A Fall Outfit Post... are you shocked?

I don't really fashion blog anymore because I don't feel like I am super great at dressing... but Meghan from King & Ford Reached out and suggested we do a collaborating and I thought that might be fun. She picked the inspiration photo and this is what I came up with. I bought this sweater last week with my gap cash and haven't taken it off since. HAPPY MONDAY!

Go and check out the other ladies looks, Meghan from King & Ford, Brooke from The Silver Lining, and Meredith from the Daily Mer. 

Inspiration Photo via - Twenties Girl Style

My experience with Stitch Fix personal shopping

The Problem: Recently I have felt very fashion impaired. I am not sure if you have noticed, but the outfit posts around these parts have been very few and far between. I have been struggling with my sense of style. I feel like there is a huge disparity between what I see in my head and what actually hangs in my closest. So thus the style rut. I have been pinning things on Pinterest that I am looking for - mostly neutrals that still look classic and put together - but not sure how to translate that into real life.

The Solution: Have you heard about Stitch Fix? It is an online personal shopping service. When I first saw one of my friends post this on Facebook I had one of those hallelujah moments. The ones where you think YES THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR.

The Jist: You pay $20, fill out a Stitch Fix personal style profile, and then on the pre determined date you receive a box of clothes hand picked for you by a Stitch Fix personal stylist. Once you receive your box the $20 can be applied towards any item in your box - so as long as you love at least one thing in your box you aren't out any money.

The Experience: The packaging and branding was spot on for me ant the box looked super cute upon arrival. The clothes were freshly steamed and all in perfect condition. One of the best parts of the service is that for each item they send you they put together a little style mood board for your so you can, in theory, see how these pieces will fit into your current wardrobe. When I filled out my style profile I mentioned that I needed help with young professional career clothes. I see now how this can be misinterpreted. I work in Advertising which is a VERY casual atmosphere, so I assume that my stylist thought of business causal in the regular sense which I don't think allowed for a ton of overlap in what I was looking for and what I got. It was a little more girly Anthro-ish, while I feel my style is more Madewell grungish. Check out the pics below for specifics.

Overall: I really like the service and will definitely continue to do it in the future. While I feel like a lot of the items that I got in this box didn't reflect my personal style (or what I think should be my personal style), I believe that it will continue to get better. I decided to keep one item that I liked so my $20 styling fee didn't go to waste. I have read a bunch of bloggers experiences where they say that as they continue to get boxes the clothes reflect their style more and more as they give feedback on the clothing items sent.

Pricing: I think the pricing of the clothes is pretty reasonable. Cheaper than Anthro but more expensive than if you were to find the same thing at a T.J. Maxx. You can see the prices of the items sent to me below. I think that if you have a lot of time to shop and enjoy shopping then you might feel that you can find better deals on your own, but as someone that really doesn't enjoy shopping in store the fact that I can have 5 things that I might LOVE sent straight to my house I am totally willing to pay market value instead of finding a killer sale. But that is just kind of where I am at. To each his own.

Advice: I would say just make your style profile as detailed as possible. Tell them exactly what you are looking for, include a link to a Pinterest board or reference a celebrity style icon to be super thorough.

SO if you are interested in Stitch Fix: Sign up here!

NOW FOR THE PHOTOS. What you have all really been waiting for anyway... am I right?

The Box: 

Bay to Baubles Necklace: $32
Verdict: Keeping, I like the gold color and love this length of necklace so it was an easy choice.

Under Skies Ebbe 3/4th Textured Blazer: $78
Verdict: Going Back, felt like it was a little too oversized for my small frame and I already own several cobalt clothing Items.

41Hawthorn Bell Chevron Textured Tie-neck Blouse: $68
Verdict: Going Back, a little too feminine and girly for my current tastes.

Kensie Jeans: $88
Verdict: Going Back, fit wasn't quite right around the mid section, but the length and style was nice.

Under Skies Haizel Paisley Print Shift Dress: $78
Verdict: Going Back, I was pretty torn on this one because I think the fit is super cute, but ultimately decided to send it back because #1) I am trying to lean more into neutrals and basics and #2) I have a lot of cobalt in my wardrobe.

And that's it! If you give Stitch Fix a try I would love to hear about it.

-Harley

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post however, links do contain a referral link of which I may receive Stitch Fix Credit if you sign up. Just want to keep us all honest here! MUAW.

a long dress and a twirl for good measure.

