Chilly July Day on the Pier
Joel kept referencing Indiana Jones because of my hat (unless he meant I look like Harrison Ford?). As you can see, Tiger wasn't a great sidekick due to ALL THE OTHER THINGS he'd rather be doing than taking pictures.
I chose a classic blue jean / white tee combo then layered it for walking the pier on an oddly chilly day. Stolen from my mom's stylebook, she always used to tell me if all else fails put on your favorite jeans, a crisp white tee, and red lipstick. Immediate confidence booster.
I also stole from my Stylebook for my accessories. The main reason I'm trying this app is out of pure laziness – I want to feel confident & put together in what I'm wearing without the stewing, the doubt, and throwing shit everywhere around my room 5 minutes before I have to leave. Because once I leave, it's not about the clothes. It's about what I'm doing & who I'm with. I essentially don't want clothes getting in my way of being present in the moment.
Short answer – I love organization.
So anyway, I added a cardigan and scarf for warmth, moccasins for comfort, and a felt hat in a similar red clay color as shoes and scarf. Under $150 for an outfit seems pretty good, what do you think? I don't have much context as to what's cheap or expensive (just ask Joel) so definitely curious. I like laying it out like this though!
This was one of our first weekend's home since May. It was a semi-relaxing (AKA making sure Tiger didn't pee on every rock in sight) walk down the pier, taking in the beautiful view at sunset.
I remember walking the pier the night we moved here. We were in awe that we'd now be calling this place home. The hard work continues to be worth it to live here. After a long week, I was so grateful to see our home with fresh eyes.
Exactly one week later and we're looking at record high temps for July. Oh Michigan, love ya. I won't be wearing anything near as layered this weekend. Bathing suits only, clothing optional.
Happy weekend! Em
Weekender Bags
I'm about to order Joel's ring (eeeeek!) and I can't decide so I'm just going to focus on our mini-moon in Northern Michigan!
We've started to plan it by wish-listing a few possible places to stay but haven't figured out what we'd like to do yet. We've visited Munising in the U.P. the most and thought we'd try Sutton's Bay / Glen Arbor area but want to do more than hop around wineries. I should be researching things to do in Northern Michigan but I can't until I find the perfect weekender bag.
I've had a few in the past but they’ve always been sale items that the zipper breaks on or that the airport demolishes on the last leg home when you're extremely exhausted and just want to be in your bed. It's time to be a grown-up and invest in a solid weekender bag that will last on road trips and air travel and maybe camping if I ever attempt it again (a story for another day). The 5 I'm deciding between:
Novel Duffle by Herschel Supply, $85
I love that this has a specific compartment for shoes. I cringe every time I have to put my tennis shoes next to my white tee which is often because always white tee when traveling.
Mitsuko LG Amazon by Matt & Nat, $130
This color can be a hit or miss. It's on-trend but not sure how long it'll last. Not that it matters because I do what I want. Also, my new obsession with the Stylebook app has shown me I have way too much black, navy, and gray in my wardrobe so this deep green would be a welcomed change. I have this bag from Matt & Nat and absolutely love it for traveling so I know this would hold up for years. The entire mission and ethics of Matt & Nat are awesome too (are you seeing a pattern here?) so I love supporting their efforts.
Southwestern Weekender by Remi & Co., $100
Similar to my old one that's zipper broke. I like the Aztec pattern and colors and looks like can hold a lot. It reminds me of my trips to Arizona last year.
everlane_twill-weekender
The Twill Weekender by Everlane, $98
Probably the one out of this list with the best value. Everlane is super transparent about their manufacturing processes and this bag I got Joel last year has held up great. Lots of room to pack and great quality.
I'm leaning towards the green Matt & Nat one because I think the leather will hold up better than any other material and I like that the color is different than the majority of my wardrobe. Now if I can only be so sure on Joel's ring. He's only wearing it forever right?! No big deal.
Any recommendations on great places to visit in Northern Michigan? Would love to hear about your experience! Share in the comments.
Happy Sunday! - Em
Ode to Flannel
All images thoughtfully captured & words written by guest contributor Lauren Pinner
Call me a typical white girl, but I've always been obsessed with Autumn, especially the perfect month of October. How could you not love it? It's the season of bonfires, falling leaves, apple cider, chilly evenings & one of my favorite things, flannel.
I might be borderline obsessed with this wonderful plaid fabric (6 & counting, is that too much?). I seriously have to restrain myself when I go into stores this time of year because I have a hard time resisting the urge to buy more. I've decided it’s a problem that can only be solved by wearing it as much as I can. Here are a few ways I work the ever-versatile flannel into my Autumn wardrobe:
1 | The Professional
Confession: One of my secret goals for fall & winter is to come up with endless ways to integrate flannel into my work wardrobe. Don't tell anyone, ok? I recently completed my search for the perfect tweed blazer & discovered it was an absolutely fantastic thing to pair with my flannel! I added a woven belt to dress it up & to add more definition to my figure. A pair of comfy ankle boots finished off this work-ready outfit.
Blazer (H&M) / Flannel (Eddie Bauer) / Black skinnies (JCPenney) / Ankle boots (DSW)
2 | The Bonfire
There's nothing better than gathering with friends around the fire pit on a cool fall evening. An essential when venturing outdoors in Michigan right now is a BUNCH of layers. Cue my go-to outfit on the weekend: Boots, vest, flannel, scarf. You really can't say "Autumn" better than that. It's outdoorsy, warm, practical & I love it!
