Since I arrive today in the city of Oxford to visit my little bro who is studying at the University of Oxford, I thought it would only be appropriate to feature this glorious pair of patently (see what I did there?) ging-tastic OXFORDS.
I am a lover of oxfords in basically all forms. The shoes, the shirts, the cities, the universities (is there more than one?) but I’ve gotta say that this particular pair of Johnston & Murphy Deena wingtip oxfords is quite possibly the cutest (and MOST COMFORTABLE) form of Oxford I have ever beheld.
I have to admit, sometimes I struggle with gingham. It can look too country picnic to me in many forms, but somehow the insertion of gingham print into this patent wingtip just werks in a masterful urban-meets-collegiate-and-not-in-a-bad kind of way.
Also, there’s nothing like a good statement shoe to make the rest of your outfit a breeze. Speaking of breeze, this draped-front suede jacket, also by Johnston & Murphy is the reigning queen of spring layering pieces in my closet. It goes with everything, can be dressed up, dressed down and with the beautiful draped front, it can make the simplest of ensembles look effortlessly and exquisitely “put together.”
Compensation for this post was provided by Johnston & Murphy via AOL Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Johnston & Murphy or AOL.
I’m traveling in Europe right now and due to some technical difficulties abroad, I’m not able to share the outfit post I was hoping to share today (the one that I gave a sneak preview of on instagram), so I’m going to hold off on that one until next week. Instead, I thought I’d include some of the items that are at the top of my spring shopping list, especially this white chambray shirt and these flare leg jeans. Whew I’m finding them hard to resist. Have a great weekend!
As you may have noticed, today’s post is a little different than the workwear style posts you’re used to seeing on Memorandum. In the last year and a half, this blog has focused on offering style inspiration for working women across all industries, and make no mistake, this will continue to be the central focus of Memorandum and the vast majority of posts. However, over the past almost two years, I’ve gotten countless emails from many of you asking for advice on other aspects of your busy lives, and I thought it was high time I started responding to these requests. When and how do you fit a workout into the work week? Where do you travel during those sacred days off? How did you find the right wedding dress for you?
Undoubtedly, working women are much more than just their work. You go out, you workout, you get married, you travel, and much more. So at the request of many of you, I’m going to start including content from time to time that speaks to these other aspects of a working gal’s lifestyle. I’m so grateful for all the emails and comments that you’ve sent thus far; please keep them coming and let me know what you’re interested in hearing about!
For now, let’s take a look at Wedding Memo, Episode One: Finding the Right Wedding Dress…
Most of my best friends are not married yet, so when I got engaged in November, I was utterly clueless about the entire process. Also, unlike some of my wedding-obsessed girlfriends, I didn’t have twenty pinterest boards with every last detail of my future nuptials planned out. I was starting at square one, and needed all the help I could get. I’m excited to say that I’ve now finally found my dress, and although I won’t be divulging any details of my own wedding gown in advance of our August wedding, I thought I’d share a few tips that I learned during the search that I think might be useful for others beginning the process.
In conjunction with my wedding dress tips below, I’m also sharing some snaps today from the amazing experience my best friend and I had at Nordstrom’s Wedding Suite. While every city has lots of amazing bridal boutiques, Nordstrom Wedding Suites are located all over the US, so worthwhile to mention for many of you that are wondering where to start and live in all corners of the country. To be completely honest, when a girlfriend of mine suggested I make an appointment at Nordstrom, I was completely surprised and very hesitant to do it. While you know I’m a huge Nordstrom fan, a big department store was definitely not what I envisioned as the ideal place to look for a wedding dress. Nevertheless, on her recommendation, my best friend and I made an appointment and were blown away. Although it is situated in a large department store, the Wedding Suite is completely set apart and the experience is as personalized and intimate as any experience I have had in stand-alone boutiques. Also, unlike their regular merchandise, the selection in-store far surpasses what they have online, and the bridal consultants that I worked with could not have been nicer, or more knowledgeable. As you can probably tell from the pictures, we had tons of fun.
My outfit: DRESS: Free People (similar here and here) | Belt: old but similar here | Shoes: Franco Sarto (similar here and here)
I also have to preface the below tips with the mention that I have read tons of similar lists in wedding magazines and books on what you need to know before wedding dress shopping. I’d recommend taking a look through these types of resources before you start looking. However, below, I wanted to share the tips that were most helpful to me that I didn’t see anywhere online or in magazines, but rather received from friends or learned on my own…
1) TRY ON DRESSES THAT YOU HATE
At the first few appointments, force yourself to try on dresses that you otherwise think you would never choose. If you think you’re set on a mermaid-style silhouette, try those on, but also try on some a-line dresses to compare. Same goes for necklines. Have your heart set on strapless? Try a few that aren’t. This process will either (a) help solidify your preconceived preferences as good ones, or (b) make you realize that something you never thought of—perhaps a fit-and-flare silhouette or v-neck, for example—is actually much more flattering for your body type. You can’t rely on how a dress looks on a model in wedding magazines to give you a realistic idea of how it will look on you. I’m so glad I forced myself to try on lots of different styles at the outset, because the dress that I chose in the end is completely different than the dress I visualized going in.
