WEARING
Gap maxi dress | on sale now for $62, I am wearing a size small
Jil Sander sandals | Secondhand
Dannijo necklace | available at Saks fashion fix for $168!!
Custom leather tote by Admonish

I got this dress last week when Gap was offering 30% off dresses and I’m completely in love. I tried on the medium and the small and ended up with the small because I think it fits me better, and it was shorter. Now that I’ve washed/dried it, it’s even shorter, so the length now is perfect on me (I’m about 5’4″). And horizontal stripes…”they” say that they’re not “flattering” on curvy girls, but I think they actually are – I really feel like they minimize my hips/butt instead of accentuate it.

An interesting observation about reviews on websites; if I were to look at the reviews of this dress on the Gap, I might be inclined to skip it. I usually put a lot of stock in online reviews, and will make a decision to buy or not buy based on them, but I completely disagree with some of the reviews of this dress. It is NOT see-through – I mean, if you’re wearing black underwear, you’ll be able to see it, but seriously, if you’re wearing a WHITE dress, do you wear black underwear? I don’t…I have lots of “nude” pairs just for these occasions. I wouldn’t wear a thong either. And I also wear a nude bra. The material on this dress is thicker than most other dresses I have (HENCE, NOT SEE-THROUGH), but it’s still nice for warmer weather.

Do you buy based on online reviews? how much stock do you put in them?

Oh, and I know I promised an “Essentials” post today on my favorite maxi dresses & skirts, but that will come tomorrow. I promise!!

Here are some things I own & love that are now on sale at Nordstrom – and then a few other things I’d LIKE TO OWN if you click through

Have you bought anything from the half-yearly sale??

Vince Kia Flats | $89 (I have these in the print, and went 1/2 size down, which fit perfectly for me)
James Perse sheer slub panel shirt | $92 (I have this in white that’s several years old, and still looks & fits amazing)
Cosabella new soire molded bra | $37 (I have this in gray and it’s my favorite bra – I do have to wear nipple covers if I’m wearing a light shirt with it, because it’s completely sheer, but it’s so comfortable, it’s worth it)
Hard Tail built-in-bra cami | $28 (I have this in black and it’s my favorite thing to wear to Pure Barre. I wear a medium)
Vince favorite tank | $28 (I have this in gray that I’ve had for a couple of years and it’s one of my favorite tanks – so soft, it’s crazy)

Click through for more of what I love at the Nordstrom half-yearly sale:

Ivana Helsinki Garance dress | $290 at Beklina
Reiss Silvia gecko print maxi skirt | $300 at Reiss
Long tee skirt | $88 at Madewell (this is similar to one I had a couple years ago, except it was pleated)
Zara long flowy skirt | $79 at Zara

Let’s just keep going with our discussion about “flattering,” shall we? I hear so many women say they can’t wear long skirts or dresses because they’re too short, or they’ll just look at it and automatically say, “that’s cute, but it wouldn’t look good on me.” I’m guilty of that too, but usually, even if I think it won’t look good on me, I’ll try anyway, then make a final decision. But I know there are so many ladies out there who don’t even try long skirts or dresses, and that makes me sad because long dresses & skirts are my FAVORITE THINGS EVER. You know this if you’ve been reading Grechen’s Closet for very long, but just in case you haven’t, I’ll mention it again: I LOVE maxi dresses & skirts.

I’m going to do an “Essentials” post on Thursday with all of my favorite maxi skirts and dresses, and the shapes/styles I think everyone should try, but in the mean time, here are some I’ve found whilst perusing online that I love. What are some of your favorite maxi skirts/dresses? Do you wear them? or are you one of those ladies I talked about who’s afraid to try??

(for reference, I’m 5’4″ and I wear them all the time, mostly with flats)

More of my favorite maxi dresses & skirts:

WEARING
Eileen Fisher harem pants | size medium
Park Vogel built-in-bra cami | n/a
VKOO summer sweater | size medium
Ishvara sandals
necklace from F21
Admonish custom leather tote

You know those style experts who say not to wear slouchy + slouchy? Always balance an oversized top with something slim/fitted on the bottom, and vice versa? Well, clearly I’m not listening to them today.

Yes, generally I think that’s a more “flattering” way to go, but lately, I’m all about pushing the “flattering” boundaries. As I mentioned before, Une Femme wrote a great post about this subject, and recently Kim France (Girls of a Certain Age) posted a pair of DKNY “harem-style” pants on her blog (which I love, and had already “hearted” at Shopbop) and received comments that were largely negative, filled with “those aren’t flattering on ANYONE,” or “no one should wear those.” To which I replied that maybe we should wear what we love, and not necessarily only what is flattering. Also noting that style, and what is “flattering,” is very subjective.

