“Great, just what the world needs, more women wearing baggy jeans.”
- said my husband / when I told him what this post was about.
If I’ve learned anything from The Man Repeller, it’s that if my husband doesn’t approve, it’s probably awesome and I should wear it.
Take boyfriend jeans. They are so loose and baggy it’s like the next best thing to wearing sweatpants in public. I’ll probably be wearing them after they aren’t on trend because they just make me feel happy.
But have you tried to find boyfriend jeans at the department store? I could never find them with enough slouch - especially through the thigh - and I always felt like if they didn’t make my heart sing I sure wasn’t about to spend all that $$$ on them.
What I have found is that the thrift store is the BEST place to get them.
Here are some tips to make even the most daunting thrift store your friend:
1. Head straight for the men’s section (I guess that might be obvious but JUST IN CASE)
2. Look for Levi’s - especially 501 or 505 - those are classic fits that will have just enough straightness in the leg all the way through, plus the denim will be perfect - no elastic or anything weird like that to worry about. Lots of Levi’s will also have the waist and inseam on the back label so you can easily find a small enough waist size to work with.
3. TRY THEM ON. Seems like another obvious point here but I think many people don’t have thrift store success because they don’t want to commit to the dressing room but trust me YOU MUST go all in here. The waist size might say 32 but you want to know where exactly they are going to sit on your hips. Also the length is important. I usually am cutting them to make shorts or rolling them up - but depending on how long they are to begin with you will want to see whether they will require cutting.
4. Be Careful with the Scissors - I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ruined a good pair of denim attempting to make them cutoffs because I thought I would just wing it with the length. You want to cut them much longer at first and roll them to get a real sense of how short they are going to be. You might also find that they look better rolled up than cut and in that case you’re done!
5. Distressing - If you are lucky you’ll find a pair that some man carpenter wore for years and there will be paint or distressing on your jeans already. If not - you can always add your own by rubbing them with a cheese grater and ripping a bit away as you go. But just be warned it takes a while to get it right and it gets messy. I guess there’s a reason designer jeans cost so much….
And that’s all there is to it. Feel free to spend the whole of the $185 you saved on some fabulous accessories, shoes, etc. and feel ridiculously good about it.
Your boyfriends, husbands, brothers + fathers can send me thank you presents anytime.
xo
Em
ps. Do you have specific ideas for Refined on a Dime? We’d love to hear your feedback here. I promise we’re nice.
We were in Wine Country this weekend for this sweet couple’s wedding + I convinced the Mr. to shoot with me by bribing him with a night in Napa and (quite possibly our favorite thing in the whole entire world) BRUNCH.
We ate a Farmstead and it did not disappoint us. We had a cocktail that even Ron Swanson would enjoy. In short, it was glorious.
It was the perfect chance to wear my new (old) men’s jeans (turned shorts.)
I’ve also been LIVING in my new sandals from Frēda Salvador. I found these gals when I shot a feature on them for Apartment 34 and I agonized for weeks over which pair I wanted to invest in. When I finally went back a last weekend there happened to be a Friends & Family sale (Can you say Destiny) and I *may* have walked out with 2 pairs… You will definitely be seeing these babies in Chestnut soon. These sandals are made of the most amazing leather and the crystal detail is unique but in black and tan it goes with everything I own.
Alright. Onto the outfit already.
Try pairing a beaded blouse with your denim to add interest to some boyfriend jean shorts.The slouchy shorts will come in handy if you accidentally overindulge in brunch goodness.
Silk Blouse : Scotch & Soda
Boyfriend jean shorts : Thrifted
Aviators : Ray Ban
Sandals : Frēda Salvador
Kat has convinced me to do a little tutorial on what I look for in my boyfriend jeans for this week’s Friday fun post so get excited for the first Refined on a Dime tutorial!
xo
Em
So if you want to know how I really feel, here goes it…
I LOVE rompers. Why? I don’t really know, maybe because we always want something we can’t have.
What I mean by that is there really are not many rompers out there for tall women? T A L L ladies out there Can I Getta Witness please? I cannot tell you how many times I thought I’ve found a killer romper, only to discover I really look like Sally O’Malley from SNL (ain’t nobody got time for that)
You should know my utter delight then, when I recently walked into Anthropologie and found this floral cobalt blue number. I died when I tried it on, and it actually fit me really well! (Not too short, not too long, everything fitting in its appropriate places).
You know Blue + White are two of my go-to colors that work for me, so of course I paired my favorite Club Monaco Blazer with this look!
