The Boyfriend Shopper

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been MIA recently. There have been big things happening around the Wilde house and I haven't had a moment to post!  I'll be catching you guys up on my summer travels, and all the other things that have been happening, this week! Starting off first, with my favorite shopping trick...

You've all heard me sing the praises of Stitch Fix. Personal Stylist, try on the clothes at home, sending me new trends to try out. It's all great. Now it's time to share with you another one of my favorite things - The Boyfriend Shopper!

What is this you ask? Well, it's just like Stitch fix, except my personal stylist is my boyfriend!

Sure, this might not work out for some of you (okay, most of you), especially if your significant other hates shopping. Or isn't comfortable wandering the women's department of Bloomingdale's. I'm a lucky girl and let me tell you the great things about My Boyfriend Shopper. (All of the items in the outfits included in this post were purchased by the boyfriend, without any influence from me!)

1. He has access to all my favorite shops, the best shopping mall in New Jersey and a few of the best outlet malls in the area. His office is right in the middle of all of these amazing stores. It's a good thing that I don't work in that part of the state.

2. The Boyfriend has learned my style over the ten plus years we've been together. He knows I hate surged hems, stretchy tops and anything Missoni. Though he often buys things he thinks will look good on me and I wind up loving them.

3. My guy is incredibly frugal and can sniff out a sale like a deal bloodhound.  On his most recent trip out for me he spent $120. He saved over $700 on labels like Theory, Hugo Boss & Marc Jacobs. Yeah, he's good.

4. I get to try the items on at home and if I don't like them he can just take them back to the store next week. I don't have to lift a finger! No going to the mailbox for me, take that Stitch Fix!

5. He sometimes forgets that I haven't paid him for the cute clothes he bought me.  Mostly I just repay him by making a larger rent payment, thereby lowering his payment. So it's like I'm paying for the roof over our heads, instead of those killer shoes on my feet.

If only I could figure out a business model in which I would monetize his sale finding skills.  Anyone out there need a personal bargain shopper? I charge 10%. Yes, that sounds legit.

Wilde Wednesday - Work Wear Wishes

How's that for alliteration? Today I'm thinking all about work wear. Though I guess it's not just things to wear to work, but also to carry to work and to bring to work because you need hydration and food. We spend so much of our lives at the office, why not look good and feel good while you're there?

1. C Wonder - Ikat Coffee Mug - $10 - More so for the winter, but I always like to have my morning beverage in a cute bug, rather than a paper cup. My mug is just making my desk look pretty these days, it's the season of iced everything!
2. Rebecca Minkoff - Medium M.A.B. Tote - $255 - I have this tote for my monster of a laptop. This Rebecca Minkoff bag is big and sturdy! It holds everything I need to bring with me to work, including my shoes and lunch.
3. Rebecca Taylor - Pleated mixed tweed dress - SALE $383 - Of course you need to have cute clothes for work. Showing up in a bright and crisp dress really sets the mood for your entire day at the office.
4. Fresh - Sugar Lip Treatment (Tulip) - $22.50 - I literally have four of these in my office right now. Three different tinted colors and one sheer. They are super moisturizing, which is completely necessary in this over air conditioned office world that we all live in. Bonus? It has SPF.
5. Fitbit - Fitbit Zip - $48.99 - And that SPF will come in handy when you get away from your desk for an afternoon walk. After I transitioned from a lab job to a desk job, I found that I wasn't moving around as much. Now I have my Fitbit (and so do many of my coworkers!) and I try to log over 10,000 steps per day. A quick walk after lunch totally helps me toward that goal.
6. Kate Spade - Black Cat silicone iPhone case - $45 - I have the toucan case from the summer collection. It was also $45 and I can't see spending another $45 on this iPhone case, but it's so cute. A black cat is so perfect for the fall!
7. DVF - Amelia Silk Combo flared wrap dress - $485 - I've been living in wrap dresses this summer. Combine them with some bike shorts and you're all set for whatever the day throws at you. Wrap dress + bike shorts = absolute comfort.
8. Basily - Infuser Water Bottle - $15.99 - With all of the amazing fruits I've been picking up at the markets this summer, there was no need for boring, plain water. Cut up some berries and pop them in the infuser and in minutes you have an amazing and refreshing drink!
9. Ikea - Knubbig Table Lamp - $7.99 - The light in my office is sub-par. I like to have an extra pop of light on my desk, not only to be able to read things, but also to cheer up the room a little. This is especially helpful on stormy summer days.
10. Kate Spade - Bedford Square Eastern bag - $398 - I know, I already said that I have the RM M.A.B. tote, but look how pretty this bag is! Look at all of those internal compartments! So gorgeous and useful.