Vest (Lands’ End) / Scarf (Eddie Bauer) / Flannel (Eddie Bauer) / Skinnies (Old Navy) / Boots (Delia’s)
3 | The Holiday
The holidays aren't quite here yet but they're all I can think of when I wear this outfit. It feels festive & cozy. Flannel + sweater = heaven. Ya feel me? The other beautiful thing about this duo is that it makes for great office wear as the leaves change. I love letting my flannel peek out under the edges of top layers like this. Roll up the sleeves for even more peek-a-boo.
Sweater (H&M) / Flannel (Eddie Bauer) / Black skinnies (JCPenney) / Flats (Payless)
My favorite places to discover the perfect flannel:
If you're going for good ole oversized shirts, thrift stores like Goodwill & Salvation Army are perfect. You'll have to do some digging—often in the men's section—but they're a good place to find super inexpensive shirts.
I seek out higher-end secondhand stores like Plato's Closet for flannel with a better fit & quality, especially for work outfits that I use for layering.
My favorite place for buying new flannel is Eddie Bauer. I've only done this once but it was worth it. There's an outlet store I drive by a few times a year that has great sales around the holidays so in the rare moment's I do splurge on flannel, this is where I'll go to spend a little extra.
Join me in my flannel obsession? Get out there, rock those fall patterns & make sure you enjoy the rest of this absolutely beautiful season!
Thanks for listening, brave girls. — Lauren
Summer Denim
The last visit with my cousin, Brooke, led me to a few gems. This awesome color-blocked wall I made her stand in front of (forever the bossy older cousin) was one of them and my observation of how she styled her denim cutoffs throughout the weekend was another. As she was rockin' her 90's vibes, I asked her to share a few denim secrets on the blog today so we can all savor these last moments of summer as laidback & spirited as her. Brooke's guide below is made up of fresh ideas for styling summer denim on a budget.
Written by Brooke Watz
Love Urban Outfitters but often find yourself making a beeline to their sale rack searching for anything to fit your college budget (or any budget for that matter)? Yeah, me too. One of their most expensive items? Denim. Of course, it’s the perfectly ripped, damaged denim only a machine can do that makes me sit & wonder what I'll have to sacrifice this week to justify buying $70+ jeans. This summer, I found myself falling deeper in love with high-waisted denim but refused to let this love affair see the deep, dark void of my bank account.
So I made the trek to Salvation Army & began my search for the perfect high-waisted jeans to DIY. Trying on countless pairs of ’80s & 90’s high-waisted denim had me leaving Salvation Army with seven pairs of my latest obsession (I know, I’m a bit crazy) for little over $20. With my fat stash of denim, I got crafty & made my own shorts to get the same UO look for much, much less. All you need is thrifted jeans & scissors to make your own denim cutoffs.
Here are 3 ways I've styled my repurposed denim this summer:
1 | The Distressed
If I had to describe my style, I would say it closely resembles girly-victorian-hippy. I love anything floral, flirty & vintage so I styled my favorite distressed denim with my favorite summer wedges & shirt.
Achieve the Look
Being creative with the location of holes, rips, & tears gives your shorts originality. Cut your holes with scissors or find a rough patch of cement to rub the denim until a shredded hole emerges, which I happen to know is a great arm workout!
Perks of The Distressed
Everyone thinks you bought them because they look too good to have been made from hand & you’re like, "Nope, I made these suckers myself, thank you!"
I love how this shirt length flirts with the hem of my shorts.
2 | The Booty
This look is all about the booty. Flaunt it, girl! A little booty never hurt nobody so I take this denim to the beach on the hottest of summer days.
Achieve the Look
Cut your shorts at a length right below your booty, simple as that. I save these shorts for the beach because the shorter the length the more you have to be aware of if you know what I'm sayin'. I styled my too-short booty shorts with my favorite bikini top, beachy wedges & sun hat.
Perks of The Booty
Your pockets play peek-a-boo.
They make a fun cover-up when you want to rock your favorite bathing suit top.
Everything I’m wearing apart from the bathing suit top is from Salvation Army. I’m serious, you can find anything there!
3 | The Basic
Every now & then a look comes along inviting me to channel my inner badass. I usually gravitate towards softer hues & similar outfit combinations so I love stepping out of my comfort zone with this look. I kept my denim simple to keep the focus on the black, red, and gold combo of the rest of my pieces.
Achieve the Look
I tend to keep my basics a little more modest for my day-to-day so I cut these to my desired length, adding an extra inch to fold the hem up. A folded hem gives a touch of spice & dimension to my basics, but they look killer with or without a folded hem.
Perks of The Basic
You won’t be hackled by your family for your booty cheeks hanging out (some don’t understand the perks of The Booty, *sigh*).
Salvation Army & Goodwill are hot spots for flannel, as well. This flannel? $5 from Salvation Army!
In the last two years, I’ve had to get crafty with, well, my entire wardrobe (thanks college education!). You don't have to sacrifice style just because your budget is small. In fact, the challenge has made me more resourceful & creative, allowing my style to constantly evolve. I'd love to see how you've styled your own cutoffs & secondhand finds so share them with me on Instagram @brookenicolewatz with the #brokegirlsdenim tag. I can't wait to see your denim beauties!
Here's to the pickers, the searchers & the wanderers of the local Goodwill & Salvation Army. Until next time braves ones, Brooke Nicole Watz