Light as a Feather

Hello! A few days ago, I picked up this incredible, feather-y sweater at Ashby. The second that I spotted it in Ashby, I knew that it had to be mine. As you guys probably know, I'm very attracted to texture and the texture of this sweater is superb. Like wow. Wow, wow, wow. It resembles faux fur slightly but it also has a very feather-y texture to it. In reality, it's actually just a knit sweater with lots of airy yarn attached to it. It's unlike any sweater that I've ever seen before. There's a very rich, luxe, boho, free-spirited one-of-a-kind nature to the sweater. Bonus points for how incredibly soft and cozy this sweater is! Even better yet, this sweater only cost about $25. Personally, I feel like this looks like it would cost $100+ so I'm really stoked to have scooped it up at Ashby for just $25. 

For this look, I styled the sweater with a modern lace-up top. The beautiful green color and trendy detailing of this top make it one of my favorite tops in my wardrobe right now. With this outfit, I like the contrast of the very "now", trendy feel of the top with the sort of "old soul" feel of the sweater. I highlighted the color of the top with a cool pair of vintage DKNY dark green chelsea boots as well as a printed pair of lace-trimmed shorts. A swipe of lipstick, bed-head curls and a pretty crystal necklace pulled the look together. 

Floral shorts: Urban Outfitters

Chelsea boots: Vintage DKNY

Lace-up top: Go Jane

Feather-y sweater: Ashby

Lipstick: Wet 'N Wild

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Giveaway: Personalized Name Necklace

Hello! You guys may already have noticed my golden "Tori" necklace from a few posts back but today, I'm showing it off again and bringing you a chance to win the same necklace with your name instead! Personal Necklace recently sent me this beauty and I've worn it almost everyday since I've had it. It's a classic piece of jewelry that is fun to layer with other necklaces for a bold look. This is the 24K Gold Plated Carrie Necklace and it's currently on sale for $53.95. 

To enter the giveaway to win your own customized name necklace like mine above, all you have to do is follow both me (@ToriRadday) and Personal Necklace (@personalnecklace) on Instagram and leave a comment on my Instagram when done. The giveaway will run for a week and the winner will be contacted through Instagram DM. It's a great giveaway so be sure to enter! 

For this look, I layered my "Tori" necklace with quite a few other golden necklaces. I paired it with a golden bar necklace and a couple golden crystal necklaces. The key to layering necklaces is to make sure that the metal colors match and to pick necklaces of varying lengths. I accessorized with a couple other pieces of golden jewelry including several geometric rings that I received for Christmas. I paired a sophisticated, lace-trimmed romper with the jewelry for a classic look. Gray heeled booties and a pop of red lipstick kicked the look up a notch. 

Black romper: Express

Heeled booties: Express

"Tori" necklace: c/o Personal Necklace

Golden bar necklace: Urban Outfitters

Half-circle crystal necklace: Ashby

Full circle crystal necklace: Forever 21

Golden rings: Assorted

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Just Peachy

Hello! This Christmas, my grandparents gifted me the most beautiful dress from Urban Outfitters. I'm crazy in love with the peachy color, luxe lace detailing and flattering silhouette. Although you can't see it in the photo, this dress is actually backless. Oh la la! This dress would make a pretty party dress but is also versatile enough to be worn during the day as well. For this look, I paired a light shade of berry lipstick with the dress to emphasize the warm color. To draw attention to the high collar of the dress, I slipped on a short, statement silver coin necklace. 

On me:

Peach-colored dress: Urban Outfitters

Silver coin necklace: c/o Yoins

Lipstick: Wet 'N Wild

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Lace & Faux Fur

Hello! When it comes to getting dressed, I tend to underestimate the style of lighter colors and gravitate towards darker colors. However, I do have a few pieces in my wardrobe that continue to remind me how chic lighter colors can actually be. And as a new year is almost upon us, I'm going to try to play around more with colors other than black. Now, I'm not saying that I'm breaking up my steady relationship with the color black but rather am exploring additional lighter colors as well. 

