We’re getting into it now — outfit four of the 10×10 remix!
(In case you missed it: I’m teaming up with my blogging pal Lee of Style Bee, and we’re hosting a remix challenge: 10 pieces of clothing, 10 outfits, 10 days. Want to join? It’s never too late to jump in! Here’s my quick start guide.)
First Impressions
I planned this comfortable, travel-friendly outfit for today because we were supposed to road trip to Dallas. But you know what? Life has been nuts lately, and as much as I dislike using the word busy, we’ve been busy. Too busy to get quality time together. Too busy to unplug and rest our minds.
Sometimes busy is inevitable, but a lot of the time, it’s possible to remove some of that busyness. So, we called it — we prioritized our need for down time and rescheduled the trip.
But even though I’m not traveling today, I still wanted to share why this is an ideal travel outfit for me:
- My jeans are the softest, most comfortable jeans ever — absolutely zero pinching in the waist.
- My linen tee is comfortable and actually looks kind of cool wrinkled. So if it happens to get wrinkled over the trip, it works. If I were flying or taking a longer road trip, I might swap for a charcoal grey tee, because it’s less likely to show spills, spots, etc.
- My booties keep my feet warm and clean. These booties are my most comfortable, broken-in shoes, but the heel makes them look a little dressier.
- My soft cashmere cardigan is there for me if I get chilly. Plus, the fabric and cut dress up the basic jeans-and-tee look.
So really, an ideal travel outfit comes down to combining my most comfortable pieces into a cute outfit. And what’s comfortable for traveling is comfortable for working from home — which is what I’ll be doing today. Comfort all the way. :)
Styling Notes
FRONT TUCK | Nothing groundbreaking, just the tiniest bit of styling to make the whole look a bit more put-together.
ONE SPECIAL, DELICATE ACCESSORY | You can hardly see it, but I’m wearing a delicate little necklace. Even though it’s barely noticeable, I like knowing it’s there — it adds a special element to this simple outfit.
JEANS AND TEE, ELEVATED | Like I mentioned above, the heeled booties and long cardigan take this jeans-and-tee combo to cute outfit status.
MESSY HALF ROLL | This is my favorite way to roll my boyfriend jeans. It’s slouchy, casual, and surprisingly easy to pull off. Here are three quick steps to the messy half roll:
- Make one deep cuff, about three or four inches tall.
- Grab the bottom of the cuff you just made — one hand on the inseam of your jeans, one on the outseam. Roll the outseam up for a second cuff, while holding the inseam down.
- Fuss with it a bit and make sure the hem of your jeans is still peeking out above your messy cuff.
• • •
And there you have it!
Make sure to hop on over to Lee’s blog to see her outfit today, too!
So tell me, what makes an ideal travel outfit in your book? And on a more personal note, what do you do when you find yourself too busy? Do you tend to scale back, push through, or do a combo of both? Do you think being busy is a choice? I’m so interested in your thoughts here.
Keep sharing your outfits on Instagram with the #spring10x10 tag — we are loving keeping up with you guys!
See you tomorrow for outfit five — half way there!
xo,
Photo Credit: Katie Jameson
Liked today’s outfit? You can shop it and support Unfancy at the same time by using these affiliate links:
01 | Tee by Everlane (made responsibly) | similar (under $20)
02 | Cardigan by Cuyana (made responsibly) | similar | similar (under $25)
03 | Jeans (old by Rag+Bone) | same jean in a different wash (made in USA) | similar | similar (under $60)
04 | Bag gifted by ONA | similar (made responsibly) | similar (under $65) | similar (under $49)
05 | Ankle booties (old by Sam Edelman) | similar (made responsibly) | similar
06 | Necklace in Yellow Raw Diamond by Julia Szendrei (handmade in USA)
Love your take on the creamy blue combo! We did a post Sunday Looking into those Baby Blues and you could of been our model for the favorites jeans!-Laurel Bledsoe
I completely get the busy thing! We have 2 children and life just gets hectic fitting stuff in. This Easter holiday was quite quiet and then the week before lots of events came up, it is important to fit in down time too.
Nice, casual outfit, that oatmeal colour really suits you.
You rock this look! So very cool ?. I’m gonna try the tuck idea! I pretty much own, mostly boyfriend & girlfriend jeans! I’m at my best with this kind of outfit-gotta love laid back comfort??
Hi Caroline — I think it’s important to scale back if possible so you can rest, recharge and take care of yourselves. Sounds like you made a smart choice!
For travel outfits, comfort and looking reasonably put together are my two main factors. Luckily, I’ve finally found the right skinnies and jeggings that I can wear anytime, anywhere and be perfectly comfortable.
