need a little neutrality

I said on Twitter, in a fit of upset early this morning, approximately two am, that I wouldn't have a post today. However, with a final at 12:30 PM and my studying finished an hour and a half before that, I realized I could post...and that I should really make an effort to breathe normally, considering that grades are not the end-all-be-all of my life, and the fact that about 95% of why I'm stressed is that everyone else is stressed and I feel like I'm not being a good student if I'm not intensely emotionally distressed right around this time. I hope that I don't regret not trying to cram more, once I start the exam, but it's a chance I'll take right now.

One of the things that I really want, and which I'm using as an incentive to study and work hard and not collapse into a wibbling pile of sobbing student is neutral/brown-ish sandals. Yes, I know. Standard staple. For everyone but me, I think. I don't believe I've ever owned a pair, but they look marvelous, and they fit with my whole 'making an effort to wear something other than black' thing. The one I've been failing miserably at, since even my sundresses are black. (No, seriously, they are - they have floral patterns, but they're black, and I barely have anything colorful, though all the colors I do have are super-bright).

1. American Eagle / 2. F21 / 3. Zappos / 4. Steve Madden / 5. Alexander Wang / 6. F21

I know, not entirely neutral, but I can't resist some bright stuff with brown. I need to have something familiar with it, right? I think my favorite of these is probably the Alexander Wang sandals, but I'm equally certain that I can't afford them, alas. I'm definitely using some pair of sandals as a finals reward, though, because I honestly need the motivation.

Are you significantly lacking in any serious summer staples? Got a wardrobe kick like my basically all-black one? Ready to learn to murder abstract concepts like finals and economics like I am? (Yay finals...) Lemme know (especially if you want to learn how to kill abstract concepts or know how, because I think I need that before Monday, when my econ final is... I'll survive. Maybe.)

Short and Sweet

Short suits have been everywhere this spring, haven't they? I've seen them all over street style snaps, and touted in magazines as a more comfortable but still work appropriate alternative to the full suit, as well as being just plain fun. Best of all, though, they aren't going to make you sweat to death in the heat of someplace (coughTexascough).

Blazer - thrifted | Shirts - Deb & BuiYahKah | Shorts - F21 | Shoes - Payless | Jewelry - Jewelmint/R21/F21

They're also pretty easy and simple to style. You can go matchy-matchy with your jacket and shorts, or you can mix it up and pair a different color of jacket and shorts, like I did. Monochrome is a possibility here - I'd recommend it with lighter colors, though, since the whole point of this is to have it be airy, and black is unfortunately lacking in airiness. Colorblocking is also an easy trend, and obviously what I chose to go with, and it's made easier by the popularity and easy availability of colorful shirts, blazers, and shorts. I was cautious with a black blazer (and also sane, because I look awful in white, which is currently the only other one I have). If you're going for a more formal vibe than me, I'd suggest heels of some variety, or wedges, rather than flat sandals. Here are some less color-ific variants of the short suit to help inspire you!

 

Enjoy being comfy and sophisticated!


(Pictures of celebrities from here, and copyright to Larry Busacca).