Let’s Be Real: Is Renting Your Clothes Actually Worth it?

Coming up on Fall and Winter, I have soooo many clothes. These two seasons are the longest and when, for whatever reason, I’ve bought the bulk of my clothes. I want new clothes, but the thought of having to put more sweaters in my suitcases for storage in the spring makes my skin itch. Enter clothing rental services.

Ive been wanting to try Rent the Runway Unlimited FOREVER. I love the idea of getting fancy clothes you can endlessly swap and make cool outfits, constantly. For $159 a month, it’s just not in the budget. It’s fantastic if you’re always buying clothes and usually spending more than that a month, but I’m definitely not. Recently, they added an option for $89 per month for 4 items a month. A better option for people like me, but I was still on the fence.

I came across this ad recently for a clothing rental service called Nuuly. It’s from the same company that does Urban Outfitters, Free People and Anthropologie. It’s super new and launched in July. It’s $69 a month for 6 pieces you can rent and return or buy for a discount (most of the time). Basically the same as RTR, but with more clothes for less money (which makes sense because they aren’t designer brands).

Since I had a good number of how many pieces in my box, I decided to build one full outfit I figured would go together. The next few pieces would be either things I liked but maybe wouldn’t buy or something different I wouldn’t normally wear. Here’s what was in my first box:

 

 

First thing I wore was the cheetah print romper. I figured it would be something I’d only be able to wear this month before it got too cold and I honestly wasn’t sure how it was gonna look on me. I surprisingly loved this piece. It ended up being so comfy, fit really well and the neckline was super flattering!

 

 

 

Next, was this snakeskin trench coat. I bought this to go with the neon turtleneck, but it ended up not looking that great. I really needed a white chunky turtleneck or something similar, but tried to pair it with what I had anyway. Loved this piece individually, but was really hard to style. With the right pieces, it would’ve been so much cooler.

Then, was the neon turtleneck shirt. Wouldn’t call this a sweater since it wasn’t super thick. I thought the material would’ve been thin, but it was actually not see-through while not being heavy. It looked really cool with on all black look!

 

Next, we have the Paige jacket. Mostly just got this because I was lusting after it. It ended up being another one that was a little hard to style. I felt like it really looked good with turtlenecks and thats about it. Still a gorgeous jacket and loved the print.

Last, but definitely not least, the patchwork flare jeans. I saw these and immediately had to try them. It was another risk because they could’ve not fit or been actually so weird in person but wow. These were so good I really wanted to keep them. Fortunately, the price tag kept me from that, I could get two more Nuuly boxes for the price of those pants alone. My only regret is that I didn’t wear them more!

If you can count, you’ll notice I left something out. The black pants with the ruffles were very underwhelming and fit weird. I’m a high waisted pants girl and these were not high enough for me, I need them boob level!!

I thought when I ordered this stuff “If I can wear 3 pieces out of all of these, it’ll be worth it.” Turns out, I found some stuff I really loved and took some style risks I wouldn’t have normally taken. That last sentence sounds like its a life changing thing and I’m a motivational speaker, but you get it.

Fall Trend Alert: Having Tiny Titties

DISCLAIMER:  I’m not coming for people with tiny boobs. We’re all given a certain amount and we may increase or decrease to our leisure, if you’re willing to pay for it. I would also like to point out that it is 10000X easier to add boob (pushup bra) than take boob away (there’s no “take boob away” bra).

However, when it comes to fashion lately, smaller boobs are more “stylish”. I can think of so many times where I’ve said, I can’t wear that because I have big boobs. I recently watched a IGTV video from an unnamed magazine company where they talked about trends for fall or things that they’re loving as far as clothes go. I would say about half of the things we’re very specifically tailored to people with absolutely nothing up top.

It seems that we always want to add more boob, but in clothing lately it’s trendy to just not have any boobs at all. Here’s some examples:

 Sweaters with just one button to close it, cute! On me? Suggestive.

Imagine trying to wear a bra with this–comical.

            The trend here seems to be tiny strings to hold your top closed. God forbid your boobs fall with gravity and aren’t inline with your eyeballs.

 

   This started trending on Instagram as everyone saying, “look at Katie Holmes being an influencer! So chic!” Instead of how it would be framed if she had my body which would be, “Katie Holmes wardrobe malfunction! Seems a little sloppy.”