For this look, I styled the look around this cream-colored dress. The bell sleeves, dainty lace texture and seventies silhouette of this dress make it an obvious favorite in my wardrobe. I layered a white, faux fur vest over top of the dress. The way that the different textures and slightly different colors of the two pieces interact has me falling in love. I decided to throw another cream-colored piece into the mix by slipping on this light-colored pair of chelsea boots. I wanted a pop of color so I threw on a pair of green socks with my chelsea boots and tights. I emphasized the green color of the socks with a bold green coat. A couple golden pieces of jewelry and classic tortoiseshell glasses pulled the look together. 

Dress: Charlotte Russe

White faux fur vest: Urban Outfitters via Ashby

Black tights: Urban Outfitters

Glasses: c/o Firmoo

Green polka dot socks: Forever 21

Chelsea booties: Charlotte Russe

Bracelet: Express

Green coat: Delia's

Necklace: c/o Robert Matthew

Ring: Express

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Personal Necklace

Hello! This past Sunday, Missi, my younger sister, celebrated her 19th birthday. We grabbed brunch in the morning with our parents and after, Missi and I headed to Carytown for the afternoon to shop. Before grabbing brunch, we shot a few photos of our outfits. I helped my sister style her outfit and let her borrow a couple pieces from my wardrobe. She borrowed a gray zigzag print dress; the boho print, versatile colors and flattering neckline of this dress make it irresistible. I also let her borrow a long, black duster cardigan to layer over the dress. She cozied the look up with a pair of tights and combat boots. 

For my look, I also stuck to a simple dark color scheme. I styled a black, long-sleeve top with a black circle skirt. I slipped on a pair of color-blocked thigh-high socks and heeled booties. To keep the look from being boring, I threw on a fabulous, blue-gray faux fur jacket. Talk about a statement-making jacket! My braided hairstyle also made quite the statement. I'm still on my "no using heat on my hair" kick and when I woke up this past Sunday, my hair was too much of a mess so I decided to throw it up into this cute hairstyle instead of using heat on it. I also added a swipe of deep lipstick to add a tiny bit of color to the look. 

I accessorized with a golden pair of sunglasses and several pieces of golden jewelry including a personalized necklace. Personal Necklace recently sent me this golden, personalized "Tori" necklace to showcase on my blog. This is the 24K Gold Plated Carrie Necklace and it's currently on sale for $25.95. The second that I slipped this necklace on, I fell in love. I've only had this necklace for a few days but have worn it practically every day since receiving it. It's very versatile and very pretty. It's also the perfect layering piece! I can't wait to see all the different ways I can style this necklace. Overall, I'm very pleased with this necklace from Personal Necklace. If you're in need of a jewelry update, I would recommend browsing Personal Necklace and selecting one of their personalized necklaces to spice up your wardrobe. And keep an eye on my blog because sometime within the next week, Personal Necklace will be hosting a giveaway on Fashion, Trends & More for a necklace in the same style as mine!

On me:

Black circle skirt: H&M

Black long-sleeve top: Unknown

Thigh-high socks: Go Jane

Black booties: Daily Look

Lipstick: Birchbox

Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage

"Tori" necklace: c/o Personal Necklace

Golden beaded necklace: borrowed from my mom

Golden crystal necklace: Ashby

Golden rings: Vintage & Express

Golden bracelet: Express

Earrings: Ashby

On Missi:

Dress: Thrifted

Black cardigan: Forever 21

Combat boots: Doc Martens

Black tights: Unknown

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Saying "Yes" to Princess-y Pink

Hello! Okay, okay, I'm not typically one for pink-colored anything. The pretty, princess-y color usually makes me cringe. But I recently spotted this pale pink dress at Ashby and I began to re-think my opinion of the color pink. AKA I fell in love with this ridiculously feminine, ballerina pink dress and decided to make an exception to my "no wearing pink" rule. I purchased this dress at Ashby for about $10 with store credit that I had from selling a few items that I no longer wear. 

As a side note, if you live in Richmond and haven't checked out Ashby, let me just tell you that you are missing out. Ashby ranks top at my list of thrift/consignment/resale shops by far for both selling and buying gently used clothing and accessories. I've purchased several of my favorite items in my wardrobe from Ashby and I make sure I pop by the shop every time that I'm in Richmond. If you haven't been before, I would recommend making a trip to the ever stylish yet affordable Ashby located in Carytown next to Mellow Mushroom. 