What are some of your favorite things to have at the office? Something special to make the time pass a little faster?

Brights and Horizontal Stripes

This is my first summer with an office job. I have no idea what to wear! How casual is too casual? Are sandals kosher as long as they aren't flip flips? Should I save chiffon for nights and weekends? Will my coworkers frown on me wearing neon? It's so much more difficult than dressing in the fall and winter.

I've taken to wearing bright colors in combination with black and white. I probably own at least ten different black dresses and four or five black and white dresses. Pairing bright accessories with a basic dress adds something fun, without going over the top.

Dress: Calvin Klein (Last year)

Necklace: Charming Charlies

Tote: Rebecca Minkoff

Scarf: Target

Sandals: Kate Spade

What do you wear to the office when the mercury rises?

Summer in Chiffon

Summer has unofficially started here in New Jersey and the warm weather has finally made an appearance. On a recent weekend trip to Brooklyn, I was able to dress the part of summer. How does one wear summer? It's all about chiffon. Light and airy layers keep you cool and girly. I discovered this trick on my trip to Singapore. While all my male coworkers were sweating away in their cotton khakis and polo shirts, I was comfortable and cool in white chiffon.

My only complaint about this dress? It's a little on the short side and makes riding the subway a bit of an issue. How to I fix this problem? I'm totally wearing Nike bike shorts under this dress.

No chiffon ensemble is complete without a simple and nerdy necklace! I get so many questions about this particular necklace. It's a simplified structure that represents the organic molecule - theobromine. Otherwise known as the chocolate flavor molecule. Nerdy and delicious! You can pick one up for your favorite chemistry or biology friend at Made with Molecules!

Dress: Theory

Sunglasses: RayBan

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff

Shoes: DSW

Necklace: Made with Molecules

The boyfriend picked up this Theory dress for me last summer, but here are some other girly and summery options from Shopsense!

Day to Night - Take Two!

Hi Everyone! I'm back in New Jersey and back in the office. With the start of summer, I'm no longer heading straight home and hiding under heavy blankets. This time of year is my favorite time to take the train into the city for a fun evening with the boyfriend. Since I commute to my job via the train, it's faster for me to go straight to Manhattan rather than stop at home to change.

This just leaves one problem that I'm sure you all have with summertime day-to-night looks.  It's freezing in the office, but so beautiful outside! This is how I take my look from my desk to the restaurant...

The whole look is based on a black dress. Not a traditional, office appropriate black dress. I picked up this dress a few months ago, but didn't have the chance to wear it yet. To bring the dress to office appropriate levels, I tossed on this blue blazer that I got from Stitch Fix! Flats are my go to shoe when I wear a skirt this length to work. I love this pair from Marc by Marc Jacobs because they look like little mice!

My accessories are the usual office set - big bag for commuting on the train, Fitbit for tracking my steps and my favorite 3D printed necklace from Nervous System.

When it comes to work makeup, I keep it simple. Eyeliner, tinted lip balm and mascara.

When it's time to head to the city, the shoulders come out!

I fell in love with this sweetheart neckline of this Rebecca Minkoff dress.

