Style Diaries | Ring My Bell (Sleeve)
So sometimes I can be a tad dramatic. I think it comes from being far too emotional for my own good. I can’t help it. It’s how I am. When I was a kid, I had this baby activity blanket with a mirror (that wasn’t very good), Velcro, shoe laces and on two corners, a button + a button hole. If you wrapped the blanket around your neck + buttoned the button, you had yourself a nice little yellow cape with blue trim. Remember this mom? I had a toy xylophone that I’d take the baton (is that what you call it on a xylophone?) to use as a scepter, call to my mom in the living room from upstairs + ask her to “announce me.” With annoyance in her voice because I was asking again, she’d say, “Announcing, Princess Chellie.” I’d walk down the hall, descend the stairs slowly + gracefully sit down on the couch. On more than one occasion, my annoying self would ask mom to do this several times in an afternoon.
It’s now 2017, I work in an office + I live near Chicago. There is no reason I should be wearing a cape on a regular basis. But when I purchased my first bell-sleeved piece for this fall, I couldn’t help but think back on my makeshift cape days. Let’s bring a little drama, a little sass to our everyday fashion. I can’t pull off a fresh off the runway couture Fashion Week look so I have to improvise.
Navy Keyhole Bell-Sleeved Blouse.
Let’s throw it back to my last day of being 26. Earlier that week I’d picked up this navy sateen top at, you guessed it, francesca’s. This is the only the second item of clothing I have with the keyhole/mock choker. This style is hard for me to pull off so I’m very particular about pieces I choose that have this style. But as I was told by a former friend years ago, navy is my color. It pops in contrast with my pale skin + blonde hair, not to mention the compliment it is to my blue eyes. I have a hard time pulling off navy in the winter as I only wear dark wash jeans + that would be too much of one color. However I do have a pair of ice blue pants that match the red wine colored pants I was wearing a few posts ago. Unfortunately the blue is sold out online, but navy could pop against the gold plate option. Until then, enjoy this navy bell sleeve juxtaposed against my pre-Labor Day white jeans from Abercrombie & Fitch.
The Big Bell
This blouse gets two photos because I’m obsessed + I’ve already worn this blouse twice despite how obnoxiously dramatic it is. Wearing it at work is really funny because I almost have wings as I bring my hands to my keyboard + I always try to be very careful with it + yet it always wrinkles. I’m going to get a second steamer + keep it at work for pieces like this. I always wrinkle in the car on my way in. So annoying. The first time I wore this blouse, I wasn’t in the best of moods as I’d let some people hurt me when no one deserves that kind of power. When I feel like this, I wake up, dress up + refuse to give up… on me, on my dreams, on what matters to me. I paired it with a navy skirt + later on caught a glimpse of myself in the full length mirror in the restroom at work. That was the first time I ever felt like Blair Waldorf, as uptight as I am. This is what inspired my Halloween costume, wearing that same skirt. I then thew it on with a skirt in pinot noir + my riding boots from LifeStride. Something about this blouse tells me I should wear it with my hair back + let the blouse speak for itself. The blouse is currently on clearance at Banana Republic Factory. Remember, I’m ballin’ on a budget.
Lacey Bell
I lusted after this dress in both peacock and wine FOR WEEKS on francesca’s website. Finally payday came + new dresses were in the budget. I finally settled on the peacock to contrast the many pieces in the purple and red families that have found their way into my closet this season. In a moment, you’ll read about a purple bell sleeve but for now, it’s all about the peacock. I knew I wanted to wear it with tall boots + ended up pairing it with a brown fur vest for work since the keyhole back is much larger than I felt comfortable wearing for work. It was a great transition outfit to being overdressed at TopGolf with Tory to celebrate her birthday. I always find it interesting how warm I am in lace + the vest helped insulate as it was a chilly evening at TopGolf. When I wear this dress again, I’ll be pairing with brown tights + tan booties. I’m sure it’ll also make an appearance with my black over the knee boots. I love this dress + can tell this is an item I’ll definitely wear out. Maybe the wine dress will be mine but the jury is still out. Until then, peacock it is!
Plum + Gold Wedding Bells
Halloween weekend I found myself at a wedding that was both a work + family wedding. My coworker is one of my dad’s high school friends + his son was getting married. While I had to do a complete closet overhaul, I couldn’t come to a work wedding in a dress I’d worn to work. So over the summer on a trip to my favorite outlet mall, I picked up this plum, I mean Aubergine, dress from Calvin Klein with bell sleeves + gold statement zipper on the back at Nordstrom Rack. I’m two for two on wedding guest dresses from Nordstrom Rack despite how stressful I find NR. The way I feel about it, it might as well be Forever21. However this dress + the dress I wore to Tory’s wedding last summer were both great deals I scored. At Macy’s you can find this dress for $134 but thanks to it being at Nordstrom Rack, I only paid $66 with tax. The only downside to this dress? It’s so fantastic that a guest on the bride’s side was also wearing it. But according to my friend’s wife, it looked better on me. It fit me in more of a “relaxed bodycon” style, meaning, it was formfitting but I could still breathe. The other guest’s dress was much looser as is fitting for a 40something + she paired with black riding boots. I on the other hand wore gold gogo boots (that I later wore with my Halloween costume + that my friend’s boyfriend broke the next morning) + my Rebecca Minkoff Leo Clutch. But the best part? My dress is a size four! I have never in my life been a size four. One day in the fifth grade I woke up with hips + went from a girls’ 16 to a juniors size five. All of that + my brand new Michael Kors coat had me feelin’ Beyonce level fine.
Before the last leaves have fallen, blown away + can no longer be crunched, add a little bell to your sleeve + office appropriate fashion drama to your life!
xo.
