Fashion - Pocketful of Joules

My Style: November Favorite Outfits

I love the holiday season, with one exception… it just flies by so quickly.

Of course, it doesn’t help matters when the local radio station decided to go to an ALL Christmas format in the middle of November (only to get such backlash that they went back to their normal format 3 days later!) I’m a firm believer in as much as I love me some Christmas decorations and twinkly lights, I do NOT unpack them until after Thanksgiving!

However once Black Friday comes around, it’s a free-for-all in Christmas décor all up in the Joules house! And don’t even get me started on my love for Christmas music…

So, before I break out my red and green, let’s take a look back at my November favorite outfits! If you see something you like, I’ve made it easy for you to steal my style with links for each item, as well as some similar styles at different price points. If you want to check out previous My Style posts, you can find them here.

Look #1: Comfy Casual

The T-shirt
When I share my outfits on Instagram, I usually just show my workday looks. However, this is what I typically look like when I’m dressed on weekends, or when I work from home all day and then throw clothes on to do kid pick-up. I love this Hustlin Mama t-shirt from Mulberry press and I wear it all the time (I’m wearing a unisex size large).

The Cardi
The flowy cardi that I’m wearing is the Market & Spruce Alan French Terry Asymmetrical Zip Cardigan from Stitch Fix (this one from last year) If you randomly knocked on my door on a day that I was home, chances are that I would be wearing this. I wear it ALL THE TIME because it is super comfortable and awfully cute too. Market & Spruce is a Stitch Fix brand, so as much as I’d like to tell you where to buy it… you’d have to ask for them to send it to you in a Fix (if you do, use my referral code and I’ll do a happy dance!) If you want to try one that is similar, check out the Airport Cardigan from Modcloth which has a ton of great reviews and comes in five different colors!

The Jeans
I love Kut from the Kloth jeans and these are called the Toothpick Skinny style. I picked them up at Nordstrom Rack last year. These Jennifer Ultra Skinny jeans look quite similar and are less than $40. If you want to check out the exact pair I have, I found them here on Amazon with free shipping: KUT from the Kloth Women’s Mia Toothpick Skinny Jean.

The Boots
I talked about these boots in my November Stitch Fix review and I wear them almost every single day that I’m not at work (and some days that I work too…). They are from Clarks and called the Valora Sky in Dark Brown Leather. They are super comfortable, really awesome looking and are even on sale! You’ll be seeing A LOT more pictures of me wearing these this winter.

Look #2: Sassy Suit Combo

The Blouse & Blazer
When I have to wear a suit, I try really hard to keep it from being super boring and stuffy. So when I had to dress up for work a couple weeks ago I decided to try mixing my elephant print blouse (here’s a similar one at Modcloth) with a fun grid blazer that I recently picked up at Target for $34.99! I bought myself the black and white plaid version, but I also really like the Xavier Navy design too.

The Shoes
These are the perfect black shoes that I posted about last month and they are my absolute favorite flats! They literally needed no breaking in time at all and I’ve been wearing them to work almost nonstop since I bought them. The best part is that they are $50! They are called the 14^th & Union Alexis Flat and I have them in Black Snake.

Look #3: A Stretchy Outfit for Eating

The Sweater
There is nothing worse than going to a big holiday dinner and being super uncomfortable the entire time you’re eating. Well, bring on the oversized sweater AND seconds, because I’m pretty much wearing this outfit all winter long. This is the Renee C Pullover top from my September Stitch Fix, but I found a similar version at Banana Republic in cotton and cashmere. This long sleeved knit tunic sweater from Old Navy has a similar oversized shape too. I also like the look of stealing an oversized man’s v-neck sweater and have one that is almost identical to this one that I stole from Travis and “accidentally” shrunk

The Pants
I wear these all the time and have talked about them quite often. These are the Democracy Ab Solution Booty Lift Jeggings and they are totally the bees knees. If you have a Nordstrom Rack by you, I’ve noticed that they’ve been stocked up the last few times I’ve visited. You can also find limited sizes here: in black and in a super dark blue. They also still have them on Amazon here: Democracy Women’s AB Solution and Booty Lift Technology Jegging.

The Boots
Yup, still wearing my Clarks!

The Necklace
I love this necklace and have worn it almost nonstop since I scored it at Anthropologie on super clearance from $80 marked down to $20. I actually highly recommend stalking the Anthro clearance section, because I’ve gotten some really cool jewelry there. I did a quick check of their sale section online and found this beautiful pendant marked down from $68 to $39 and this pendant marked down from $58 to $29.