Also, love the linen tee! Linen is a fabric I hadn’t messed with much, but through your and Lee’s blogs, I’ve decided to experiment with it. I got the Georgia linen tee, but that didn’t quite work for me (going to exchange for a silk crepe artist’s smock — very excited!) However, I snagged a J. Jill linen shirt on eBay and then altered it to make it what I wanted:
http://sustainablefashionchat.com/discussion/10/my-linen-tee-edit
It’s part of my spring10x10 and I’m wearing it today for day 4 :)
Great job, Karen! :)
Gosh, I struggle with the busyness. I NEVER thought my husband & I would be those people who are constantly busy but this spring, it happened. I think there is some degree of choice to it but it doesn’t always feel like it. I mean, we do have to work. I spend several hours per week exercising and a decent amount of time cooking home-made meals, which are both choices but also necessary to my mental & physical well-being. But then you get all that extra stuff. We keep getting invited to baby showers, birthday parties, family gatherings and it’s completely filling up our weekends. We want to show love to our friends/family and spend time with them but we can’t do all of it and I feel so guilty saying “no.” Add to the mix the fact that I’m an introvert and also need to clean my house occasionally (haha), and you have a very high-stress situation for me. I feel like I need a more “legitimate” reason to justify turning down any invitations and I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by making them feel like their event is less important than my need for downtime/doing the laundry/etc. I completely understand why you might want to call off a little road trip, even if it was going to be fun… Sometimes you just need time to chill!
My little secret (don’t tell anyone) is that sometimes I’ll make up advance excuses not to go, like “Sorry, I already said I would go to a bridal shower that day” or “We’ve been planning a date night for that night and we haven’t been alone together in a while” or “my child has a recital” or “I feel like I’m coming down with something, but I’ll try to make it”. Just have something in mind as a backup.
Your mental health is ALWAYS a legitimate reason, but unfortunately we live at a time when it isn’t always recognized. I have given myself full latitude to make up excuses when I need them. Even for family. No one else is able to look after your health for you because it has to be you. So try your best to give yourself permission to look after yourself — including just down-time. :)
When it’s just friends wanting to hang out, another trick is to ask “what about the week after?” I find it works to space out activities when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
Great advice, Katharine :)
I have a very similar shirt from J Crew! Nice, simple look.
-Kirsten // http://www.porkandcookies.com
I’ve been looking for a linen tee and love the way yours fits, so I need to check out Everlane! For reference, which size did you get? I like the relaxed fit but don’t want to be swimming in it, either. :) As far as being busy goes, I don’t love the word, either (while it may be completely true, it often comes off as an excuse to others). I would describe my husband and I’s days as being too much a routine right now. During the week he’s been working late and barely misses me as I head out to the gym in the evenings. Then it’s getting showers, cooking dinner, cleaning, about an hour of downtime, then it’s off to bed. After a few days of doing that, we tend to look at each other and say “ugh, we’re in a rut, aren’t we?” This usually leads to an impromptu dinner out during the week or us making special plans for the weekend, like going on a hike or seeing a movie. It’s so important to mix things up and rest, like you say. Good for you for rescheduling your trip!
Hey Taryn, love those moments where you get to reconnect. And the Everlane tee is my usual XS. :)
Love your outfit so much, I always enjoy effortless and simple style so much <3
https://www.myblackcloset.com/
Sometimes it comes different as we plan :) Love the comfy denim look with the amazing boots!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Ahhhh busy-ness. I feel ya. I just have to start saying no to the non-essentials and the self-made busy things and stay home and re-center and get the things I need to do there done. One thing I struggle with is being patient with my kids when I’m really busy. I don’t want to be a stressed mom. I really want to enjoy my kids while they’re so little. So I’ve been trying to do less so I can enjoy them more.
No kidding eh! Busy takes on a whole new meaning with kids…my oldest daughter just started kindergarten this year and we are always rushing it seems. I struggle so much with the NEED to rush to get places on time, and wanting to let her relax and have downtime (and relax myself!). And now my dad wants me to put her in soccer this spring. She already takes gymnastics on a school night one day a week. Its too much! I’m thankful for reminders that its ok to say no sometimes! :)
It feels like we are busy all the time! I’m the type of person who pushes through and then makes sure to recharge when I can. But swear it feels like just as I’m expecting things to slow down… They pick right back up again. In some ways I’m more productive when I stay busy, so just trying to embrace it all.
Love, so effortless and clean. I just bought a new car so really appreciate all the links to cheaper options, thank you. This blog always cheers me up. This is exactly my taste.
Yay Nora! :)
Love, love, love this! Simple & classic.
http://www.madsmuses.com
I clicked on your link to Cuyana and I think I just found my new favorite line. I might need a second job so I can get a couple of their beautiful things.