The boyfriend was smitten with the back of this dress and insisted that I buy it. The back of the dress is the major reason I added the blazer for the office! It's a little too sexy for work!

Heading to the city, I leave the big bag at work and swap it out for this fun clutch. I also trade out my Fitbit for a rose gold chain. I always carry my Fitbit though, it's just in the clutch. Gotta catch every step I take!

And I'm off to the catch the train to the city!

How do you take your day looks into night?

Bluefly still has this dress in stock in a few sizes!  Major sale!!! Go get it before its gone...

 

2014 Budget - April Recap

I'm a little late in my monthly budget recap because I have been out of town for most of the past month! All my travels have helped me keep on track with my spending. Though on my recent trip to London, I did pick up a few British designer pieces. But that's for the May recap. Here's what I picked up last month.

I picked up this pencil skirt from Bloomingdale's during one of their big sales last month. Not only does it have fun leather panels at the hips, it also has a full zipper running up the back. I've worn it many times to work already.

Elie Tahari - Maureen Skirt - $83 (Original - $268)

You've seen these jeans before, I got them in my Stitch Fix box last month! I love them and wore them all over London a few weeks ago.

Sold Design Lab Jeans (Similar) - $148

I looked all over the place for a cute purse for my giant work laptop. I found the perfect one in the Rebecca Minkoff M.A.B. Tote. It is just long enough to fit my laptop, with enough room to toss in my heels and lunch. Bonus? I picked it up at Saks Off 5th for 60% off!

Rebecca Minkoff - M.A.B. Tote $130.00 (Original - $295)

And that's it! I spent two of the four weekends out of town and didn't do any other shopping. You should expect that I did just as good during this month to stick to my budget. You would be wrong though. I had four days on my own in London and I enjoyed a little shopping around the Oxford Circus! But the pieces I picked up at super adorable and totally worth hitting the upper limit of my budget!

Total spent in April - $361
Price before sales - $711
Total Savings - $350
Amount under budget - $139

2014 Budget

January - $614.07

February - $1,693.09

March - $110.50

April - $361.00

A Home for the Monster

My work laptop is a monster. At ten pounds and fifteen inches long, it doesn't fit in any traditional computer bag. While my coworkers suggested I get a boring and ugly bag from Staples, I was determined to find something pretty and functional for my monster.

While wandering through Saks 5th Ave a few weeks ago, I came across the MAB tote. I have a few other Rebecca Minkoff bags, but they are all crossbody bags. This bright blue MAB tote caught my eye and I knew it was just perfect. Wide enough to fit my monster, structured enough to hold up and stylish enough for me to be happy with carrying it everyday. The monster now has a new travel bag. It was a total coincidence that my favorite nail polish happens to match!

Oh yeah, this dress! Can you believe that the boyfriend picked it out for me? He's been picking up every black and white dress we've come across while shopping and showing it to me. This Marc Jacobs number is so sweet, with the A-line skirt, it makes me feel very girly!

Floral fun for Spring!

With another snow storm on tap for this weekend, I'm left dreaming of tulips, sunny evenings and outfits without twelve layers. I'm really looking forward to my business trip in two weeks, because I'm heading to Singapore and Singapore is on the equator.  Bring on the heat!

Once spring does arrive, I'm planning on looking like the season itself. Floral everything. I even have my eyes on these Ted Baker rain boots. Maybe we need to start wearing floral and then spring will follow? Do we need to tempt the season out of hiding? Let's all pretend we're tulips and show our springtime colors!

J Crew silk shirt / Milly silk bow blouse, $435 / River Island floral top, $27 / Mango slim jeans, $42 / Topshop skirt / Forever New pleated skirt, $72 / Giuseppe Zanotti leather shoes / Topshop ballerina shoes / Le Silla pink heel shoes, $735 / GUESS tassel necklace / Haskell gold tone earrings / Rebecca Minkoff hinged bracelet / Shaun Leane ring / Floral home decor / Pink bouquet / Green flower bouquet