Okay, enough swooning over Ashby and more about my outfit. I started my look with my recently purchased pink dress and instead of trying to shy away from the princess-y vibe, I decided to embrace it. I played up a sort of princess, diva vibe by pairing the dress with a major, faux fur-trimmed coat. This coat is another recent thrift purchase. I scooped this coat up at Rumors, another local Richmond resale shop, for just $20; yes, only $20 for this incredible coat! I love the sort of over-the-top, faux fur trim and classic silhouette of this coat. 

I styled a pair of nude-colored Jeffrey Campbell heels with the outfit to accentuate the light colors of the look as well as to elongate my legs. A swipe of lipstick and burgundy-colored nails pulled the look together. 

Dress: H&M via Ashby

Faux fur trimmed coat: Rumors

Lipstick: Wet 'N Wild

Nude heels: Jeffrey Campbell

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Free People: A Very Hippie Holiday

Hello! Almost nothing in my wardrobe is from Free People yet I find myself constantly wishing for basically everything that Free People sells. I follow their social media channels religiously and find myself drooling over the shoes and dresses on their site time and time again. What can I say? The free-spirited, easy going aesthetic is impossible to resist. And Free People just released yet another lookbook that has charmed me entirely again.

Above are a few of my favorite images from their new lookbook, "a Very Hippie Holiday." The lookbook features model Genevieve Rokero in their latest cozy, bohemian pieces. I'm falling over the intricate knit socks and neutral colors featured in this lookbook. Can every item in this lookbook just magically appear in my wardrobe??

Images courtesy of Free People.

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Neutral Colors

Hello! For this look, I wanted to play around with pairing several, different neutral-colored pieces together. After all, 90% of my wardrobe consists of neutral-colored pieces. I started the look with an olive-colored dress. I decided to emphasize the faux suede texture of the dress by pairing it with a suede coat. The deep brown color, suede texture and fur collar of this vintage coat make it irresistible. The neutral olive color of the dress and rich neutral brown color of the coat complemented each other perfectly. By pairing those two earthy colors together, a sort of free-spirited, down-to-earth vibe was created. I highlighted that feeling by accessorizing with several stone rings and a crystal necklace. I also slipped on a black pair of thigh-high socks and neutral, heeled booties with the outfit. 

Additionally, I decided to debut my new glasses with this look. Recently, I received these tortoiseshell beauties from Firmoo to showcase on my blog. You can check out this style of glasses HERE for $19 (+the cost of your lenses.) I absolutely love them. The classic color and stylish shape of these glasses have me falling all over them. I've received glasses from Firmoo before and have loved each pair. Firmoo provides such an incredible selection of glasses that are not only stylish but also affordable and good quality. I look forward to wearing these glasses more and more this winter. If you're in search of a new pair of glasses, I would definitely recommend checking Firmoo out. 

Dress: c/o Out of my Kloset

Jewelry: Assorted (Charlotte Russe, Etsy, Vintage, Ashby, Express)

Fur-trimmed coat: Vintage

Thigh high socks: Free People

Heeled booties: Express

Glasses: c/o Firmoo

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Silver Metallic Booties

Hello! This past week I swung by Ashby, a hip resale shop in Carytown, Richmond, to get rid of a few items that I no longer wear. Luckily, they accepted almost everything that I brought in and I was given store credit to shop around with. When I spotted these silver metallic booties, I knew that they had to be mine. There's a very futuristic vibe to these shoes that I'm drawn to. And the shoes look as if they had never been worn before. For about $40 of my store credit, I made these shoes mine.

For this look, I styled the metallic booties with a plaid shirtdress. I layered a simple pair of black socks with the booties. I kept accessories to a minimum, just slipping on a statement silver necklace and cool pair of shades. A bright pop of lipstick pulled the look together.

