with belt at Piperlime – $89, Gap Printed Sateen Sweetheart Dress-originally $69.95, H&M Jacket in natural white– $39.95 in stores

What are your favorite nautically inspired looks and pieces? Let me know in the comments section, and check out our pinterest board for more ideas!

What I Wore: Walking the Walk

Yesterday I went nautical! I decided to walk the walk, and rather than simply creating a bunch of nautical looks on polyvore and sending them untested into the universe, I wore one of the outfits I presented in my last post.

I have many of the nautical items featured in, “My Nautical Obsession,” (and many more that were not even mentioned, I told you, I’m obsessed) but I don’t have all of them. However, I wanted to recreate piece by piece at least one of the looks from just what I could find in my wardrobe, no cheating! Personally… I think it was a success!

Be still my heart…

Although I lack any of those infamous J.Crew bubble necklaces, I do have an older necklace with mint stones that I chose as a substitute in my recreation of Look 7. The bubble necklace would have been bolder, and would more successfully balance the outfit if you’re planning to take the denim blouse off, but I think you can still get the idea.

Great for a day of shopping or dinner out, take the chambray layer off to immediately dress the outfit up by showing some skin!

I was missing one other piece as well; I have several red shoes and several espadrille sling-back peep-toe wedges, but no combination of the two! So instead I used a pair of bright red pointy-toe flats. Here is the complete look:

Escuse the poor photo quality, I had to take the pictures myself!

My shoes are from Express and so comfortable! The other items are from previous seasons- the dress, belt, and necklace are from Forever 21, my chambray blouse is from Talbots. Just check my last post for affordable alternatives.

What nautical outfits are you wearing this summer? Do you have a different go-to summer look altogether? Please let me know in the comment section, and feel free to visit our Pinterest page for more style ideas!