 

 

Another trend I’d like to point out is the androgynous dressing, which basically means baggy-suit-wear-so-you-look-like-a-guy. A little easier to pull off, but I’m definitely still gonna look like a girl.

Without getting preachy or talking about something I very much don’t know anything about, this is part of larger issue with fashion. Everything is always made for people of a certain body type and looks wonky on anyone that doesn’t look like that. That’s why it’s cool that some brands now show you the same article of clothing on different body types.  But of course, high fashion and trends really aren’t there yet. Anyone who isn’t rail thin really isn’t considered in designing clothes, it’s always just made bigger in order to fit more bodies. And “thats the tea”, on that.

Let’s Be Real: Are Fabletics Leggings Actually The Best?

Since I mostly live in comfortable clothes now and like the occasional workout class, I needed some new leggings. And by need, I mean just convinced myself I needed them. I’ve been wanting to try Fabletics for a while now, but got spooked by the V.I.P system. Basically, this charges you 50 bucks after the 5th of every month unless you buy something or skip that month. I’ve been burned by forgetting to skip my Hello Fresh before (literally woke up in a cold sweat after sleepily seeing my PayPal charged 60 bucks one morning), but really wanted the discounted leggings. My bank account be damned, I signed up and walked away with the cutest spring leggings.

I have two favorite pairs of leggings. One was bought for maybe $25 at Forever21 and the other was a very spontaneous Lululemon $98 purchase after feeling very good in them in the dressing room mirror. The price is obviously wildly different, but they do have a few things in common. 1. Super mega high-waisted. 2. The perfect length aka no bunching at the bottom and not too short. 3. Thin enough to breathe but thick enough that there isn’t any weird see-through areas. It also helps that they’re both a cute print and mostly black.

I’d say the key to finding good leggings is trying them on. I’ve bought way too many online that were either thicker than I thought or didn’t come up high enough—which it needs to be at least over the belly button no question. Fabletics opened a pop-up down in SoHo so I was able to try a few on. Wouldn’t say there was a huge selection, but decent enough. These are what I tried on and what I ended up getting. 2 for $24, ya can’t beat that.

So the question is, do these measure up to my favorite leggings? Let’s get the not so great out of the way, as usual:

• I think because these leggings are light colored, the sweat marks show. Kinda gross, but crotch sweat is real and I don’t need it seen.
• THICK! The fabric is super thick. I dont hate it (I bought them full-well knowing that), but kinda hate the “front wedgie” that gives me. Am I right ladies?

Okay now for the good stuff:

• Great price. I mean $24 dollars for two is great. After the intro price, it’s $50 if you’re VIP which is still better than Lululemon
• The perfect length. Not too long and not too short.
• Holds your shit in TIGHT. And super high-waisted
• The colors are just so pretty and make me feel cute while sweating my ass off
• Did I say price already cause it’s good

Overall, 10/10 would buy again. Might try a few other styles that may be less thick in the future, but definitely worth the hype! If you’re in the market of new ones, I recommend the mint because the color is wow. Let me know if there’s something else you want me to cover in the comments!

My Favorite Things in 2018

Does that title rhyme slightly? Just me? Great.

I wanted to do this wrap up of the stuff I really loved this year that I didn’t talk about and/or barely talked about. Sort of like a giant Sunday Summary, A.K.A that thing I don’t do anymore (but can still be viewed if you’re into that).

Best Hair Product of 2018:

The Tragic Before

Technically, this isn’t a product. HOWEVER, I discovered this dry shampoo blow drier trick and it is a game changer. Had bun hair all day and then someone wanted to hangout (and i did not want to have bun hair) so I tried this trick. Here’s the post I did and how it ended up going for me, but spoiler alert, it works.

Best Book in 2018:

If you need to know anything about me, it’s that I love to read. I’ve been slacking slightly with how much, but I’ve been picking up major speed with it lately. I’ve read roughly 20-ish books this year, which is kind of a lot. Trying to narrow it down to the best was hard, but some of the books I read just sort of ran together. Really thinking about doing a monthly post about the books I read the month before (mostly just to push myself to read more). OKAY on to my actual pick: You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. I know what you’re thinking “Self-help book? That’s for sad weirdos.” Here’s the thing: You’re right! BUT, I’d argue that everyone is kind of a sad weirdo sometimes! I read this when I really needed something to give me things to do after I quit my job and when I needed a distraction from going down the “what if I have to move home because I can’t find a job” hole. I would honestly read it again, that’s how much I liked it. If you’re stuck in place in your life where you have no idea what you’re doing, read this. If you wanna make a crazy change, read this. It’s 2019, the year of making goals and gettin’ bread—as the memes say, so read it!