Plaid shirtdress: H&M
Silver statement necklace: c/o Yoins
Black socks: Unknown
Silver booties: Urban Outfitters via Ashby RVA
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Lipstick: Wet 'N Wild

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Lace it Up

Hello! I've always prided myself on my shoe collection but recently I've upped my game by adding a few new pairs of swoon-worthy booties to my wardrobe. Including these stunning, leopard-print chelsea booties. This past Black Friday, I scooped these booties up online at Charlotte Russe for only $20. Yes! Only $20! I love the subtle print, versatile colors and heeled bootie style of the shoe. These are my new "practical" boots i.e. they don't have five inch heels and they'll be fine to wear if I'm on my feet all day. I've only had these booties for about a week now but I've worn them almost everyday since at least once; I can tell that I'll get a lot of use out of these booties this season.

For this look, I styled them with a black pair of high-rise denim. Yes, I actually wore pants for once. For surprisingly warm December weather, I styled a lace-up top with the jeans. The rich green color, trendy lace-up style and cropped fit have me swooning over it. This top was actually another Black Friday online buy. I purchased this top from GoJane for about $15. For some odd reason, I seem to have something against buying tops but I'm glad that I added this one to my wardrobe. I completed the look with a couple golden bracelets, a cool pair of shades and a swipe of lipstick. 

Lace-up top: GoJane

Black denim: BDG via Urban Outfitters

Printed booties: Charlotte Russe

Lipstick: Birchbox

Bracelets: Express & Charlotte Russe

Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage

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Black as Night

Hello! Remember when I participated in Express' holiday challenge for bloggers (in THIS post)? Well, I happened to be one of the winners of the challenge! And for my prize, I won a $250 Express gift card. The second I found out that I had won, I was ecstatic. Express sells such fashion-forward merchandise that I couldn't wait to spend my gift card. In fact, within minutes of finding out that I won, I was browsing Express' website dreaming of what I would spend my gift card on. I ended up purchasing an olive-colored pair of booties online and waited to spend the rest of my gift card in-store. The day that I got back to Richmond, I headed to Express to spend the rest of my winnings. Luxe knit pieces and embellished dresses caught my eyes but I decided to go ahead and purchase the romper that I'm wearing above, another pair of heeled booties and a couple pieces of jewelry.

I immediately fell in love with this black romper the second that I spotted it in Express. This is the "Long Sleeve Lace Trim Surplice Romper" and it retails for $60. I can't help but love the sophisticated silhouette, dark color and lace trim detailing. This romper is a great everyday piece but also can easily be dressed up for a night on the town.

For this everyday look, I styled the romper with a nude pair of Jeffrey Campbell heels to extend the length of my legs. I accessorized with a couple pieces of golden jewelry, a golden pair of sunglasses and a leopard-print crossbody bag. Red lipstick pulled the look together.

Romper: Express
Heels: Jeffrey Campbell
Golden sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Leopard print crossbody: Urban Outfitters
Red lipstick: Birchbox LOC

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Phobymo Photography

Hello! This past weekend, I had the opportunity to shoot with Mo, a Philadelphia-based photographer. Mo's only been shooting for a little over a year but going through her photos, you would have thought that she had been shooting for most of her life. Her work is incredible to say the least. You should definitely check out her Instagram @phobymo or her website to browse through more of her work.

Mo and I met up in Center City, Philadelphia to shoot these photos. It was definitely a different experience for me as usually there aren't many people around while I'm taking outfit photos for my blog. However, when Mo and I were shooting, we were surrounded by people as we were in the city on the middle of a busy Saturday. We took a ton of different photos in various different spots. Featured above are a couple of my favorite photos from the shoot.

For the shoot, I wanted to focus on a free-spirited look with a lot of layers. I started the outfit with one of my favorite dresses. With rich autumnal colors, a retro silhouette and vivid mod floral print how could this dress not be one of my favorites? I layered a black fringe kimono, cream-colored faux fur jacket and mustard yellow, knit shawl over the dress. I like how the combination of the various different textures together created a very appealing (and very cozy) aesthetic. I emphasized the warm colors in my dress with a pair of maroon and black colorblocked thigh-high socks and a swipe of lipstick. Golden sunglasses completed the look.

Keep an eye on my Instagram @toriradday for more photos from the shoot!

