Old Navy, for seasons both sweaty and chilly

There are some outfits that are so easy that you almost feel like you're cheating, and when it's so hot outside that I break a sweat just thinking about going outside, I could use some shortcuts. My favorite? The faux two-piece dress.Sure, it is not that tough to tuck a tank top into a cotton skirt, but Old Navy knows that in August everything needs to be easier. Enter the Mock Two-Piece Tank Dress, $24.50. You don't need to worry about matching or bunching--dedicate that brain space to finding as many air-conditioned buildings as possible.


But while the cool temperatures of fall seem eons away, fall dresses are already here. We're only 35 degrees away from cozy sweater dresses like these:

Boatneck Sweater Dress, $36.50, in Goodnight Nora (seriously, that's the name of these stripes--I don't even know where to start with that. There's also a nice dark green shade called "Pining Away," which I'm much more on board with).





Argyle V-Neck Sweater Dress, $36.50.

Whites from J.Crew

J.Crew is having a sale's-on-sale event, at least for a few more hours. I feel like J.Crew does these so often that it's no longer a big deal, and if you're shopping the sale and not getting an extra 20 or 30% off, then you need to practice some patience. Not that I'm complaining! I love the extra discount with all my heart! Especially when it lets me buy a perfect summer dress and a perfect transition sweater.

I've been wanting a little white dress for ages, and this one is pretty perfect. The Aubrey Halter Dress, $39.99, is classic but still casual enough for the beach or a ballgame. This summer, I really want to rock the white dress/turquoise jewelry look--it's a little retro but I think not dated, I don't think. Chunky bracelet with matching earrings? I already can't wait for the scorching hot weather that's necessary for this outfit. I should give credit: while I've been a fan of the white/turquoise look for a while, I was reminded of how awesome it is by this picture of Summer Glau:

Doesn't she just look exquisitely summer-y? Who knew that freaky chick from Firefly would turn out to be such a hottie?

I also got the Dolce Cable Knit sweater in ivory, $29.99. All winter, whenever I've been getting dressed in the morning and just didn't feel capable of putting forth the effort to look cute, I'd throw on a navy crewneck cabled sweater from the Gap. It's a little dowdy but super comfortable and there's literally nothing that will clash with it. But it's too thick to wear when it gets warm, hence this lighter (both in color and thickness) version of the same sweater. I'm also hoping this one will be a little more flattering, with the wide neck and loose cables. I also have this image of wearing this sweater with a navy seersucker bikini bottom while on a yacht... it's my ever-present Ralph Lauren lifestyle porn fantasy. It would also look cute and surprising with some brightly colored shorts on a chilly spring morning.

I was also really tempted to get this Contrast Pencil Skirt, $79.99. I liked it because it reminded me of this dress Emma Watson wore on Letterman or something a few years ago:
The J.Crew version is a lot less design-y, but still very chic. The back will elicit double-takes, but not in a tacky way.


This is a lot of white, off-white, and ivory, and I'm really trying to get more color into my wardrobe. So here are some things I might get when they go on sale or get further discounted.

There's a woman in my office who reminds me of Joan from Mad Men--super curvy, impeccably put together, total girl crush material. She looks like iCarly, and since she's not a redhead like the actual Joan, she often wears bright red and looks absolutely rocking. This cardigan reminded me of her--amazing color, super soft cashmere, perfect fit, probably worn over a snug grey dress. The cashmere crewneck cardigan is $99.99--I'm betting it goes down in price a bit more before selling out.

Oh, this is just lovely, lovely.

The Sunshine peony coccinelle dress, $138, is the kind of dress I want to be wearing 24/7. Vintage feel, not trying too hard to be cute, but still the kind of pattern that makes you think, "I HAVE to know where she got that."

And when I want to be a little more bold with my florals, there's the vintage Poppy Erica dress, $250. I love how they styled it with a slightly manly belt, like "Yeah, I thought this outfit needed something extra so I grabbed my boyfriend's belt off his floor."

Argyle solves my academic woes

Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, not to mention common sense, I'm choosing to believe that the one thing I need to write three papers in a week is this "Straight A in Gray Sweater," $25:

It's so preppy! So collegiate! So "I'm smart and can just churn out 15 pages on Flannery O'Connor without breaking a sweat!"

