what to wear to the office: the remote gal

Good morning, lovely friends! Hope your weekend was fantastic. Ours, though great in its own rite, did not go the way we planned. That Cavalier Meet-Up? We were the only people who showed up. I think the group has 600 members? We were the only ones. We had a good chuckle, let Charlie run around the dog park, then hopped back on the subway and headed home. Charlie enjoyed the air conditioned subway car:

If you're a regular around these parts, a few weeks ago we talked about work uniforms for those of who don't have traditional 9-5's. Let's continue that series with an ode to ladies like me: ladies who work from home. Don't think for a second that I wake up, shower and get dressed before I walk the 6 feet from my bed to my desk. I don't. For my entire life I've spent my time at home in jammies or the like, and I don't plan on changing that - for the most part. So I want to keep this outfit realistic but also challenge myself a bit; there's no reason I can't be uber comfortable while working at home, and there's also no reason I can't feel my best or close to it. With that in mind, here's what I'm dreaming up:

You have to have sweats, right? But let them be stylish. Pair them with a baller silk shirt that can easily be worn out of the house if you have an appointment. Stylish, comfy slip-ons for aforementioned appointment or for dog-walking, bodega-going, etc, and a structured vest that takes the whole outfit from work-at-home to WERK ALL NIGHT (it's Monday, okay? Just accept the cheese and move on). Any self-respecting woman on the go has a great watch, and now you're ready to work.

Enjoy, friends.

xoxo,

time to invest

The Nordstrom sale is happening. Well, early access if you have a Nordstrom card. Which you should / should not have. It is a useful tool when wielded correctly, but can be mighty dangerous. Beware. Let's talk about investments. A sale like this? Is the exact perfect time to invest in pieces that you've had your eye on for a while, but whose price tag makes you go:

You don't need clothes. You don't need to shop. Let's get those obvious statements out of the way. You don't need but you will do, so let's do it correctly. These are the pieces that are Allie approved for your consumption during this Nordstrom sale.

A great cardigan.

Something to take you from work to off days, and will transition beautifully from Summer to fall and then Winter to Spring. It can be a lightweight blazer or structured sweatshirt, too. Just let it be comfy and versatile.

A sexy yet functional rain coat.

This year, I've been kicking myself for not having a great shell with all this rain we've been having. It's not hard to do a raincoat really wrong (they can be boring or too sporty), so I love seeing this option at such a great price. Something to hand down to my niece or baller nephew one day.

Chambray all day.

You can never have too many denim shirts, in every shade. I wonder when I'll kick myself for saying that, but for now, scoop 'em up.

A silk shirt.

No one does structured silk shirts like Equipment. White is the most versatile but I just love the mossy color of this one.

Skinnies for shawtys.

I own these in black (seen here) and I think they may be eclipsing my Rag & Bone jeans for MVP. So good, not too long if you're short like me.

Best booties.

Do yourself a favor. Really.

Questions? Please, please have questions. Invest wisely, friends. Until tomorrow!

xoxo,

weirdo

Friends! Thanks for all of your kind words on yesterday's post - I'm so glad you were into it! In all seriousness, I'd love to hear some of your style stories; if you'd like to be featured on LRW (anonymously or not), drop me a line at allie AT littleredswell dot com! I'll be gathering ideas for next Monday's post until this Friday. As is evidenced from yesterday, I've been thinking a lot about my blog and this business (I'm approaching my one year mark!), and debating how I fit in and how I don't.

// top // jeans // sneaks //

I can try and be like every other blogger out there, with a perfectly polished brand and hundreds of thousands of followers, but at the end of the day, I gotta do me. And sometimes being me means laying down on a fallen tree and letting my friend photograph me for 30 minutes.

Because nothing feels better to me than collaboration and creating with like minded people. Nothing lights a fire under my ass more than making something out of nothing.

And truly, nothing is better than happy readers or happy clients.

So here's to all of you weirdos and "creative types," artists and wannabe artists and people who just don't necessarily fit in all the time. Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

photos by Ashley Caroline, fellow artist and weirdo.

real deal // huge steal = black boots

Friends! I'm back on the East Coast and I am loving. this. foliage. I'm headed out with my friend crush Victoria after this post is published (and I get my tooth fixed at the dentist...), and today is sure to be an adventure. Tonight I'll finally be reunited with my loves Raven and Charlie! I did the impossible, today, friends. I found an affordable alternative to the most coveted booties of all time:

Rag & Bone Harrow Booties // Dolce Vita Haelyn Booties

The above boots by Rag & Bone are my favorite boots in the entire world. Here's a shoot I did with them. Love them though I do, they are SO expensive, and keep appreciating in cost as their popularity grows. I bought them for almost $100 less 6 months ago. Luckily, Dolce Vita just released a dead ringer for more than half the price. What thinks you?

Friends, Happy Monday. Wednesday is LRW's birthday and there is A LOT going on that day (read: prizes). So please keep comin' back this week (and every week, cuz I luh ya).

xoxo,

FIVER: my summer essentials

Morning, friends! Hope your weekend was great! Mine was jam packed with a shoot, a wedding, and a closet makeover, so I'm definitely not complaining (sneak peeks can be found on FB and Instagram!). It's Monday, it's August, and it's cool outside - is anyone else as excited about this as I am? I'm guessing not. This summer I feel like I've got my uniform DOWN. I've been building up my wardrobe piece by piece and I wanted to share with you guys my summer essentials - items I wear daily that I can't get enough of.

1. Great tees. I know I talk about great tee shirts all the time - but I can't stress enough how much of a difference they make! Buy one a year, or hit a sale like I did and scoop up 3 or 4. Wear them with jeans, tucked in or out, a summery skirt, or as a coverup substitute.

2. Throw-on Denim. Getting ready should be all about ease, meaning, for me, whatever I can find on my floor most days. These boyfriend jean shorts have been on my person almost daily this summer. The cut is loose fitting and forgiving, while flattering. I've worn these to babysitting jobs, meetings, and date nights.

3. The comfiest bra in existence. Since I don't really have boobs, I love wearing non-bras. Breathable, lightweight, and sexy peeking through a sheer tee. I encourage you to try these; even if you've got bigger boobs, these bras are perfect for vacations or trips to the beach.

4. Versatile Sandals. A pair you can throw on while wearing workout clothes, going to work, or a wedding. Again, it's summer, we shouldn't have to think too hard about what we put on our bodies.

5. Jewels. These days it seems, the tinier the better, and that's alright with me. Take your time and choose pieces that you won't get sick of. Just like Batman getting suited up, you have your jewels ready to go. Earrings, check. Bracelet, check. Awesome necklace, check. Ready to fight crime and basic folks.

Happy Monday, lovelies!

top image my own, gif via.