Do you have a favorite November look?

Disclosure: This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my blogging addiction. Pocketful of Joules is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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#GalSquad: Fabulous Holiday Products & a Gift Card Promotion

You guys know how much I love being a member of the Red Door Spa #GalSquad. I mean, I’ve had an amazing Brandied Pear and Marshmallow Body Melt Treatment, they gave me their fabulous Arden Standard Facial and even treated my little piggy’s to a Watermelon Basiltini Pedicure. Yup, I’m quite a spoiled girl!

For the month of November, my friends at Red Door Spa sent me two items that are just perfect for the upcoming holidays: the Skyward bar from the Primal Elements Holiday Soap Collection and the Balsam and Cedar Luxury Scented Candle from Illume.

The Primal Elements Collection uses a hand-made process to create Vegetable Glycerin Soaps that are high quality, effective, and based on caring, sound environmental practices.

For Illume, nothing ushers in the season of giving like the Balsam & Cedar collection. A well-crafted tradition and cult classic, this quintessential fragrance envelops you in an enchanted winter forest. Balsam and oak moss mingle with aromatic cedar wood, cinnamon and eucalyptus to ignite the ultimate yuletide moment.

You can purchase either of these treats at your favorite Red Door Spa location. Click here to find the spa closest to you.

Red Door Gift Card Promotion:
Since we are talking about the holidays, I have to share with you the promotion that the Red Door Spa is running on their gift cards. They are offering Bonus Spa Dollars with every $100 gift card purchased from November 3 until December 25.

What this means is that when you spend $100 you get $15, spending $200 gets you $30 and when you spend $300 you receive $45. So, not only can you treat your loved ones with a spa service… you can treat YOURSELF too!

If you are interested in purchasing a Red Door Spa gift card for everyone on your holiday shopping list and receiving bonus spa dollars for yourself, click here!

Disclosure: I am a Red Door #GalSquad Ambassador, which means that once a month I am able to experience a new product or service free of charge. I’m not required to blog about my experiences; only post a few pictures on my social media accounts (which may be shared on the Red Door Spa accounts).

Offer Details: Limited Time offer. Bonus Spa Dollar promotion ends December 25, 2015. Limit $45 bonus per transaction. To get your Bonus Spa Dollar Voucher, your gift order must total $100 or more. The bonus spa dollar voucher will be attached to your purchase confirmation email. Mention this offer at time of booking. Bonus Spa Dollars must be presented at checkout and may be redeemed towards a service or retail purchase only. Cannot be redeemed on date of issue. Limit one bonus voucher per transaction. Card cannot be applied to taxes, gratuities, packages, series, Red Door More massage membership, gift certificate or gift card purchase and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Not valid for cash back or credit towards future purchases. The company cannot replace card if lost or stolen. Offer valid through January 31, 2016.

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My November Stitch Fix: Comfy + Casual

The weather outside isn’t frightful yet, but I’m already feeling the urge to snuggle up under a fuzzy blanket, drink some hot cocoa and nibble on some snickerdoodles.

After over two dozen Stitch Fix boxes, I’m doing quite well on work-appropriate clothes. However, I’ve recently realized that my weekend casual wear could really use some upgrading.

With that in mind, here’s what I told my Stylist:

I really need help with casual clothes that I can wear comfortably on the weekends (soft fabrics, easy to wash). I’d love a whole Fix of casual tops and sweaters (v necks are best). I’d also love to try a super soft blanket scarf (less than $50).

Here is my “typical” weekend look and I pretty much throw on some variation of this outfit any day that I’m not working in an office. It’s comfy and casual, but I’d really like to step it up like one notch above my typical t-shirt and jeans.

T-shirt (Thug Life Shirts), comfy open cardigan (Stitch Fix), stretchy skinny jeans (Democracy), a scarf and boots (Clarks). On Friday I grabbed these jeans out of my donation pile and decided to try my hand at making them into skinny jeans by narrowing the ankles so that they work with my favorite boots… and I’ve worn them every day since. {Let me know if you are interested in a quick tutorial.} Also, if you are looking for the PERFECT pair of casual boots, these are pretty fantastic.

I recently became a Clarks Trendsetter and they sent me their Valora Sky boots which are like a cross between sexy motorcycle boots and the most comfortable boots ever. They are also currently on sale!