Grown-Up Hoodies

I decided a few years ago that I was going to stop buying sweatshirts, particularly comfy hoodies. First, because I already own a bunch (just counting the hoodies I bought at the camp I went to as a kid and teen, I have five--three almost identical blue ones, a red one, and a grey one), and second, because they're just not the sort of thing a young woman, trying to find her adult style and build a wardrobe for the future, should be wearing. When you're wearing a hoodie, you're saying to the world, "I'm not trying, and I don't care."

I know, I'm being harsh. Don't get me wrong-- when I get home after a really long day, one of the first things I do is change into pajamas and throw on a hoodie. Wearing a hoodie is like getting hugged all day long! And I will admit to wearing a hoodie to class twice this semester: once was to my film class (which I thought was held in some sort of freezer until I realized I was just always choosing seats underneath the air vents), and another was the morning after celebrating my roommate's 21st birthday at a place that gave you unlimited pitchers of beer with your all you can eat buffalo wings and rib tips, when I had to wake up at 7 to write a short paper before going to a 3 hour seminar at 9:30. I probably would not have made it through that day if I wasn't able to hide inside that warm, fuzzy hoodie.

Anyway, I have a point to this: when you're on the cusp of adulthood, trying to spend your money wisely, you have to walk a careful line with what comfort clothes you want to buy. Introducing the adult hoodie! Luxurious fabrics (no fleece!), more tailored fit, saturated colors and no team logos-- perfect for this fall, and next fall, and the next 7 falls (you'll have to reevaluate when you're thirty).

I'm obsessed with this cotton argyle hoodie, $49.99, from J.Crew. Argyle never really goes out of style-- it's a preppy classic, and preppies never change. The bigger diamonds in the center, changing to outlines on the side, and then solid black sleeves: it's a simplified, understated approach to argyle. And I really like that the exact same pattern runs down the back, so people walking behind you can also enjoy your awesome style. Also, three-quarter sleeves are always a cute way to show a bit of skin.


What I really want, though, is a cashmere hoodie. Cashmere is the ultimate cold weather fabric: even if you're sequestered in a classroom or office, you can rub your sleeve and feel like you're spending the weekend snuggling in front of a fire at your rustic cabin in the Colorado mountains. I love how J.Crew styled this zip-up cashmere hoodie, $188, to look a bit more dressed up than you'd expect. I mean, what a great outfit-- you could wear this to work, a date, a party, dinner with friends, shopping... the luxe but simple hoodie makes the silk cami, tweed mini, and satin clutch seem so much more versatile than they would without it. Even on its own, this zip-up hoodie is fabulous: I especially love the longer length and the side pockets. Also, J.Crew is offering it in over 20 colors, which means that by Christmas this hoodie is going to be so deeply discounted that J.Crew will practically be paying you to buy it. Oh, how I love J.Crew holiday sales.

But if you don't want to wait, Martin + Osa has a cheaper option. The cotton-cashmere hoodie is on sale right now for $59.99. It's only 5% cashmere, so it won't be as soft or as warm as the real thing, but I'm sure it'll be plenty cozy. I like the tunic length, and I absolutely love the double zippers. So fun to play with! Oh, sorry, I forgot I was trying to shop like an adult-- I meant to say, Yes, it's machine washable!

Has anyone ever shopped from Martin + Osa? They're the adult spinoff of American Eagle, which I was really into as a high schooler, but now feel too old for. Martin + Osa seems like it would be a good fit for me, but their stuff seems too boring, and I don't know if the quality justifies the higher-than-I-like prices. Also, they have such small collections, although maybe I'm just used to browsing gap.com and seeing 55 different sweaters. So to any readers that have bought something from Martin + Osa, do you recommend them?

I have to be honest and say that I don't know how much I would wear this Old Navy Shawl Collar Pullover Hoodie, $29.50, in the future, but I totally want it now. Faux-fur hoods are amazing-- pop that hood up and you feel like an adorable, snuggly Eskimo! The open shawl collar makes it a bit more sophisticated, although part of the reason I wear regular sweatshirt hoodies is because they completely cover whatever shirt you're wearing underneath, which is nice when I'm too lazy to change out of the ragged old tank top I slept in the night before.