2) REMEMBER THE VENUE
In addition to staying true to your personal style, think about the venue you’re getting married in. If you don’t have a venue yet, don’t buy a dress yet! The venue and theme (if you have one) of your wedding can dramatically impact your dress choice. For example, a large, heavily embellished ball gown-style dress might look out of place at an intimate garden wedding. Similarly, a simple boho-style dress might look out of place in a grand ballroom. Ideally and within reason, everything should meld together.
3) KEEP YOUR POSSE SMALL
I’m always mystified by reality TV shows that feature brides coming into a bridal shop with a posse of 18 opinionated friends and family members. From my experience, I recommend keeping the group down to as few as possible. For me, this was just my mom and my best friend—two people that know me and my style best, and also whose opinion I really trust. When there are too many cooks in the kitchen with lots of opinions and widely varying tastes, the experience can be super stressful.
4) MAKE SURE YOU CAN MOVE
A lot of things look amazing when you’re standing still in front of a mirror. However, think about the type of wedding you expect to have. For example, my fiancé and I love to dance, so I need a dress that I can move comfortably in. This is something to keep in mind with regards to your leg movement, but also your arm movement. If there’s a sleeve that prevents you from comfortably lifting your arms when you’re dancing (or hugging people in a receiving line), you might want to rethink. Also, and particularly for dresses that are fitted through the body (i.e. tight through your bum and/or thighs), make sure that you can sit comfortably for long periods of time. Then, make sure that when you stand up, the material isn’t riddled with deep crease lines or gapping around the stomach/hips area from being stretched while seated for an extended period of time.
5) PAY ATTENTION TO LINING AND UNDERGARMENTS
Think about what undergarments you’re going to need to look great and feel comfortable. In the same vein, pay attention to the lining of the dresses you’re considering. I received great advice from a girlfriend who recently got married and didn’t realize until she was a few hours into her wedding day that the lining of her gown’s skirt was incredibly itchy and hot. Make sure you think not only about how the dress looks after you’ve had it on for five minutes in an air conditioned bridal salon, but also how it might feel after you’ve been in it for hours—sitting, standing, reaching, dancing.
6) THINK ABOUT HEEL HEIGHT
Before placing an order, make sure you keep in mind what type of shoes you hope to wear. If you have your heart set on a four-inch pair of Manolos, make sure your dress can accommodate the extra height. This should always be discussed with you at the bridal salon before placing an order, but it’s good to keep it in mind. Additionally, it’s important to think not only about the perfect shoes you want to wear in photos and the ceremony, but also about the shoes that you’ll want to spend the entire evening in. If you have your heart set on a pair of super high heels, but can’t spend 8+ hours in them, you might want to rethink your strategy, or have a more comfortable pair to switch into for dancing. If this is the case, you should keep in mind how that effects your dress length. If you switch from four-inch heels to flats, you’re going to potentially have an extra four inches of dress dragging on the floor that could be a major tripping hazard. And unless you’re Sandra Bullock, you just don’t come back from that.
Did I miss anything major? Let me know in the comments : )
Thrilled to finally be back home today after traveling for the past few weeks, I’m eager to share some more snaps from my trip. If you saw my previous posts here and here or follow me on instagram, you know my time away began in the Netherlands which is the undisputed tulip capital of the world—particularly this time of year. Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities in the world, but I’d never had the chance to visit the Keukenhof Gardens outside the city before which are only open mid-March to mid-May. As you can see above, there’s a reason this place is called “The Garden of Europe” as it’s one of the largest flower gardens in the world. If you get the chance to visit during this period of time, I highly recommend!
And what do you wear in a massive, magical Dutch garden? A kelly green leafy crop-top and matching skirt, of course. In the event that they happen to be filming a frozen vegetable commercial and are in need of a Green Giant stand-in or a spontaneous duck hunting party assembles and seasonally-appropriate camouflage is required, you’ll be good to go.
I paired this Kate Spade matching set with my favorite Adidas sneakers for much of the day wandering around the gardens, but switched into these nude sandals when it was time for dinner. Like many coordinates, the top and skirt can be worn separately with ease, and for those of you in a conservative workplace, that may be the better option if head-to-toe print like this one is a bit too “garden party” for work. I’ve already worn the skirt on its own several times with a chambray shirt or fuchsia sweater, and more recently, I wore the top with a pair of white high-waisted wide-leg trousers.
If you’re sporting either the crop top, skirt, or both to an office setting, I’d highly recommend these nude ankle-strap sandals if this type of footwear is appropriate at your casual or creative workplace, or better yet, try nude pumps like these ones or these ones if your office is a bit more buttoned-up. Off duty, I love the juxtaposition of the feminine coordinates with the Stan Smiths.
