Welcome back to another outfit round up! This is the first round up I’ve had of outfits I’ve worn since starting my new job. Our dress code is about the same as any other nonprofit/academic institution which is business casual and jeans are fine. I’ve been trying to dress it up and get back into my professional style & mindset. These are a sampling of the outfits I’ve worn in the last few weeks that are trying to be *slightly* more business and less casual.

Loving these outfits.

Obviously bathroom lighting isn’t ideal for outfit photos and the lighting in the restroom at my new office is the worst. It’s really hard to get the color of my clothes in these photos. My navy blue pants, gray skirts, and brown tights all look darker than they actually are but hopefully you get the gist.

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.

When most people think of October, they picture cool days, fall leaves, hayrides and apple cider, scarves and boots, and, of course, pumpkins! In the South, however, it stays 90 degrees and humid throughout most of the month. But that doesn’t stop us from sweating in our scarves as we roam the pumpkin patch, looking for the perfect gourd.

That’s exactly what we did this weekend! It was hot and humid, and we spent a good amount of time fighting the mosquitoes, but I was determined for Sebastian to paint a pumpkin at one of our local produce stands, Perkins Orchard. [Side note: we bought our Christmas tree here last year and it stayed green and fresh for so much longer than our friends’ trees that ended up getting dry and brittle really early] Despite the heat, we had a good time and got some cute pictures. And I purchased a bag full of produce (apples, avocados, strawberries, peppers, beets, and plums) and a small mum for $20! That’s a sweet deal.

Blanket scarfs are so cozy, aren’t they? They’re also huge so I almost passed up on this trend because I thought it would weigh me down. Jean from Extra Petite convinced me to give it a try, though, when she posted her video showing a few different ways to style to it. She’s actually about an inch shorter than me (while her style sense is miles above mine) so I figured if she can make it work then so could I. Her video is really helpful so even if you’re not a shorty like me, I would recommend it. I’ve found that the trick is not only in the fold (fold it in half first) but also in rolling it a few times so it isn’t quite as long. All that folding and rolling does leave it feeling a bit bulky so I usually save the blanket scarf for those really cold days when I need the extra warmth.

I made some amazing friends when I was in grad school. After graduation, I resumed my life here in Durham while many of my favorite ladies stayed in Greenville. We keep in touch and try to visit as often as possible, since we’re only about an hour away from each other, but unfortunately life tends to get in the way. A few weekends ago, however, a couple of my favorites came to visit me and we had a wonderful girls’ day out. We started with brunch & margaritas, then went to a wine tasting, then shopping, had “hipster” coffee, and ended the night at the best sushi place in town. And this is what I wore. It was much warmer that day, so I wore flats and changed into a cute pair of nude heels I purchased during our shopping spree, but since it’s cold and snowy now, I tried it with ankle boots and really like the outcome.

BTW, these friends convinced me to join Snapchat, so there’s that. I’ve used it a few times, but I feel like I’m an old dog trying to learn new tricks! We’ll see if I can stick with it long enough to master it.

Blouse: Gap | Blazer: Banana Republic | Jeans: Banana Republic | Ankle Boots: BP Trolley via Nordstrom | Jewelry: Old Navy 

Linking up with Hello Monday | Confident Twosday | Start the Week Stylish | The Pleated Poppy | Tucker Up