This hoodie looks like the most comfy, toasty, cozy thing to wear on a weekend night when you just want to hang out in your apartment and watch a movie. From Splendid, this 100% cashmere hoodie is $299, which could be a month's rent if you live someplace reasonable, aka not Manhattan. It has the kangaroo pouch in front, cute drawstring on the front hem, and since it's Splendid you know it's softer than a puppy and a baby combined. And almost as cute! I love the sporty thick stripes and the deep V-- I never thought a hoodie could be sexy, but this one just about does it.

But if I was really going to drop that much cash on a hoodie, it would be something from Mike & Chris. This designing duo is Mindy Kaling approved, which is something I look for whenever I make a shopping decision. She wrote, "They are the most flattering, comfortable clothes, but they make you look like this insanely cool badass girl who lives on Rivington Street or in Echo Park or something with her gorgeous, aloof boyfriend (but you secretly live in Midtown or by the Grove or something, like me)." What more could you want in a hoodie? I really like their Sutton Hoodie, $202, even though it's sort of cheating due to the fact the hood is detachable. But the covered zipper, exposed seams, and asymmetrical storm flap (confession: I don't know what that last one means, but ShopBop includes it in their product description and it sounds cool, so I'm including it in my list of pluses) add up to a tough little jacket-- I think I'd feel fearless wearing it.

But it is a tad boring, so here's a Mike & Chris hoodie that I definitely couldn't pull off, but I think would be perfect for my favorite fashion maverick, Danielle. The Floyd Hoodie, $211, has this crazy scarf/bow thing attached to the neck, something I definitely wouldn't be able to pull off. Danielle, on the other hand, could rock it. I do like the oversized buttons on the pockets and lapel, though.




But you know what? I'm not a full, mature adult yet, so I absolutely plan on buying this overpriced, horribly unflattering, not at all stylish monstrosity before I graduate. Isn't it totally creepy how they posed it to look like it's being worn by a ghost? From the NYU bookstore, this Hooded Sweatshirt is $59.95 (like I haven't spent enough on tuition).

Man Cardigans

I love men in cardigans. I also love John Krasinski. So imagine my delight at seeing this:
It's John Krasinski, rocking a man cardigan! Hot! And hanging out with Angela Kinsey! Cute!
Krasinski has a great "I may be a rising Hollywood star, but I majored in English at Brown" look, and cardigans fit perfectly with his style. You have to have confidence to wear a cardigan, because there's always a risk you'll look like a grandfather or an annoying hipster.


When in doubt, go J.Crew (I should get that tattooed backwards on my stomach, so I can see it in the mirror every time I get dressed). Every girl within 50 miles will be dying to snuggle with the guy in this cashmere cardigan, $248. Also, can I say that my feelings towards this J.Crew model are the same as Michael Scott's towards the chair model in the episode "Chair Model"? If I wasn't so afraid of looking pathetic, I'd admit that, based on how he looks in sweaters, I'm about 90% sure that this guy is my soul mate. If I found out that he was also an Olympic swimmer, I'd be about 100% sure.

This model isn't quite as cute, but perhaps more of a regular dude will inspire this blog's male readers (the few, the proud). The rugby-stripe merino cardigan, $89.50, is a more sporty option, good for those who want to avoid looking like Chuck Bass. The wide stripes in classic blue and black are a perfect compliment to the more adventurous cardigan shape.

Here's a cardigan that's similar to the grey one J.Kras is wearing in the second photo, and this cotton-cashmere tipped cardi is just $39. I'm a fan of cotton-cashmere blends, because they're a bit lighter (good for layering in the fall) and they're machine washable (good for when your mistress inevitably leaves a lipstick mark on your collar).

You might have noticed that all these guys are wearing cardigans over t-shirts, but there's a more dressed-up option. I wish I could find a photo that doesn't have this silver-haired model, but Grandpa will have to do. The solid cotton-cashmere cardigan, $49, is a classic option, and it looks even better over a basic blue button-down. This is a great casual Friday option, I think.

This isn't a cardigan, but as long as I'm adventuring through the men's department: I am in love with this sweater vest. The Auburn-stripe sweater vest, $39, is not at all twee or corny, like some ill-informed people seem to think sweater vests can be. It's just effortlessly adorable.


And to bring this post back to where it started: John Krasinski, you are an inspiration to men everywhere.