Bonjour, Paris

It's rare for me to meet a novelty print I don't like, so I'm not sure why I wasn't immediately drawn to this Paris print Jenny dress from Pinup Girl Clothing. It wasn't until I saw it in person (when Ashley picked me up at LAX for my visit last summer) that I realized how great it really is. It's beautifully detailed and I love the color scheme. I have a few solid color Jenny dresses, but this one seems much more fun – plus, this new run has pockets!

I'm going through a bit of an emotional struggle right now, so I've been trying to distract myself and get out of the house as much as possible. I've seen a couple of good movies (Love & Friendship was delightful, and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was ridiculous, raunchy and stupid in the best way) and I'm spending a lot of time with friends and my mom. I'm also back on Weight Watchers (after a particularly horrifying, long-overdue weigh-in) and am feeling generally motivated. So I guess you win some, you lose some. I'm just trying to focus on the positive, which is all I can really ask of myself.

Outfit Details

Jenny Dress in Paris Print: Pinup Girl Clothing

The Bare Essentials Brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Crionoline: Pinup Girl Clothing

Kate Spade flats: 6pm (on sale!)

Have a great day!

Lucky LBD

I've never liked wearing my hair up. With my round face and lingering insecurities, I tend to cling to my long hair and intertwine it with my femininity and level of attractiveness, even though I know it's all in my head (or rather, on it). But in my constant quest to get out of my comfort zone in the name of personal growth, I decided to try something a little different for these photos and try a polished-yet-lazy-slash-dirty-hair-'do – which I'd never normally show here on my blog out of sheer vanity. I don't usually get the best reactions from people when I wear my hair this way either (which isn't an attempt to fish for compliments, I promise), which made it even more surprising when I discovered, while editing these photos, that I was really happy with how they turned out. It just goes to show that you should always challenge yourself to try something new, even when (or especially when!) it scares you a little bit; a new hairstyle might not be as big of a risk as a career change or a new relationship, but you'll never know until you try – and in the end, it's only temporary.

I think it helps that this Luck Be A Lady dress from Le Bomb Shop has a pretty sexy silhouette, so it'd look great with almost any hairstyle. I'm kind of obsessed with off-the-shoulder pieces as of late (though finding the right bra to wear with them can be a trial), and this dress provides a lot of stretch and actually feels pretty casual, even though it'd be easy to dress it up for a more formal occasion. I wish it were a little more forgiving around the arms, but that's not a detail that bothered me all that much. I feel awesome in this dress (even with my hair up!), and I think it'll be my go-to LBD for summer nights out!

Outfit Details

Luck Be A Lady Dress in Noir: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Bandana: similar  ||  Belt: eBay

Heels: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Can you relate – is there something about your appearance you use as a security blanket? And do you like to push yourself to get beyond it? I'm making it a goal to keep getting outside of my comfort zone this summer!

Have a great start to your week!

Friday Favorites #132

I took another little break from Friday Favorites posts (I always forget how time-consuming they are), but I'm back at it today! Here are a few things I've been lusting over as of late...

I adore these two dresses and might need them in my life:

a    ||    b

Cute food/drink-themed novelty bag alert!

a   //   b   //   c   //   d

How cute are these pineapple wedges?

These dresses from Tara Starlet are so great for summer:

blue   ||   yellow

These goldfish brooches are so much fun!

This Collectif daisy dress is so darling:

How sweet are these lip balms?

Today is National Donut Day, and this dress would've been the perfect choice to kick off a sweet weekend. Honestly, I still might buy it because who doesn't want a donut dress?

This cape is so pretty (and could pass for vintage)!

I couldn't resist this typewriter pin:

A scalloped mint dress?! Take my money.

These aren't super new, but I still want these brooches from Deer Arrow:

1   ||   2   ||   3

These Bernie Dexter dresses are going right on my wish list!

a   //   b

And finally, you need to go follow this sweet little otter on Instagram immediately.

Have a great weekend!

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Drive-ins + Diners

Gosh, I can scarcely believe it's already June! It definitely feels like summer, which makes me think about all the fun things I want to do over the next couple of months – including a trip to one of the drive-ins in the area. I think they mostly show modern movies, which is sort of a bummer, but I have to do some more research. Luckily, I'll have this adorable drive-in + diner print skirt to hold me over until I can get to one!

This outfit is on the loud side, even for me, but I kind of enjoy it. This skirt is the same style as the one I wore in this post last month – I like the red one a little bit more for its versatility, but I couldn't pass this one up either. I'll probably wear it with a more neutral top in the future, but since there are so many options for color pairings, I wanted to try it with this top from Collectif. I own a lot of the peasant tops from Pinup Girl Clothing, which are great quality but are often a little too revealing, so this Dolores top is a great alternative. (This colorway isn't available directly from Collectif anymore, but I tracked it down at Stars and Swallows in select sizes.) It's not as structured as the PUG top, but I feel more covered in it and I love the matching buttons! Both of these pieces will pair well with the subtler basics in my wardrobe, but it's nice to know they can be worn together when I'm feeling a bit adventurous.

Outfit Details

Collectif Dolores Top in Pink: Stars and Swallows

Banned Diner Skirt: ShopVDM

Pancake brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Kate Spade flats: 6pm

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Beachy Keen

I've been a fan of British-based brand, Emily and Fin, for quite a few years now. They always have the cutest prints and they make some really flattering styles. I'm totally swooning over their newest collection, which features all sorts of spectacular summery pieces and prints – from synchronized swimmers to sailboats – and this seaside printed dress is my absolute favorite of the bunch! I thought this fantastic print would be a great choice for Memorial Day, since it's often seen as the unofficial start to summer. My best friend and I decided to head down to Charlotte Beach (which is right on Lake Ontario) to soak up some sun and grab some Abbott's frozen custard to celebrate.

I was first introduced to Emily and Fin via popular sites like ModCloth, ASOS, Unique Vintage and Hello Holiday, which I've found to be great resources for finding awesome overseas companies. I've owned a couple of other Emily and Fin styles before, but this was my first Isobel dress... and I fell in love immediately after putting it on! I really like the scooped neckline (there's a deeper scoop in the back, which makes for a very nice silhouette), and I think the shape works really well on me – plus, pockets! The dress is fully lined and is 100% cotton poplin, which feels a bit more luxurious than a regular cotton dress but is just as great for hot summer weather. I love that this print works well for the summertime patriotic holidays (it comes in other prints as well), and it'll be definitely be getting lots of wear over the next few months!

Outfit Details

Isobel Dress in By The Seaside: c/o Emily and Fin

Red belt: from another dress (similar)

Heels: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Have a happy & safe Memorial Day!

PS: in case you missed it, I added a ton of new items to my Shop My Closet store – and you can get 10% off your purchase when you enter the code SOUBRETTE10 at checkout! :)

Shop My Closet Update 3.0!

It's that time again... I'm cleaning out my wardrobe and I've done a HUGE update to my Shop My Closet store! Lots of awesome brands (including Bernie Dexter, ModCloth, the Pretty Dress Company, Nishe, Tatyana and more) and a variety of sizes! I've also slashed the prices on a bunch of what's still in my shop. Below is just a small sample of what I've added... head on over to my store to see everything! And don't forget: my readers can save 10% on their total purchase with the code SOUBRETTE10. Happy Friday & happy shopping!