All Photos by: Michelle Kim
Outfit Deets:
Blazer: Club Monaco
Romper: Anthropologie
Necklace: JCrew (similar)
Shoes: Nordstroms
Since I was a child I have always wanted to be further along than my current state. In high school I wanted to be in college, in college I just wanted to be done with school, when I started learning photography I just wanted to be shooting for JCrew within 6 months of picking up a camera, now I want 50,000 hits a day on a blog that is fairly new.
We all long for freedom.
I think I’ll feel more free when I am further along creatively, further along in my relationships, further along in my career, further along in my fitness goals.
With each step I take, the freedom I long for seems to be yet another step ahead. So I chase it haphazardly like Peter Pan chases his shadow with no real success.
You see freedom is not cheap. Isn’t it interesting that some of the most freeing moments of our lives come after seasons of intense discipline and hard work.
We all ache for the euphoric feeling of crossing the finish line, but few and far between do the diligent, exhaustive work that it requires to run a successful race.
I want to be more free creatively in my photography, BUT in order to experience that freedom I must have an intense resolve to master my craft and equipment technically.
I want success and freedom within The Refined Woman, BUT that means Em and I must be committed to challenging one another and creating consistent and unique content for a long period of time.
With freedom comes resolve, and with resolve comes discipline, and with discipline comes those moment by moment almost insignificant decisions that over time will lead to greatness.
Be great.
Be disciplined.
Be resolved.
Be free.
XOXO,
Kat
We have been so excited to hear the feedback from the new series we launched on Monday! We are seriously so grateful to the women who are joining us in styling our staples - the best part is that it’s a total inspiration to us too in this blogging journey.
Today we wanted to share more details and outtakes from our outfits on Monday - partly because Michelle + Jessie took such great photos for both of us!! - and also because I think this challenge gave us a newfound appreciation for the versatility of the pencil skirt! Fun. Classy.
It’s everything the Refined Woman loves all wrapped up in one piece.
Get Kat’s Look :
Pencil Skirt: JCrew
Lace Top: TJMaxx (similar)
Belt: Thrift (similar)
Cell Phone Case: JCrew
Get Em’s Look :
Pencil Skirt : Anthropologie
Shirt : Jcrew (Similar)
Necklace : Jcrew
Satchel : Dooney + Bourke
Pumps : Banana Republic
How are you going to wear your pencil skirt now? We would love for you to join the conversation with us on our facebook page!
xo
Kat + Em
The Pencil Skirt. Every woman should have at least one if not multiple. As a working woman on-the-go; it’s one of those wardrobe pieces that you cannot live without!
Our favorite place to get pencil skirts you ask? JCrew’s No.2 Pencil Skirt does it right every time!
There is such freedom in wardrobe staples. BUT if you’re anything like me, then you get stuck wearing your staple pieces the same way over and over. I get so uninspired when I stare at my closet each day. Sometimes you just need a fresh set of eyes to get you to rethink the way you put together outfits.
We thought what better way to get inspired on getting out of your comfort zone with those go-to pieces then getting together with some of our favorite bloggers once a month to see how they wear their staple pieces!
Em and I are simply tickled pink that such fabulous women are partnering up with us on this collaboration!
Em of The Refined Woman.
- What we love about Em’s look is the mixture of textures and patterns. The necklace is the perfect piece to tie in two such opposing patterns!
Kat of The Refined Woman.
- We love how Kat chose a POP-O-COLOR with her skirt, then kept it simple by staying neutral with the rest of her pieces. Her tan and white belts softens the white and yellow nicely.
Casey Leigh of The Wiegands
- Miss Casey from Texas is a SoCal girl at heart! We love her flowy untucked top with her DIY scarf + fedora!
Hilary of Dean Street Society.
- Last week Hilary told me “keep it simple, keep it preppy”, and her outfit reflects this statement wonderfully. We love her color blocking + who would have thought to pair a sweater with a pencil skirt! LOVE IT!
Sara of Glitter and Grace.
- We adore Sara’s neutral color palette. Her graphic tee keeps this look casual, yet her sassy heels keeps her uber feminine! We love how she took advantage of adding color with her accessories!
Jen of The Effortless Chic.
- Jen offers another take on the graphic tee + sassy heel look. She keeps her color palette simple, the tee + lace skirt make this a very wearable outfit, yet her sparkly heels and jazzy jewelry takes this look to the Effortless Chic style that Jen holds to!
Erin of Apartment 34.
- We’re smitten with Erin’s blue color blocking! There is so much freedom in color! Her billowy top makes her skirt feel more bohemian.
Stay tuned for our Wednesday Post as Em and I give details on where our looks are from!
XOXO,
Kat + Em
P.S. Mark your calendars for our next Refined How To Collaboration Post Monday June 10th!
This is my little family. I love them with all my heart.
