Perfect Date Night Outfit

You know, minus the whole dating part

I've flipped through many a magazine with headlines like "The Hottest Date Night Dresses for Spring" and "What To Wear On Your First Date So He Loves You Forever," so for a while during my ill-informed youth I thought that dating would require a stressful level of thought about wardrobe. 

Cool, fun and flirty were burned into my 16-year-old brain in preparation for dating. 

From those years I gathered this information on what a date night outfit required: it had to be fun. It had to be flirty. It had to show your favorite assets. But wait, don't show too much now girl. Did I mention flirty? And cool. Show how cool you are. They love that.  Cool, fun, and flirty were burned into my 16-year-old brain in preparation for dating.

So, it would seem that now, as a 25-year-old who is purposefully not dating, all my hours of research was for naught. Except, no. In what world am I only those things for the sake of a date? I will be cool, I will be fun, and if I damn well please, I will be flirty. And I will be all of those things even if my only date for the day is with my laptop and cup of coffee. 

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Not So Summer Dress

It's a little bit country & a little bit rock n' roll

If you cracked open my skull right now, here's what would come out: #LEMONADE, smoothie recipes, job applications, new books to read, moving and a summer style evolution—a nice little jumble to start my Monday. Let's talk about that last one, though. 

For now, the days are still in between a cool spring and pre-summer tease, so I've taken to layering would-be summer dresses...

Summer will be here (I hope) in the bat of a mascara'd eyelash, and I already see myself in easy dresses, baring crops and flowing maxis. I also see myself accomplishing a major beauty goal: no more straightening my hair. Summer is a time for effortless style, and leaving my hair be and accepting it's natural state is my first step in that direction.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, the days are still in between a cool spring and pre-summer tease, so I've taken to layering would-be summer dresses under jackets and over tops. This gingham dress will be revisited again when the sun and my curls are out in their full glory.

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Yes To The Jumpsuit

A springy closet staple for a forever lazy girl

Yes baby dolls, this weekend was magnificent. In fact, it was so magnificent that I'm riding through Monday on a spring-weather induced high and calling everyone around me baby doll. You're cool with that, right? Cool.

So, I've watched enough Say Yes To The Dress to know when The Moment happens. Jaws drop and the world stops because, oh my gosh, you've found the perfect gown. That's how I felt when I tried this jumpsuit on. Besides the too-perfect-to-be-true fit, it allows me to look put together on days when I literally don't know what to put together. 

Besides the too-perfect-to-be-true fit, it allows me to look put together on days when I literally don't know what to put together.

Sometimes figuring out what top to wear with what bottom is a real struggle, y'all. And though I could just as easily wear this with casual sandals and a crossbody for a comfy look, dressing it up with heels was fun, and showed me how versatile jumpsuits can actually be. As for using the restroom in this...we'll just talk about that another day.

Checking For Spring

Seriously spring, where you at?

All it took was three days back in Atlanta for me to slip into a sort of seasonal sadness. A sadness punctuated by the fact that my arrival to New York was damp. Literally. Rain for days.

So far, all I've gotten is gray and windy, but there have been blossoms, and I'm holding onto that as a sign.

I've been told that spring in the city is wonderful, and I'm just waiting, wishing and hoping for it to actually arrive. The kind of southern springs I'm used to are sunny and 60 with bright buds pushing up. 

So far, all I've gotten is gray and windy, but there have been blossoms, and I'm holding on to that as a sign. I've gone through two wind-blown umbrellas and my trench coat has been soaked on several occasions, but I'm still checking for spring.

Power Pants Under $25

Because you always wear the pants in your life

I know I just professed my love for dresses last week, but at the risk of coming off as a hypocrite, I'm here to say that pants deserve their credit, too. With spring here, I pull out my lightweight trousers and pretty patterned pairs. And can we talk about how damn powerful they make a girl feel?

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10 Spring Dresses You Need Right Now

Feel fine & fancy free in frills, florals and shoulder baring dresses

Spring is nice because snow melts, flowers bloom and we get to come out of hibernation, but the real reason spring is a winner is because we can start wearing dresses again. Dresses! Without tights! The freedom of wearing a dress and not having to layer is unmatched.

You could say I'm pretty excited about it. Naturally, I've already started bringing my favorite dresses to the front of my closet, including this one I fell in love with last year. And since it's no fun being excited alone, here's a roundup of some beauties to get you excited, too.

Watercolor Florals

About this dress: it saved my life. Well, in a way. I was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, and then I saw this dress. Now, I don't mean to be dramatic, but it was sort of a magical moment. 

"THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR AN ARTICLE OF CLOTHING THAT CAN MAKE YOU FEEL MORE LIKE YOURSELF IN AN INSTANT."

There's something to be said for an article of clothing that can make you feel more like yourself in an instant. For me, it just so happened to be a feminine, floral off-the-shoulder dress, with a little help from a lilac lippie and a classic bag. 

And though florals are for spring (groundbreaking), I'm declaring today a personal start to summer. Because Memorial Day, obvs, but mostly because in this dress, I have that kind of power. 

photos by Kaye McCoy

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Boy Meets Girl

On one hand, I feel like a bad blogger because I have worn these jeans in far too many posts. On the other hand, I live in the real world where people rewear things constantly, and in the real world these jeans are ah-mazing and deserved to worn a million times over.

So, for the millionth time, I present to you my ripped boyfriend jeans. Only this time, I went on a full boyfriend closet raid and stole his button up, too. Men's clothes are unfairly comfortable, and I need to make a note to wear them more often. 

"IF SOMEONE ASKS ME WHETHER I WANT TO HAVE FUN OR BE COMFORTABLE, I'M GRABBING MY BRIGHTEST LIPSTICK & THROWING A PARTY."

I should point, I am wearing heels and coral lipstick, because though menswear is comfortable, our clothes are significantly more fun. And if someone asks me whether I want to have fun or be comfortable, I'm grabbing my brightest lipstick and throwing a party.

photos by Kaye McCoy

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The Business of Pink

The fear of being labeled a frivolous girly girl kept me away from pink and all of its shades for years. Now that I embrace being as girly as I want (in addition to all the other things I am), I may go overboard from time to time. 

You know, just some pink lipstick here, a little pink nail polish there. Maybe a bright blazer for special occasions. Or, you could do all three if you really mean business that day, because being that committed to pink has to be handled like business.

"FOR THE SAKE OF NOT GOING FULL ON ELLE WOODS, I'VE GOT TO BALANCE IT WITH CLASSIC NEUTRALS."

For the sake of not going full on Elle Woods, I've got to balance it with classic neutrals: a striped sweater and black jeans. The truth is, though, once you decide to go that pink, there's no going back. 

photos by Kaye McCoy

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Hello Pretty

This weekend was a literal breath of fresh air after the overwhelming week I had. I don't want to relive it, but I'll say this: serious in-car cry sesh. You've been there, haven't you?

Usually when it gets this perfectly springy, the first things I reach for are brights and patterns, but I wanted the ease of a simple white dress and worn in denim jacket. Sort of like jeans and white tee, but with a lot more leg. 

"AFTER A WEEK OF CRYING IN YOUR CAR, IT'S OKAY TO WANT SPARKLE & KIND WORDS." 

My simple is never that simple, though. I OD'd on my sparkly bracelets and carried a supremely girly tote. Because, after a week of crying in your car, it's okay to want sparkle and kind words, even if they're coming from a tote.

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