Velvet boots + Mulberry "Alexa" Bag Look-a-like

One of the trends that I am loving this fall, but was admittedly a little surprised to see was velvet. Back in April, after seeing velvet hit the runways of the the likes of Georgio Armani, Rachel Roy, Alexander Wang, an article on Style.com referred to it as possibly the "most polarizing textile of them all."  In the same article, Rachel Roy makes a great point "I don't use fur, so I was looking for fabrics that felt as rich and soft to the touch."  Well, when you think of it that way, it makes perfect sense.  Opulence and luxury in the form of fabulous furs (even if they're faux furs) is a HUGE trend this season. Indeed, velvet done right has the same glamorous feel to it.

Runway Images Borrowed from Style.com

I actually have several velvet pieces in my wardrobe that I've acquired over the years so thankfully I will not have to lust after any velvet additions to my wardrobe.  I've got a couple pair of velvet pants, a couple velvet jackets, and.... these velvet over-the-knee boots!

Jacket & Dress: unknow & old | Boots: MIA, Nordstrom Rack, Fall 08 | Bag: Nine West, TJ Maxx ($34.99) | Necklace: Claire's

I fell in love with these boots immediately when I saw them! You can wear them OTK , or you can wear them scrunched just below the knee, or scrunch them down to the calves.  They are so versatile! I've gotten a ton of wear out of them.  I don't remember the exact price, but I do remember that they were less than $50.  I had to snatch them up, and when I got home my roommate loved them so much that she went out and bought them the next day! (Hi Sunset!)  Unfortunately, I don't think they're going to make it through another winter.  If you look closely, you can see that the velvet is splitting on the top of the shoe and exposing the white fabric underneath. I am going to take them to a shoe repair shop and see if they can be salvaged.  Either way, they've done me well over the last couple years!

Okay, so remember my new Nine West messenger bag from TJ Maxx last week? Well, I love it!  Isn't it a little reminscent of the Mulberry "Alexa" Bag?

The Mulberry "Alexa" Messenger Bag

My Nine West bag is a fab look alike.  The shiny black leather and gold details on the buckles and straps are fabulous!  The best part... It cost only $34.99 at TJ Maxx. Gotta love that!  My new bag is the perfect basic black bag for fall!

Now, you may not have noticed a subtle design detail about the print of my dress...a design detail that is right on trend.  The print is actually shades of purple, black, and navy.  Black and navy is a color combo that many people lump into the same category as black and brown -- fashion taboo.  Well, as you all know I don't believe in fashion taboos and I happen to think that black and navy are a fab combo.  The black and navy floral print on this dress make it easy to give this trend a try!  It pairs back to both colors wonderfully.  Now  that I've brought this to your attention, you've probably noticed that the print has more blue than black, but it doesn't clash with my black boots and jacket at all.

Don't you all just love wrap dresses? They are so ladylike and figure flattering on nearly all body types. The surplice bodice automatically cinches the waist, and given the right fabrication and construction the dresses draped beautifully on the body.  I wish I had taken some shots without the jacket.

Oh now for the exciting news! I wore this ensemble to the courthouse to watch Fabrice get sworn in!! It was so exciting! He is an official attorney now and I am so proud of him...

Fabrice and Judge Hankinson

I want to thank you all for your congratulations on my last post about Fabrice passing the bar! I also got a few questions on that post that I wanted to answer.

MissKRoberts of Compulsive Flyness asks "How do the Go Jane shoes fit? Are they true to size?"

In my experience, the Go Jane shoes are not actually Go Jane brand. They are the standard cheaper brands like Quipid, Bamboo, Michael Antonio, and Anne Michelle. They have these brands at any of your cheaper no-name shoe and clothing stores.  They fit pretty true to size.  I wear a 7 1/2 and I've only had to return one pair of shoes that were too tight. I will say that Go Jane requires you to pay for shipping both ways so if they don't fit, you're out $7 - $10 return shipping, although if you are exchanging them you don't have to pay for the shipping of the new item.

CurlyKye requested a makeup tutorial. I think that is a great idea and I will work on putting together a post soon!

Tasha of Imperfect Concepts Boutique asked "Who is your dress by? I am looking for more dresses like that."

My dress is made my Soprano and I got it at Loehmann's although you can also find a selection of Soprano dresses at Macy's in the Juniors Department.  The brand is really reasonably priced in the $30 - $60 and they make for great basics.  They also make plus sizes, which is great!

So now, I've got some questions for you!

How do you feel about velvet?

Would you wear black and navy?

Thanks for stopping by!!!