Floral dress: Urban Outfitters
Thigh-high socks: Go Jane
Black kimono: c/o ShopLately
Faux fur jacket: H&M
Yellow shawl: RetMod
Sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage

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Nicholas Von Thrower Photography

Hello! I know that I've said it time and time again but Nicholas Von Thrower, Richmond-based photographer, practically works magic with a camera. He's currently studying photography and shooting as much as he can. He works with a variety of different female models and manages to capture the unique beauty of everyone that he works with. Saying that I'm always impressed by his work would be an understatement. I really expect to see his work published in various publications including top cultural and fashion magazines within the next few years.

When he offered to shoot over Thanksgiving break while I was in Richmond, I jumped at the opportunity. Above are a couple of my favorite images from the shoot. For this shoot, I love the way that he focused on the naturally curly texture of my hair against the shaggy faux fur texture of my jacket. You can see more images from the shoot on his Flickr @nicholasvon or Instagram @flowersdaddy. As a heads up, his Flick is NSFW meaning that there are some nude photos on there (not of me but just as a heads up.) 

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Holiday Wishlist 2015

Hello! As we continue into December, visions of sugar plums begin to dance in my head. Well, not sugar plums actually but everything in general that accompanies the holiday season. And that includes holiday gifts. I enjoy giving gifts just as much as, if not more than, getting gifts but putting together a holiday wishlist is always fun. Today, I wanted to share some of the items on my holiday wishlist with you guys (and maybe give you a few ideas what to get your fashion-forward friends.)

1. Luxe candles. Forever on my wishlist.

2. Multi-color fur coat. I've been drooling over this glam fur coat from Nasty Gal for a couple months now. Even though I'm including it on this list, I know that this coat will never be mine. Retailing for $218, it's quite a pricey piece. But a girl can dream!

3. Velvet thigh-high boots. Oh Jeffrey Campbell, you've captured my heart with these velvet thigh high boots. Again, these are another item that's a bit too expensive to be even included on this list but I couldn't help including them. Just look how cute they are!

4. Socks & tights. A winter necessity in my wardrobe. I'm loving velvet adorned and other luxe tights this season.

5. LUSH products. Their ocean salt face and body scrub is probably my favorite thing ever. But costing between $22-$37, it's not exactly something I can buy all the time.

6. Lace bralettes. There's no better feeling than slipping on a pretty, feminine lace bralette.

7. Cozy knit scarf. The bigger the knit, the better.

8. Everyday tote bag. My current everyday bags are beginning to show wear and my wardrobe is begging for a replacement everyday tote bag.

9. Knit sweater in a rich color. Yes, yes, yes to knit sweaters in deep colors like this forest green cardigan.

What's on your wishlist this season?

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Out of my Kloset

Hello! This faux suede dress is the newest addition to my wardrobe and I couldn't be any happier about it. I mean just look at the stitching detail, faux suede texture and neutral olive color of the dress- so stylish! Recently, Out of my Kloset sent me this dress to feature on my blog. For those of you who haven't heard of Out of my Kloset, they are a hip fashion retailer that carries trendy clothing and accessories at affordable prices. There's a sort of free-spirited meets modern it girl feeling to the merchandise that they sell. And I'm dreaming about almost every single piece that they carry. If you haven't browsed through their site before, I would recommend checking them out. This faux suede dress is their "Short Sleeve Suedette Dress" in olive. It retails for $44 HERE.

For this look, I styled the dress with a shaggy, cream-colored faux fur jacket. I kept warm by slipping into a pair of black tights. I wanted to continue the sleek line of my legs so I slipped on a pair of platform black heels. I accessorized with a statement silver leaf necklace. Red lipstick pulled the look together.

Dress: c/o Out of my Kloset
Black tights: Urban Outfitters
Platform heels: Jeffrey Campbell
Red lipstick: Birchbox LOC
Silver leaf necklace: c/o ShopLately
White faux fur jacket: H&M

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Lace-Up Thigh-High Boots

Hello! As you all probably know, I have an incredible love for shoes. I mean hey, at times I even call my shoes my "babies." I like most of my shoes more than I like most people so when I say that these lace-up, thigh-high boots may be my favorite shoes ever, it's a pretty big deal. I purchased these shoes from Nasty Gal a couple months ago and have been in love with them from the second I spotted them. I scooped them up for $40- just a third of the original price. And they were worth every penny. The trendy lace-up style, classic black color and thigh-high style of these boots give these a special place in my wardrobe [AKA my heart.] Even better yet, there are seemingly endless ways to style this boots [and I receive about a dozen compliments every time I wear these shoes.]