Okay, back to the Stitch Fix reveal! Let’s see what my stylist sent for me to try:

{If you are interested in checking out all of my Fix reviews, you can click here. This Fix is #26… so I’m kind of a fan!}

Item #1: Loveappella Tiffina Knit Top – $54
My first thought when I pulled this top out of the box is that it was exactly what I was hoping for. It is so soft that it’s like they weaved it from puppy fur. Um… but not in a creepy Cruella De Vil kind of way. The open neck and fun cuff detail is right up my alley too. The ONLY thing I wish were a little different is the color, as I don’t know if light grey is the most flattering color on me.

The rest of the outfit: exact pants and exact boots.

Keep or Return? I can see myself wearing this shirt with a pair of comfy jeans, layered under an open cardigan with a scarf, or even just thrown on with yoga pants, so it will definitely get worn. I emailed Customer Service to see if any other colors are available before I check out.

Item #2: Market & Spruce Jamie Button Down Cotton Shirt – $54
I was a little confused when I saw this shirt because when I think “comfy weekend style” my mind doesn’t go to a button down top. Even though this top is a softer, less structured style, it’s still not really what I’d go for when grabbing clothes on a lazy Saturday. Actually, it’s not really what I’d go for on a workday either. It is a nice basic though, so I styled it with my berry colored pants and knee-boots. {If you’d like to see a bunch more ways to style these pants, check this post out}

The rest of the outfit: exact pants and similar boots.

Keep or Return? If you are just building your wardrobe, this top might be a great match for you. However, I don’t love it and the bust is pulling on me so back it goes!

Item #3: Colorblock Verbena Sequin Detail Blouse – $68
In the note my stylist sent with this month’s Fix, she mentioned that this top on my Pinterest page is a style that Stitch Fix carried last year and that I might like the version she sent over as a dressier replacement. The top is pretty much the perfect holiday top. However, unlike the style I pinned it shouts MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I paired it with a skirt I just got from Modcloth (it is the Essential Elegance skirt) and some heels. {Speaking of, do you think this skirt is a keeper?}

The rest of the outfit: exact skirt and similar shoes.

Keep or Return? The blouse is awfully festive! However, as pretty as it is I can’t really see myself wearing it any other time besides December.

Item #4: RD Style Gilianna V-Neck Zipper Detail Sweater – $68
What is it with the grey tops this month? I mean, I like grey… but it seems like my stylist is ALL about the grey. This is a great basic sweater with a v-neck style and a fun zipper detail. It is kind of what I’m looking for, but really similar to the sweater she sent me last month that I kept.

The rest of the outfit: exact pants and exact boots.

Keep or Return? Honestly, I don’t love the zipper detail. It’s just kind of random and the metal of the zipper is really coarse and scratchy. I can imagine Jack going in for a tackle-hug and hurting himself on it, so it’s a no-go.

Item #5: Echo Adalia Striped Blanket Scarf – $38
I like big scarves and I cannot lie. I mean, what is the use of a wispy little scarf that hardly keeps your neck warm? I have a couple scarves that I’ve been wearing for the past couple years and was thinking I should switch it up a little. So I asked my stylist to send me something soft and this is what I received.

The rest of the outfit: exact jacket, exact t-shirt, exact pants and exact boots.

This scarf is pretty much EXACTLY what I imagined in my head. Its super soft, has a cool pattern and is a great size that actually keeps you nice and toasty. I did have some trouble tying it in a way that didn’t look super weird, but finally ended up with this way of wearing it that I really like.

Keep or Return? I love this scarf and will definitely be wearing it all winter long!

Help Me Decide!
This month’s Fix was really hit and miss. I love the Loveappella top and the blanket scarf, so I’m leaning towards keeping both of them. The black button up shirt is just not really my style, much less my weekend style. As for the red sequin blouse and grey zipper sweater, I think I’ll pass.

So now it’s time for you to weigh in! What should I buy?

{the survey is now closed}

11/18/15 Update: Thank you so much to everyone who voted in the survey and also those of you who left a comment below. I decided to go ahead and get both the blanket scarf and the Loveappella top because OHMYGOSH it is so fuzzy! I emailed Stitch Fix about switching out the color and/or sizing up for a little more of a comfy fit and they are sending me the next size (but won’t do a color exchange). Thanks for your help in deciding and be sure to stop by next month for my December Fix review!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix, I pay for the $20 styling fee and any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Stitch Fix for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. This post contains ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my blogging addiction.

Psssst…Do you love checking out what other people received in their Fixes? I added quick links to every single one of my reviews on my Stitch Fix Reviews page!

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