Where is the year going? It’s already May and I can’t believe that Mike and I just celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary. Time flies so fast, I can’t even believe it. Speaking of weddings, did you catch my post earlier this week about getting married in your 30’s . If you haven’t, you will want to check it out. (Also don’t forget to check me out on Instagram and Pinterest as well!) To celebrate our anniversary this year we are going to brunch this weekend at one of my favorite places, 3 Arts Cafe! And my challenge was to find the perfect brunch outfit.
I absolutely love brunching! As I get older I’ve made it my new Saturday night out. In Chicago there are so many options for brunch, but my favorites are Summer House Santa Monica, Hampton Social, Nico and Tavern on Rush (great people watching at this spot). I love the leisure pace of brunch and the mix of food types. Before I met Mike I actually hated breakfast, but now I can’t get enough of it. I learned to love his favorite meal. Don’t get me wrong I’ve been known to scarf down a huge burger at 10am, but breakfast can be just as delicious!
While I love brunching I don’t love picking out the outfit to wear. I actually get stressed out about it! This must be a new thing that happens when you are older. I’m sure you have all been there, the girls call and want to do brunch, you’re super excited and then you stand in front of your closet for an hour trying to figure out the perfect brunch outfit. Sound familiar?
As the hour passes I’ve tried on ten outfits ranging from a text tee (my favorite one right now is this Pardon My French J.Crew tee and my Love You Chicago tee) and distressed jeans to a full blown dress and tall boots and everywhere in between. Simply stated, it’s pure chaos. I usually end up looking a bit like I’m going out on a Saturday night in all black head to toe, which isn’t the look I’m going for. I’m going for a casual cute, yet put together look.
This made me thing that there has to be a solution to the chaos, a go-to brunch outfit that never fails. Something I could grab for every time I went to brunch. After trying on hundreds of things I finally found the secret formula to the perfect brunch outfit. Are you ready for it…..
Perfect Brunch Outfit = A Colorful Top + Skinny Dark Jeans + Pointy Toe Flats + Tote Bag
So lets break down this magical formula….
A Colorful Top
Save the black tops for the evenings out, and opt for a pop of color during the day. While my closet is full of black tops, I’m trying very hard to branch out and bring some color into my life. A bright, fun top is perfect for brunch. I’ve fallen in love with this top from the LOFT . The ruffled sleeve details are adorable and the longer sleeve offers the perfect amount of coverage for a crisp Spring day.
The presentation of the top is just as important as the top itself. I’m a huge fan of the “teenage tuck,” as that’s what Mike calls it. I’ll admit I saw my 16 year old niece sporting it one day and decided to try it out. You have to pull your fashion inspiration from anywhere you find it. And so the term teenage tuck was born. A simple side tuck can spruce up a top and make you look cleaned up vs. letting your top hang untucked. If you haven’t tried it yet, you need too.
Skinny Dark Jeans
This probably goes without saying, but having a pair of dark skinny jeans is a must have for any wardrobe. I have a couple of pairs that vary in darkness (from a deep indigo to a dark rinsed color) and wear them constantly for going out, running errands, or brunch.
My darkest pair is an indigo color by 7 For All Mankind. They are also high waisted, super long and very stretch. These jeans are great for tall girls. I’m 5’9 and they easily reach the bottom of my leg with a little extra room. My dark rinse pair (with a medium darkness) are Rag and Bone. They are a mid-rise and slightly shorter on me, which means they are perfect for Spring.
Pointy Toe Flats
I might sound like a broken record, but pointy toe flats are where it’s at! They are one of the top 5 key pieces that every woman needs in her closet. They immediately dress up your outfit and add a touch of sophistication to any look. My favorite pointy toe flats are the M. Gemi Stellato. If you haven’t checked out M. Gemi yet, you are missing out. They produce timeless, yet on trend shoes that are amazing. Their packaging is pretty sweet too, with a hand written note and your name on the box. It makes me want to order shoes every week.
Tote Bag
The perfect brunch purse is a tote bag for a couple reasons. First, it holds your daily essentials such as your wallet, sunglasses, scarf, book and anything else you travel with around town. It also serves as a great place to store things you buy when shopping. We all know that after brunch you go shopping, whether it’s with the girls or if you are running errands before heading home. The tote bag can hold a lot and is perfect for long days spent brunching and shopping.
Comments
Comments are closed