What I Wore

Month: April
Weather: Perfect spring weather
Location: Pop's
Time: 6:30 p.m. Sunday night
On the agenda: Dinner
Date level: Second


As a casual second date, I still went with my jeans (I seriously need to wear something other than jeans on my next date!), but I broke tradition and opted for flat sandals. It was warm, sunny, and a comfortable way to look cute. Plus, as much as I love my heels, I also love being relaxed and comfortable on Sundays. My flat sandals are brown with gold metal detailing, have a thong between my big toe and second toe, and an ankle strap that zips up the back of the heel to connect. The Bagley by Dolce Vita is a nice substitute for mine, though I didn't pay nearly that much!

(The Bagley by Dolce Vita)

I topped it off with my white Old Navy Tank from my Federal date and my berry colored Old Navy Cardigan, which I love because it's comfy, inexpensive, and honestly the color looks amazing on me, if I do say so myself.

(Old Navy Women's Perfect Cardigan in Raspberry Punch)

I didn't wear much jewelry - my silver ball studs and a silver watch, since I wanted to keep it as casual as possible. I looked relaxed AND put together, which is often what I strive for. I also think the color brightened me and brought out my hair and eye color, so I felt great.

What I Wore

Month: March
Weather: Warm to a little cool
Location: West End Wine Bar (Durham location)
Time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday night
On the agenda: Meeting for drinks
Date level: First


I really wanted to wear a skirt for this date, since it was nice outside and I kind of like my legs. However, none of my skirt options could be paired with appropriate footwear, so pants it was.


I work medium wash denim with button flap pockets (I can't locate the original pair, but this is a close approximation - just imagine the wash a tad lighter).

(Hudson Signature Boot Cut in Dark Wash)

Because it was newly spring (and spring always awakens my secret love of nautical wear), I decided to pair the jeans with an orange tank, navy sweater, and some gold jewelry. (see also: my other car is a yacht)

My orange tank was from Loft and was a brighter shade of orange, but it was gauzy like this one, so you get the idea.

(Patterson J. Kinkcaid Women's Micky Tank Top)

(Banana Republic Embellished Open Cardigan)

I carried a navy clutch with gold and silver studs that I bought from Loft a few springs ago. (and of course there isn't a picture of it online either). The bag below - from Etsy - is pretty darn close.

(Navy Blue Vintage Leather Punk Rock Metal Stud Flap)

I finished the outfit off with my black Tahari Flynn leather pumps.

(Tahari Flynn Leather Pump)

I'd say there was nothing terribly offensive about the outfit, but it fell short of the mark. Or at least what I feel the mark should be. I don't inherently have a problem with navy and black together, but I only like it when it's deliberate. This looked more like "I had no other option" than "I'm playing with color." The blues in the navy and denim worked okay together, but I'm very particular about mixing blues, especially with denim, so I wasn't really satisfied there either. Were I to grade this date outfit, I'd give it a C-. (Note: It apparently didn't phase my date - he asked me out for a second date. So there's that.)

What I Wore

(I typically get annoyed with the "what I wore" posts on blogs, maybe because of the poses people take when photographing their outfits. So, that's not how this is going to work. I plan on posting images of the clothing, sans moi.)


Month: April
Weather: Cool
Location: The Federal
Time: 8:00 p.m. Saturday night
On the agenda: Meeting for drinks
Date level: First

Grey cashmere cardigan (very light, but just enough warmth for a cool spring evening). I'm not sure grey is a great spring color, or a "notice me color" for a first date, but it's super cute, flattering on me, and I feel so relaxed and comfortable in it that it seemed like a good choice. (Note: the picture below isn't the exact sweater I wore, but it's the closest I could find. My sweater came from Marshall's. I love a deal.) I also wore dark, straight leg jeans, not all that extraordinary, but good basics, so they looked close to those that the sweater is paired with.

(robbi and nikki heather wool-cashmere chiffon detail cardigan sweater from blue fly)

I paired the neural outfit with my red Jessica Simpson pumps, which always make me feel confident and usually get a few compliments thrown my way.

(Jessica Simpson Callie)

Underneath the cardigan, I wore this basic old navy tank in white (shown below in teal). It doesn't look like much, but unbutton the top two buttons and you show just a hint of cleavage without giving anything away.

(Old Navy Women's Ribbed Knit Henley Tank)

I carried my Micahel Kors Berkley clutch - another absolute steal at Marshall's.

(Michael Kors Berkley clutch)

I topped it off with just some simple silver studs, a silver bracelet, and a red floral scarf from Loft (I couldn't find it online anymore, but the one below is similar and very pretty, and it's from Etsy!)

(Red Floral Scarf from TotallyScarves on Etsy)

I wore my hair down and naturally wavy, and I felt comfortable, beautiful, and, dare I even say it...a little sexy? The casual nature of the outfit made it great for the Fed and a first date, the red pumps made it date-worthy, and the scarf kept a little spring in it despite the cooler weather at night. (Plus, the cashmere sweater was perfect for the end-of-the-night hug!)