Aren’t the pieces beautiful, Bronwyn?? Very satisfying to look at. :)
I’m loving all these looks and I love Style Bee’s blog as well. However, I feel like I can only use your color pallet advice. I’m a curvy size 0 (34-24-36) and really want to dress for my shape by showing off my small waist, but that means no baggy or unfitted tops (I have a few but they make me look +2 sizes larger than I am). Do you have any bloggers who try to style for an hourglass shape? Any recommendations? Any tops or dresses I can model off of (especially if y’all have an affiliated link)? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE your color pallet and have shaped my wardrobe similarly, but I’m just not sure how to take this style and make it more fitted.
Hey Sarah! I appreciate your comment — and definitely think it’s important to dress for your shape. There are a few tricks you can use (like knotting at the waist or tucking in your tops) but ultimately I know square tops and loose sweaters won’t work for everyone. And that’s ok!
I did stumble on a list of curvy fashion bloggers, but not sure how much this will help: http://bit.ly/2pye05h or if any of them have similar style. I wish I knew of some other style bloggers that fit the bill, but I’m hoping some of the Unfancy community will chime in? :)
I’ve seen a few curvy bloggers, but again can’t remember any off-hand.
What I do recommend is just shifting where the waist is in any of Caroline’s outfits. In this outfit you could get a winner by simply moving the waistline up to your natural waist, using a fitted tee you really like, and playing around with full-tucks and partial tucks. I’m sure you have a favourite comfy pair of jeans and a favourite tee. What happens when you combine them?
Also, knotting a tee at the waist? REALLY flattering on curvy folks!! I’ve seen some gorgeous casual outfits with a high-waisted pencil skirt and a knotted tee.
Thank you for the link! I will certainly be checking out these ladies styles! And thank you to the community as well for your personal comments :) Like each of you mentioned, I think this will be a trial and error.
Hi Sarah! I can understand your frustration, I have an hourglass figure (39/26/40) and it can be really hard to translate the loose style. Caroline does a bit of crop tops with high rise pants which is amazing on a hourglass – find a crop top that ends close to your natural waist and the visual line of it meeting the high rise jeans/skirt shows off the waistline. If you really love the tops with a little volume there is a bit of your eyes getting use to the differance just because you’ve gotten use to slimmer fitting tops – it’s not bad, just different. If you do want to go towards loose fitting tops, making sure the shoulder fit perfectly is really key! Make sure the shoulder seems line up on your shoulder and that can make a big differance between an over sized top looking sloppy and loosing your shape under it. I know it can be really easy to get the “boob tent” look in a lot of looser styles (i’m a 32E) and I’ve found that normally happens with very light cotton/other light fabrics but a top in a heavier weave will have a much more natural drape on the chest. I love Helmut Lang for tops with a beautiful drape, they work really well with an hourglass and the brand uses lovely fabrics that lay well. I do think a bottom that hits close to your natural waist is the easiest way if you want to show it off, (then tucking/slim fit top/crop top) otherwise it can be a lot of trial and error to figure out a balance of structure and drape
works best for you. I hope that helps, it’s mostly going out, trying on different clothes and seeing what you like and works for you.
I consider myself an hourglass too, although I’m 34/27/37 (so maybe you’d consider me pear-shaped), and I love the crop top/high-waisted proportion.
“Boob tent”. ?
Boob tents with pencil skirts are my favorite silhouette!!! :-D
I definitely think being busy is a choice, though I love the contrast of “too busy” with “too routine”. I think we have a choice to say yes or no to a lot of activities and commitments and when we say yes to too many things that aren’t fulfilling enough on their own, then we run out of time to do things that are fulfilling. So alone time with your significant other is a commitment that you’ve turned into a priority. In this way you’re choosing each other, over and over again. I really like to think of it that way.
For me, I notice that some activities drain me more than others, so I try to limit those activities. I have had to pay close attention to how much I take on because I often take on more than I have energy for. It’s important to choose yourself sometimes, too!
Hey Katharine, I love your self-awareness and ability to know what works for you and what doesn’t!
I love this look! I recently got my first pair of boyfriend jeans and I’m so excited to start wearing them this spring. I never realized what I was missing out on with how comfortable they are.
I totally understand the busyness struggle – I work full time and have a 1 year old so it can feel hectic at times, but I recently read some good advice that when you are feeling overwhelmed, think of the top 3 priorities in your life (family, friends, spirituality/religion, health, career, whatever it may be to you right now..) and step back and reevaluate to see if you are really focusing your energy in those areas – the things that matter most. It’s helped me recenter sometimes when I’m feeling too overwhelmed with life :)
Hey Liz, thanks for sharing that great reminder! :)
Aw, I’m loving your cashmere cardigan! I might have to look for the perfect one. For me, the most important of dressing for travel is comfort and warmth. So that means pieces that are soft, non-binding and present layering opportunities. For an overnight flight to Athens last summer (10 hours), I wore a very soft, unstructured knit maxi dress with a scarf, and a cardigan. The maxi kept me covered while I curled up on the plane seats to sleep, I pulled the scarf over my head, and the cardigan kept me warm (dress was sleeveless). Upon arrival, I wasn’t a disheveled mess, and looked somewhat styled. I usually opt for knit dresses on road trips too. And a pair of soft socks are key for plane or car since I often take off my shoes.