In my old age, I’ve become at the same time, more and less tolerant with regard to personal style: I have little tolerance for women who decide not to “get dressed” before they leave the house, and more tolerance for all sorts of personal style (except maybe the hipsters here in ATX – I’m still having a hard time with them ). I am being somewhat sarcastic, but ultimately, as long as a person owns his/her look, I have to respect it, including what is traditionally perceived as “un-flattering.” (But does not include leggings as pants, visible lingerie or wearing nike shorts WHILE NOT RUNNING…see, told you I was also less tolerant )

What about you? Are you comfortable pushing the “flattering” boundaries lately? or do you tend to stick with traditionally flattering looks?

WEARING
Splendid cowl-neck dress | sold out, size medium (last seen here – I’ve hemmed it since then)
Jil Sander sandals | secondhand, I purchased them from MOSS Designer Consignment
Custom leather tote bag by Admonish (website coming soon!)
Necklace by Margot Wolf

Well, it’s officially hot as hell. Yesterday I wasn’t quite sure it was hot enough for a sleeveless dress, so I wore leggings, a cami and long cardigan with my Dieppa Restrepo loafers and wanted to DIE from the heat. I was down on South Congress with a friend for the Margot Wolf trunk show at By George, so luckily we were able to duck in and out of shops enough times to recover from our heat exhaustion. But still.

Speaking of Margot Wolf, if you follow Grechen’s Closet on Facebook, you will know already that the necklace I’ve been wearing by an “unknown designer” is actually by Margot Wolf. I met her a few years ago and love her work, but didn’t recognize the necklace as hers. And now, after the trunk show yesterday, I’m obsessed with this scorpion necklace, among other things. Her designs are amazing, and exactly my style.

What’s the weather like where you are? Hot enough yet??
Have a great weekend!!!

WEARING
Sweaty Betty harem pants | mine are size medium, use code USACR for 15% off plus free US shipping & returns
Hard Tail cami | size medium – I love these for Pure Barre, they’re mostly cotton
James Perse scoop back top
Mephisto Helen sandals | true to size

Let me set the scene for you: I was sitting at my desk, not feeling entirely motivated to take a shower or get dressed, when the amazing idea popped into my head to photograph what I AM ACTUALLY WEARING AT THIS MOMENT. Crazy, right? Oh, and I don’t have any makeup on either. Basically, my schedule most of the week is to go to a Pure Barre class, either at 6 AM or 8:30 AM, come home, immediately drink a protein shake and my coffee, and sit down and work for a while. I don’t get really sweaty in class except on Saturdays (the teacher is hard core, she moves us through the stretches faster!), so I don’t have to shower right after. Anyway, I’m always super-comfortable in whatever I’m wearing, especially in these pants.

Speaking of these pants, I call them my crazy, or fancy pants, depending on my mood, and even though they mostly get tons of compliments (one of the teachers at my studio ordered a pair), they do garner some weird looks from the Lululemon devotees They’re super-soft, and a bit thicker than you’d normally wear for yoga or working out, but I really haven’t found them to be too hot. I love the extra room around the hips/thighs as an alternative to just leggings, and it makes moving around quickly really easy. I don’t wear these other than at home or for working out (I do tend to keep workout/lounge clothing separate from “street” clothing), but you could if you were so inclined. They’re thick enough so they’re not see-through, and really just look like “normal” pants. Be prepared for stares though I’m used to that already, what with my Eileen Fisher harem pants, and the Sweaty Betty harem skirt that I wear all the time…

I know SOME of you guys have ordered already from Sweaty Betty, but if you’re put-off by their being in the UK, don’t be. The shipping takes longer, and you can’t track it, but I get my orders generally within a week. And with the 15% off and free shipping, the pricing is reasonable. Definitely try Sweaty Betty if you’re looking for something different than Lululemon; I’m a convert!!

Who’s tried Sweaty Betty? What do you wear to yoga or to work out? Would you wear a bright printed harem pant like these??

**if you do yoga/barre, check out my Yoga/Barre Essentials post which I updated recently**

WEARING
Splendid skirt/dress | worn as a dress – last seen as a skirt here – size medium (I also have this in black)
Vintage Wrangler denim shirt
Ishvara sandals | I really love these, but wish they came in half-sizes, they’re just a teeny bit big
Admonish custom leather bag (website coming soon )

In all the years I’ve had this Splendid skirt/dress, I’ve never worn it as a dress, which is surprising, because I LOVE any piece of clothing that serves two purposes. I didn’t wear it as a dress, because I thought I resembled a stuffed sausage trying to wear a tube top essentially, but now, I think I can pull it off. I still don’t think I’ll wear it alone (without anything over it) – I have NEVER EVER bared my shoulders completely, but also because I’d be afraid it would fall down. Although today I’m wearing a Cosabella strapless bra underneath that the top really clings to, so I don’t think it’s going anywhere…

I take this skirt with me whenever I go on vacation because it’s so easy (I wore it a lot in Rome), but now that I know I can wear it as a dress, it’ll do double duty. Although I’m weird when I’m traveling; I don’t like to wear things too many times, or count on wearing them too many times, because what if they get dirty? or I don’t feel like it again? I know, space is of the essence when planning a travel wardrobe, therefore, one thing that can be worn two ways/days is ideal, but like I said, I’m weird about that! Next time I travel, I’ll make a point to bring it and wear it multiple days and report back how I did.

