The 90 degree days are officially upon us in DC, which means I'll be trying to get away with the easiest and lightest of outfits I can.

I picked up this dress over the Winter when it went deeply discounted, and while usually I'd say ordering Final Sale online is a deal breaker, funnily enough I'd tried this specific dress on last July, so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. I know that fit is very personal, but while there are a few outliers, I tend to think the dresses from Reformation fit true to size. In fact, due to the stretch back, I probably could have gotten away with a size down. I will always (always always) advocate trying things on before you commit, but it's nice to know about where I land on the size chart before I get started.

Told 'ya you'd be seeing this jeans + booties pairing again. They've taken a bit more effort to break in than I'd like, but: WORTH IT.

I ended up buying this sweater over the summer, during Locher's 30% off sale, and let me tell y'all - it was worth every penny. I might not get to wear it as often as I'd like (this is definitely not appropriate for even my office's casual standards) but it makes me so freaking happy.

Also, as much as I'd love to claim complete inspiration for this look, have you ever watched the seasonal styling videos from Allegra Shaw? She and I have completely different body types, and I do think some of the looks she puts together wouldn't work for me, but it's been really great for my brain to watch her work. She's clearly a fantastic stylist, who puts in an incredible amount of effort into making these videos, and she's got me thinking. Despite the mammoth-sounding task, I think I'd like to spend some time looking at specific pieces in my wardrobe and styling them differently. I think it'll just make me feel more deliberate/intentional in how I'm presenting myself, which will result in a happier me.

Do you know what makes blog photos hard? Lots of pretty flowers and trees that cause your auto focus to freak the f*ck out. So I apologize that it's a tiny bit out of focus, but sometimes for this sort of backdrop you just suck it up and make do.

My coat collection has a pretty good selection of fun and "work" coats. Pieces that add to an outfit and mostly, hopefully, also keep me warm. When I picked up this coat during the end of season sales last year, it was never gonna be a "fun" coat. I got this coat because DC is developing this tendency of being really f*cking cold and it's making me sad. I'm fortunate to be able to say that I also think it's cute enough to throw on top of lots of different outfits so when it feels like 1 degree Fahrenheit outside I don't lose a limb.

So what you should be taking from all this is that you probably need an Eddie Bauer coat in your life. Paired like it is here with OTK boots which are *this close* to being perfect (they stay up over jeans but not on bare/tights covered legs) and while I wouldn't lie to you and say I was toasty, I was ok hanging out on play ground that at 3pm on a Saturday had no one else there.

Hi, my name is Dana and I'm a sucker for banker stripes (I had to Google the name, don't judge me).

In my closet right now I'd say there a few common threads (high-waisted pants, white tops, etc) and one of them, almost despite myself, is banker stripes. I own two or three tops in the print, have to mentally stop myself from trying on more, and just feel like I look good in them which makes the whole self-deprivation thing harder.

This top in particular was one of only 2 pieces I took home during Marissa Webb's short time as Creative Director at Banana Republic. Now don't get me wrong, her aesthetic speaks to me, as do her shapes, but the actual cut of her clothes ran SO SMALL and most never looked right. But this oversized tunic-y shirt is so comfy that I had to bring it home, and my favorite way of pairing it is over jeans.

In fact, to be honest with you all, I had to think hard about how I wanted to present this outfit - initially my brain said: "Wear the nude heels Dana, the nude heels are cool. And sexy." But while the nude heels *are* both cool and sexy, they aren't particularly comfortable for a full day of walking and this is how I wear this top - with flats. So please excuse me if I seem slightly less glamorous than usual, because instead I felt comfortable and very much "me" with is awesome in its own right.


*Fit Note: I sized down to a 31 short in these jeans and I still can't decide how I feel about them. The 32 fit but I was worried it would stretch out (despite the Sculpt claims) because of the room in the waist. These are definitely more fitted, without changing the leg, but I still feel like I'm pulling them up slightly? JEANS ARE HARD GUYS. Also these are virtually identical to the Old Navy Sculpt but I didn't like the washes so I ended up paying more money and kept these. I mostly love them but I'm still annoyed.