My Beloved, D'Orsay Flats

The phrase "better late than never" has never rang more true than today- well at least as it pertains to my blog and fashion identity! The D'Orsay flat may be "so 2013", but I have finally been struck by cupids arrow and they are my must have shoe for this spring! 

Revelations & Reflections

After almost two weeks of enjoying the new year I am finally ready to reflect and share my thoughts on 2013. Although, I am not one to make New Year Resolutions I can say that this past year was been especially enlightening; I have learned a great deal about myself, my family and my friends. This was my first year in the "real world"-- no more teachers, no more books--- and I continually wrestled with the question, "What next?". 

In 2013 my best friend and I traveled to Spain and Italy for a month to embrace a new culture, taste the food, smell the air and attempt to capture the essence of Europe. I meditated. Reflected. Rebooted. I embraced my own doubts, fears and reservations. And in the end, I came to the conclusion that life is a series of paths all leading in different directions and no one path is "right" as long as I enjoy the journey and follow my happiness I will feel fulfilled. Finally, I have found peace and excitement in the unknown.

Looking back on 2013 makes me smile at the great memories and motivates me to get past the ones I'd like to forget. I have no idea what 2014 has in store for me, but I am ready for my next adventure! It may be two weeks late, but nonetheless....Happy New Year!

                                                   

Cheers to the New Year!

Business Professional

TGIF! Normally, Friday is a casual day at the office when people can wear jeans, boots or plain collard shirts. Although this is not my normal attire for work I am in the midst of working on a project that requires me to dress business professional. 

I am usually not a fan of wearing black and white together because it seems too uniform and unimaginative, but when it comes to a classic office look I do not think you can go wrong with that  duo! To make the look more trendy I accented the outfit with hints of gold! Notice the gold detailing on the shirt, bag and shoes!

What does business professional look like to you?

Have a great weekend!

The Perfect Black Leather Bag

As the season changes from fall to winter women everywhere will begin their pilgrimage in search for the perfect winter bag. Some ladies will want something trendy and bright to battle the impending icy cold weather while others want to mirror the darkness of winter by piling on more black... I chose the latter. 

Despite me sizable collection of purses, I have only one black bag. For some of you this may be unheard of, but its true. I have only recently become a fan of the color black and I am realizing that I need to incorporate more of this staple color into my whimsical wardrobe. Since this realization I have loaded up on black boots, heels, wedges, pants, dresses, but I still do not have the essential black bags (i.e. a clutch and structured bag). Thus my goal this winter is to catch the elusive black structured bag...

I have narrowed my search down to 3 great specimens; the first is the Sloane Satchel by Madewell for $298.

What I enjoy most about this bag is the shape, the ability to adjust the crossbody strap, the sturdy handles and the front pocket! 

The second bag that has caught my eye is the large Selma Satchel by Michael Kors ($358) because of its sleek edges and clean lines. Although, it is a bit pricey this minimalist composition is timeless and will last for years to come.

Last, but not least is the Rebecca Minkoff 'Amourous' Satchel ($325). This purse has tasteful gold detailing along with a perfect structured rectangular bodice and zipper detailing along the edges. It is a bit more trendy because of the zipper detailing, but still a great structure bag to sport on your arm this winter. 

In my opinion the most important common denominator among my bag contestants is that they are all 100% leather. After, coming back from my most recent trip to Italy and seeing the quality of good leather, its durability, texture and overall timelessness I am a convert. From now on my 'investment' bags have to be leather!

Which bag would you chose? Why? 

Semi- Formal

This weekend was my little cousin's sweet 16 birthday party; the theme was black and white semi-formal! I have to admit I am still weary of mixing black and white because it always makes me think of my days singing in the choral concerts in elementary school. Thus, I decided that I would wear either black or white.

 I found this amazing silk black dress at Madewell that was tailored, flirty and feminine. I wanted to wear something that was respectful of the dress code, while also incorporating hits of my favorite fall color so I added my everyday bordeaux clutch, cheetah print shoes and some great jewelry statement pieces including 2 rings and a necklace. 

I also took this weekend to experiment with a new lip color! I usually keep my make-up pretty simple for many reasons, but mainly its because I am always rushing and never have time to put on a full face of make-up. However, with the seasons changing I have been feeling a bit restless and looking for something new that will give my look some more edge, which is exactly what I hope this new lip color will do! If you are looking for a new color check out Black Cherry by Revlon! I never thought I could love a lip color as much as this one, but I was wrong! It goes on smoothly, lasts all night and comes off easily--perfection!

(Jacket: Zara, Dress/Necklace/Clutch: Madewell, Shoes: Rachel Roy) 

Follow me on insta @mypursuitoffashion!

Steal or Splurge

My daily routine begins with lying in bed after hitting snooze several times, checking my favorite blogs and eventually doing some online browsing. 

This morning was no different except for the fact that I found a wonderful pair of booties that seriously tempted me to stop browsing and start buying! I have been loving the Rag & Bone 'Harrow' bootie since the dawn of time, but the price point ($495) is a lttle out of my budget. So when I saw the 'Lonnie' bootie ($238) by Madewell in brown and equally adorable it got me thinking... Steal or splurge??

For those looking for black booties don't worry they come in black too! They have a stacked heel that's less than four inches and are made from buttery soft leather! 

So ladies and gents...(drum roll please) should I steal or splurge?