Back to Reality

This may be one of the worst case of the Mondays I've ever had even though it is Cyber Monday, which might as well be named an additional national holiday. Every boss must know that no one will get any work done today. Even as I type this from the law library I know I should be doing any one of the numerous tasks on my (literal) list instead of browsing online. But who can help themselves? My ensembles put together for going to class are much more muted than my holiday looks, or really anything I wear someplace outside of school. Since beginning law school I've had to learn to tone it down for everyday, and streamlining my look for rushed mornings has been part of the process of becoming an adult for me. It shouldn't come as a surprise that most of my pieces are not brand new. A lot of them are even left over from my days of being more firmly planted on my parents' payroll. Today I'm wearing what are my second pair of black Sam Edelman booties. I got this pair last year for Christmas after a similar pair with a much higher heel had held up through three seasons of frequent wear. Sam Edelman evidently has reissued this bootie, still available in all sizes. At $130 they're not cheap, but if it's something you can swing I can confidently say they will last. You can view them in the third and final link below. I noticed at the beginning of the fall that ripped jeans have made a serious comeback, especially with large ripped knees in an otherwise sleek and intact pair. I rarely purchase new denim. The less frequently I wash them the longer they tend to last. I try to only wash jeans after wearing them a few times, which means I'm still wearing some I purchased years ago. I have three identical Jessica Simpson skinny jeans, so instead of purchasing the updated ripped version I just cut a hole in the right knee of  one pair. To DIY all you need is a pencil and a sharp pair of scissors. Kitchen shears work well. While wearing the jeans draw a line in pencil where you want the rip. I drew mine just above my kneecap, which will create a gap over the knee once cut because of the placement. A rip near the bend in the knee will always end up a little further down than where you cut. Work your way in with one end of the scissors, then cut along the line. Wash in the machine after you're done. You should end up with a look just like the newest style in skinny jeans. My shirt from Zara has long sold out, but they have a nearly identical version this year that comes in black and white. Mine is more of a dark charcoal, but I also like the new one, especially for a monochromatic look with black or white jeans. Use the first link below. My jacket from H&M is a more recent purchase. I paid about $35 for it, though it's difficult to tell the difference between mine and my friend Rachel's Barbour jacket, which of course could run you well over the $200 range. H&M has limited sizes still in stock in the khaki green one, and additional sizes in a different color. I suggest ordering two sizes up from H&M, especially in outerwear.  Of course there is a promo code you can use for Cyber Monday. Type in 2896 when you check out.

http://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/tops/shirts/v-neck-blouse-c498002p2106004.html http://www.hm.com/us/product/25303?article=25303-C#article=25303-C

http://www.shopstyle.com/action/loadRetailerProductPage?id=453992311&pid=uid864-26233692-86

http://www.shopstyle.com/action/loadRetailerProductPage?id=378375479&pid=uid864-26233692-86

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