I am right in the throws of #ootdeverydaymay. Remeber last year how I took an outfit photo on insta everyday for the month of may? Well it's back! I love how it captures what I am acutally wearing in the everyday. No posed outfit posts with unrealistic heels or accessories. Just met in my everyday comfy get up. Join in if you would like! And speaking of comfy... this Sonnet James dress feels like wearing pajamas but makes you look like a million bucks. I think I need five more in different colors.

Have a happy Thursday!

Outfit Details:
Dress- Sonnet James
Vest- Old Navy
Shoes- Madewell

p.s. there are so many pictures of my face and you can find me on instagram here. 

what harley wore: plaid scarf

Hi from Denmark everyone! I asked Michael to snap these pictures of me before we went to church today. Church in Danish is... well it gives me a lot of language practice. Michael's mom even recruited me to sing in the choir. Nothing like throwing an american girl up there to sing a Danish new years song.

It has been so fun to spend so much time with family. I feel so blessed that Michael and I have such amazing relationships with his family here in Denmark despite the fact that we don't get to see them that often. We are certainly blessed. Hope you are having a fabulous holiday season! 

P.S. I got this scarf for 6 euros in Germany, my dress is a madewell staple, and these boots have been featured here many a time. 

Winner of Gold Foil Print giveaway is Sean C. Thanks to all that entered!

what harley wore: striped tote

This bag strikes me as more of a summer bag, but I liked the challenge of styling it for winter. I didn't have any shoes or accessories in the right color cognac so I decided to go with varying shades of brown and black. When in doubt... go with all shades right? I paired it with my classic madewell sweater dress because 1) it's super comfy and 2) it is a great neutral. This whole outfit is basically all neutral solid pieces with the pop of the striped bag. I'm a fan, this bag is seriously cute. You can find a tote like this and others like it from Surfdome - a great website with styles for all occasions.

p.s. I have been taking outfit pictures for this blog since 2010 and it is still the most awkward thing! Why am I so weird.
p.s.s. I can never remember if it is striped or stripped.
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Coat: Ellen Tracy (Last Styled Here)
Dress: Madewell Sweater Dress (Last Styled Here // Sold out online... but they keep restocking it!)
Shoes: similar/splurge and similar/save (Last Styled Here // I got my Franco Sarto's at Marshall's)
Tote: c/o Surfdome

what harley wore: printed maxi for fall

three random things: 

1. normally i never carry a purse. i just carry a gray backpack. so today is your lucky day. can you feel it? 

2. i bought this dress for a cruise. doesn't it just scream, "take me to the beach!" i am also pretty sure it's supposed to be a midi dress... i am just short. 

3. this is right on the side of my apartment building. the landlord recently painted it yellow. it used to be blue. 

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Dress: Anthro (old... similar and i love this dress)

Button-Up: UO (similar)

Boots: Steve Madden (similar)

Purse: Target (super old... similar)

Scarf: F21

Modest Fashion

a grungy little dress.

The past few days have been a blur. I took Friday off of work to hang out with some visitors. 5 people crammed into our tiny little chicago apartment. Once a year Michael's Mom and her friends fly over to the states from Denmark to do some serious shopping. When I tell people about the shopping weekend they don't really understand what I mean. This is no walk through the park, this is a MARATHON. Maybe a couple of Marathons in a row. From store open to store close they shop until they drop for three days straight. A lot of things are less expensive here in the states and there is often a better selection. We probably went to Target about 5 times and 4 different TJ Maxx stores. I didn't really buy much, but I sure loved getting to spend time with them. Michael was also in tow, following us around with his nose in a book. He's a patient boy that one. They were always chattering away in Danish and it gave me some good practice. In a few short weeks we will be heading to Denmark for Christmas and I can't wait.

I'm not sure what it was about this grungy little dress that made me feel like a million dollars, but it did. I slipped it on in J. Jill during the shopping extravaganza and I knew I wanted it, but I also knew that at this time in life paying my gas bill is more important than a new dress. My Mother-in-law, or second Mom I should say, snatched it from my hands and purchased it for me as an "extra" birthday present. I'm very lucky. I find my style evolving a little. I used to be an anthropologie sale section all day everyday kind of girl, but now I am finding I crave a little more simplicity. So we will see where that takes me. Also, what is it about a manicure that just makes you feel like such a lady? Hope you have a happy week!

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Dress: J. Jill (On Sale!)
Boots: Franco Sarto (similar)
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