I wore this periwinkle ensemble to a pool party last weekend, but thought I’d share it here anyway because it’s Monday and I’d very much like to pretend that I’m going to a pool party today instead of settling back into the workweek grind which for me involves neither pools nor parties. Also, I thought it was worth sharing because I think you could easily make the pieces work in an office environment by pairing the culottes with a white button down and nude heels or wearing the crop top with a high-waisted pair of pants or midi skirt. If you work in a creative environment, you could probably pull the look off as-is with perhaps a slightly elevated footwear option like these beauties instead of the gold slide sandals (which I haven’t stopped wearing because they’re so so good). Either way, if you find some way to incorporate this dreamy periwinkle blue into your workweek, I’d consider that a the-royal-baby-is-a-girl level win.
As the title suggests, these pictures were snapped while I was visiting my younger brother at Oxford University’s New College. If you’re ever visiting England and want to venture outside of London, I can’t recommend Oxford enough. It’s spectacularly beautiful, packed with awe-inspiring architecture and steeped in rich, mind-blowing history. Tourists also love that much of Harry Potter was filmed here, and for those of you that are avid fans, I believe that Malfoy was turned into a ferret in the courtyard featured in some of the pictures above. I’m happy to report that nothing of the sort happened to me during my visit, although coincidentally I was seated next to the actor who plays Voldemort at the Heathrow airport a few days after these photos were taken, and I’m 80% certain he started muttering the cruciatus curse under his breath at one point. It’s a miracle I made it out alive.
I’ve gotten a ton of mileage out of this St. John beauty recently, and as pictured above, I wore it in London while there for work a couple weeks ago. As promised in previous posts here and here, I’ll finally be sharing the additional pinterest-exclusive St. John looks today, so be sure to follow along here!
I was lucky to snag this dress in London a few weeks ago right before hopping on a flight direct to Dallas where that Texas heat and humidity awaited. A spring and summer weekend staple, the lightweight shirt dress turned out to be the perfect travel piece, emerging from my over-stuffed luggage without a wrinkle, just right for a relaxing Sunday afternoon at the Joule Hotel. If you’re ever in Dallas, I can’t recommend the Joule highly enough. It was my second time, and I was so glad to end three long weeks of travel there for a weekend conference. The spa, the pool, the food, the service—all absolutely top notch. I can’t wait to go back… Happy Sunday!
I fell in love with the delicate embroidery and metallic details of this matching set. With the help of a classic white vest during working hours (or a blazer if you can’t go sleeveless in the office), it makes for the ideal desk-to-drinks ensemble. Especially with warm weather here to stay, the ability to quickly ditch the vest and endure a swampy commute with no impediments around your upper quarter is every commuter-by-way-of-subway’s dream. Add the possibility of a sweaty bar after work, and strapless matching set, you’ve got yourself a deal. Sans vest, I also wore this set to the theater a few nights ago, and plan to wear the pieces individually as well. Thumbs up to major bang for your buck with these suckers.
CROP TOP: c/o Rebecca Minkoff (also here and love the pale pink version here) | CULOTTES: c/o White House Black Market (previously styled here; here in white and similar here) | PUMPS: c/o Reiss | NECKLACE: Baublebar
I don’t wear a ton of pink, and I definitely don’t wear a ton of pink that also has ruffles. However, something about this neonpink ruffled number just werks both on and off duty in all the right ways. Whether it’s paired with culottes or a high-waisted pencil skirt, I think the top can introduce a chic, contemporary relevance to your work wardrobe, while still looking entirely polished and professional. Off duty, I’ve worn it with high-waisted cut off denim shorts, and the contrast is en punto. Rebecca Minkoff always strikes the right urban/romantic chord with me, and I’m a huge fan of her new arrivals for summer which I highly recommend you check out here!
The easiest of pieces, yet still polished—I’ve hardly taken this skirt off in the last couple weeks. Jeans on Casual Fridays are always a nice option, but during the warmest months, thick denim is not always a welcome gift when one is forced to occasionally exit air conditioning. Enter the pleated chiffon maxi skirt. Light as a feather and in a peachy-blush hue that makes me really want a push-pop and a glass bottle of brut rosé, this skirt makes dressing for Casual Fridays in the summertime a whole lot easier. It looks great with the coordinating medallion printed tunic (and dare I say, fairly profesh?), but it can also be easily dressed up for an evening out with a black crop top or dressed down for Sunday brunch with a chambray shirt tied at the waist. Hands down the MVP of my spring and summer wardrobe.
P.S. FYI, the Nordstrom half-yearly sale is now on, so stock upppp!
Before heading out for the long weekend, be sure to check out the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale which is going on now. Above are some of my favorites, but there are so so many more…
Photography by Melanie Riccardi
Dress by 
Dress by 
Photography by 
TOP: 
JEANS: 