But I don’t always act like it.
With my actions, I act like my phone is my life. That email is the most important part of my day. I am constantly struggling to stop opening instagram and facebook to see what’s happening out there in social media land.
I read something this week that helped put into words a desire of my heart that has been brewing. The desire to put down my phone and LIVE my life. But sometimes I feel trapped by it because in and of itself it’s not “bad.” It’s not bad to want to be good at my job, or encourage other people in the things they are doing and posting.
But it’s a fine line and one that some days feels like it is leading me to ruin. It’s really an issue of my heart - what do I think gives me worth and value? If I’m being honest some days I’m looking for my worth there, in these tangible numbers that truthfully mean nothing.
I don’t want to live my life for “likes” and I more than anything I want to live a story worth telling.
I want to be fully present in the relationships I have right in front of my face.
It’s a moment by moment practice, and one that I’m refocusing on. Today. Right now.
It’s worth it.
xo
Em
In T-Minus 20 days the Mr. + I will be frolicking around the streets of Paris and I am SO excited.
I might already be outfit planning. Last time we were in Paris was 2 years ago while on a backpacking tour across Western Europe and I packed like it was spring break… and it rained. I’m not gonna lie being unprepared makes me cranky.
This time, I’m layering with knits and scarves and swingy skirts… and I’ll probably make sure I have at least two pairs of jeans with me too.
If you have any Paris recommendations I am dying to hear them!
On my list so far is a visit to Versailles, the flea market, Deyrolle, Musée d’Orsay + Harry’s NY Bar…
Chiffon Skirt : UNIQLO / Scarf : Cabbages + Roses for UNIQLO / Ballet Flats : JCrew / Sweater : my mom’s / Camera Strap : Apolis
Thanks so much to Jessie for the photos + Melissa for the hair + makeup help! You both rock my world.
xo,
Em
As I shared with you last week, I fell in love…with thrifting.
This lovely navajo wrap dress is fabulous! (I’ve worn it 3x in the last 7 days…oops #sorryimnotsorry)
What I love about this dress is that it’s a classic A-line silhouette (universally flattering), and I just think wrap dresses are a wardrobe staple!
Now that I’ve got the thrift-ing bug I’m dying to know some good spots in LA + NYC. Join our conversation on instagram, we’d love to know your thoughts!
Photos by: Michelle Kim
Wrap Dress: Thrift (similar + similar)
Jean Jacket: Zara (similar)
Shoes: [old] Urban Outfitters (similar)
Yesterday I was running around like a mad woman, and brought my make-up bag with me in the car because I thought I was going to have ALL of this time before my meeting to put on my make-up.
The only problem with my plan was EVERYTHING. I was sort of running late, which I hate, so I had to just go to the basics with my make-up.
Literally in less than 7 minutes I went from make-up-less H O T M E S S to a bit more refined (pun definitely intended).
Honestly, I’m not that girl that spends forever getting ready. I’m all about the quickest most efficient way to get out the door.
Here are my go-to products, and yes some are a bit more pricey. I am a woman on a budget, however, I do believe make-up is worth the investment because you’re putting it on your face every single day! You don’t want to skimp out #aintnobodygottimeforthat.
- Laura Mercier Tinted Mercier: this makes my skin feel smooth, and almost acts like a primer and makes my skin more even.
- Make-up Forever Concealer: I’m insecure about puffy under eyes, and literally have tried EVERYTHING…this is hands down my favorite under eye concealer.
- Nars Illuminator: I recently got turned onto this by my make-up artist Rachel. I’m obsessed; you put it on the corner of your eyes, t-zone, and a dot on your chin, and BAM. You look glowy + fresh all day. Seriously. Obsessed with this stuff.
- Laura Mercier Powder Foundation: it’s lightweight, and I don’t even feel like I have foundation on. (Remeber me…Kat…the tomboy…I don’t want to feel like I have make-up on).
- Stilla Bronzer “sun”: I’m a southern gal, and have been using bronzer for like 20 years. I love feeling golden and fresh!
- Naked Palette 2: I use this everyday whether it’s day wear or a black smoky eye at night. This palette is full of neutral tones and shimmery pinks and golds. Also, I use the bronzy brown as my eye liner. I just wet the tip of my eyeliner brush and dab it in the shadow then viola: perfect eyeliner. It’s like killing 13 birds with one stone.
- Cover Girl Lash Blast in Very Black: NOT Waterproof. Waterproof makes me feel like my eyelashes are going to yank out. I have used expensive mascara, but always come back this product. I apply two coats up top, one on bottom.
Bam. 7 minutes later and I’m ready to go.
Try it out ladies!
Happy Friday!
XO,
Kat
