Finding the Perfect Summer Sandals

Now that the weather in LA has officially caught up with the high 80s and 90s of my Palm Springs days, I've been on the search for the perfect pair of summer sandals to pair with my dresses. Since I don't consider myself too much of an adventurer when it comes to shoes, it's always fun to see what all the girls are wearing these days so that I can try out some less traditional styles myself.

I recently wrote about the Dolce Vita Able sandals I stumbled upon in New York, and was excited to find a little surprise while at the Banana Republic Factory Store this past week:

Pretty much a replica of the Dolce Vita's, right?! The colors aren't quite as lust-worthy as the originals, but I was still pretty excited to find them. The weaved backing gives that extra support that will help prevent the uncomfortable slipping around that I hate when wearing flat sandals. Unfortunately, the size 6 was still too large for me so I had to pass. For a fraction of the DV's cost, I wish I could've made them work somehow!

These Seychelles are everything I want and more! Comfy leather backing, cute embellishments, cognac-wear-me-with-everything color, and a 1-inch wedge for a touch of dressiness. Most of my summertime sandals really only last for the season, but I think I can wear these well into September/October.


Here's another pair of pretty cute Seychelles. I'm not sure how I feel about the white on my darker toned feet (will this make my toes look dirty?), but I really like how these are such a great alternative to the superfluous T-strap flat sandals. The straps are girly and fun.


Jessica came out to LA for a visit last weekend and she had on these adorable Bandolino wedge sandals for her trip. I've never really thought of Bandolino as a "young" shoe brand, but these looked great on her and I'm tempted to order them too!


I'm not sure how busy the top part of these Michael Antonio sandals might look when you're actually wearing them, but these have that nice balance between simple and interesting. I want.

I bought these Chelsea Crew gold sandals as a quick, whatever shoe, and they really are less than impressive. I thought the simple gold straps would make them a safe bet, but they turned out to be too boring and not quite as comfortable as I was anticipating. Can't wait to replace them with a much better pair! What shoes are you sporting this season?

Work Wardrobe and Then Some

Seems like every week there's a special sale, friends and family event, or what have you that entices me to bring out my credit card and swipe it like it's hot. This time it's the Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy F&F; weekend that gives 30% discount on everything! I took the opportunity to amp up my work wardrobe for the fall.

I work in a conservative industry, and yet there are varying degrees of professional dress. My specific group gives a little more leeway to office wear; rarely do I see my supervisors wear full suits, and even then they wear skirt suits.  Actually, something I learned this year is that for very formal professional attire, a skirt suit is the way to go for women - not the pants suit as I originally thought. As apparel becomes more and more unisex (skinny jeans on guys anyone?), the skirt is one item that is still decidedly feminine. I like this differentiator in the workplace - women should not not have to dress up like men in the office; they can establish their own form of power attire.

Through these observations and seeing how colleagues and supervisors dress in my particular group, I now prefer to don skirts and dresses above pants. It makes working that much more interesting, and putting more effort into work wardrobes heighten confidence. Ok, that was a tangent, but it all segues into the pieces I chose and like from BR.

Pencil skirts are the skirt of choice for me, love the tapered bottoms which are more flattering. The high waist is also very "in" right now, and covered with a jacket allows you to wear a more casual blouse underneath vs. a button down shirt. I got a gray pencil, and this joins a black and navy one, filling in another "need to get" in my workwear.

No pictures online, but picked up a navy blue sleeveless sheath dress with ruffles on the shoulders. It's super cute and comfy though! The silhouette that a sheath gives is so classic and slimming. Also ordered a wrap dress that I don't know if it fits well yet. Wrap dresses are adorable for work and for weekends, the sash cinches the waist and the v-neck created by the overlap gives the illusion of a longer swan-like neck.

For fun, picked up two jewelry pieces, a mixed metal chain necklace, and a darker gray chain bracelet. This will go with both blacks/grays and warmer golds!! Love multi-purpose anything.

Going back this weekend to see if there are any good way-in-advance presents for my dad and bf. Stock up while the sale is still going on!