For this look, I emphasized the thigh-high style of the boots by pairing them with a short printed dress. I added a bit more black to the look with a long black duster cardigan. I added a couple statement-making accessories and a bright red lipstick for a bold "look at me" look.

As a side note, I haven't used any heat on my hair in roughly a month and a half and I'm loving it. As silly as it may seem, my hair seems happier. If you've fallen into a rut with your hair routine [and curler/straightener], I would suggest ditching using heat on your hair for a couple weeks and see the difference in your hair.

Porcelain print dress: c/o Yoins

Black lace-up thigh-high boots: Nasty Gal

Long black cardigan: Forever 21

Statement necklace: c/o Yoins

Red lipstick: Wet 'N Wild

Statement sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage

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Holiday Gift Guide 2015

Hello! December marks the beginning of the holiday season and that means it's time to start your holiday shopping if you haven't already. Thinking of ideas of what to get your friends and family can be difficult so today I rounded up a few ideas that would make great gifts this holiday season.

1. Body & hair products from the Gnarly Whale. Because who doesn't love luxe body and hair products? I purchased a couple products for my mom last Christmas from the Gnarly Whale and she loved them. And you can feel better buying from Gnarly Whale as they aim to provide low-impact products, use recycled material in their printed materials and donate 10% of profits monthly to various different charities.

2. Unique candle from Cors Candles. Candles make a great holiday gift and Cors Candles keeps the candles from being boring with eclectic, color-blocked pyramid-shaped candles.

3. Free-spirited crystal necklaces from Hedonist Inc. Pretty crystal pieces starting from just $5.

4. Tassel keychains. So cute! (And a major help in not losing keys repeatedly) I'm loving these two options from Milady Leather Works and byMart.

5. Record bowl from ReVinylised. I bought a record bowl for my boyfriend earlier this year and it made a great gift. As a bonus, these record bowls only cost about $5! I would definitely recommend this shop- the seller is friendly and you can customize your purchase.

6. Glitter nail polish. A holiday necessity. Wet 'N Wild offers a great glitter nail polish that is my go-to for just about $3 per bottle.

7. Quirky disposable camera. Give them something that they can capture memories on. Urban Outfitters usually has a lot of fun disposable camera options.

I would also recommend checking out Closet Barcode, Free People, Giant Vintage Sunglasses and Robert Matthew for other fashion-forward gifts. If you still need more ideas, check out my most recent article on The Odyssey for 15 holiday gift ideas for under $15 for college students.

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Black Friday Score

Hello! Although I didn't do much shopping for Black Friday/Cyber Monday this year due to a limited budget, I did manage to scoop up a couple great new items. Including the dress that I'm wearing above. I purchased this dress from Urban Outfitters for just under $20. The dress originally retailed for $60 but it was on sale and the Urban Outfitters sale was on sale for another 40% off. So I managed to score this dress for just a third of the original retail value- a steal in my opinion! I was drawn to the rich burnt orange color, ribbed texture and flattering neckline. Additionally, this dress is beyond versatile and I'm dreaming of all the different ways that I'll be able to wear it this season- with a long cardi and thigh high socks or under multiple layers of faux fur and so on and so on.

For this look, I took it advantage of the pleasant weather and styled this dress without a cardigan or jacket. I slipped on a pair of gray and black polka dot tights with the dress- my go-to pair of tights this season. I don't know what I'll do if these tights rip! I kept the look fairly minimalist and only donned a couple pieces of golden jewelry and black booties with the dress. Red lipstick added a sophisticated edge to the look.

Dress: Urban Outfitters
Polka dot tights: Unknown
Black booties: Daily Look
Golden chain bracelet: Vintage
Golden cuff bracelet: Charlotte Russe

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