Wearing Now: Rainy Day

Top: T by Alexander Wang - $14 via Nordstrom Rack (similar here)
Trousers: Marc by Marc Jacobs - $40 via eBay (similar here)
Blazer: J. Crew - $20 via eBay (similar here)
Coat: JC Penny (gorgeous here)
Scarf: Burberry (here)

Shoes: Isaac Mizrahi

Bag: Celine
Sunglasses: Fendi

Hello friends, I hope Sandy passed you by safely! The hurricane largey spared the DC area; my neighborhood didn't lose power or got any major wind damage (my roof sprung a leak but we quickly fixed that).

Onto the outfit, today I wore a professional taboo: the cropped top. I thought there was no approapriate way to make one work for the lab (office) but that's nothing I couldn't solve with a pair of high waisted pants and a blazer. I wouldn't normally be so adamant about wearing a defective top to work but Alexander Wang knows what he's doing with a tee - it feels like a second skin so once I put it on in the morning there was no way I'd take it off.

Have a great weekend! And yes, it rained all over my bag just as I started with the photos. Poo.

Wearing Now: Celine Take Two

Blouse: Celine - $80 via Nordstrom Rack (similar here)
Trousers: Marc by Marc Jacobs - $40 via eBay (similar here)
Coat: Garfield & Marks (similar here - $$$ and here - $)
Shoes: Isaac Mizrahi (similar here)
Bag: Celine
Sunglasses: Fendi - $80 via Nordstrom Rack

Work has been fantastic over the last month - so much so that I voluntarily stay after hours. Now I'm working on an exciting new project that will take even more of my time. Nevertheless, I will make every effort to update the blog more than once a week. I have a camping post in the works so stay tuned :)

Onto the second (and ongoing) Celine addition to my closet, I pulled out this blouse from the vast desert of Nordstrom Rack. When I saw it was marked down from $1000 to $80 AND that it was my cut/style AND that it was Celine, the action was obvious: it's one for my closet.

I know it's redundant by now, but do share your latest finds with me!

Wearing Now: Stripes and Boyfriends

Top: Theory (similar here
Jeans: J Brand - $60 via (essentially here)
Blazer: J. Crew - $20 via eBay (similar here)
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs - $60 via eBay (here in pewter)
Bag: Celine
Sunglasses: Fendi - $80 via Nordstrom Rack

Just a quick hello, friends! The week has passed at a phenomenal speed and I'm exhausted. Lots is planned this weekend in the city but I'll keep you posted. Have a great weekend!

Wearing Now: Celine

Blouse: Theory - $13.50 via eBay (came with tags too! Similar here)
Trousers: Marc by Marc Jacobs - $40 via eBay (seller: BHFO; similar here)
Leather jacket: Cole Haan - $150 via eBay (here)
Pumps: Sergio Rossi - $60 via eBay (similar here)
Bag: Celine Trapeze
Sunglasses: Fendi - $80 via Nordstrom Rack

The first time I learned of Celine was when Anh of 9to5 Chic posted about her Phantom. I liked the novel design but it didn't speak to me aesthetically or practically: it may look good with a suit or jeans but you couldn't wear it to dinner or with a dress. Besides, I had (and have) little doubt this bag will go out of style in a few years. Since I'm not a bag person I wanted a quality purse that would carry me from day to night, from work to school, and go with everything from dress pants to denim cutoffs. Since the Phantom was unique enough I looked through Celine's other offerings, which is when I fell in love with the trapeze. A year later (because I don't make four figure decisions lightly) I got tired of unrequited love and bought this beauty at Bergdorf Goodman while in New York. DC, unfortunately, doesn't have a Celine boutique or an authorized dealer. I've heard that Hu's sometimes receives a shipment but I didn't feel like obsessively stalking a bag.

Bottom line: if you're after an item you've wanted for a long time, pull the trigger while you have no expensive responsibilities like a family, mortgage, medical bills, etc. I'm a recent college grad with a job I love, no debt, and no social/financial fetters, which makes this purchase perfectly reasonable for me. I don't want to inspire anyone to buy something beyond their means - buy what you love with what you have and never spend more than what's reliably in your bank account on frivolities.

Wearing Now: From the Rack

Top: Theory - $35 via Nordstrom Rack (ancient, similar here)
Skirt: M Missoni - $30 via Nordstrom Rack (similar here)
Jacket: Marc Jacobs (stolen from sister)
Shoes: Burberry - $190 via Nordstrom Rack (similar here)
Sunglasses: Fendi - $80 via Nordstrom Rack (Graduation present. To myself. Here in vanilla)

I usually stalk eBay for good deals but don't underestimate the power of brick and mortar stores to bring you steep discounts. As I implied in my last post, once I finished the MCAT I was out for blood. Two months in a sensory deprivation chamber (with the occasional visit to my favorite blogs) was enough fuel to catapult me into the nearest Nordstrom Rack. If you haven't heard me before here it is again: clearance events in Nordstrom Rack correlate to Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. Forget about the parent company and run to NR. 

Size note on M Missoni: The brand runs small. I took a size 6 in this skirt when I'm usually a 2/4 in other brands. Hell, my very similar Burberry skirt is a 2!