Best Makeup Product of 2018:

Okay I almost put something else for this that was expensive and to be fair, very good. I feel that I should instead pay homage to a brand who had my back when I was too broke to go to Sephora and get new stuff. That’s right I’m talking about ELF. You wouldn’t think with $1 brow pencils and $3 concealer would be worth putting on your face. I’m here to tell you, your assumptions are wrong. My brows are perfectly filled and my pores CONCEALED! Was actually not a fan of the bronzer cause it was too glittery for my tastes but that doesn’t mean it’s not quality! Okay done with my spiel.

Best Skincare Product of 2018:

Spoiler alert it’s like 2 dollars. Spoiler alert again, it’s lemon juice. I started using it and it felt like a miracle. Then I stopped for a few weeks recently, because I’m skeptical person and sometimes I don’t feel like buying lemons ya know. Started using them again and wow I forgot how good they are. My skin just has so much less redness and blackheads! It’s so great and so cheap.

Best Movie of 2018:

I know you all want me to say A Star is Born, but I’m sorry I can’t. The music is amazing, yes. Bradley Cooper is hot, yes. I absolutely knew what was gonna happen at the end and so I didn’t like it as much. Maybe if there was a world with no spoilers and people wouldn’t have talked about how amazing it was and subsequently ruining it. I also really don’t watch movies in theaters that much. I’ve seen maybe 3 movies this entire year, so I fell like I can’t say what the best movie this year is. I can say what the best movie I saw this year. It’s not new, it’s just new to me. Okay, it’s Steel Magnolias. This is a weird pick for me, since every time anyone would bring this up I’d immediately think “How can that be good? It sounds so corny.” It was on Netflix a few months back and it was a rainy Saturday, so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s set in a small town in Louisiana—hence the name. The thing about movies centered around the South is they’re always over exaggerated. Every other word is “crawfish” or “gumbo” or “pea-can pie!” I get it, its a movie, but that why I never really like them. This one doesn’t do that. Overall, its pretty reflective of life in smaller southern town and I loved it. I cried, I laughed and now I know why it wont so many awards. It’s not on Netflix anymore, but find it somewhere because it’s so good.

Best Show of 2018:

Okay this is so hard because I’ve seen so many good shows this year, but there’s only one that filled me with the most joy every time I turned it on: The Great British Baking Show. Am I late to this game? I really don’t know but this show is so good. I really loved watching to the point of watching two seasons in a about a week. I did it in a weird way where I watched seasons 5 & 6 first and in my humble opinion, those are the best seasons. After that, they change the hosts and Prue isn’t one of the judges and I need her color coordination in my life. I love the accents, the stuff they come up with and  Paul Hollywood is a cutie, I’m just gonna throw it out there. Really into shows that make me laugh and aren’t super dramatic lately and this one definitely fill that for me. I even watched it twice, so if you haven’t yet, here’s your notification.

Best Clothing Purchase of 2018:

This was the year I bought so many clothes, it’s obnoxious. Trying to “re-vamp” my wardrobe and also buying things for a 9-5 job was tough. I think the best purchase and the thing I got the most use out of were my Lululemon leggings. As you know, I’m more of a quantity over quality gal. Trends come and go a lot for me to be buying something that I may not wear in a few years that costs an arm and a leg. Also let’s keep it real, I’m still washing my clothes in a laundry mat for god’s sake. I’m in no place to be buying anything over 50 bucks. I completely believe in a good splurge for things that may be expensive, but you’ve been lusting after for a while. Hence, my purchase of these leggings. I really wanted to see if they are so different from the $20 Forever 21 leggings and I’m here to say yes they are. They fit like a glove, the length is always perfect (aka no bunching at the bottom) and they stay in place when I’m running. I still only have one pair so far, but 2019 I’ll be getting some more and really coming into my basic white girl form.