What do you have in your closet that can multi-task? Do you often bring things with you when you travel you can wear multiple ways?

WEARING
Eileen Fisher harem pants | mine are size medium, but I think they run big; I wanted them to be longer though
H&M top
H&M blazer
Lizzie Fortunato jewels necklace (n/a)
Sergio Rossi platform sandals (n/a)
Admonish custom leather tote bag

It’s Monday!! Harem pants day Although this isn’t exactly my outfit today (I probably won’t wear the blazer), I wanted to show you how I would dress up my harem pants. I NEVER “dress up” really, unless we’re going to dinner at a fancy restaurant or something, so my version is probably much less dressy than anyone else’s though. It’s dressy-casual!

On that note, H&M is great for blazers and blouses if you don’t wear them very often – like me. The quality on my blazer is very good, and it fits nicely, so for the number of times I’ll wear it, the $35 is money well spent. Who’s to say that if I had a nicer blazer, I wouldn’t wear it more often, but let me just play around with this one and see how much use it gets. I really love it; I think it works wonders to take any outfit up a few notches.

Are you wearing harem pants today? What are you wearing?

Happy Monday!

WEARING
Rag & Bone Dash skinny/slouchy jeans | (size 28, size down 2 sizes)
Joie linen top | not available, similar shape, but striped
Dannijo necklace | on sale at Saks Fashion Fix
Riudavets Avarcas sandal | I’m a size 8 and took a 38
Custom leather bag by Admonish

Mixing colors, I can’t do, but mixing metals, I’m all for! I mix my jewelry up all the time, in fact my engagement ring is white gold and my wedding band is yellow gold. I’m a big fan of mixing metals when it comes to jewelry, but I’ve never had to consider my shoes in the equation. I’ll admit, it gave me pause, but not for long

And I know a lot of you guys ARE fashion bloggers, or other types of bloggers, and many of you aren’t, but I wanted to share my article with you for IFB this week: How to be a fashion blogger without a DSLR. The subject of fear and comparing ourselves to others is one that stirs a lot of passion in me, and writing that article was emotional for me. I’m certainly not immune to fear or jealousy, but I’ve come a long way in the last couple of years to mostly conquer those feelings. I really wanted to write the post to encourage everyone who wants to start something new to just start where you are. Don’t worry about what you don’t have, or that you won’t be good enough without fancy equipment or a lot of money to invest – just use what you have, and start where you are.

I hope you have a great weekend!!

In light of my complaining about my growing out my hair yesterday, I started looking back through the archives to see how things have changed in the last year, and what do you know – it was one year ago today that I cut my hair short. I’ve been growing it back out ever since!! I was also about 30 pounds heavier then than I am now. My, what a difference a year makes.

Maybe it was turning 40 in November, but I feel like a different person than I was back then. It’s also the weight-loss; it has brought me “back into myself” if that makes sense. I feel like me, not a fat version or me, or a version of me who’s hiding from things. I can’t hide underneath extra pounds anymore, which is scary, but also exhilarating. I can’t use my weight as a reason not to do things anymore. I feel AMAZING, and I’m excited that at how far I’ve come turning my body into an efficient machine – eating only what I need, and pushing it to get the physique I want. I cannot BELIEVE how different my body looks now, compared with a year ago, even compared to a few months ago. Once I lose my last 25 pounds (yes!! I’m about half way towards my goal to lose 50 pounds!!!) my body will be unrecognizable. And I can’t wait. I have NEVER accomplished something so empowering – well, maybe starting & running my own business is close – and felt like I could achieve so much for myself. Now I feel like I can do anything.

Which is good, because I need to start doing more. I want to take my business offline, I want to work with more bloggers – help them grow & learn, I want to help small boutiques and designers get off the ground. I want to do SO MUCH. I have the energy and the desire, now, where do I find the time??

What has changed for you in the last year? A Lot? or not so much??

In case you want to go WAAAAY back:
I also cut my hair around May 10th 2011, from very long, to a little shorter
On May 9th, 2010, my husband and I went to visit the Alamo
And on May 8th 2009 I was still not showing my face on the blog LOL, and I still wear that JP tank top
On May 8 2008 I was cutting my head off in pictures