Top: A New Day via Target | Vest: my BAJEE collection via Conversation Pieces | Jeans: Liverpool via Stitch Fix | Slides: LOFT Outlet | Necklace & Bracelets: Old Navy | Watch: Timex 

Fall is officially one month away and I cannot wait. I’m preparing by pulling out all of my fall scented candles/melt cups (we have a Yankee Candle Scenterpiece Wax Warmer that we use most of the time) and brushing off this army/utility vest. It’s still 90+ degrees outside here in central North Carolina, but a girl can dream! Every time a breeze blows and a leaf falls, I can sense that autumn is just around the corner. And I am so ready for it.

Welcome back to another outfit round up. These are a sampling of the outfits I’ve worn in the last few weeks and am having trouble picking a favorite. I almost titled this post “Black, White and Gray” but I had to sneak in the olive skirt and I figured naming four colors was perhaps a bit too much for a title.

Welcome to my new series, Real Talk, where I talk openly and frankly about my experiences with brands, products, life hacks, etc. The following are my opinions based on my own experiences. Please remember that not everyone will have the same experiences so what may be true for me won’t necessarily be true for you. 

I have a love/hate relationship with ModCloth.

I was really excited when I first discovered them years ago because the clothes were really stylish but had a cute, unique spin to them. They offered classic shapes and styles adorned with animals, food, and/or planets. I loved the vintage feel of a lot of the pieces, and I always thought the outfits looked like they would be worn by cool librarians who wouldn’t shush you for laughing too loudly in the reading nook.

About a month ago, I tried to end Nikki by example (NBE) because I felt like blogging has changed so much in the last few years. It seems that, to be a successful blogger in 2019, you have to turn it into “a human-sponsored product” by being an influencer for companies who pay you to convince other people to buy their shit. But enough of you talked some sense into my head and convinced me that you actually like my realness. I mean, my blog name even says “by example” so being true to myself and to you all is the whole point. During a conversation with Nick the other day, I was complaining about the quality of certain clothes and how I felt like I wasted money on them because of it and he said, “you should blog about that.”

Well, hello there! I know I said I was done but I received enough encouragement from friends and readers and the like to keep it going. I guess I’m no quitter 😉 (j/k, I legit quit things all the time – a bad habit I’m working on). Anyway, I’m back with my bathroom mirror selfies/Instagram Outfit Roundup. This time I’ve decided to go with a theme: dresses!

These are some of the dresses I regularly wear to the office and out and about. I haven’t featured these on the blog yet so I figured this was as good a time as any to do so. Enjoy!