Best Workout of 2018:

 

So, I’m splitting this up by home workout and workout class, okay great:

Best home workout is always Tabata with Raneir Pollard hands down. He’s so fun and at the same time, the workout is always intense. It’s always my Monday go to for a good strong beginning to my week. Also, they just uploaded a new one!

Best workout class I’ve been to in the city is Yoga sculpt at Corepower yoga. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, If I were a richer woman, I’d be doing yoga twice a week at minimum. This particular class is not only yoga, but a little bit of cardio to satisfy my needs. They have them all over, so check them out if they’re near you!

 

Cheers to 2019! Can’t wait to make many more posts and let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see more of on the blog 🙂

Fall Trends I’ll Actually Be Participating In

I know I don’t talk about fashion very often. I feel it’s a little cliché, as if I suddenly moved here and now somehow know fashion? Maybe a little ridiculous, since I wear the same 3 things over and over no matter how many things are in my closet. However, I would like to think I am somewhat abreast–english major word, on trends as a woman who walks around this city. Also, as a woman who shops, I’m inevitably slightly trendy no matter what. I’ll try anything once, except low-rise jeans. If those ever come back, I’m out.

 

Cheetah Print

Kinda dig these pants too…..

I currently have cheetah print earrings (not as weird as it sounds) and I officially need more. I want a long, cover-my-butt long, furry, cheetah print coat for sure. Winters are long and I would love nothing more than facing the cold in a fuzzy coat that feels like a blanket. Currently, I’m eyeing this one. Never thought spending money on coats was worth it until moving here. Also, I am in serious need of cheetah print booties. Target had some really cute ones last year–I somehow never got them and unfortunately they are no more. Dying over these from DSW as well as these mules on sale. Overkill to wear them at the same time? Asking for a uh, friend.

“Modesty dressing”

Definitely will be rocking this jacket

I took this phrasing from a magazine article, I would never say this. Translated, I would say this is the reason turtle necks are back and oversized clothing. Thank GOD, because let me just speak for everyone when I say big clothes are so much a mood in the winter. I can’t think of anything worse than worrying about my neck being cold because I have to wear a v-neck to be in-style. I’m totally here for turtle neck layering as well–think turtle neck + tank top over it. I love a good simple black one for layering with tank tops like this velvet one, or a chunky one for hiding from the world when it too cold for caring.

Plaid, Check, Pinstripe: Oh my

I suddenly need loafers

 

Although this isn’t super new, I really need this to stay. Mostly because the pants in these prints are usually oversized–think “man-dressing” as the kids are calling it and I love it. Again, I love anything that’s oversized for comfort and also it makes me feel tinier than I am. Loving this style and this I need, basically just that whole second outfit is in my cart (for eternity). I NEED a pinstripe blazer and a checked coat, just as I need candy corn at all times in the Fall. Oversized, of course, and I want this one. Kind of reminds me of British style for the rich, but I guess fake it till you make it?

Leather

 

Mixing fun and edgy

Still upset about my leather jacket being stolen from me at the clurb (aka club for all the old folks). It the best jacket when your arms are cold, but you still wanna be cool; literally and figuratively. I’m definitely in the market for a new one and maybe this cool brown one? Not sure how I feel about colored leather, but brown I can do. Leather skirts are always my Fall favorite, and maybe I could get into some leather shorts. For some reason, I like brown leather shorts more than black. I think brown leather shorts alway look slightly less suffocating and tight.

Scarves

If I wear red and white am I a picnic basket?

 

Not talking about the big chunky ones (do those ever go out of style?), but the neck scarves. I have exactly one, and I wear it every chance I get. These are great because you can wear them in your hair, on your neck, as a shirt, a belt, and a headband. I’ve done all three with the one I have, but sadly it’s vintage. Grabbing these from Madewell!

Bright Colors

(if you click the link this sweater is neon I swear)

This is just something I’ve been spotting lately when looking for sweaters. Usually, fall and winter colors are pretty dark, think grey, black, maroon, orange. I’ve been seeing more of a push towards brighter colors, even neon. I usually associate neon with sports and bad dressing in high school, but if it looks like this sweater I could get into it.

I pretty much just shopped and by that I mean I put a bunch of things in my cart where they will sit for the next two weeks!!!!!

I will now leave you with this horror I found the other day while scrolling through Instagram:

 

I’m inconsolable.