Splurge vs. Save: Striped Pencil Skirt

Wearing:
Sincerely Jules "I say Yes To Love" tee
Forever 21 striped pencil skirt
Panama hat (purchased at the county fair)
vintage quilted leather purse
Dollhouse pumps
Mac "Party Parrot" lipstick

Whenever I'm on the hunt for something I really want, I always make sure to do a little research first.   And by doing "a little research" I mean browsing online and visiting stores to search for the item or one like it.  I always strive to buy the best quality garments at the best price.  I'm not gonna lie, I do love to splurge on certain quality items.  But if I can find something similar for a better price, I'll take it!   That's why I was super excited when Credit Card Insider contacted me to participate in their Splurge vs. Save Campaign.

For the past several months I had a striped pencil skirt on my mind.  I found this one by Theory, but I couldn't justify buying a simple black and white skirt that wasn't very versatile (the length makes it less wearable IMO).  

Theory Skirt via Bloomingdales ($235.00)

Then I found this one and I fell in love.  Unfortunately, the price tag scared me off.

J. Mendel High Waisted Pencil Skirt via Shopbop ($1090.00)

My search for the perfect striped pencil skirt led me to several more affordable variations.  So below I've listed 4 skirts I have found similar to the higher end skirts mentioned above.  And the best part of it?  They're all under $100.00.  Sure beats the other two with the hefty price tag, huh?  ;)

River Island Black and White Stripe Bandage Midi Skirt ($70.00)

Sanctuary Clothing striped pencil skirt via Dillards ($69.00)

The one I ended up buying was purchased at Forever 21 for $8.80.  I couldn't find the exact one online, but here are a few other alternatives:

Forever 21 striped Knee-Lenth Skirt ($10.80)

Forever 21 Standout Stripes Mini Skirt ($8.80)

Hope you enjoyed reading this post!  :)

xo  Azu

Outfit pictures taken by Amber.

What Dreams Are Made Of

Wearing:
ASOS prom dress in fluro jacquard
Vintage satchel
Manolo Blahnik pink patent leather BB pumps
Prada cat eye sunglasses
MAC "Flatout Fabulous" lipstick

There's a good reason this is a picture-heavy post.  I'm completely head over heels for this gorgeous floral dress.  Since last year, I had been trying to get my hands on it.  For months I stalked the ASOS website daily in hopes that it would be restocked.  My obsessive internet dress stalking paid off...because in February I was able to snatch it at a discounted price.  And I waited until a very special dinner to wear this dress. But trust me, it was hard waiting all those months to wear my dream dress :)

Thanks for reading and commenting!  I love reading your comments :)  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

xo  Azu

Orange Lips, Orange Blossoms

Wearing:
ASOS 90s crop top
Persaman floral embroidered skirt
Sam Edelman "Trina" sandal (or here, and here in silver)
Barney's wicker bag
Prada sunglasses
Mac "Morange" lipstick

You can't tell by looking at these pictures, but it was very breezy.  This skirt flares out quite a bit (as you can see in some pictures), but that darned cool breeze would kind of compress the skirt.

Anyway, I love a good orange colored lipstick.  I own another coral colored lipstick and it's equally as fun to wear as Morange.  Have any of you worn a bright orange lip before?  It makes me wish I had more orange in my closet.  I prefer to match my orange lips with something on my outfit.  I feel it makes more sense since it's kind of a rare color for lipstick.

It's almost the weekend!  I'm glad it is, because it's been a long week.  I'll "see" you guys in my next post.  Thanks for reading :)

xo  Azu

Blush

Wearing:
Forever 21 nautical stripe crop top
Topshop bubble jacquard midi skirt
Dollhouse pumps
Dior sunglasses
Vintage purse
Estee Lauder "Candy" lipstick

This is just a quick Saturday post.  I wanted to update you guys, outfit-wise.

I wore this outfit on mother's day.  The top is still available at F21, but unfortunately the skirt is sold out at Topshop and Nordstrom.  It may still be available in the light blue color.  It's really light weight so it's perfect for the hot days ahead.  The top is also very light weight and the mock turtle neck makes it more wearable.  The only downside is that it runs large.  So I tied it at the waist....which you can see in the second picture.  I may have to permanently take it in.  But for now, a small hair tie will do the trick.

Hope you're all having a great weekend so far!  Enjoy the last day of May :)

xo  Azu

Feels Like Fall Again

Wearing:
Neiman Marcus + Target collection cape
Charlotte Tarantola leopard print cardigan
AG Jeans "The Stilt"
Vintage quilted purse
Nine West "Main Stay" bootie
Dior sunglasses
Mac "captive" lipstick

Happy Memorial Day!

I was fortunate enough to have caught a glimpse of the Memorial Day parade in my town earlier today.  From what I saw, it was beautiful!  It literally put a smile on my face to see all the veterans walking around town with their uniforms.  The least we could do is greet and salute them.  :)  After all, they fought to protect our country.  Rest piece to all of those who died protecting this great nation.

Now let's move on to my outfit (there really isn't a good segway to go from patriotism to full blown fashion, is there?).  This actually isn't today's outfit.  It is much too hot today to wear anything but shorts or a skirt.  These pictures were taken on the first week of May.  As you can see, it really does look like a Fall outfit.  Nothing like this hot and cold weather to mix up this month's outfits.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

xo  Azu

Warm Weather Basics

Wearing:
Panama hat (from the county fair last year)
Equipment top
Joe's Jeans cut off shorts
Vintage quilted leather purse
Apepazza peep toe booties in the color bittersweet (I like pointing out the color every time because I like the way it sounds lol)
Mac "Impassioned" lipstick
Burberry watch

It's been heating up lately (and cooling down...then heating up again) here in the Bay Area.  Some days it feels like Summer.   Other days it feels like those strange Fall days that are warm and toasty, but cool and breezy at the same time.  On the day I wore this outfit, it was crazy hot for May.  It was over 90 degrees.  Originally, I planned on wearing a sun dress.  But I hadn't worn these shorts in a while and this soft silk blouse is perfect for hot weather.  So...this is what I ended up wearing.

I am pretty sure all of these items I'm wearing are considered "basics" in their own right.  With the exception of these boots, each of these pieces are all pretty Plain Jane (but in a good way, of course).  For Spring and Summer, a good lightweight hat is a must!  A silk blouse is also an essential for warm weather.  Unlike synthetic fibers, silk breathes and feels luxurious on your skin.  And who could forget a comfy pair of denim cut offs?  Yep...these are all pretty basic, but essential.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend, everyone :)  I hope you all get plenty of sunshine.

xo  Azu