Hey Kristin, sounds like a great travel outfit recipe! Thanks for sharing. :)
I’m 100% an introvert, so when I get too busy, I burn out – and burn out HARD. I think busy is a choice, and though I love it, I know myself enough to know that I need to take rest breaks too.
Hope you have a nice weekend to recharge!
http://www.wonderlandsam.com
Hi Caroline, I found you from the article in Magnolia Journal – what a wonderful article and web site. I have spent literally hours reading all of your posts, and the comments. I just reviewed your Fall (2014) Look Book and recall reading that you have about 10 items from your previous years. I would be very interested in having you provide examples of what you removed/donated, and, more importantly, why you didn’t keep them in your capsule. For example, I don’t think you have included the buffalo plaid shirt and striped dress in other capsules. Would love for you to devote a post to what you didn’t keep and why.
I would really be interested in this too.
I would love to hear about that, too, Mary. It seems Caroline’s style has changed a lot in just 3 years, and I’ve wondered why (and how) she discarded so many clothes. I do get the vibe that the pieces she’s collecting now will be hanging around a lot longer.
What a great idea, Mary! And thank you so much for your kind words! Fair warning, this is a long response. :) I’ve tried to keep everyone updated as I go along, sharing what worked and what didn’t work in posts along the way, but I can definitely share more. :)
Many items simply go simply because of normal wear and tear (stains, shrinking, tears, etc.). For example, that buffalo plaid shirt you mentioned shrunk up in the wash — I was so bummed! Others go because of purchase mistakes (where I thought an item would work but it didn’t end up working out — so frustrating, but it happened quite often in the early days as I was figuring out my needs + style). For example, my linen track shorts didn’t work because they showed unsightly sweat during the hot months — oops! Not going to work in Texas. :) Other pieces go because they simply didn’t match my style or lifestyle like I thought they would (which also happened a lot in the early days). For example, my neon yellow heels? I have to laugh at that choice now — my lifestyle doesn’t call for them AT ALL, but in those early days, I didn’t know my style + lifestyle needs as well as I do now.
A lot of the pieces are now being used in other ways even though you don’t see them on the blog — old tanks and tees now serve as PJs, many older pieces are put to use in my “at home” drawer, and old jeans and button downs serve as my farm clothes.
All in all, my overall goal is to continually slow down the turnover. This isn’t happening as fast as I thought it would when I first started blogging (how fascinating!), but it is happening steadily and slowly, which I find very encouraging. I think Kathryn is right — I’ve been adding more timeless, high-quality items, so I see many of these pieces hanging out for years to come. I’ve let go of the expectation that my closet will be “done” one day. Instead, I’ve accepted that my closet will continually evolve as life stages change, needs change, and even my style changes — but I can let it evolve with intentionality. :)
Thanks for the explanation Caroline! I’m glad to read that some of the items are in your “at home” drawer as I worried that you were discarding and then needing to buy many more. I, too, was pleased to see your yellow heels are gone – they so surprised me when I first saw them. Keep up the good work, and thanks for letting us share your journey.
Love this simple, ease-ful look. Speaking of which…when I’m feeling too busy or rushed, I ask: “Where could I make this easier? Where could I find ease in this?” I also remind myself to slow down, do one thing at a time, and stay the course with that one thing.
Simplicity is the KEY! In love with your outfit, the way you combined simple V-neck with cuffed jeans and brown leather ankle-boots. That cream cardigan can be a great addition!
xo, Jess | https://styledebates.com
Hi Caroline.
I’ve just found you’re blog and love your style. I’m just wondering how tall you are (sorry if you have answered this somewhere already but I couldn’t find it). It’s so hard to tell how jeans,in particular, will fit when shopping from your affiliate links.
Thanks x
Hi PJ, I’m 5’5″ :)
These are my dream jeans basically, and that outfit is my go-to everyday outfit at its finest! ;) I’m loving that challenge Caroline, so cool and so inspiring! xo
Melodie | http://www.happymelodie.com
Those jeans look perfect on you!
I love this outfit so, so much! Probably because it’s very much akin to what I would wear too. It’s so basic, but so chic. And hurrah for non-pinchy jeans! I really need to find my perfect pair still. I have the kind of body shape that generally make jeans rather uncomfortable. I need a jean that poses as a normal pair by appearance, but are secretly pull-ons, lol. Does a thing even exist?
WOW! You look awesome and I love the chicness of your style. I am pretty sure to copy your look! I plan to document my style when my blog re-opens soon.